why this night?
Why this night? It's the Passover....
I knew that tonight was going to be different from your run-of-the-mill church-sponsored Passover Seder demonstration when I approached my hosts' front door and found blood on the doorframe.
About twenty of us gathered, and my overwhelming impression is that we were actually celebrating the Passover tonight, versus simply gaining an education about the Passover. We used a Messianic Haggadah for the occasion with some of our own adjustments -- reciting verses of fulfillment along with the usual prophetic verses, removing the egg from the ceremony, and explaining the afikoman as Christ's body rather than as "unity bread" -- and it was very cool.
Another change is that we drank from our wine glasses four times, rather than drinking four glasses of wine. And although we were refilling the glasses during the meal, I'm sure that I'd be in a lot less trouble than a "traditional" celebrant when the cops pull us both over. ;-)
Over time since the first Passover, the ceremony became more elaborate and ritualized, earning the name "Seder" that means "order." The Passover Seder that Jesus celebrated in the upper room is pretty similar to current Seder tradition, except for that modern Seders have a few more songs/hymns included. But Jewish teaching (with precedent set by the famed Rabbi Gamiliel, the teacher of the Apostle Paul and one of the most respected in Jewish history) agrees with the Bible on the three necessary aspects of the Passover -- 1) unleavened bread, 2) bitter herbs, and 3) a lamb.
Unleavened bread, well, that's easy. There are three types of bitter herbs to partake in, the first being parsley dipped in salt water to remember the tears of the Hebrews in Egypt -- that's easy. Then, each person is to eat enough horseradish to bring tears to their eyes; if no tears come, they haven't had enough.
With the horseradish, I thought I was going to die!!
Seriously!! I've had it before, but never like this. My body, it stopped in shock. My breathing turned off, I couldn't swallow, I couldn't think, the world was spinning before my eyes, and my head felt like someone had lit a match to my hair. So hot!! Believe me, the tears flowed abundantly, and I didn't have to partake in seconds, thank you GOD!!
The third part of the bitter herbs is putting a little bit of horseradish on the unleavened bread and putting a sweet honey-and-apple mixture along with it. The mixture represents the mortar the Hebrews used when doing building projects for the Pharoah, and together, they traditionally represent that the sweetness of God is more than enough to provide comfort during the bitter parts of life.
The lamb is simple. Make a mutton roast and stick a bone in the table's centerpiece. Voila.
I've learned a lot about the Passover from experiences at the Holy Land and in various churches, but some of tonight's rituals were new to me. The four cups, for instance. I knew they existed -- the cup of Deliverance, the cup of Affliction, the cup of Redemption, and the cup of Completion -- but not much more. (Maybe it's because Baptists are scared of wine.) Deliverance is simple -- some verses, a blessing, you drink. Redemption is the cup we drink in Communion -- verses, reflection, and drink. Completion -- sing a song, wish "next year in Jerusalem!" and drain the cup. The cup of Affliction was interesting, though. The participants put their little fingers in the glass and transfer a drop of wine to a smaller cup, each time saying in unison one of the ten plagues God brought to Egypt. You don't get to drink until later, when the afikomen (representing Christ's body) has been broken, then shared and hidden.
Another interesting ritual was the communal handwashing of the person next to you. And I really enjoyed reading through all the verses, blessings, and songs as a group. Very nice. With all the going-ons, we took three hours to eat the meal -- and that's going quickly for a Seder!!
Before the meal, David explained how his family had rid the house of all yeast and leavened products. Then -- and his sincerity floored me -- he prayed a prayer for God's forgiveness and mercy had they missed any. Keep in mind, this isn't about works to get to heaven, but rather a way that David's family is choosing to honor God in a way God chose, and the sincerity with which they take their worship. Wow!!
Anyway, I enjoyed the evening greatly. Some of us were asked to dress in Biblical garb, and it added to the atmosphere and to my experience. Yes, it's true, covering my head in that manner humbles me and brings me into a different sort of state of worship. The wrap is heavy enough that you can't forget it's there -- thus, a continual reminder of God as my "head."
I'm off to read Psalms. A monastic tradition a thousand years old has intrigued me, and I am now choosing to read the entire book of Psalms each week, as they did. It takes time, but oh, it's precious, and it's worth it!!
Goodnight.
I knew that tonight was going to be different from your run-of-the-mill church-sponsored Passover Seder demonstration when I approached my hosts' front door and found blood on the doorframe.
About twenty of us gathered, and my overwhelming impression is that we were actually celebrating the Passover tonight, versus simply gaining an education about the Passover. We used a Messianic Haggadah for the occasion with some of our own adjustments -- reciting verses of fulfillment along with the usual prophetic verses, removing the egg from the ceremony, and explaining the afikoman as Christ's body rather than as "unity bread" -- and it was very cool.
Another change is that we drank from our wine glasses four times, rather than drinking four glasses of wine. And although we were refilling the glasses during the meal, I'm sure that I'd be in a lot less trouble than a "traditional" celebrant when the cops pull us both over. ;-)
Over time since the first Passover, the ceremony became more elaborate and ritualized, earning the name "Seder" that means "order." The Passover Seder that Jesus celebrated in the upper room is pretty similar to current Seder tradition, except for that modern Seders have a few more songs/hymns included. But Jewish teaching (with precedent set by the famed Rabbi Gamiliel, the teacher of the Apostle Paul and one of the most respected in Jewish history) agrees with the Bible on the three necessary aspects of the Passover -- 1) unleavened bread, 2) bitter herbs, and 3) a lamb.
Unleavened bread, well, that's easy. There are three types of bitter herbs to partake in, the first being parsley dipped in salt water to remember the tears of the Hebrews in Egypt -- that's easy. Then, each person is to eat enough horseradish to bring tears to their eyes; if no tears come, they haven't had enough.
With the horseradish, I thought I was going to die!!
Seriously!! I've had it before, but never like this. My body, it stopped in shock. My breathing turned off, I couldn't swallow, I couldn't think, the world was spinning before my eyes, and my head felt like someone had lit a match to my hair. So hot!! Believe me, the tears flowed abundantly, and I didn't have to partake in seconds, thank you GOD!!
The third part of the bitter herbs is putting a little bit of horseradish on the unleavened bread and putting a sweet honey-and-apple mixture along with it. The mixture represents the mortar the Hebrews used when doing building projects for the Pharoah, and together, they traditionally represent that the sweetness of God is more than enough to provide comfort during the bitter parts of life.
The lamb is simple. Make a mutton roast and stick a bone in the table's centerpiece. Voila.
I've learned a lot about the Passover from experiences at the Holy Land and in various churches, but some of tonight's rituals were new to me. The four cups, for instance. I knew they existed -- the cup of Deliverance, the cup of Affliction, the cup of Redemption, and the cup of Completion -- but not much more. (Maybe it's because Baptists are scared of wine.) Deliverance is simple -- some verses, a blessing, you drink. Redemption is the cup we drink in Communion -- verses, reflection, and drink. Completion -- sing a song, wish "next year in Jerusalem!" and drain the cup. The cup of Affliction was interesting, though. The participants put their little fingers in the glass and transfer a drop of wine to a smaller cup, each time saying in unison one of the ten plagues God brought to Egypt. You don't get to drink until later, when the afikomen (representing Christ's body) has been broken, then shared and hidden.
Another interesting ritual was the communal handwashing of the person next to you. And I really enjoyed reading through all the verses, blessings, and songs as a group. Very nice. With all the going-ons, we took three hours to eat the meal -- and that's going quickly for a Seder!!
Before the meal, David explained how his family had rid the house of all yeast and leavened products. Then -- and his sincerity floored me -- he prayed a prayer for God's forgiveness and mercy had they missed any. Keep in mind, this isn't about works to get to heaven, but rather a way that David's family is choosing to honor God in a way God chose, and the sincerity with which they take their worship. Wow!!
Anyway, I enjoyed the evening greatly. Some of us were asked to dress in Biblical garb, and it added to the atmosphere and to my experience. Yes, it's true, covering my head in that manner humbles me and brings me into a different sort of state of worship. The wrap is heavy enough that you can't forget it's there -- thus, a continual reminder of God as my "head."
I'm off to read Psalms. A monastic tradition a thousand years old has intrigued me, and I am now choosing to read the entire book of Psalms each week, as they did. It takes time, but oh, it's precious, and it's worth it!!
Goodnight.