Enter Into the Ritual

It was two years ago, in the midst of a Lenten series, when I first heard the word—Haggadah. 

It was described to me as the means by which the Jewish people remember the Passover.  They enter not only into a celebration, but they enter into the ritual retelling of the story as the enslaved Israelites themselves.  They begin the evening as slaves.  They end the evening a free people. 

I was captured by this idea and began wondering what it might look like to consider our story in this way—from the Fall to the Resurrection. 

I sat down again today and picked up the idea where I left it in 2011 and drafted ‘An Easter Haggadah.’

Enter into the ritual...

as slaves

bound to lives serving a hard master

breaking backs, carrying heavy loads.

Enter into the ritual.

Each day

captive to the same hopeless task,

serving death.

Enter into the ritual.

Cry out.

Perhaps God will respond.

Perhaps He will save.

Enter into the ritual.

A leader

prepared and brought forward.

To lead.  To guide.  To save.

Enter into the ritual.

A Seder invitation—

eat His body,

drink His blood.

Enter into the ritual.

A Lamb

rejected and sacrificed to cover over sin,

an offering to purchase our freedom.

Enter into the ritual.

Resurrection—

life restored to crown a King,

unexpected, yet true.

Enter into the ritual.

Be free.

A people proclaiming peace won for them,

A living body renewed.

Enter the ritual.  Remember.  Live it all anew.

***

Grace and peace be ours in abundance as we enter into Holy Week remembering.  May we take time to pause and enter into the story of Jesus in a new way.  May we find that as we do He meets us there and leads us to receive the gift He has for us—Himself.

Jessica :)

P.S.  Can I recommend an album to you as you spend time remembering this week?  Matt Maher’s Alive Again is still my very favorite album for Lent and Holy Week.  I would say it is an Easter Haggadah of song.  I never get tired of listening to the story as he tells it.  Grace and peace.