Seder for Gentiles?: Meeting Our Jewish Heritage.

How wonderful it is to have friends who are able and gracious to enrich life in special ways. Among our friends are an older Christian couple who share a touching story. When they married and blended their family, Norman was a practicing Jew. One of the sons, Philip, as a young man became a Christian and led his mother to Jesus, but Norman was not able to leave his roots. - until a couple of years ago, when he understood he did not have to abandon all things Jewish to accept Jesus as Messiah.

We first met Philip years ago when he held for us a holiday season concert , playing beautifully his classical guitar. Our living room was full, and he entranced us. His CDs have been a joy over the years and we have often shared those with others. Since Philip lives in New Jersey, we don't see him often, but he was here last night, and our living room was full again, and we were blessed again more than ever. Finding him available, we jumped at the chance for Philip to explain Seder to our Wednesday Bible study group.

As it happened, last night was actually Passover Evening. It may seem strange for Christians to observe a Seder, and perhaps experience the Seder would be more accurate. The memorial meal, of course, originated at the time of the Hebrew Exodus from Egyptian slavery, and has been held annually ever since to recall what miraculous things God did for His people in redeeming them from oppression. Philip, as a completed Jew, believes as do all Christians that Jesus is Lord, the Son of God, Messiah/Savior. And having grown up a Jew, he practiced all his youth the Jewish National Sacrements. Now he is able to present the Seder as a way of enriching Christian understanding and appreciation of that Festival by bringing to it explainations and insights and context to deepen the Christian's understanding of the Lord's Supper we practive weekly as Communion.

Fifteen of us were enthralled as Philip led us through a point by point participation, hearing again the Exodus story of Moses, the ten plagues, the amazing works of God as He rescued His people. Philip gently worked through the meaning of the foods of the passover -the lamb, bitter herbs, unleavened bread, the salt water, the sweet mixture of apples and dried fruits called haroset - connecting each to the dramatic events as he retold the story or read portions from scripture. And the food was wonderful too.

It was touching evening for me. I find it deeply meaningful to recall the continuity of God's dealings with us over the ages, even in the transition from the ancient Hebrew Covenent to the New Covenent under which we enjoy such greater blessings than they did before Christ completed His work of Passion in our behalf. I am better in spirit and mind for recalling my own place in the continuing story by reviewing through the Seder meal the heritage of this "oldest celebration". I am encouraged to look forward to the fulfillment of the rest of the promises until that time when all of God's people will share in a feast , not just of lamb, but in a banquet hosted by the Lamb Himself.

Thank you, Philip, my brother, for sharing Christ with me and for making the Jewish origins of my faith clearer and more precious.