A Christian Passover Seder Meal - Zoom Fellowship - April 1, 2021 @ 7:00 PM
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
205 W. Church Street
Minooka, IL
815-467-2322
www.minookaumc.com
A Christian Passover Seder Meal -
Zoom Fellowship
April 1, 2021 @ 7:00 PM
KW 3/16/2021
8
Pastor Sarah - Sisters and brothers, welcome to MUMC’s Maundy Pastor Sarah: Let us all take our 2nd piece of unleavened bread and break
Thursday Seder Meal. Holy Week is a week of remembrance. Often, we it in half. This broken bread of redemption reminds us of the broken body
offer a play or drama or share a meal to help us remember God’s love story. of our Lord Jesus Christ. Take and eat this, remembering that Jesus died
This year, we’ll remember the Passover meal shared by Jesus and his disci- on the cross for our sins, and in so doing accept the grace and freedom
ples (in the Upper Room) over ZOOM. God offers us. (Eat bread)
Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is a Jewish celebration of God’s deliver- This 3rd cup is the redemption cup that reminds us of the blood of our
ance from Egypt. It reflects on the story of Moses and the Hebrew slaves Lord Jesus Christ. Drink this juice, remembering that God was in Christ
who experienced freedom and new life through God’s miraculous acts of reconciling the world to Himself, and in so doing accept the grace that
power. This service is a sacred time of worship. However, this is not an transforms us and brings us from darkness into His marvelous light, and
occasion to gather in churches or synagogues. Instead, it’s a service shared allows us to be people of God. (Drink juice)
around the dinner table at home. The father and mother, or grandparents
lead the service. It is more conversational and participatory than solemn Chris Vause: Our Seder is now complete, just as our redemption is com-
silence. So, relax and enjoy this service with friends and family as I begin plete. We rejoice with thanksgiving, and yet are humbled by God’s love!
by sharing the background of Passover. Yet the story of God’s redemption is not over. We celebrate what God has
done in our history, and what he has done for us, but we also look forward
Passover is the oldest and most important of Jewish religious festivals. On to the future. Let us hold our fourth cup.
Passover, God’s people remember the deliverance of Hebrews from slavery
in Egypt. The Passover liturgy is based on the rituals of ancient Israel pre- Cindy White: We raise our glasses a fourth time in Thanksgiving for
served primarily in Exodus chapters 12 thru 14 in which the Israelites cele- God’s enduring grace and love. God’s love delivered us in the past –
brate their deliverance from Egypt. The term Passover refers to the tenth God’s love sustains us in the present – and God’s love will lead us to the
and final plague God brought upon the Egyptians to persuade Pharaoh to let fulfillment of God’s promises in the future. Blessed are you, O Lord our
the people go, the death of all the firstborn of Egypt. In obedience to God’s God, Ruler of the Universe, who adopted us as your children, and allow us
instructions, the Hebrews placed the blood of a lamb on the door posts of to call you, our Heavenly Father.
their homes, so that the Angel of Death would "pass over" their homes and
families. The festival actually celebrates the entire sequence of events that Ruth Satorius: Let us pray the Lord’s Prayer together.
led to the Israelites’ freedom from slavery.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name! Thy Kingdom
The Passover celebration remembers God’s nature and gracious work in the come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
world. At the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus adopted the Passover daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who tres-
service as a sacramental remembrance of God’s new work of deliverance in pass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For
the Messiah (or Christ) and commended all Christians to celebrate this an- Thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
cient festival. The Passover meal is known as the Seder, which means
"order," because the meal and service are done in a sequence. Cyndi Campbell: We drink the fourth cup with thanksgiving and praise!
(Drink)
This sequence is presented in the Haggadah ("telling") which outlines the
steps of the meal as well as the readings and songs for the participants. All: Next year in the New Jerusalem!
With the Seder meal, the Passover serves as an effective teaching tool to
tell the story of God’s gracious deliverance. The Seder meal is a teaching Marlin Hartman: This concludes our seder meal. Please extinguish the
tool like the Holy Communion, which represents a historical event for ensu- candle. Shalom. Pastor Sarah will offer the closing prayer.
ing generations to remember, relive, teaching, and learn. Please know that
what we are reenacting tonight is NOT an authentic Passover meal which
our Jewish friends would share. It is a liturgy modified for Christians in
light of the Passover meal Jesus shared with his disciples in the upper room.
Now, I’ll read the description of the Last Supper from Luke chapter 22 vs.
7-13.
2 77
Cyndi Campbell: We praise you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb
who creates the fruit of the earth. Let us drink the Second Cup. (Drink the had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying,
second cup) “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.”
9
They asked him, “Where do you want us to make preparations for it?”
10
Cindy White: With bitter herbs (or Maror,) let us remember the bitter- “Listen,” he said to them, “when you have entered the city, a man car-
ness of slavery in Egypt. As we eat, let us allow the bitter taste to bring rying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he en-
tears of compassion for the pain that our fathers and mothers experienced ters 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The teacher asks you, “Where is
long ago. Let us also weep for those who are still enslaved and have not the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 12 He
yet experienced the deliverance that our gracious God brings. will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make prepara-
tions for us there.” 13 So they went and found everything as he had told
Ruth Satorius: The Choroset is a sweet mixture of apples, honey, and them; and they prepared the Passover meal.
nuts. It symbolizes the mixture of clay and straw that the Israelites used to
make bricks for the cities of Pharaoh. But the apples of the mixture also Cindy White – I invite all of us to light the candle to begin the Passover
remind us of something else. meal. Let me offer a prayer.
Apple trees bear fruit and then grow leaves to protect the fruit. Tradition We praise you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has preserved
tells us that while in slavery, the Hebrew women gave birth to children our life so that we may again celebrate this festival. As we kindle the festi-
under the trees of the orchard to protect their newborn children from Phar- val lights, we pray for the light of God in our midst that we might see
aoh. Often, life is a mixture of the bitter and the sweet, of sadness and anew the meaning and significance of this celebration.
joy. Let us now eat the sweetness of the Charoset and the bitterness of the Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast kept us
Maror. alive and sustained us and brought us to this season. May our home be
consecrated, O God, by the Light of Thy countenance, shining upon us in
Cyndi Campbell: I invite us to hold our third cup. This cup is for Elijah blessing and bringing us peace.
the Prophet. Elijah did not see death, but was taken to heaven in a chariot
of fire. It has been the hope of God’s people that Elijah would come at All: Amen
Passover – to announce the coming of the Messiah, the son of David. We
will now open the door to welcome Elijah to the Passover. (Open a door in The Cup of Thanksgiving – Blessing of the Feast (Kiddush)
your house.) Cyndi Campbell – I invite all of us to hold our first cup. Our story tells us
that in various ways, with different words, God gave promises of freedom
Chris Vause: Let me read from Luke 22:14-20 to His people. With four cups from the fruit of the vine we celebrate and
14
When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles recall God’s promises to Israel and to us. In the four cups that we drink
with him. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover tonight, we celebrate these four "I will" promises of God: Freedom, De-
with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled liverance, Redemption, and Thanksgiving. We take the first cup and
in the kingdom of God.” proclaim the holiness of this day of freedom. We praise you, O Lord, who
17
Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and di- makes holy your people. Let us drink the first cup.
vide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink
of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” All: Amen. (Drink the 1st cup)
19
Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it
and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do Ruth Satorius – I invite everyone to hold their piece of lettuce and dip it
this in remembrance of me.” in salt water. Passover is a Springtime festival, the season of rebirth, re-
20
And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is newal, and new life. The days are filled with more light than darkness. The
poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. earth is becoming green with new life. This vegetable, called Karpas, rep-
resents life, created and sustained by the Lord our God. We are filled with
joy at the goodness of God in loving us and caring for us, and bringing
into our lives all good things. And yet as good as God intended life to be,
it is often mixed with tears. Tonight, we are not simply celebrating
6 3springtime, but the freedom and wonderful deliverance that God offered us Pastor Sarah: As we recount the 10 plagues, we will spill a drop of wine
when we were slaves in Egypt. from our cups for each plague to recall the cost of sin, and the consequenc-
es of evil in our world. Are you ready?
People: Blessed are you O Lord, our God, Ruler of the universe, who
creates the fruit of the earth. (Everyone dips the lettuce in salt water Blood. Frogs. Lice. Swarms. Diseased Cat-
and eats it.) tle
Chris Vause – I invite everyone to break your first piece of unleavened Boils. Hail. Locusts. Darkness. Death of the
bread and give a piece to each person in your household. The unleavened Firstborn
bread reminds us of our ancestors who made this bread in haste because
the Israelites had to leave Egypt by night in a hurry. There was no time During the final plague, the death of the Firstborn, the Israelites were in-
for the leaven to rise. This is the bread of affliction, which our ancestors structed to put the blood of a lamb on the door posts of their homes. As a
ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry come and eat. All who are result, the Israelites were spared this plague as the angel of death "Passed
needy come and celebrate Passover with us. Now we celebrate it here. Over" their houses.
Next year, may we celebrate Passover in Jerusalem. It is only the grace of
our Lord God that sets us free! Gyro (our lamb dish for tonight) symbolizes the Passover lamb that was
killed so that we and our children might live. This sacrifice is a reminder
People: Now, we are slaves. Next year, may we be truly free. (Eat of God’s grace and the life offered in exchange for our lives. (eat meat)
bread)
Chris Vause: Tonight, we eat Unleavened Bread because our ancestors
The Cup of Telling – The Story of Deliverance from Egypt in Egypt had to leave in such haste that they could not wait for their bread
(Haggadah) to rise, and so they had to bake it while it was still flat.
Marlin Hartman – The Bible tells us that our children will ask questions
about who they are as God’s people. The Lord has instructed us to tell Ruth Satorius: Tonight, we eat bitter herbs to remind us of how bitter
them the story so that they might know the Lord. It is both a duty and a our lives were as slaves in Egypt. As sweet as our lives are now, we must
privilege to answer the four questions of the Passover and to recount the never forget the bitterness of bondage.
gracious acts of our God.
Cindy White: Tonight, we dip our herbs in salt water. We remember
Zach Beitler: Why is this night different than all other nights? Why (on God’s provision and deliverance from the most bitter times of life.
all other nights) do we eat bread with leaven, but on this night, we eat un-
leavened bread? Why (on all other nights) do we eat of all kinds of herbs, Marlin Hartman: Tonight, we eat with special ceremony because in each
but on this night we eat bitter herbs? Why on all other nights do we eat in generation, every person should feel as if he or she has actually been re-
the normal way, but on this night, we eat with special ceremony? deemed from Egypt. We tell the story because we are the redeemed of the
Lord, and we can sing a new song of praise because of His grace. And yet
Marlin Hartman: Once we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord it is not a new song, because it has been sung by countless people through
in His goodness and mercy brought us out of that land with a mighty hand the centuries as generation after generation have experienced God’s deliv-
and an outstretched arm. God in His goodness and mercy forgave our erance and redemption.
transgressions and called us to be His people. Therefore, tonight is differ-
ent than other nights because we have gathered to remember who we are, All: Once we were slaves, but now we are free!
what God has done for us, and to tell to our children the story of God’s
grace and deliverance. Hymn “Amazing Grace “
Verse 1
All: Praise be to God who is everywhere. Praise be to God who has Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once
brought us freedom and has delivered us from all that enslaves us! was lost, but now I am found, was blind, but now I see.
4 5You can also read
