I’ve always liked Paul’s quotation of Isaiah 52:7 in Romans 10:15 for an installation. “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!” The pastor could then walk barefoot through the congregation. Such a display would not be to see whether he had beautiful feet or feet beset by bunions, but as a sign of the good news he was called to preach.
Periodically, the pastor could repeat the walk to remind the people and himself that his purpose is to preach the good news of Christ so that having with their ears they might believe it in their hearts and confess Christ with their mouth.
The people could show the pastor their feet beautified from proclaiming the glad tidings of Christ in word and deed during the week.
The early church fathers caught the meaning of the text. Eusebius of Caesarea (263-339) wrote, “It is the feet of those who publish the good news of Christ that are beautiful. For how could they not be beautiful, which in so small, so short a time have run over the whole earth and filled every place with the holy teaching about the Savior of the world?”
Jerome (347-420) wrote, “The apostles whose feet the Lord washed, are clean and fair for preaching and to run through world, quickly filling the globe with the doctrine of Christ.”
Thus we stride into the world with feet washed in baptism by Christ fit for being beautified by our “preaching.”
By Rev. Ronald Jansen
Check out our childrens' sermon from Sunday Aug 10, 2008:
http://stpaulslcms.org/videos.html
Posted by: jim claybourn | Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 09:56 AM
I'm glad someone else thought of showing off the pastor's feet. Do Bob and JoAnn Reinhardt belong to St. Paul's? bob and I were partner pastors in Marshfield, Wi. in the 1980's.
Posted by: Ronald Jansen | Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 02:28 PM
somewhat regular visitors, but not members
Posted by: jim claybourn | Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 03:17 PM