The Seder.

We have celebrated  the beginning of the Paschal season with a Seder for many years now.  I remember our very first one.  It felt really weird & strange even though so much was familiar to us from scripture & communion. Still it was an unfamiliar cultural landscape that even now, many years later, is not quite a seamless fit.

Having said that we have continued & each year we have found we have grown a little more in our understanding & the *fit* is a little better.

Why bother?

Firstly & predominantly because Jesus did.

In understanding the death & resurrection of our Lord I began looking more deeply into what was actually happening at Passover.  What went on in that upper room?  What was the cup Jesus wouldn't drink? Why are these the symbols we use in communion?

 Secondly we celebrate with the Seder because it shifts our focus.

A Seder is primarily a family celebration led by the head of the household.  For this reason it translates well to a church family.  It is specifically designed to teach cross generationally & pass on an understanding of our faith.  

Everything in a seder points towards Christ & the fulfillment of prophecy. From the lighting of the candles [welcoming Christ, the Light of the World] to the closing Next Year in Jerusalem [the New Jerusalem, where Christ reigns forever & ever], Christ is the central focus.

Even the seder plate represents Christ:

• Lamb shank= Christ our passover lamb
• Matzah bread, 3 pieces: father, son & Holy Spirit ~ my body broken for you; Christ, the sinless man; by his stripes we are healed
• The roasted egg= the destruction of the temple; Christ said, destroy this temple & in 3 days I will raise it up.
• The bitter herbs=our slavery to sin,  the sacrifice of innocent life, & new life
• salt water= tears of bitterness at our slavery, 
• Haroset=the sweetness of freedom

Then there are the 4 cups:

• The cup of sanctification
• the cup of salvation
• the cup of redemption

&

• The Cup of the Kingdom

Lastly~ it is fun.  Church can be so serious & for younger ones plain boring that doing something that is so much fun is wonderful.  The kiddies loved the hand washing.  I have no idea why.  Our youngest got excited each time the pitcher & bowl came out & she couldn't wait till it was her turn to have water poured over her hands & to dabble in the bowl but even our big boy was thrilled to be asked to pour the water for me. And absolutely everyone loved the hunting of the Afikomen!  Seriously.  Rabqa hid the afikomen & the adults called out, warm, cold, cool, warmer, HOT! as the boys shot around the room looking for it!

Oh, & the food!!!!  There are some seriously good cooks out there!