Last week in Family Home evening, we talked about Lent and the Catholic tradition of giving up something in the weeks before Easter. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we don’t celebrate Lent like the Catholics. We know that giving up a sin for just 40 days really doesn’t change a lot. So, we talk more about changing one’s life for good, not just during Lent. We talk more about sacrificing the natural man and becoming humble, child like, and willing to accept the Savior’s will. Each month, we participate in fasting and sacrifice the food our body wants. This can remind our body that our Spirit is in charge of us, not our physical appetites. It gives us strength to do hard things and through prayer and fasting, can bring us closer to God and better able to know what he would like for us to do.
When we first starting talking about Lent, some of you thought it was a Jewish holiday. The Jewish holiday you were getting confused with is Passover. It is celebrated around the Easter time each year, also, so I suppose it could be easy to confuse.
Tonight we are going to learn about the Passover.
Passover is the oldest and most important religious festival in Judaism. It celebrates when God delivered the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt
If we were Jewish, Passover would be much more then just a big dinner to eat together as a family. We would have a Seder—which is a big family dinner but one that involves everyone present because they tell the story of their heritage through stories and song through out the meal.
Tonight, we are going to have a Passover meal, of sorts. We are not having traditional Jewish Passover foods, in fact, we will be eating the regular meal I had planned on tonight, which contains foods that Jewish people would never eat. But, in one way, it will still be a Seder meal. Seder means “order” and we will be eating our dinner in a specific order and talking about what things mean as we go.
For tonight to be the best it can be for you, pretend you are Jewish. As we talk about different things that happened to the Jews, imagined if you were there. What would you think? How would you feel? What is something like this happened to you now?
Light the candles. The candles represent God. Lighting them symbolizes God is present at our Seder tonight.
Blessing and cup of wine. Michael gives prayer and asks for blessings for each individual in the family.
Wash hands so each will be pure to particpate.
The whole purpose of celebrating the Passover Seder is to teach the children what their heritage is, how God has taken care of them, and how God will take care of them in the future. In the traditional Jewish Seder, they say there are 4 different kinds of children that might be listening.
Look under your plate to see what kind of child you represent tonight. None of us are actually one of these children---these are just common traits that we all share some part of. These emotions and actions were around 100’s of years ago for the Jewish forefathers and they continue to exist now. Listen to the different traits or personalities here tonight and see what you can change about yourself to better be able to participate tonight and increase in your faithfulness to God.
--- Each person reads the paper that is hidden under their plate
Let’s now sing: the 5th verse of “Follow the Prophet” about Moses and then we’ll tell the story.
With lots of family participation, tell the story of how the Jews got to Egypt
Eat the spinach dipped in salt water. That represents the brother’s dipping Joseph’s coat in blood. It also represents the salty tears the Jews cried when they were enslaved. (Karpas) Exodus 1:8-14
The green represents the coming of Spring.
As Christians, what does Spring and the new birth represent to us?
Eat the granola which represents the mortar the Jews made to build Egypt
Give the history of Moses (Exodus 1:10 , 12, 22 and Exodus 2 and 3) and talk about the plagues (Exodus 7-12)
Slavery is a bitter trial in life. Eat the Bitter herbs. In our lives now, we have trails and sorrows. Life is hard. Sorrow can stay with you for a long time. (The burn of horseradish lingered in all of our mouths!)
Finish talking about the plagues with telling of the Passover night and the lamb’s blood on the door to escape the Angel of Death. The Hebrews had to show faith and follow God’s commands.
Only following Christ’s plan for us can take the bitter out of our lives.
Look at the cracker on your plate. Crackers are part of the bread family of foods. How is a cracker different then regular bread? No yeast
When you make bread, yeast is what makes the bread rise. Yeast works by mixing with the liquid and sugars in a recipe and growing. As it grows, it makes air bubbles and that is what makes the bread rise up. Yeast is what makes the difference between a cracker and a slice of bread.
When the Hebrews left Egypt
Imagine if Dad said right now, “Go. We have to go now.” What would that be like? What would you think of? What would you want to take?
Eat your cracker and think about what it would have been like. Today, Jews do not eat yeast, baking soda, or baking powder during the Passover season to remember this night. (Exodus 11-13)
The cracker helps the bitter go away in your mouth. Following Christ immediately helps your life not be so bitter also.
Historically, when Jews celebrated the Passover, unblemished lambs were sacrificed as symbols of that night. After the Jewish temples were destroyed (starting about 600 years before Christ and ending after his death) they couldn’t offer sacrifices anymore. The egg symbolizes this loss and became the food or mourners. As you Eat the egg think of all that the Jews have lost by not remaining faithful to God.
What happened to the Jews after they escaped from Egypt
Wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. How did they eat? Bread and quail fell from heaven. They didn’t have to cook. It was ready to eat. (Exodus 16)
Cup of wine and blessing just for food.
Serve Dinner: (our main dish with meat in it and bread)
Discuss this during dinner:
Did God take care of the Israelites physical needs?
Will he take care of us? How?
Did God take care of their spiritual needs? How?
What do we know about Mt. Sinai
It is where Moses received the 10 commandments. These were the commandments and instructions by which the Israelites were to live out in practical ways the implications of being the people of God.
How does God take care of our Spiritual needs?
I want you to think of some of your own blessings in your life. Something that God has given to YOU. You personally. We’ll need that after dinner….
As dinner is winding up, ask them if they have thought of 2 blessings in their life. They will need them now.
Dayeinu (It Would Have Been Enough)
The Seder meal ends with a reading. After each sentence is read, the family all says Dayeinu (pronounced Da-yea-new) which means “It would have been enough.”
(or you can Read Psalms 105 and 106).
This is just a way of recognizing how the Lord blessed them over and over and over again. He does the same for us. Dad is going to read the Jewish blessings with us saying “It would have been enough” after each sentence. At the end, we will add our own blessings.
Leader: If only the Lord God had taken us out of Egypt
People: It would have been enough!
People: It would have been enough!
If only the Lord God had taken us out of Egypt
Dayeinu!
Dayeinu!
If only the Lord God had passed judgment on the Egyptians and not parted the sea for us . . .
Dayeinu!
Dayeinu!
If only the Lord God had parted the sea for us and not taken care of us and fed us manna in the desert for 40 years..
Dayeinu!
Dayeinu!
If only the Lord God had taken care of us and fed us manna in the desert for 40 years and not given us the Sabbath rest . . .
Dayeinu!
Dayeinu!
If only the Lord God had given us the Sabbath rest and not brought us to Mount Sinai and given us the 10 commandments . . .
Dayeinu!
Dayeinu!
If only the Lord God had brought us to Mount Sinai and given us the commandments and not brought us into the land of Israel
Dayeinu!
Dayeinu!
For all these, alone and together, we say . . .
Dayeinu!
Dayeinu!
These are samples of what my family added to the end….
If only the Lord would have blessed me with the best husband in the world and not given me 3 healthy children also….It would have been enough.
If only the Lord had given me such a great family, without letting me taste and love meat every day…. It would have been enough.
If only the Lord would have given me life without giving me the chance to grow and change each day… It would have been enough.
If only the Lord would have just given me eyes and ears that work and not given me such a cute personality…. It would have been enough
Song: I believe in Christ (p.34)
Closing prayer.
More wine and dessert.
Can read D&C 89:21
How important was the sign of the Lamb to the Hebrews on Passover night.
Looking at verse 21, how important is it for us to obey the Word of Wisdom?
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