The Seder is part of the Passover holiday experience for our brothers and sisters in Judaism. It is a feast where they gather and remember what God did for them during the Exodus. All of the foods are prepared in a special way and much of it also has symbolic significance. We ate the matzo (unleavened bread), the maror (horse radish, the bitter root) and the charoset ( a pebbly paste of fruits and nuts) and heard what each of them represented.
Joel explained the significance of dipping the vegetables in salt water. He offered prayers over the cups of wine (grape juice for us good Baptists!) We sang hymns and psalms and even a few fun, participatory choruses. As you looked around the room, you could sense the presence of God. I think the Lord was delighted that we were sharing His story again.
Each month when we celebrate the Lord's Supper we make reference to the fact that this was really a Passover meal that Jesus and his disciples were sharing but we don't elaborate on it. Being there with the Etra family and their friends helped give me the context for what Jesus and disciples were sharing on that night long ago.
Our Passover celebration went from 8:00 p.m. to midnight. Joel and his family had prepared for hours and days before. Walking in the door you knew this was a big deal. So when Jesus sat at the table with his disciples it wasn't just a dinner date. It was a very personal worship experience that brought the reality of all God had done for them home. When we read of that night in the Gospel of John there are long discussions and times of prayer. It made sense to me after being at the Seder on Monday night.
Every question has an answer and it prompts another question. Undoubtedly as Jesus was answering the questions new ones would arise. He began to tell the disciples about God's new plan and what was going to happen. It must have been an amazing night.
Being there was a great because it was a reminder that God had been reaching out to us and watching over us since the very beginning. From the call to Abraham to the deliverance through Moses, from the installation of David as king to the birth of Jesus, we have been a part of God's great plan. It was a wonderful way to mark the beginning of Holy Week.
Cal
