ORWIGSBURG — Humility.
It can be expressed in many ways, from simply being polite to your neighbors to making much greater sacrifices in an effort to put others before yourself.
The parishioners at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Orwigsburg, observed that value by adding something new to its traditional Holy Thursday worship service, the feet washing rite.
“This is a first for this congregation. They’ve never done the foot-washing rite. I’m a new pastor and we have a new choir director and we said ‘Let’s try it,’ ” said the Rev. Lee A. Diefenderfer, who has been pastor of the church since September 2014.
Justin McClure, Kaska, has been the choir director and church organist since April 2015.
“I think we wanted to include another element that’s very true to the evening. You’ll hear it in the Gospel passage,” McClure said, referring to John 13:1-17.
“Humility. That’s what the foot-washing service is all about. This is an act of servanthood. In the Gospel, Christ must wash feet, though Peter balks, to communicate that he truly came to serve as a prelude to Good Friday, the ultimate servanthood. We are called to follow Christ’s example as we care for one another, especially the poor and unloved,” Diefenderfer said.
Mary Ellen Hering, Orwigsburg, said she appreciated that the pastor added the rite to the service.
“I think it’s something that will add to the service because it’s something that Jesus did,” Hering said.
More than 75 people came out to Thursday night’s service at the church at 215 N. Warren St., and five of them volunteered to participate in the foot washing rite, which the pastor conducted.
The first was Gail Rarick, Orwigsburg, then Tom Wehr, Orwigsburg, stepped up.
“I’ve been a member of this church for about 16 or 17 years. And I think this is something interesting,” Rarick said.
“I’ve been a member about 30 or 35 years. I think it’s great that they’re adding this to the service. We’re doing more and more at our church right now that really pertains to what the church should be doing. And this is part of it,” Wehr said.
Thursday night’s service also included Holy Thursday traditions including the “Laying on of Hands” and the “Stripping of the Altar.”
“This marks the transition from the Eucharistic celebration to that of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. It symbolizes Christ’s humiliation at the hands of the soldiers,” the pastor said.
During his sermon, Diefenderfer discussed his effort to improve the church.
“I said to church council in a very specific way ‘We need to get together a few people who will work with the staff with nothing but love, care and support. And I promised council that I would bring those people together, and that I would have an outline for them about how they would go about their work to keep all of us healthy and wrapped in care, concern and love,” the pastor said.
It took time to put that support team together, he said.
“It was about two months ago, we gathered our team. We talked about what we needed to do. And, if people do what they promised, and I really feel they are, you’ll have a staff who will receive love and support,” the pastor said.
Today, the church will observe Good Friday, and the church will observe “Tenebrae” at 7 p.m., the pastor said.