Uncharted Territory

Matthew 26: 17-20 (NRSV)

On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'" So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal. When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve;"

John 13:5-17 (NRSV)

Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean. After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord-and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater that their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them."

A friend and mentor of mine (who happens to be the District Superintendent of the West District, named Lisa Neslony) recommended a book to me well over a year ago and in typical Kevin Anderson fashion it went near the bottom of my "to read" list. I finally picked it up and began reading it in February.

The book uses the example of the Lewis and Clark expedition and how they were tasked to find water passage through the western part of the United States all the way to the pacific ocean. But this territory was uncharted and they ran into a little roadblock called the Rocky Mountains. The book uses this as an example to bring up reframing the church strategy and going from a sanctuary-centered, membership based, religious service provider to a local outpost for furthering the kingdom of God in a changing world. (Canoeing the Mountains, page 96). The book is titled Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory.

Well if that isn't relevant to what's going on right now in our church and our world then I don't know what is. Of course the uncharted territory spoken about in this book is about a changing culture where the church and church leaders are becoming increasingly irrelevant.

Taking that title and looking at it through the lens of church during this pandemic it takes on a whole new meaning, doesn’t it? Church pastors, leaders, staff, Sunday school leaders, and church members are having to learn a new way to do church and how to adapt. As a church and as a society are truly in uncharted territory.

Since this pandemic started and things changed so suddenly we have all had to adapt. As a the church we are having Sunday school, bible study, youth meetings, children's activities, and worship all online. In fact, I am preaching right now not to a room of people but to a camera so people can see it in their own homes.

As a society lot of things that may have been unfamiliar to us are becoming more familiar. We have had to adapt and learn better ways to live our lives day-to-day. Simple things that we took for granite are now different. Human interaction face to face is very limited. Going to the gym, or school, or a restaurant to sit down is non-existent. Everybody is in a sense learning as they go.

But there is hope moving forward. We must ask ourselves what is absolutely essential for our faith and our life as Christ followers. To me these two scriptures just before Jesus death and resurrection of him dining with the disciples and washing the disciples feet bring a clear focus on two things that are essential: connecting through fellowship and serving one another. These are two symbolic examples for us to model.

So confession here. Last Sunday was the first day EVER that me, Kathy, and the kids sat down for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the same day as a family-just the four of us. Courtney is almost eight years old and it’s the first time we all four shared three meals together on the same day, just the four of us. I googled it and that is 2871 days it took for us to do that. Yikes!! What this “shelter in place” order has blessed us with is the opportunity to eat together as a family way more than we ever have. We have been able to stay connected through fellowship.

Our first scripture of Jesus dining with the disciples is an example of staying connected through fellowship. We come to Holy Thursday wanting to understand what Jesus was “trying” to tell his disciples, his friends, as he was eating with them. I say trying because they didn’t quite get what he was saying to them. After all, he did come back and spend 40 days with them after the resurrection. He was still trying to tell them. Imagine what the meal was like back then. They wouldn’t have a meal at a house and then go home or pick up fast food on the go. They would be sitting around talking while preparing the meal and talking while eating the meal. A meal was fellowship: a time to interact, a time to talk about what was going on, a time to connect.

Prior to the quarantine, I suspect that most of us did not always take the time to have a meal like Jesus did. So right now more than ever I believe we can relate to that way of sharing a meal as Jesus did with the disciples. Today we are together at our own houses eating together with those closest to us. There’s no more eating out where we have all the distractions of other people around us. We are paying attention to those in our immediate vicinity. Hopefully, connecting in such a way that we will never be the same. I believe we will emerge from this crisis as changed people in how we interact not only with our loved ones closest to us but how we interact with everyone.

We must engage and learn together so that we may take on the challenge that is before us.

  

Our second scripture speaks to being in service to one another. Jesus’ act of washing feet is one that first century people would have understood as an act of humility and service. And it still speaks to us today as this huge act of service and humility.

Speaking about humility? Have you ever washed anyone’s feet? Have you ever washed someone’s feet who has been walking around in the desert in sandals? It would not have been a pleasant experience. Jesus introduced a new commandment to love one another and expressed this in the act of foot washing.

Jesus washes the disciples feet and in doing so becomes the servant of all. And Jesus act of foot washing is for all the disciples, includes Judas-the one who will betray him. Think about that for just a second. Jesus humbly bows, bends down, and washes the feet of his betrayer. I wonder how alone Jesus might have felt at that moment. But Jesus doesn’t exclude even Judas. Jesus includes everyone. The worldly standards are done away and this is how we are called to follow the life of Christ. The disciples are meant to follow Jesus’ example. Jesus’ words explicitly indicate that they ought to "wash one another’s feet." He also qualifies the command to “love one another” with the words “just as I have loved you.” Christian love emulates the love of Jesus, and in chapter 13 that love centers on the foot washing. The act of foot washing is an act of humble service and love, one that disciples of Jesus should both receive and perform. So to respond to what Jesus has done for us, we need only look at what Jesus did for the disciples. We don’t simply "wash one another’s feet" but we love one another as Jesus loves us.

This love that we show for others in being shown right now in our world. Numerous examples of people reaching out to show love for others. Here are a few examples:

-School teachers learning new ways to teach their students simply because they care about them.

-Healthcare workers putting their own health at risk so that those who are sick can get the care they need.

-Essential personnel working so we can still get the necessities we need

-People calling to check in on others during this time

-Leaving notes on neighbors doors asking if they need help with anything

In a real sense, these acts of love are akin to Jesus being humble, kneeling down, and washing the disciples feet in an act of service and humility.

I wanted to read what for me was the most impactful quote I read from Canoeing the Mountains:

“We are at an exciting crossroads. We are entering a new day and a new adventure. We are not alone. The Spirit of God goes before us. The mission of Christ will not fail. The next steps are going to be demanding. Find the courage and develop the capacity for a new day. We are heading into uncharted territory and are given the charge to lead a new mission where the future is nothing like the past.” (Canoeing the Mountains,page 32)

Our tendency as humans is to go back to what we were doing before because it works for us, even when it doesn't work as well as it could. My hope is that the future is nothing like the past. I know it can’t be and more importantly I know it won’t be. We will come out of this crisis reflecting on what worked and understanding that what we were doing was not nearly as effective as what we had to do during this pandemic. We found new ways to be connected and fellowship together that have and will continue to make our relationships stronger. And we have and will continue to serve one another in humility as Jesus did with the disciples.

Jesus did things a certain way not because he was forced to but because he loved God and loved God’s people. We may be forced to live and do things a certain way right now but we can continue to love God and others through this and beyond this.

Grace & Peace

Kevin