Friday, 26 March 2021

The two seders of Pesach

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Ever listened to the song "We leave Egypt tonight"? If not, look it up and listen to it here! It's slightly spine-tingling.

We leave Egypt, we leave bondage and slavery, we leave the old behind and start a new life. Even when it's a good change, change can be hard. There's uncertainty. There's fear of the unknown. There's excitement about what is to come. And, as the story of the Israelites tells us, sometimes we have doubts about whether we have done the right thing and want to go back.

Tomorrow night is first Seder night, when we will tell the story of redemption from slavery to freedom. Then Sunday night is second Seder night and many of us will bedoing it all over again. Why the repetition? Won't we get bored? Maybe it's because the first time it doesn't sink in: it goes by in the blur, or we missed what the leader said, or we were keeping an eye on the Seder meal cooking. Maybe it's because we need to hear it twice; we need to savour the experience so the journey becomes our own, the story needs to become part of us.

This is our story as Jews, this happened to our ancestors and the Rabbis say it should be as we personally left Egypt. And of course it's the story of every believer, as we recount what Yeshua did for us - weren't you rescued from sin too? And that is a story need reminding of. For us remember what He has delivered us from and to commit once again to leave a life of sin behind. There are so many nuances, stories and reminders of G-d's redemptive power in our lives - is even two seders enough?

So tomorrow night, as you sit down to the Seder table yet again, come with fresh eyes. Ask the L-rd what He wants to reveal to you this year, what things He wants to set you from and how you can embrace the Exodus story anew. And remember - we leave Egypt tonight!