Today's readings:

Exodus 12:1-4 [5-10] 11-14
Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-17, 31b-35

For those of us steeped in Christian tradition, these are all very well known passages - the institution of the Passover, the Institution of the Lord's Supper, the mandate to wash feet, even the psalm gives us words often used in communion services.  The danger is because we know them so well, they are rendered impotent.

This morning at 7:30 my home phone rang - oh no, I thought, what tragedy has occurred?  None, it transpired, it was a friend calling to thank me for their Easter card and reasonably sure that at that time I'd be contactable...  This friend of mine is, I reckon, a sympathetic agnostic, certainly not a church-goer and not steeped in churchianity.  He has another friend who is a non-stipendiary vicar (and half time butcher!) who had evidently been telling him about his Maundy Thursday evening service of foot washing.  My friend was intrigued but bewildered, the whole raisson d'etre of the ritual was unknown to him.  So followed a short conversation about what it is meant to symbolise and why it is done, and even the Latin root of 'maundy' from mandatum.

It gave me pause, cut through some of my knee jerk cynicism about the tokenism of foot-washing as I have seen it in C of E and RC contexts - squeaky clean feet in spotless socks, proffered to receive a trickle of warm water and a pat with a fluffy towel - and to recall what it is all meant to show, the greatest being the least, the 'priest' becoming the 'servant'.

So, I wonder, for each of us busy preparing, leading or attending services today, who will interrupt our complacency, our familiarity, our cynicism, and draw us back to what it's all about?

Lord, in my busyness of making Easter for others

Bring into my consciousness once more what it is I am doing

And why

And turn my attention from creating to being re-created by you

Servant God, kneeling at my feet

Gently wiping away the dirt and dust of another year

Slow me down

If only for the time it takes to think these thoughts

Allowing you to cleanse and refresh me.