Barefoot In Church

Barefoot Sabbath

June 7, 2008 

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The first time Barrington Brennen preached barefoot was during the Divine Hour on Sabbath, June 7, 2008, at the Living Seventh-day Adventist Church, Old Trail Road, Nassau, The Bahamas. It was not because he left his shoes home or he did not have any.   It was because it was Soles for Souls–Barefoot Sabbath. This was the first Barefoot Sabbath at Living Faith.  It was a time for members, visitors, and friends to come to the Divine Hour with shoes on their feet and leave with bare feet.   There were two goals for Barefoot Sabbath.  The first goal was to collect shoes to give away to those who cannot afford shoes or who do not have shoes. The second goal was to help people learn about the true meaning of Christian service.  The message was a very spiritual one that encouraged members to “bare their souls before God.”   The title of the sermon was “Barefoot Gal and the Cross.”  

(Soles for Souls, a non-denominational program, was started by Wayne Elsey of Washington D.C. in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that hit Southeast Asia,  He felt compelled to do something. Hence, he established the non profit organization “Soles of Souls” and started Barefoot Sunday.  Since then millions of shoes have be collected around the world.  It is held May 31st each year.  Since we are Sabbath keepers we call it Barefoot Sabbath.  Pastor Brennen learned about Soles for Souls via an email and introduced the idea to the Church Board in April of 2008.  They liked the idea thought of it as a way of getting the church involved in sharing and caring or those in need.  Some of the shoes collected will be sent to Soles for Soul and the others will be given away in The Bahamas)

Laura Roberts a member said: “I was so excited to come to church this morning so I can give away some of the many shoes I have in my closet and walk out of church barefoot.”   It was evident that the listeners not only participated with their heads and hands (giving of shoes), they also participated with their heart (spiritually).    At the end of the service, Pastor Brennen asked everyone to come forward and take off their shoes and place them in the large receptacles on the platform. There were some first-time visitors who did not know about Barefoot Sabbath who gave away their shoes and went away with bare feet.  You should have seen the happy, yet solemn faces as they took off their shoes and gave them away. Some brought extra shoes in bags.  Some even brought them in the original shoe boxes.  One mother said: “I wanted to be a part of Barefoot Sabbath, but since I did not have shoes to give away I went and bought a pair just for this special day.”   The more than 250 Sabbath worshipers came forward and soon the two large bins were too small.   Shoes had to be placed on the floor around them.  Praise God for the 277 pairs of shoes that were collected.    The shoes will be given away during the upcoming Living Faith and Redemption Churches Community Services Expo on June 22, 2008 at Bahamas Academy and other charitable organization in the Bahamas.

There were all kinds of shoes in all sizes: slippers, tennis, boots, church shoes, sandals, etc.; and there were shoes for men women, teenagers, girls, boys, and infants.   What a site it was to behold!.  As the congregation brought their shoes to the altar they sang the hymn, “Take My Life and Let it Be.”   The song was quite fitting for Barefoot Sabbath because it talks about giving various body parts to Jesus; for example the lips, feet, and heart.  It talks also about the will and self.  Pastor Brennen composed one more verse for the occasion:  

“Take my shoes, and let them be a symbol and love and service for Thee.

Take them now, I give them to thee, sharing joy and love for Thee,

Sharing joy and love for Thee.”

Elizabeth Gibson, a visitor, said it while singing that verse that she shed a few tears.  “It was so touching and deeply spiritual.”   She left the church with no shoes on her feet.

Just before the sermon, a group of young people dramatized the story of the Good Samaritan found in John 10.  It was meaningful and effective.  Then Barrington Brennen got up to preach.  First he prayed, and then he sat down on stage where the entire congregation could see and took off his shoes and socks and went to the pulpit to preach barefooted.   It was a site to behold as he stood there in full dress suit to preach without shoes.  

Pastor Brennen began his sermon by sharing the life story of Bahamian cultural icon, the late Gloria Patience, was who was known as the “barefoot gal.” He shared what it meant to walk “barefoot” spiritually.  He presented four occasions in the Bible when people were bare feet for spiritual reasons.    The first one was Moses at the burning bush.  (Exodus 3:1-6) God told Moses to “Take off your shoes for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”  Before Moses was called to active service, he had to take off his shoes as a symbol of humility and willingness to serve without question.   

The second was when Isaiah was asked to walk bare feet around and naked around town for three years.  (Isaiah 20:1-6) “In the year when King Sargon of Assyria sent his commander in chief to capture the Philistine city of Ashdod, the Lord told Isaiah son of Amoz, “Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals.” Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot.”  Isaiah had to walk around the town naked and barefoot as a symbol of God’s dislike of his people’s behavior and what will happen if they did not change.  

The third was when Micah walked around naked and barefoot. (Micah 1:6-8) The Lord says: "I will make Samaria a pile of ruins in the open country, a place for planting grapevines. I will pour the rubble of the city down into the valley, and will lay bare the city's foundations. All its precious idols will be smashed to pieces, everything given to its temple prostitutes will be destroyed by fire, and all its images will become a desolate heap..." Micah said, "Because of this tragedy, I go barefoot and naked. My crying and weeping sound like howling wolves or ostriches.  Micah had to do this for the same reason Isaiah did.  God was displeased with his people.  

The final illustration Pastor Brennen gave was when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. (John 134:1-17) Jesus and his disciples were all barefoot in the house and Jesus took the towel, to his disciples’ shock, and washed their feet.  “When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”  “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”  Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”  Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

 Jesus was demonstrating to his disciples the true meaning of service and Christian witness.  It can only occur unless there is a meek and humble spirit.   Pastor Brennen told the congregation that “having no shoes, especially, when you choose to do so, can be a real symbol of services to God.  True service to God comes from a heart of deep humility.  “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit eternal life.”  Meekness is a willingness to say, “Yes Lord.”    It is a willingness to say today “Anywhere he leads me I will go.”    The song says most appropriately: “I will serve thee because I love Thee; you have given life to me.”   

 Pastor Brennen concluded the message with these three points taken from the passages of scripture: 

1. Taking off your shoes in the presence of God is a symbol of humility.

2. Taking off your shoes can be a symbol of genuine service.  God asked Moses to take off his shoes when he was about to call him into active service.

3. Talking of your shoes can be a act of openness and repentant spirit.

He stressed that after we would have gone “barefoot” and gotten real with God, then and only then can we find peace within.  Then and only then, can we share the true Gospel of peace.   The final text was taken from Ephesians 6:15:  “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared” (New Living Translation).  Living Faith is on fire for God.

  

Photos from Barefoot Sabbath

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