Les, the expert packer loading the 'boot' with all we will need to put on a fabulous celebration!
The room was beautifully set by the time we arrived...the only 'additions' were finishing the place settings...
They even managed to 'build' a platform for the head table where Les would be directing the Seder!
Les, Twyla and Susan. Susan is the one we owe immense gratitude for doing such a fine job!
Workers 'extend' the platform while Les and Twyla work to get the projector set up.
Now the the platform is complete, Les got busy setting the head table with all the elements...
Place settings for him, Pastor Mark and a young man (13) named Ebenezer who would be part of the celebration...and a fourth place setting for the prophet Elijah...
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| Twyla working with Gladys to fill glasses with salt water |
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| Gladys pretending to sleep on the job :) |
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| Susan is proud of herself for the sign she had made... |
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| Gladys adding parsley to each plate... |
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| ...While Les and Twyla decorate the walls... |
Members of our church, Life Community Church (LCC) arrive early to receive instructions on how to lead our guests through the Seder...Barnabas, his wife Grace in the background, Wambui in the foreground and Gladys after she changed into her suit.
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| Les giving instructions to Ebenezer |
He became animated as he told stories of celebrations past...
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| Twyla explaining things to Grace and Wambui |
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| Barnabas and Ndungu in their yarmulkes |
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| A better view of the yarmulkes |
Our guests began arriving early!
The excitement is growing as more people arrive...Susan even sent a bus to a nearby shopping center to pick people taking public transportation - at no extra charge!
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| Twyla checking the placement of his yarmulke! |
This is our lead pastor, Mark Kiiru...with his 'listening face' :)
Pastor Mark greeting our guests to get the evening started
Les began by sharing his testimony...
...he grew up in a 'Reformed' Jewish home, left his faith in his teens and returned while in college. When he returned he jumped in 100% as an Orthodox Jew, strictly observing the Jewish traditions for over a year before he 'met God' and became a Christ follower...so he is a Messianic Jew.
Twyla donned her head cover and shawl for her part of the ceremony...
...she prayed in Hebrew while lighting the candles...
...not pictured is me going around to all the other tables to light those candles! Praise God I did not burn the place down!
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| Twyla projected the words being read by Les onto the screen for us to follow |
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| Les reading from the Haggadah, the book containing the text of the Seder |
On our plates were a sprig of parsley, two small helpings of horseradish and charosis (mixed fruits & nuts). The parsley symbolizes the hyssop used to apply the lamb's blood to the doorpost. The horseradish is 'bitter herbs' reminding us of the bitterness of bondage. The charosis symbolizes the brick & mortar used to make bricks while in captivity.
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| Blessing the matzos (I think!) |
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| Pouring our first of four glasses of 'wine' (juice) |
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| Susan was able to stay during the celebration! |
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| Dinner was brought in just before the end of the first part of the Seder celebration |
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| Taking the 'wine' |
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| Three whole matzos are in this cloth, which has 3 compartments |
Les has instructed Pastor Mark and Ebenezer to hand out the broken pieces of matzos
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| See Ebenezer at the end of this table? He did such a good job! |
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| Twyla handing the plate back to Ebenezer |
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| Almost finished! |
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| Making his way back to the head table. |
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| I think they are eating the Charosis (fruits/nuts) with the horseradish |
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| Matzos again... |
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| Pouring more 'wine' (juice) |
We made a 'horseradish' salad with the two matzo pieces and the remaining horseradish
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| This time we got two matzo pieces |
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| Twyla eating her horseradish sandwich :) |
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| Most of our guests did not like the horseradish! |
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| My sandwich - yum!! |
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| The head table went first for dinner... |
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| ...then Twyla dismissed table by table. |
Twyla is so good at mingling and making people feel welcome...
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| Eric is a bit tall for Twyla! |
Dinner was delicious!
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| Beef, vegetables, rice and chapati...here is mine - half eaten! |
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| Twyla announcing that now is the time for seconds |
She let us know that after 9pm we could not eat anything else!
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| Omondi looking Jewish...he came as my guest |
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| There I am! |
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| Showing slides from Israel during dinner |
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| Gladys making friends :) |
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| Starting the last part of the celebration |
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| During dinner Les hid a final piece of matzo and Ebenezer has to find it |
He found it and here it is! In our case, Les had to 'ransom' it back...
Ebenezer and Pastor Mark handed out the small pieces for the final part of our Seder meal...
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| Ebenezer goes looking for Elijah...remember the extra place setting? |
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| ...is he out there? |
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| Nope! |
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| Back to the head table to complete the celebration... |
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| Pastor Mark wrapping up the festivities |
For two Wednesdays Les was interviewed on a local Christian radio station...
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| Acknowledging James, the host of the radio show |
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| Introducing Maureen, James' wife |
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| Ending with a word of prayer by Pastor Mark |
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| and of course a photo op! |
Fellowship time after the celebration...people just did not want to leave!
It was a great evening of fellowship, celebration and learning something new! What a great start to the Easter weekend. I especially loved the way Les made connections between the tradition of the Passover Seder and the reality of Jesus as the Messiah.
By no means is this entry meant to be an accurate description of all the elements of a Passover Seder - for that you can google it! But - you can see that we came together as brothers and sisters in Christ to grow deeper in our understanding of the Jewish roots from which our Lord and Savior came.
