Passover

While in Kelowna, my aunt and uncle hosted Pesach or Jewish passover. This was an extreme privilege to take part in as it was the first time I had ever experienced anything like it. Growing up in the Evangelical Baptist tradition we celebrated Easter but in the pretty Easter dress kind of way. Later in life, when Ben was hired on as the Director of Music at an Anglican Church, we were exposed to many new elements of Holy Week. Lent, Maundy Thursday and Resurrection Sunday took on whole new meanings. We drank in the tradition and details of the central event of the Christian faith. When we moved to this quaint little town we chose not to go to the Anglican church for many reasons but as a person who deeply values tradition, I felt there was always an element missing in my worship: the visual, the symbolic, the “get off your ass and participate in a tangible way” (I searched the thesaurus for an alternative word, but nothing quite fit.)
Pesach appealed to al of these elements using all 5 senses.
In essence it celebrates God’s promises to the Israelites that can be found in Exodus 6:

I will bring you out from under the Egyptians

I will rescue you from their bondage

I will redeem you

I will take you as my people.

The Seder plate is composed of a number of foods, each reminding us of the Israelites’ responses to God. Wine was also taken throughout. 4 cups (or in our case: sips) to represent the 4 promises.

The foods were as follows:

Roasted Bone (did not do) On the afternoon before Passover the Pesach offering was made. An unblemished male was sacrificed roasted whole and eaten by all.

The bone is to remind us of this offering.

Roasted Egg-since we mourn the loss of the temple the egg reminds us of the the second offering given at Passover which is sacrificed on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened bread. This is a freewill offering of something that is not already dedicated to Adonai and was also done at the temple.

The green vegetable ( Celery) is to remind us that Passover occurs in Spring time. It can also represent the hyssop used to put blood on doorposts.

Matzah- unleavened bread

Bitter herbs or in our case, horseradish: as the horseradish brings tears to our eyes we are reminded of the tears shed by all the children of Israel who are experiencing the bitterness of slavey in Egypt.

Charoset (Apple mixture) Apples and other fruits mixed with cinnamon and other spices with red wine or grape juice and is symbolic of the mortar used to make the bricks and a remembrance of the hard work done in the Egypt.

The Seder plate was then followed by a delicious roasted Lamb dinner. But as we ate I could not help be shaken by the promises of God. I will redeem you and take you as my own. His own.