Between the Toes, Too

After a busy four-day Easter weekend, it is natural to pause and reflect on the events just experienced as well as the basis for them, the meanings behind all the celebrations. Most Christian churches observe baptism in some form, and many observe the Lord's Supper or Communion in some way. But relatively few observe the ordinance of feet-washing. For a lot of honest, sincere Christians believe the ceremonial washing of feet is an outdated and unnecessary ritual that has little if any significance in modern church life.

In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. I had my associate pastor deliver some remarks on the Lord's Supper section of the special Maundy Thursday service, then I gave some of my thoughts on why I believe the washing of feet is still an integral part of the spiritual life of the individual and fellowship of believers, and what the ordinance means. These were extemporaneous remarks, but I want to put them down in a more permanent form, in order to share them with you, the reader, as well as preserve them for posterity.

Why should we observe feet-washing as an ordinance of Jesus? Well, first of all if we are indeed Christians, a name that itself means "Christ-like," we should want to be like Christ, to follow His pattern and the examples He gave. He took the time to bow down in a humble way and wash the feet of His disciples, arguably the dirtiest part of their bodies. That God in the flesh, the Creator, the Master of all would, in the eyes of some, degrade and humiliate Himself in this fashion is almost unbelievable. Jesus Himself said that if we were to do this, we would be blessed or, in a better translation, happy.

Where is the extra symbolism? Well, just think for a moment. In the ancient world, the dirtiest part of a person would (arguably) be the feet. Walking in most places, with sandals, over dirt roads, one would not be able to help but have dirty feet. It's one thing to wash your own hands or face when they're dirty, because they rarely get "filthy." But the feet, especially then, would be encrusted with layers of dirt after not a very long time. Jesus chose to wrap Himself with a towel after dinner and voluntarily wash the dirtiest part of His disciples, a part that would, in theory, need lots of scrubbing to get clean.

Now we notice something interesting. Peter, the bombastic disciple, watched Jesus bowing down and washing the feet of his colleagues, horrified that the Master would lower Himself to this level. When Jesus comes to him, Peter says, "Jesus, there's no way You're touching my feet." Was it personal pride? Was it out of concern for protecting the dignity of this great Man? Was it because he felt unworthy? Doesn't really matter, because in the final analysis, he was going against the wishes of Jesus; ergo, disobedience was creeping in. Jesus looks at Peter and says, "If I don't wash your feet, then you have no part with Me."

This sobered Peter up in a hurry. He changes his tune by saying, "In that case, don't stop at the feet! Wash my hands and my head as well!" In other words, Peter was willing to undergo a head-to-toe dunking and scrubbing if it meant he could remain in that special spiritual relationship with Jesus. But Jesus told him that it wasn't necessary, that if Peter's feet were washed by Jesus, then he would be clean all over.

What would this mean? Again, the symbolism comes into play and, in my opinion, shows us in a very compelling way that we should still observe this wonderful ordinance. In Jesus' day the feet were the dirtiest part of the body, essentially picking up all the dirt of the world. By washing the dirtiest part, the person was, in effect, clean. The disciples were believers, as strong in faith as just about anyone (at that point in the story, at least), yet their feet were still dirty. This illustrates that we, even if we're strong believers, can pick up the dirt of this world just by walking through it. Even the best of us need cleansed because we just pick up things in our life that don't need to be there: things we see and hear, things we do when we're weak. It's important that we realize that all of us, no matter who we are or how close to God we are, all need to be cleansed from time to time.

The washing of one another's feet humbles us by showing that we are no better than anyone else, and no one else is better than us. Jesus did it, and so surely we can. But the symbolic washing of feet allows us to contemplate the dust of this world that covers even the most holy of us. No matter how hard we try, we get dirt on our feet, because they're almost always touching the ground. And I can think of no better way to recognize our need for spiritual cleansing than by kneeling at the feet of another and washing them, or having someone wash ours. Just as Jesus washed His disciples' feet, we can have a deeply and spiritually-strengthening experience if we will do the same.

I could go on and on, but trust me when I say that you'll seldom find anything as humbling and gratifying than washing someone's feet. And as long as you're at it, don't forget the toes!

© 2008, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press.  All rights reserved.  All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States.  It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted.  Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Jeremiah 33:3 -- "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

So once again I take keyboard in hand with nary a thought as to what I want to say. I perused several daily devotional resources to see if anything sparked, and I came up with two that would suffice. I chose this verse from Jeremiah 33 for many reasons, one of which is I could probably write a book on the other available verse, and while brevity is not my strong suit, I do try to keep things somewhat contained in the length department here on Soulscape. But if I thought you had unlimited time and patience to read all that, it might be a different story…

Anyway, as I read this verse there were several things that came to mind, and I'd like to share some of them with you. I am often surprised, even in this jaded world of skepticism, by the extremely vocal minority who don't believe God is real at all and, if He is, that He's an impotent, uncaring God, detached from the cares and concerns of mortal man. I can't accept that premise, so there will be no further comment on it. I do, however, find myself even more surprised at the sway that Satan still holds over many believers, sincere Christians who find themselves chained to fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

"What is THAT?" you say to me now. "How can Satan hold sway over a Christian?" It's true, and it's very simple to explain: he CAN and DOES do it because WE let him. If you haven't been thoroughly confused or repulsed yet, I'll try to briefly (insert pause for laughter here) share with you some illustration of the point I'm trying to make.

Have you ever seen someone (or rather, have you yourself ever experienced), some sincere Christian, go through a particularly difficult trial; even if it didn't seem so bad to you, it most certainly did to them? There's a lot of prayer involved, a lot of vague hopes for a solution or some relief, but there just below the surface is an inkling of doubt, of, "Well, I've prayed and I hope the Lord heard me." For many, the sight of a Christian with anything less than 100% faith, anything less than a no-worries, carefree attitude is not what they'd call a rousing endorsement for trusting in Jesus. It's sad, but true, and it is a common thing. And as a side note before proceeding, let me tell you that any pastor who tells you that real faith has absolutely no confrontation with doubt or fear has absolutely no idea what he or she is talking about.

Maybe the situation is just a little bit different. Maybe it's not some crisis. Maybe it has something to do with finding a path, or having courage to make a decision for self, a family, or a church. All of us are or have been guilty of saying something along the lines of, "I don't know how we're going to get by (do this, achieve this goal, or any other thing like this)." This, too, illustrates a lack of faith; it's not that we doubt God is capable of doing whatever it is that's in front of us, it's that we don't stop long enough to ask, listen for an answer, and/or see miraculous things.

That's where this wonderful reminder in Jeremiah comes into play; its relevance in our lives today cannot be overstated. Each and every day, especially during the trials, we need to remember to call upon the Lord, to make the effort to share our thoughts and concerns with Him, to do as the old song says, "Have a Little Talk With Jesus." But we can't stop there. When we ask we must go forward in the faith, knowing that He will indeed answer His children. He's not going to just leave us hanging (even if a delay seems like it). He will answer and, in the answering, our minds, hearts, souls, and even our eyes will see great things and mighty things.

In short, if we'll believe in a God of the possible, we can see the impossible.

When something happens to us, when we have a question, or just want to waste some time, we often pick up the phone and call a friend. I would encourage you to put in a call to the Lord every once in a while. You just might be surprised by what you see, and for the new and the seasoned believer, that just might be a very good thing.

© 2008, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press.  All rights reserved.  All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States.  It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted.  Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

At a Loss

The cupboard is bare. The TV is on but the station is out. Deal or No Deal is still going on, but the million-dollar case is out of play. All these familiar and less-than-familiar euphemisms illustrate my mind at this moment. For the last few days I've been looking forward to writing a new entry today, rolling up my sleeves (not an easy task since it's been warm enough for me to currently wear a short-sleeved shirt) and getting down to my literary and spiritual passion of wordsmithing.

And I got nothin'.

Yes, I am at a loss for words, a rare occurrence (or feat, as the case may be) for a preacher. Perhaps I have used up my word allotment for the week. Maybe the ol' brain-box is just experiencing some transmission problems. Who knows? I had hoped for something, some insight into Scripture, some big event to bring to you that would cleverly and clearly show some deep spiritual truth. But I just can't seem to get it moving. So what will I do? Well, I guess I can just list some of the things that have been going on or will be upcoming in my own life, some plans and things like this. Probably boring, but I figure I can at least give it a try.

• Our church congregation ordained a new Associate Pastor this past Sunday, which I expect to greatly enhance the spiritual growth and well-being of the individuals of the congregation, as well as the furthering of God's work.
  
• The Second Annual CrossWalk, where we carry a cross for nearly two miles through various neighborhoods near the church, will be coming up on March 21^st. Last year my greatest expectation was for 15 people and a couple of cars. We had 500% more take part. This year I'm looking forward to even greater success, and we've added a gospel concert and fellowship dinner after the CrossWalk itself, which will hopefully show the Lord even more to those who need to see Him at work in people's lives.
  
• I still have hopes for an e-mail newsletter to either supplement or replace the Soulscape blog. A final decision on that will be made probably within the next couple of months, so I'll keep you updated.
  
• Many computer-related issues have finally been resolved, and we actually have just about everything we need at church when it comes to the technology area. Took some time and effort and great frustrations, but I finally got everything set up, which is quite exciting for a geek like myself.
  
• There are a number of things we hope to improve upon, some changes we are looking to make, in our church worship experience (the first step of which dealt with the Associate Pastor position). We're trying to break free from a "business as usual" attitude and shifting to a real, meaningful and different kind of situation when people come to church. It should never be about habit or tradition, but about getting in touch with the Lord or, rather, letting Him get in touch with us. Many ideas are being floated around, many paths are being pursued and, with the Lord's help, we can make a great impact on our community and our world through our willingness to follow this year's motto and philosophy of our congregation: ANSWERING THE CALL.
  
• I also hope to start working on a long-thought-of book I've been pushing to the back burner, waiting for a more convenient time to start writing. Soon I hope to pick up writing on it again and before too long have something ready to publish. Be in prayer with me about it!
  

I guess that will about do it for this entry. Wish I had more to say, something to help you through whatever it is you're going through. But perhaps next time will be a little easier. Lots going on, big plans, a great future. But it will all require a great touch from the Lord to get everything off the ground and running smoothly. Until next time, I pray for all the best for you. And, looking back on this entry, I guess even being at a loss for words can include a lot of words for a preacher.

© 2008, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press.  All rights reserved.  All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States.  It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted.  Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.T

Critical Repairs, In Many Ways

They say that the "third time's the charm." I hope so. This is hard drive number three that I have had to utilize in my notebook computer. Now I can understand if the computer was old and abused, or even infected with some dastardly virus of some sort; but I've only had this computer for a few years at the most. After losing my first hard drive and everything on it, I have become much more studious about back-ups, so when things started going haywire I was already well on my way to being prepared for the worst.

This computer has been, for lack of a better term, a piece of junk. Yes, there have been far more good days with it than bad, but those bad days really taxed patience. Aside from the keyboard, nearly everything has been replaced: the screen, the CD/DVD drive, and of course, a twice-replaced hard drive. But now I have a brand-spanking new, not-refurbished-or-otherwise-substandard, 120 GB (upgraded from 80 GB) hard disk on which I have spent at least 15 hours over the last two days trying to recreate this (for all intents and purposes) new computer in the image of the old, installing and downloading and uploading and overloading and any other form of loading one can do. Who knows how much longer it will be? But at least I have all my essentials returned to me.

A friend has said to me, on this and other occasions, "You've had nothing but trouble with that computer." But, truth be told, as I sit here thinking about all the times the computer let me down, about all the times and all the things done to fix said problems, as I think about the two-week ordeal in getting the part in, which should have been two days, and as I think about the $180 used to pay for all of this work (which I didn't really have to spare this week, but that's a different story), I can honestly say I'm not that upset at all. The rebirth of this computer has allowed me to see something much more personal, something that has been taking place over the last several weeks in my own life.

After a very long time, I finally came to a sobering conclusion about my own life that I had to confront in order to move forward. In a sermon titled The Choice Between Two, I addressed something that I had been guilty of without fully realizing it: I had for far too long tried to serve two masters. (NOTE: This message has not been put on the Internet for podcasting because of the computer issues over the last month, but I hope to perhaps put "the best of" sermons online over the next week or so, in case you wish to listen – if so, visit http://feeds.feedburner.com/westwoodonline or visit the iTunes store and search for Westwood Church of God podcast.)

As a pastor, it was very difficult to admit that I had drifted away from everything I held dear to me, without even realizing what kind of slippery slope I was on at the time. Intellectually I knew, but denial is a powerful force. After hitting rock bottom in almost every area of my life, gripped with overwhelming depression and despair, I realized there was only one option. As I said in my sermon (and explained in further detail), I had to apologize to my wife for failing her has a husband; I apologized to my kids for failing them as a father; I apologized to my church for failing them as a pastor; and I apologized to the Lord for failing Him as a servant. We all have faults, we all make mistakes, we're all human. But whether I mentioned it at the time or not, I had forgotten to apologize to myself, because I had let myself down as well.

It's hard to be everything to everyone. In fact, it's impossible. What is equally impossible is being everything to yourself. Living with the memories of failures and defeats, or placing too much emphasis on one's own importance, can be a difficult thing to live with. When I had gotten so low that I had to re-evaluate my life and once again look to the Lord as my only refuge and rescue, I finally grasped what I had preached and taught for so long: Jesus MUST always be first and everything, and we can only survive if we rely totally upon Him. This total surrender is often the most difficult things to understand and embrace, but it's vital.

So with all that happening right around the time of this whole computer mess, I have been able to look at things in a much different light. This computer, earlier described as "a piece of junk," is a perfect illustration of my own life. When I signed on with the Lord I knew what He expected of me, but little by little things kept breaking and going wrong: my heart, my mind, my habits and personality. And sometimes the same part would continually fail. I would go to God and ask for some "heavenly tech support," and He would walk me through a fix or replace the defective part, and things would go well for a while. Then something else would bring me down until, finally, I was really beyond effective use.

I went to the Lord and asked Him what I needed, knowing full well that it was a complete overhaul. Just like the last couple of weeks, the entire process was difficult and inconvenient and costly. And just like the last couple of days, getting everything back up and running and fixed better than before, it's slow and sometimes frustrating. I have had this computer fixed time and again, and there were moments I just wanted to throw it away and be done with it. But when I think about how the Lord has been so patient with me and has fixed me time and time again, not throwing me out like He would have every right to do, I can't help but feel peace and joy, and also feel a little bit grateful that this computer has shown me so much about my own life.

And just like this computer, unless you stay connected to the Power Source, pretty soon you won't work at all. Keep that in mind, and remember: JESUS KNOWS HOW TO FIX IT!!!

© 2008, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press.  All rights reserved.  All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States.  It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by leaving a comment (with your request) which will be forwarded to Chris Keeton. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted.  Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

I HAVE RETURNED!!! SORT OF

I just wanted to let you know that, after a two week fiasco, I have my computer back from the shop with a shiny new hard drive.  I have spent the last 9.5 hours loading all the software and back-up files onto the new drive, but hope to create a new entry in a day or so, then back to the original schedule.  Perhaps I'll even tell you about all this computer mess!

At any rate, it's good to be back, and I hope to see you soon.  Hope you haven't forgot about Soulscape!

A Conspicuous Absenc

Some of you may have noticed that I have not posted in a couple of weeks.  I just wanted you to know that I have not forgotten Soulscape.  I have had to deal with several issues, including physical and spiritual issues, and haven't had the opportunity.  Also, my computer is in the process of dying and will possibly require a new hard drive (the third in this particular computer).  

I hope to get the computer back in a week or so, at which time I will be better able to compose som more entries.  So don't forget me, and I'll not forget you!  See you soon.