ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

FOOTWASHING OR WASHING OF FEET

Updated on February 2, 2014


Jesus began to wash His disciples' feet after the last supper (John 13:8). It is a glorious gesture of humility to wash one another's feet for it symbolizes humility especially for a master to wash his disciples' feet. Some call it "Footwashing" while others refer to it as "Washing of Feet". Whatever name it is called, it is the same rite that Jesus performed after the Holy Communion. Several church denominations observed it as a religious rite.


The Catholic Church


The Roman Catholic Church practises the washing of feet in connection with the Mass of the Lord's Supper. The pope washed the feet of twelve deacons and of thirteen poor men after dinner. Normally twelve men were chosen. With help of the ministers, who pour water over each one's feet, the priest dries them.


Anglican, Lutheran and Methodist


Anglican, Lutheran and Methodist churches observe Footwashing or Washing of Feet on Maundy Thursday services and at times on ordination services. The common practice has been connected with the Lord's supper while others practised it in connection with baptism.

The observance of washing the saints' feet is quite varied. The men and women participate in separate groups, men washing men's feet and women washing women's feet. Each member of the congregation takes a turn washing the feet of another member.

Passover Foot Washing in Te... Freedomchurchofgod.com
Passover Foot Washing in Te... Freedomchurchofgod.com

Seventh Day Adventist


Seventh Day Adventist celebrates the foot washing four times a year preceding Communion service. All members including pastors are invited to share in the washing of feet, men with men and women with women and spouse with spouse. They call it the Ordinance of Humility. The main purpose is to renew the cleansing that comes from God, and the other is to celebrate reconciliation with another member before the Holy Communion.


Footwashing and Washing of Feet as Ordinance


Baptist Church

Many Baptist Churches also observe the literal washing of feet as a third ordinance. This is practised regularly by members of the Brethren in Christ, Christian Baptist Church of God, General Association of Baptists, and Old Regular Baptist.

Brethren Church


Groups from such as Brethren Church, Church of the Brethren, Grace Brethren, and Old German Baptist Brethren observed the rite as one of three ordinances besides the Holy Communion and fellowship meal. Other related groups such as the Amish and some Mennonites also wash feet, This practice promotes humility and care for others,


Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


Joseph Smith Jr. introduced the ordinance of foot washing in the temple in the mid 1830s.as a ritual cleansing. Later it was expanded into the washing and anointing ceremony.


True Jesus Church


The True Jesus Church believes that footwashing is a scriptural sacrament based on John 13:1-11 like the other two sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion. Unless the feet are washed, one does not have a part of Jesus (John 13:8, and are not saved). In John 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me."

John 13:13--17

  • Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

To have no part with Jesus is to have no salvation and hence, foot washing is essential like Baptism and Holy Communion.


Why Jesus Stressed the Importance of Washing of Feet


When the converts have gone through baptism and the blood of Jesus exonerated all the past sins, He emphasized the importance of the walk they must follow from thence forward. They must practise humility through footwashing.as an example of Christ. Christians do not know when God would call them back, and they must be aware of where their feet would lead them, either to the rock of Christ or to the miry clay that leads to destruction.

1. Psalms 119:105

  • Thy lamp is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

2. Psalms 56:13

  • For thou has delivered my soul from death; wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

3. Psalms 116:8

  • For thou has delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

4. Psalms 40:2

  • He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my going.


Non Practising Churches


Groups that do not observe foot washing as an ordinance believe the example of Jesus is usually held to be symbolic. Nevertheless, sometimes the rite is portrayed as hospitality or as a lesson to the congregation.


Footwashing or Washing of Feet

Do you agree with the practice of footwashing?

See results
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)