Hello, friends! It's Maundy Thursday, and I'm sitting down to write this after my first ever Seder Meal. It was quite the experience! If you've never been to a Seder Meal, allow me to explain by way of tonight's booklet.
"The word Seder is Hebrew for 'set order' or 'service.' The festival of Passover is celebrated according to a set order, a sort of liturgy. The Seder in this booklet is designed specifically for Christians to recall the Passover event recorded in the Old Testament."
As Team Passover -- Matt, Keriann and I -- was helping set up for the meal tonight, we would often look at each other and shrug, because we didn't have any idea what the items we were putting out represented. Luckily, the booklet (and Pastor Jay) explained that as well.
Our place settings included parsley, which represents the coinciding of Passover with the arrival of spring and the renewal of God's bounty in nature; horseradish, a bitter herb that represents the bitterness of slavery that Israel endured in Egypt; charoseth, a mixture of apple and nuts, that represents the mortar the Israelites used to make bricks in Egypt; salt water, which represents the tears shed in slavery and in the pains of life; lamb, which reminds us of the Paschal Lamb; and finally, roasted egg, which represents the offerings brought during the Passover celebration and the new life that follows.
(There was also, of course, wine. Lots of wine.)
The Seder Meal was great fun, with lots of laughter and a good amount of serious moments. Some highlights included Emma Kate's disgusted face when she ate the parsley dipped in salt water, Caroline telling Larry to go crazy with the wine, and Sarah and Keriann diving for the hidden piece of matzah.
This Holy Week, we're focusing on Psalm 118. There's a particular verse that stuck out to me tonight during the Seder Meal: "The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." That meant something very specific to the Israelites. That was their song of joy after they escaped through the Red Sea. This was fresh in their minds, and not long after this, the Passover was instituted as a remembrance of how God saved them from Egypt. Now, we look back and remember how Jesus saved us from our sins. Truly, Jesus is our strength and our song! He has become our salvation!
That's all for me tonight. Now, I need to go clean my apartment thoroughly, because my roommate Lindsey is coming tomorrow to spend Easter with me! I can't wait to see her and celebrate our risen Lord together. I hope you all have a good rest of your Holy Week!
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