Seder Supper and Easter Services.

Happy Easter!!!

The sun is shining brightly today, and even though it's cold the bright light is warm and encouraging. Susan and I just got in from church, where we got to enjoy the lovely Easter liturgy of the Anglican tradition. We did, I must admit, sneak out during the last hymn because the choir that usually only sings in the 11 o' clock service had stepped in to sing the Halleluia Chorus for us 9:15ers. Now I have heard this choir before, and let's just say it was less than angelic? Their hearts are in the right place, but they really do butcher the music. So what would Handel have done? Susan gave me the option of sneaking out to avoid hearing the massacre and I accepted... if they practiced hard and ended up delivering a wonderful and perfectly in-tune performance, well I guess I'll never know. Anyhow, the service was good and very joyful.

Another great part about my Holy Week was the seder supper Susan and I attended on Thursday evening. (Jenny is in Texas this week). I'd never even heard of this before this year, but the seder is the Jewish Passover meal, like what Jesus and the disciples shared in the Last Supper. The Christian Passocer Seder is to remember the Pasover meal Jesus had with his disciples and to retell the story of how God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and to remember how God in his mercy passed over the Israelits' homes in Egypt and saved the Israelite children.

So its starts with the women lighting the candles on the table ('the festival lights'- symbolizing the coming of the Messiah, the Light of the World)

The women pray (of the mother would be the one doing this if it was done in a home):

"Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has set us apart by His Word, and in whose name we light the festival lights."

There are four cups/toasts of the Passover. The first is the "Kiddush" (Sanctification) where the feast is blessed and the words of Luke 22:17-18 are read: "take this and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

Next is the "Urehatz" (washing), where you wash your hands in a bowl on the table to remember how Jesus washed his disciples' feet at the last supper. (I think sometimes there is actual footwashing involved).

Then everyone eats the "Karpas" together, which is a green herb (we used parsley). It represents life. But you dip it in salt water before eating it to remember that life in Egypt for the children of Israel was a life of pain, suffering, and tears. "Blessed are you, O Lord, Our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the Fruits of the Earth."

Next is the "Magid", the Recital of the passover story. A child asks questions and parents answer the questions:

"why is this night different form all other nights?" (the parents answer with the story of the exodus and the plagues- then everyone eats the Matzah, the unleavened bread)

Why are there bitter herbs on the table?" (life was bitter and hard for the Israelites)

"Why is there something sweet as well?" (this is the Charoseth, a fruit and nut kind of relish. It reminds us of the mortar the Egyptians used in slavery under pharaoh, but is sweet to remind us of the hope the Israelites had).

"Why is there a hard boiled egg of the table?" (Pharaoh hardened his heart towards God and his people)

"What is the bone for?" (the meaning of the paschal lamb for Jews and also to remember Christ the lamb of God)

Then you drink the second cup which is a cup of thanksgiving to God for His salvation: "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood"

Next comes the meal. We ate lamb and potatoes and carrots and salad.

The Third cup is accompanied by a thanksgiving prayer. Everyone prays:
"We will bless the Lord,
From this time forth and forever.

The Lord is my strength and my song,

And he has become my Salvation.

The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone..... etc."

The last cup is "Elijah's Cup". In the Jewish tradition there was an empty place left for Elijah and the door is left open for him to come in and announce the coming of the Messiah. But as Christians we know that Jesus is our messiah and he is here with us already, so the cup of Elijah is a sign of hope for salvation for everyone who doesn't know this.

"In Christ's death, there is life

In the shedding of blood,

There is atonement for sin.

In the coming of Jesus,

Our Passover is complete."

It was a lovely experience and I hope I get to do it again.
After the supper there was a Maundy Thursday communion service upstairs. Did you know that 'maundy' comes from the Latin 'mandatum' which basically translates into 'mandate'? So basically, its about the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples at the last supper: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34). As the service ends and a hymn is sung, the all the decorations are taken down and the altar is stripped bare to symbolize how Christ was totally abandoned on the cross. The lights slowly go out and the service ends in darkness.

We didn't make it to any good Friday services, but we did watch the Passion of the Christ, which I hadn't seen before. Something in me doesn't like the idea of 'hollywood-izing' the Passion. And I was worried that just showing all the physical suffering of Christ would overshadow His spiritual suffering and fail to clearly show the reason for and effect of his death and resurrection. I have to say, though, although it was extremely hard to watch (or not watch, in some cases, I couldn't) I think it stayed Biblically accurate (within the Catholic tradition, anyway, there are apocryphal stories included) and with flashbacks and such really does connect the events with salvation. Of course we don't like to see the gruesome reality of what Jesus went through, but He did it for us and sometimes its good to get out of our comfortable sunshine-and-daisies kind of Christianity and realize how serious a thing our sins are and how high a price was paid (and is still paid) for them.

So today is Easter Sunday. Christ has risen!

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

Alleluia, Amen.