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I suspect that I was not the only one who felt a slight pang of regret when I realised that we would not have our wonderfully moving Maundy Thursday service this year. However, such thoughts clearly provided little inhibition for 71 men, women and children foregathered at the school for an evening which provided instruction, insight and great warmth.
Like so much of Jewish religious practice, the Passover Seder [meal] is centred in the family and, once our large church family had sat down at an E-shaped table, we were greeted by 'the mother' who lit and blessed the Festival Candles.
Felicity then led us through a series of symbolic acts, which reminded us of
the many facets of the Passover story. This began with the First Cup of wine or
Kiddush, which represents God's calling of Israel to be his people, and which
was drunk leaning on our left elbows to indicate that we were from slavery. Then
followed the familiar elements of the story: the bitter herbs with which the
lamb was roasted, now dipped in salt water; the unleavened bread of the hurried
journey; eggs symbolising both mourning and new life; and the sweet charoset
that both recalled the slavery and evoked the hope brought by faith in God.
Most significant of these was the Afikomen, one half on the middle matzah, taken
from a three-compartment purse-like cloth for the unleavened bread. The Afikomen
mysteriously disappeared, only to be discovered, wrapped up like a present, in
the piano stool, after the young had diligently searched the hall. Its role is
to replace the lamb, which under Jewish law has to be sacrificed in the temple
and is no longer available. It therefore forms the final part of the Jewish meal
and is the bread that Jesus broke and blessed.
As we moved through the meal, we also filled and drank ritually from successive cups of wine, the third of which was the Cup of Blessing and constitutes the wine of the Holy Communion. With these two elements we moved seamlessly into Holy Communion and the wine and the matzah passed around the table, as we gave communion to our neighbour. It provided a moment of insight and community that was extremely special and uplifting.
Along the way there had been a great deal of fun and laughter, particularly over the construction of Hillel sandwiches from matzah, herbs and charoset; ritual washing of our hands using pitchers and bowls brought round by the children; and a series of penetrating questions put by the nearly youngest child in the room. Last, but very far from least, was a wonderful lamb casserole accompanied by baked potatoes - but not of course butter, the dairy and meat combination being prohibited under Jewish dietary law.
"Next year in Jerusalem" we said, as the Jews of Diaspora have said for centuries. We can only wait to see what next year brings. The bar has been set high.
Brian Dunlop