Hooray! A day off! Working for Lutherans, I get Good Friday off. The best religious holiday is one that I don't have to celebrate. Yippee! Did you know yesterday was a religious holiday too? Yes, it was Maundy Thursday. Who knew? Here is a conversation I had at the end of the day yesterday:
Co-worker: I've got to run. My parents drove to town and are waiting for me at my house.
Me: Are they up for the whole weekend?
Co-worker: Yup.
Me: Do you have any thing fun planned? Shopping? Dining?
Co-worker: Well, we're going to church for the Easter weekend, starting tonight.
Me: Why on earth would you go to church tonight?
Co-worker: Maundy Thursday.
Me: Oh. Yeah. Sorry, I'm a poor excuse for a Lutheran. You know, even worse than a Christmas-Easter Lutheran. I'm a wedding-funeral Lutheran. (ha ha ha)
Co-worker: Oh.
Me: So what exciting stuff happens on Maundy Thursday?
Co-worker: Well, they've started washing of feet at my church.
Me: Gross. Do parishioners wash each other's feet?
Co-worker: No, the pastor does it.
Me: What a crappy job.
Co-worker: (silence- as I have forgotten that his father is a retired Lutheran minister)
Me: I wonder if anyone ever comes in with, you know, nasty feet, or intentionally gets them good and funky just so the pastor has a really humbling experience, since that is kind of the purpose of it.
Co-worker: Yeah. Now that I think about it, that is a crappy job. (Laughs) Would you mind shaving off that callous while you're down there, pastor?
Thank god he had a sense of humor. Sometimes, I just don't know when to shut up though. I'm such a heel.
3 comments:
Viva Jesus!
Sorry, my Latin is a bit rusty...
The Maundy Thursday services at my growing-up church were actually quite beautiful - reflective, emotional, etc but no washing of feet. That's just too gross at the end of winter. Can't even IMAGINE how much funk is down there. Wonder if the pastor would be offended if you brought along a loofah and some peppermint foot soak.
I would want him to wash my feet with oil and his hair like that poor woman in the bible did to Jesus. I hope she had some damn good shampoo after that bit.
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