Sermons by Seminarian Anne Wickland

This January, I went to the Holy Land with my seminary, and when in Jerusalem, we visited the Garden of Gethsemane, the garden where Jesus was arrested. The olive trees there are hundreds of years old. And while they aren’t the exact trees that were there when Jesus was, they were from those trees- replanted with parts of those trees. And while walking through the garden, I felt like I was there on that night. I could feel the Holy Spirit. I could feel that creation contains memories and is a holy place…

I’m sure many of us here, when foot washing comes to mind, we only think about Maundy Thursday, because it just really isn’t something we do today. I have actually had multiple experiences with foot washing outside of a Maundy Thursday service. In high school, I went on many mission trips with my youth group. On the last night, while in small groups for work projects, the adult leader would wash our feet, and then pray with us, for us. Every time I cried in some capacity. Hearing from someone who knows you so well, like my adult leaders, and to have them wash my feet and share with me and God things they prayed for me, I felt that love and care that I can imagine the disciples felt when Jesus washed their feet…