Today’s author is Prince of Peace member, Gary Olson.
The first commandment reads: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:2)
The annual Passover celebration has a long history in the Jewish community which I cannot do justice to in this space. Passover is a one evening observance followed by the seven day Festival of Unleavened Bread. At the Passover observance, families would butcher a sheep or goat, preferably a lamb, and serve it at a Seder meal. Today the lamb is most likely purchased at a butcher shop.
The first element of Passover is to remember God’s saving act spoken in the first commandment above. The angel of God, of death, “passed over” their ancestors’ homes—with the blood of the lamb smeared on the lintel and doorposts—while the first born of the Egyptians died. God’s action freed the Hebrews who escaped into the wilderness—with trials and troubles—and into the “promised land.”
Secondly, in my view, it is a celebration of fellowship in the community of faith; a community which believes what God did and does for them; a community which supports and loves one another. It is their identity.
The third element is the promise of a future with God and their community. The hope of that promise is often found in words spoken at the end of the Passover—“Next year in Jerusalem.” It speaks the hopeful promise that they will be united one day with God and one another in their holy place.
As Christians, we have a parallel celebration, but different. Jesus at the Passover meal with his disciples before he was crucified, took the bread of the Passover and said, “This is my body given for you” and the wine of the Passover, “This is my blood shed for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” God made him the lamb who died to free all of creation from decay and death—who with forgiveness, passes over our faults and foibles, our sin, to bring us to the promised land of God’s love.
Secondly, when we commune, we are in fellowship with the community of faith both at Prince of Peace and also around the world. AND with those who have gone before us. The community which loves and supports us and we them.
I find, thirdly, the promise of communion in words spoken by Alvin Rogness, former president of Luther Seminary. He once compared the Christian life to living and working in a football stadium. The fans ringing the stadium are those who have gone before us. We are the ones playing on the field of this life and those in the seats are cheering us on to live the life of faith in God as best we can, trusting in God’s grace in Christ.
The promise of passover-communion is that someday we will join them. We will be reunited, united in God’s place, God’s holy place.
Prayer: Thank you, O’ Lord, for life now and life with you and one another forever. Amen.