Prayer Mantra:
Stay with me, remain here with me – watch and pray. Watch and pray.
Gospel Reading: John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end… And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean… After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table…
Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now, I say to you, `Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
When we think of the Last Supper meal we see and hear Jesus having a moment of preparation for what is to come: his arrest, his betrayal, his trial and his crucifixion. And while it can be easy for us to rush into the garden and what awaits Jesus and the disciples there, lets pause in this upper room and take it in.
The food elements of the Passover meal were symbolic of the experiences of the Jewish people who were captive in Egypt – as well as their escape from slavery with the help of God. There were many food items on the Passover plate: lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, Haroseth (or 'haroses'), Wine and Green herbs and Egg to be dipped in salt water. While we don’t have time to unpack all the elements of this Passover meal, tonight I would like to focus on the egg in salt water.
In a Seder Meal – Passover Meal: The Salt water represents tears of sorrow shed during the captivity of the Lord's people AND a hard-boiled egg (historically later)in Seder meals – represents hope of new life/spring.
So, in this sacred Seder meal – we have salt, heat, fat (and in the other element – acid) to create a balance of flavors that represent the fullness of human experience of slavery to freedom and everything in-between.
Earlier in the service, I dropped a hard-boiled egg in colorful water. The egg being a symbol of hope for new life, the vinegar and color tablet the acid activated in water that reminds us of baptism – that without the hot salt water ;we would not have a-very-good-boiled-egg. Heat is the action we need to make something new.So in this Seder meal, we have salt for tears of captivity, egg for hope of new life, heat to make a meal possible and acid to activate the colors and hope of resurrection.
This Easter is like no other we have experienced.
We are working together – in our joys and sorrows to live into a new reality. We are taking shelter in our homes – awaiting what is to come on the other side of the pandemic. Like Jesus and the disciples – the upper room is offered to us tonight – to remember our past, to live in our present and to hold hope for the future. The elements of cooking are more to me this week than that – they like the foods on a Seder plate – remind me that life is both joy and sorrow.
In heat, acid, salt and fat. I see this story of Jesus at the Last Supper in a new way. Things outside that upper room – will heat up, people will be activated to actions they may regret, there will be many salty tears in Jesus journey to the cross – and yet on that Seder plate is a egg to be eaten with the salt water; to remind us – there is hope outside that door too.
How does your Holy Week journey include heat, acid, salt and fat – where in our action, movement, tears, hunger and hope – where do we long for the presence of God?
We color eggs – we dip them in vinegar, color tablets and water… even in this familiar Easter activity; can we remember our baptism?
Will we remember the story of the Israelite Passover?
Will we remember Jesus feeding, teaching, and washing the feet of his disciples in that upper room?
Heat, acid, salt and fat is in this story all through Holy Week.
May this Last Supper feed your heart, soul and mind. Pause in this upper room – take in this meal as we walk with Jesus towards the cross – walking together in grace.
AMEN
Prayer Mantra:
Stay with me, remain here with me – watch and pray. Watch and pray.
Stay with me, remain here with me – watch and pray. Watch and pray.
Gospel Reading: John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end… And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean… After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table…
Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now, I say to you, `Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
When we think of the Last Supper meal we see and hear Jesus having a moment of preparation for what is to come: his arrest, his betrayal, his trial and his crucifixion. And while it can be easy for us to rush into the garden and what awaits Jesus and the disciples there, lets pause in this upper room and take it in.
The food elements of the Passover meal were symbolic of the experiences of the Jewish people who were captive in Egypt – as well as their escape from slavery with the help of God. There were many food items on the Passover plate: lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, Haroseth (or 'haroses'), Wine and Green herbs and Egg to be dipped in salt water. While we don’t have time to unpack all the elements of this Passover meal, tonight I would like to focus on the egg in salt water.
In a Seder Meal – Passover Meal: The Salt water represents tears of sorrow shed during the captivity of the Lord's people AND a hard-boiled egg (historically later)in Seder meals – represents hope of new life/spring.
So, in this sacred Seder meal – we have salt, heat, fat (and in the other element – acid) to create a balance of flavors that represent the fullness of human experience of slavery to freedom and everything in-between.
Earlier in the service, I dropped a hard-boiled egg in colorful water. The egg being a symbol of hope for new life, the vinegar and color tablet the acid activated in water that reminds us of baptism – that without the hot salt water ;we would not have a-very-good-boiled-egg. Heat is the action we need to make something new.So in this Seder meal, we have salt for tears of captivity, egg for hope of new life, heat to make a meal possible and acid to activate the colors and hope of resurrection.
This Easter is like no other we have experienced.
We are working together – in our joys and sorrows to live into a new reality. We are taking shelter in our homes – awaiting what is to come on the other side of the pandemic. Like Jesus and the disciples – the upper room is offered to us tonight – to remember our past, to live in our present and to hold hope for the future. The elements of cooking are more to me this week than that – they like the foods on a Seder plate – remind me that life is both joy and sorrow.
In heat, acid, salt and fat. I see this story of Jesus at the Last Supper in a new way. Things outside that upper room – will heat up, people will be activated to actions they may regret, there will be many salty tears in Jesus journey to the cross – and yet on that Seder plate is a egg to be eaten with the salt water; to remind us – there is hope outside that door too.
How does your Holy Week journey include heat, acid, salt and fat – where in our action, movement, tears, hunger and hope – where do we long for the presence of God?
We color eggs – we dip them in vinegar, color tablets and water… even in this familiar Easter activity; can we remember our baptism?
Will we remember the story of the Israelite Passover?
Will we remember Jesus feeding, teaching, and washing the feet of his disciples in that upper room?
Heat, acid, salt and fat is in this story all through Holy Week.
May this Last Supper feed your heart, soul and mind. Pause in this upper room – take in this meal as we walk with Jesus towards the cross – walking together in grace.
AMEN
Prayer Mantra:
Stay with me, remain here with me – watch and pray. Watch and pray.
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