Good Friday 2012: Seder Meal, 6pm (Full)

At Element we are always trying to mix things ancient and modern. Understanding our heritage as Christians and still living in the vibrant newness of the Spirit's leading.

If you have ever been to or through one of our Good Friday services you know they tend to be different. From attending a funeral, to making you carry rocks, to even having you walk through a life-sized board game, our goal is to make you think about Christ’s sacrifice for our redemption.

This year we are doing something ancient and modern as well; we will be hosting a Seder meal. You may be asking what a Seder meal is, well, a Seder is the traditional Passover Week Dinner celebrated by the Hebrews since the Exodus. It is the Hebrew Thanksgiving, giving thanks to God for deliverance and redemption. Seder is also called the Passover Dinner.

The word Seder simply means "order," and refers to the service of the Passover festival meal that follows a prescribed order. The Seder was also what Jesus would have celebrated at The Last Supper the night he was betrayed. Jesus also chose the Seder as the setting for announcing (and explaining) The New Covenant. Many of us have done part of the Seder at every Sunday service when participating in communion.

The Seder was the basis of the early Church's Lord's Day worship service. It was referred to as the Agape Feast and Eucharist. Agape is the Greek word for Christian Love, that Love we have for one another.

Passover (Seder) is really more than a festival. It is an elaborate teaching experience, especially for the children. It is intended to call people to their identity as the People of God. By using all of the senses, the Passover Seder tells the story of God’s grace in history and calls the participants to experience and share in the story as their own story.