Greetings to all MOTT's on the anniversary of the deliverance from bondage in Egypt! Several years ago, we held a Passover Seder at our house, to teach my children the meaning of the holiday and its importance. For your enjoyment, here is a little article I wrote about it: ************************************************* April 2001 One might ask, why would a family of Irish Evangelical Christians celebrate Passover? For me, it had a very deep symbolism and meaning. God had made His covenant with Abraham, who became father to the Jewish nation, and spiritual father to all those who follow his example of faith. The deliverance from Egypt bears witness to the deliverance from sin that would be offered centuries later, through the shed blood of another Lamb at Passover. As each member of the Jewish family personally experiences the Exodus through the Passover seder, so each member of Abraham's family of faith must personally experience salvation through the Messiah. I wanted to impart something of the rich heritage of our faith to my children....the shared history of Passover and the last seder, the feast of unleavened bread and the spotless sacrifice for sin, the first-fruits and the resurrection from the dead. I read as much as I could to prepare. I learned the meaning and symbolism of each element of the seder, plus as much history as I could find. I read from the most learned teachers, and the sages of generations past. I found how to answer the wise son, the wicked son, the simple son, and the son who knows not to ask. But nothing could prepare me for the son who sings "happy birthday" whenever candles are lit, with one finger in his nose, or the son who likes to break matzo into pieces suitable for leaning, stacking, and building little houses. This is how we celebrated Passover at my house: Me: Everyone wash for dinner. (Mom lights candles) Enter Larry (age 7): Whose birthday is it??!?!? M: It's not anyone's birthday. We're celebrating the "Passover" tonight! Enter Kelly (age 5): Whose birthday is it??!?!? M: It's not anyone's birthday. We're celebrating the "Passover" tonight! Enter Ryan (age 3): "Happy Birfday to you Happy Birtday to you" M: It's not anybody's birthday. We're going to celebrate "Passover" L: Why is that plate in the middle? R: What's THAT? L: What is that in the glass? M: Everybody watch what I'm doing, and I'll explain everything as we go along. L: Why is there an egg on the table? K: How come MY plate doesn't have an egg? L: I don't like eggs. Do I have to eat eggs? K: What is THAT??!?! L: Mom, Ryan's trying to blow out the candles! R: Happy birtday to you Happy birtday to you (About now I'm beginning to wonder what I've gotten myself into. Realizing we haven't reached the first plague, I momentarily contemplate ordering out for pizza.) M: I'm going to break the middle matzo and hide it. K: Can I eat some? M: That comes at the end of the meal. K: When do we eat? M: This is the poor bread of affliction that our fathers ate. L: Can I have jelly on mine? M: Now, everybody can dip their bitter vegetable into the salt water. This reminds you of how bitter it was to be in slavery, and of our tears when we cried out to the Lord to save us. L: Hey, this tastes good. I want some more. K: Can I have more? R: Give me some! M: Now everybody lean over and rest. OK, not quite that far over. Get back up at the table RIGHT NOW! M: Ryan, you have a very important part. You get to ask the "Four Questions". Ryan, I want you to ask me, "Why is this night different from all others?" R: I don't know. M: No, Ryan, you don't have to answer, I want you to ask. "Why is this night different than all others?" R: But I DON'T KNOW!! M: Ryan, just say "Why is this night different?" R: Why diffrunt dis night? <<Following an explanation of the slavery and deliverance of the Hebrew people>> M: Now everyone spill some grapejuice from your finger once for each plague <<Blood through Death of Firstborn>> OK Larry, you can get your fingers out of your grapejuice now. M: Does anyone know why we have an empty place at the table? K: That's for Daddy. He's at work. M: Ryan, stop spilling your grapejuice-the plagues are over. L: Can I have more of the bitter stuff? K: Mommy, when are we going to eat? L: Can I have more un-lemon bread? (DINNERTIME) K:...and this broccoli is the burning bush where God talked to Moses! M: Kelly, stop playing with your food! K: I was just telling the rest of the story! (She had a point....I had just spent about a half hour using food to tell a story from the Bible. And, the Haggadah does say that, "whoever enlarges upon the tale of the outgoing from Egypt, that one merits praise." So, I let her expand upon the usual Passover story, with the help of our dinner food. Soon, Moses, Pharaoh, and possibly some pyramids all appeared, neatly arranged in vegetables and sauce.) L: I like the un-eleven bread. K: Do we get dessert? Well, I cannot be certain how much spiritual truth this seder imparted to my children. Hopefully, as they get older, they will learn more, and gain appreciation and understanding each year, as God gives them grace. In the meantime, I thank Him for granting me enough patience to try. Next year...in Jerusalem.
Interesting. Never knew any goyim celebrated Pesach. Mazel tov! By the way, the last supper was a Passover Seider.
Heh heh heh! I can relate! Kids are great. Ya, we stopped doing pig a few years ago. We get lamb, and something bitter (collard greens, I think wife said), and pita bread or something like that, and try to do it the Moses way. We eat it on the Passover night, not the Easter night, because that's when Moses and Jesus both would have done it. Way cool. It does make the holiday different, and better. Way cool.
