Seder

When I was in law school at Michigan, my friends invited me to a Seder meal. At the time I didn't even know what a Seder was. Unfortunately, I had a prior commitment and couldn't make it. Since then I have always I wanted to participate in a Seder. Four years later, I got my chance. On Good Friday, I went to a Seder meal put on by the Sunde's, the leaders of Untitled the young professionals group at Riverbend.

A Seder is an interactive retelling of the enslavement and subsequent Exodus of the Children of Israel from Ancient Egypt. Each step of the Seder has symbolic meaning and the ceremony is for all ages. During the Seder, we recited several prayers, sang, and took of the following elements from the Seder plate:

A small bowl of salt water
Parsley sprigs
Three Matzah
A bowl of kharoset (a paste like substance made by combining nuts [walnuts], fruit [dates, apples, bananas or any others in any combination] and some fruit juice or wine)
A bowl with a scoop of horseradish.
Four glasses of wine

Also present on the Seder table were:
A hard boiled egg
Lamb Shank
A candle
Bowl of water
A cloth

The entire experience was amazing from the perspective of the meaning of Passover, all that the Israelites endured, and how it all plays a part in the history of Christianity.

Participating in a Seder meal two months after visiting Egypt made it even more meaningful. I just climbed Mt. Sinai, touched the burning bush, saw the Red Sea. To actually read and participate in the retelling on that story with the vivid memories of Egypt in my head was surreal.

If you have the opportunity to partcipate in a Seder this year or in the future I highly recommend it.
- RXW


What Rox: Interested in having a Seder? Check out 30-Minute Seder.com.