Christian Passover Seder

Some of our congregation enjoying the Seder meal.

Seder cooks.

Highlands celebrated a Christian Seder meal on Maundy Thursday. The Seder is the Passover meal that every Jewish family celebrates in their homes at Passover time each year, in remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt.  The meal included a close approximation to the actual Jewish Seder with all the various foods:  roasted lamb, ratatouille, unleavened bread, and all the trimmings.  The Seder was led by Tom and Carol Morris, using the Hagadah, the order of the service, and it concluded with Pastor Marjorie celebrating communion with the elements from the Seder, as Jesus did so long ago.

Detailed Christian Passover Seder Information

The text we read during the Seder meal follows:

A

Hagadah

for

Highlands

menu

roast leg of lamb

herbed rice

boiled egg

ratatouille

green herb

celery, romaine

horseradish

haroseth

matzoh

fruit of the vine

THE PASCHAL MEAL

I - Kindling of the festival lights

Symbolizes the coming of the Messiah, the Light of the World

The mother lights the candles.  All stand.

MOTHER'S PRAYER:

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe,

Who has sanctified us by Thy commandments and

commanded us to kindle the festival lights.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe,

Who hast kept us 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 blessing and bringing us peace.

ALL:  AMEN

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II – Kiddush          

The Cup of Thanksgiving - Blessing of the Feast 

On a plate before each person is a dish of salt-water, some horseradish, green herb (e.g. parsley) and haroseth.  A bowl of wine is set at the father's place.

FATHER'S PRAYER:

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who hast chosen us above all peoples, and hast exalted  us above all tongues, and hast hallowed us with Thy

commandments.   In love hast Thou given us, O Lord our God, seasons for gladness, holy-days, and times for rejoicing, this day of the feast of the unleavened bread, the time of our freedom, an assembly day of holiness, a memorial to the Exodus from Egypt.

For Thou hast chosen us and hast sanctified us above all peoples, and Thou hast given us Thy sacred seasons for our inheritance.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who dost sanctify Israel and the festivals.

The Cup of Thanksgiving is distributed.   Holding the wine, the people say,

ALL:  Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who dost create the fruit of the vine.

All drink.

The father ceremonially washes his hands by pouring water from a small pitcher into a basin, wiping his hands with a napkin, while praying.

FATHER:

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who hast hallowed us with Thy commandments and hast commanded us concerning the washing of hands.

All take the green herb, dip it in the salt-water, and say:

ALL:  Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who dost create the fruit of the soil.

All eat the green herb.

The father uncovers and lifts slightly the first of the three large pieces of unleavened bread which are each wrapped in a linen napkin on a plate before him.

FATHER:

Behold!  This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt.

Let all who are hungry come and eat.  Let all who are in want come and celebrate the Passover with us.  May it be God's will to redeem us from all evil and from all slavery.

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III - HAGADAH - Telling, instruction

Story of deliverance from Egypt - Exodus 13:8

The Cup of Hagadah, the second cup of wine, is poured.  The youngest person present asks the four traditional questions.

YOUNGEST CHILD:

Why is this night different from all other nights?

On all other nights we eat either leavened or unleavened bread. 

Why on this night do we eat only unleavened bread?

On All other nights we eat all kinds of herbs. 

Why on this night do we eat expecially bitter herbs?

On all other nights we do not dip herbs in any condiment. 

Why on this night do we dip them in salt water and haroses?

On all other nights we eat without special festivities. 

Why on this night do we hold this Passover service?

FATHER:

The Syrians pursued our fathers who went down into Egypt and sojourned there in a very small number, and grew into  a nation great and strong and of an infinite multitude.  And the Egyptians afflicted us and persecuted us, laying on us most grievous burdens.  And we cried to the Lord God of our fathers, Who heard us, and looked down upon our affliction and labor and distress.   And He brought us out

of Egypt with a strong hand, and a stretched-out arm, with great terror, with signs and wonders.  Therefore, even if all of us were wise and well, versed in the Torah, it would still be our duty from year to year to tell the story of our deliverance from Egypt.  Indeed to dwell at length on it is accounted praiseworthy.

Read from Book of Exodus.  Chapter 12.  Verses 1 - 14

The Paschal Lamb is brought in and placed before the father at the head of the table.  The father lifts the lamb, and all ask:

ALL:   What is the meaning of pesach?

FATHER:

Pesach means the paschal lamb which our forefathers sacrificed to the Lord in memory of that night when the Holy One passed over the houses of our fathers in Egypt, as it is written:  "When your children shall say to you: What is the meaning of this service?  You shall say to them: It is  the victim of the passage of the Lord, when He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, striking the Egyptians, and saving our houses."  (Exodus 12:26-27)

The father again uncovers the first piece of unleavened bread and holds it.

ALL:    What is the meaning of matzoh?

FATHER:

This is the bread of affliction which our fathers took with them out of Egypt as it is written:  "And they baked the meal, which a little before they had brought out of Egypt, in dough: and they made earth cakes unleavened:  for it could not be leavened, the Egyptians pressing them to depart, and not suffering them to make any stay: neither did they think of preparing any meat."   (Exodus 12:39)

The father lifts up the bitter herb, while all ask:

ALL:    What is the meaning of moror? 

FATHER:

Moror means bitter herb.   We eat moror to recall that the Egyptians embittered the lives of our fathers, as it is written: "And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them: And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth."     (Exodus 1:13-14)

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IV - HALLEL PSALM 

Thanksgiving for deliverance from Egypt

As a preface to the Hallel psalm, the father, lifts his cup of wine and says,

FATHER:

In every generation each one ought to regard himself as though he had personally come out of Egypt, as it is written:  "And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: This is what the Lord did to me when I came forth out of Egypt."   (Exodus 13:8)

Therefore, it is our duty to thank, praise, laud, glorify, extol, bless, exalt and adore Him Who did all of these miracles for our fathers and for ourselves.  He has brought us forth from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning to festive day, from darkness to a great light, and from subjection to redemption.  Let us then recite before Him a new song.

He sets down his cup of wine without drinking it. 

ALL STAND and recite Psalm 113:

          Praise the LORD!  Praise, O servants of the LORD;

                   praise the name of the LORD.

          Blessed be the name of the LORD

                   from this time on and forevermore.

          From the rising of the sun to its setting

                   the name of the LORD is to be praised.

          The LORD is high above all nations,

                   and his glory above the heavens.

          Who is like the LORD, our God,

                   who is seated on high, who looks far down

                   on the heavens and the earth?

          He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts

                   the needy from the ash heap, to make them

                   sit with princes, with the princes of his people.

          He gives the barren woman a home,

                   making her the joyous mother of children.

                             Praise the LORD!

ALL:  HALLELUJAH, praise ye the Lord!

FATHER:

When Israel went out of Egypt: The house of Jacob from a barbarous people:

ALL:

All Judea was made his sanctuary: Israel his dominion.

FATHER:

The sea saw and fled: Jordan was turned back.

ALL:

The mountains skipped like rams:   And the hills like the lambs of the flock.

FATHER:

What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou didst flee: 

And thou, O Jordan, that thou was turned back?

ALL:

Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams:  And ye hills like lambs of the flock?

FATHER:

At the presence of the Lord the earth was moved:

At the presence of the God of Jacob:

ALL:

Who turned the rock into pools of water:

And the stony hill into fountains of waters.

HALLELUJAH, Praise ye the Lord!

All are seated.

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V - THE SOLEMN BLESSING OF THE FOOD

The father takes the cup in his hand and says:

FATHER:

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who hast redeemed us and hast redeemed our fathers from Egypt, and has permitted us to live unto this night, to partake on it of the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs.

ALL:

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe,

Who dost create the fruit of the vine.

All drink the second cup of wine, the Cup of Hagadah.

The father then takes up the matzoh and blesses it with the following prayer:

FATHER:

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who dost bring forth bread from the earth.

He then breaks the matzoh into pieces and gives a piece to each person.  Holding the bread in their hands, they say:

ALL:

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us by Thy commandments and hast commanded us concerning the eating of the unleavened bread.

All eat the bread.               

FATHER:

Let us combine the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs and eat them together, as it is written: "With unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it."

All place bitter herb and haroseth between two pieces of

unleavened bread and say together:

ALL:

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments and hast commanded us concerning the eating of bitter herbs.

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VI - THE PASCHAL SUPPER

Other foods are brought in and the people eat the meal. 

 The second matzoh may be consumed with the meal.

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VII - THE CUP OF BLESSING

At the end of the meal, the father takes the last matzoh from the plate, breaks and distributes it to all.

As it was the custom to end the Passover meal with eating this final piece of unleavened bread, it was probably at this point that Our Lord blessed the bread, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying:  "This is my body, which is given for thee."

(Luke 22:19)

All hold the bread in their hands while the father says:

FATHER:  Let us bless the Lord.

ALL:      

May the name of the Lord be blessed from now unto eternity.

FATHER:

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who dost feed the entire world with Thy goodness, with grace, with loving kindness and with pity.  He gives bread to all flesh, for His loving kindness endureth forever.   And in His great

goodness, food has not been, and shall not be lacking for us, forever and ever, for the sake of His great name; for he is God, Who feeds and supports all, and does good unto all, and  prepares food for all His creatures, which He did create.

ALL: Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who feedest all Thy creatures.

All eat the bread.

The third cup of wine, The Cup of Blessing, is poured.

ALL STAND.

FATHER:

What shall I render to the Lord: For all the things that he hath rendered to me?

ALL:   I will take the chalice of salvation:

        And I will call upon the name of the Lord.

FATHER:

I will pay my vows to the Lord:  Before all His people.

ALL:

Precious in the sight of the Lord: Is the death of His saints.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,

Who hast created the fruit of the vine.

All drink the Cup of Blessing.

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VIII - THE CUP OF MELCHISEDEK

The Final Blessing

[At this point we'll share the Lord's Supper together, using the fourth cup and the matzoh.]

PASTOR:

"On the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks, he broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said,  "This is my body, which is broken for you.   Eat this in remembrance of me."

All eat the bread.

"After the meal was over, Jesus took the cup, and  after giving thanks, he gave it to his disciples and said,   "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is given for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin.  Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me."

All drink the wine.

ALL:   The Lord Bless and keep you,

        The Lord make His face to shine on you

                and be gracious, gracious.

        The Lord lift his countenance on you

        and give peace, give you peace!

                        Shalom,  Amen.

[Adapted and used by permission from The Women for Faith and Family]