Seder Meal
With curiosity, our community listened to the words of the Seder supper. We sipped wine, ate bitter herbs and salt water and matzah, tasted the sweet apple taste of hope.
Eucharist
We gave communion to one another.
The body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven.
The blood of Christ, the Cup of Salvation.
Washing of Feet
We washed each other's feet, as Jesus did for his friends. We smiled, blushed, washed, tenderly dried. "Bless these feet."
Stripping the Altar
In silence, we stripped the altar. The priest gathered candles, fabrics, Bibles, cushions, podiums, passed each to us one by one until the altar was bare of color, stark and barren. The lights dimmed. "Hillary," she whispered. I followed her to the back, and she said, "Will you carry this? Be careful. There are nails."
I placed the cross on my shoulder, bent to lift it. I carried it, slowly, down the dark aisle. I followed moonlight to the altar, leaned the cross against the communion altar. Tiny candles illuminated the cross. In silence we remained.
Do not rush to Sunday, do not flee the heaviness.
Tonight, a sacred meal, joyful fellowship fades into betrayal and despair.
Tomorrow, pain, death, shaking earth, tearing the veil.
Saturday. Silence.
...
...
No comments:
Post a Comment