New Songs - And foot washing

Here is a very thought-provoking new song. It comes from the fourth section of this week's Bible lesson. Jesus was celebrating what is called the Last Supper with his disciples. Unlike the Jewish Passover, this was the beginning of a new song, a Christian Passover, where death is not going to just pass over the children of God, but be defeated.

The disciples had been disputing who would be the greatest among them when Jesus rose up from the table. Dummelow's Commentary says not one of them would serve at the feast, for fear of being thought inferior to the others. Jesus, after waiting a little for one of them to offer, rose himself. Not content with waiting on the table, which might upon occasion be done by a person of good position, he washed their feet, the function of a slave. He made it quite clear that we are treat each other as he treated those disciples.

Now this does not mean to station yourself at the door and offer to wash the feet of whoever comes to church that morning. But you could be alert to the family trying to get all their kids in safely from the parking lot and offer to lend a hand. You might look around the church and see the one job no one else wants to do and quietly do it.

This applies to all our life, not just church. It might be doing that chore around the house that no one has done forever. Putting away a pile of things that have collected on some table. It might be showing kindness to a coworker when that is the last thing you feel like doing. It is so nice to be around someone who is courteous and has good manners.

Sing a new song as you do it. Don't do it begrudgingly, but with humility and calm and tenderness and kindness. The act should let the person recieving it feel your respect and meekness in all the good things that meekness really means. Mrs. Eddy describes that as self-forgetfulness, purity and affection. We should be willing to do this because the benefit is ' growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds.

Sing a new song today.

Be at peace.