Posted on 03/29/2010 7:48:52 AM PDT by Between the Lines
At a traditional Passover seder, you'll find the broken matzo, taste the bitter herbs and listen to a retelling of the Exodus story.
You won't hear a mention of Jesus. But some churches -- including an East Manchester Township congregation -- are now hosting Christian seders, adding Christian symbolism to a 3,000-year-old Jewish ritual of remembrance.
At these seders, the stripes and holes in the matzo are said to represent Jesus' whipped and pierced body. The matzo is broken and wrapped in a white cloth, as was Jesus' body for burial.
Some Jews consider such seders to be offensive and a trespassing of sorts. They fear that Christians -- however well-meaning -- are infringing on Jewish liturgical territory.
"It registers as a certain hostile takeover from a Jewish perspective, as well as a betrayal of Jewish history and the Jewish community," said the Rev. Christopher Leighton, executive director of the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies in Baltimore.
Jews also say churches are using the Christian seder to proselytize among them. They note such seders are often led by Messianic Jews, who believe Jesus was the Messiah, or groups such as Jews for Jesus that work to bring Jews into the Christian church.
Rabbi Jeffrey Astrachan of Temple Beth Israel in York Township pointed out that religions have borrowed and adopted rituals and ideas from one another before; however, they usually incorporate them into the context of their own faith. In this case, the church has borrowed a Jewish ritual and "manipulated" its symbolism without detaching it from Judaism, he said.
"I wouldn't go so far as to say I am offended by the borrowing," Astrachan said by e-mail. "I am, however, disturbed that some fringe groups can't leave others alone to select a faith of their own choosing. If the Messianics want to be true at all to their Jewish roots, they would understand that Jews do not proselytize."
The Rev. Chuck Sprenkle of St. Paul United Methodist Church in East Manchester Township said Jews are invited to his church's Messiah in the Passover seder on Tuesday, but the aim isn't an evangelistic one.
"The purpose is not to convert them -- although that would be a nice thing -- but to show how our faiths do connect," Sprenkle said. "I also think it's a very good opportunity for Christians to deepen the history of their faith. . . . They're seeing the presence of Christ's life in the seder."
Several Christian seders led by Messianic groups are planned at midstate churches this week.
The Rev. Israel Cohen, who will lead the seder demonstration at Sprenkle's church on Tuesday, serves as a missionary for the Messianic organization Chosen People Ministries. His presentation at 100 churches a year explains how each part of the Passover seder "points to the Messiah," he said.
"I'm challenging the churches to be praying for the salvation of the Jewish people and encouraging them to witness to the Jewish people," said Cohen, who lives in Kissimmee, Fla., but has nine seder events in Pennsylvania this week.
Passover, which begins Monday night, commemorates the freedom of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses, who was directed by God.
The Jewish seder (which means "order" in Hebrew) has a set structure, and its symbols (such as the foods on the seder plate) hold great meaning for Jews. For example, the matzo recalls the unleavened bread the Israelites ate in their flight from Egypt. The roasted shank bone is a reminder of the sacrificial lamb offered to God at Passover.
"The story of the Exodus from Egypt is particularly important because that is when the Jewish people became a nation," said Rabbi Elazar Green of the Chabad Jewish Enrichment Center of Lancaster and York. "We're commanded in the Torah to celebrate and retell the story of the Exodus every year."
Sprenkle acknowledged that some Jews might be turned off by the idea of a Christian seder but said it could at least start a conversation about the differences between the faiths.
"In many ways, every religion is offensive to someone else," he said. "That won't stop me from trying to share with them something that they might not have seen before."
For decades, Catholics, Presbyterians and other churches have held seders as a tool of interfaith dialogue.
"Those intentions were noble at first and continue to be if they were inviting a rabbi or other knowledgable Jew to explain a Jewish practice, for example," said Leighton, a Presbyterian minister.
"It becomes an altogether different phenomenon when the purpose is not to understand or appreciate our Jewish neighbors better, but to say 'We really know what's going on in the ritual or practice, and Jews would, too, if they only understood the symbolism is pointing to (Jesus).'"
Astrachan of Temple Beth Israel noted that Passover is a celebration of freedom.
"As Jews the world-over recall the freedoms granted them by God, let us also pray for the freedom to be true to our own religious beliefs, free from the desires and wishes of those who can't seem to leave others alone," he said.
Messianic Jews
Messianic Jews believe that Jesus is the messiah and savior of the world.
They are active in groups such as Jews for Jesus and the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America, which is headquartered in Springfield, Delaware County, and is a network of synagogues that proclaim faith in Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth) while maintaining their Jewish identity.
The synagogues are not recognized as Jewish by mainstream Jewish bodies -- many of whom consider Messianic Judaism deceptive and do not want such converts to call themselves Jews.
Messianic Jews generally teach that God is a compound entity that exists in three forms (father, son and Holy Spirit).
They also believe in God's eternal covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and so follow the traditional Jewish calendar and religious observances (as Jesus did).
Tinitarianism belongs at a Jewish seder as much as punk/hip hop gospel belongs at a communion service. :-)
Yes; Yah'shua said :
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
29 Jesus answered, "The foremost is,
'HEAR, O ISRAEL! YHvH OUR Elohim IS ONE YHvH;
As a Christian I starting attending Seders about 10 years ago and now wouldn’t do a Holy Week without one. The experience is powerful not to mention the horseradish. ;-)
Good. Glad he understands better than most on this thread.
Although I reserve the right to take a statue of Buddah to your next communion service. :-)
Dear Brother:shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
Have a Blessed and joyful Pesach beginning tonight.baruch HaShem
thank you sir. and a happy easter to you. :-)
OBTW are you aware the the Sanhedrin First time in 1940 years; since 70CE I rejected easter over ten years ago
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
after reading the commands promulgated from Nicea by Constantine.
is planning a Korban Pesach tonight in Jericho.
Oh that's right. Sorry. Been awhile.
OBTW are you aware the the Sanhedrin is planning a Korban Pesach tonight in Jericho. First time in 1940 years; since 70CE
No I was not. Thanx.
No I was not. Thanx.
see link
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
The purpose is not to convert, but that would be nice???
Pure spin, Chuck. You either think they need converting or you think they don't. We Methodist pastors are so wishy-washy, Chuck, and it doesn't make us look good.
The Jewish seder celebrates a nation being led out of slavery.
The Obama seder, on the other hand ... ?
Jericho? I thought it had to be done in the Temple.
Seminarians experience a key Jewish rite [Seder Meal]
What every Christian needs to know about Passover [Passover starts this evening]
Jericho? I thought it had to be done in the Temple.
Jericho was where they entered the Promised Land under Joshua. They do not receive permission for the Temple Mount.
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
Because the Seder is a uniquely Jewish holiday where Jesus is not mentioned.Jesus may have been a Jew but when he is mentioned in a Seder that takes away the true meaning in it for we Jews.
I fully agree with you.
Amen Mom.
I don’t know why Christians are so fascinated with reliving OT rituals. It has all been fulfilled. We should focus on who fulfilled it all.
Of course not,but we feel very strongly that the Seder is uniquely Jewish,since there’s no combination of the two faiths.
Finally somebody. lol.
Passover has to do w/the Jews’liberation from slavery.I don’t see how Jesus figures in,even if the Last Supper coincides(sp)? w/ Passover.When it’s changed to include Jesus it takes away from the true meaning of the holiday.It would be like we Jews adding something to a Christian holiday,such as Easter.There’s just no combining the two.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.