Good Friday / Passover 2012

Posted by Taryn on Saturday, April 7th 2012

A resurrection garden – a lovely idea I picked up online last year that was such a hit with the kids, we did it again this year. I suspect it will become entrenched for the next few years. The idea is simply to create a garden in a glass bowl with soil, flowers and other foliage foraged from the garden. Then, cut out a “door” from a large-ish potato as the tomb…

But first, collect the flowers…

Put it altogether…

And present the final product to mom!

The idea is that over the next few days the flowers will wilt and die. But on resurrection Sunday there will be fresh flowers and the tomb will be open and empty. (and if last year is anything to go by, it’ll be a bit mouldy too!)

After a bath and fresh set of clothes, the kids were all ready for a special evening – our Passover.

Jesus is the Passover lamb. Which is what makes celebrating Passover as a Christian so incredibly meaningful and worthwhile. This year, Good Friday night and Passover night coincided in dates. Which meant that while we celebrated on Good Friday, people across the globe also celebrated. And, most special to us, were Kelly and her family of believers in the midrasha. Around our table were just 10, while in the middle of the Negev desert, Kelly’s family of 9 joined up with 23 others at Jeanie’s house to celebrate in true style – reclining on cushions!

This year I revamped our Haggadah a bit.

Haggadah means “the telling”. And that’s exactly what it is – the telling of the story of the Passover and its significance to us today. There is much symbolism and custom entrenched in the Haggadah and the seder meal. But, there are literally hundreds of variations. Not least of which is ours, which is a Christian seder – which finds that Jesus fulfils the story, making it complete. I put ours together in 2009 when Katie was just 2 and 1/2, with the aim to make it thorough, but not overburdened with long explanations and readings. I wanted it to be kid friendly.

Now that our kids are a bit bigger, I’ve adapted it a bit – fleshing it out just a little. It’s a work in progress, and I’m sure that there will be a slightly different version next year with all the tweaking!

Here are some pictures from our evening together. Starting with calling us to worship with the shofar. We make it fun for the kids by allowing them all a turn…

And even the adults get a turn – and make it fun for everyone!

This year the Lambs joined us – friends of my parents with a great love for Israel.

Sharing the cup of sanctification…

Craig explains the meaning of the four cups…

Kiera reads aloud, “And when he had taken the cup and given thanks, He said: “Take this and share it among yourselves for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now until the Kingdom of God comes.” (Luke 22:17-18)

Our seder plate …

Sam’s sandwich of bitter herbs (horseradish) and unleavened bread (matza).

The Menorah, lit by Lorraine…

Great excitement and anticipation is felt by the kids as granny hides the afikomen – the piece of matza that represents Jesus to us. Close those eyes!

In the middle of the meal, grandpa Peter found the yarmulke he’s had for as long as I can remember. It found its way on to Craig’s head…

We played some guessing games, including “talking heads” – each of us had a symbol from the meal stuck to our foreheads. We had to guess what the words on our own foreheads were by asking questions about it. Is it a food? Is it one of the plagues?

A delicious meal was consumed! Roast lamb a la granny Sally!

Finally time to find the afikomen! Great delight from Kiera who found it in no time at all..

Sam was bummed that he missed it this year.

Kiera the matza-walrus…

With the Afikomen found, we enjoyed the third cup as part of the communion.

Traditionally the main meal is eaten after the second cup is complete. Then the third and fourth cup are presented after the meal. In the bible, it says of Jesus: “In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.^[a] ^{21(Luke 22:21)} The third cup is most likely the cup that Jesus took up to represent his blood. It’s most appropriate therefore that the cup is the Cup of Redemption, for by his blood we are redeemed! Amen!