For information about the Seder Meal from Wikipedia follow this link
This Seder Haggadah includes the Christian perspective on the passover lamb and other aspects of the passover story. I hope that your enjoy the rich history, symbolism, reverence and spirit this special meal brings.
This meal can be prepared on The Thursday before Easter Sunday.
A craft you can do with the kids is make your own Cup of Elijah. Use sculpy clay to cover a glass. Knead the clay until pliable and warm. Use multiple colors for a marble effect. Knead together a few times. Start at the bottom of the cup and gently push the clay up the cup to cover it. Place the cup in an oven. Turn the oven on to heat recommended on package and heat for recommended time.
passover crafts
Seder Order Haggadah Narration
(It is not necessary to read parts in italics)
The purpose of the celebration: to tell the story of God’s actions in history in a way that brings it out of the past and makes it a present reality for everyone in the community, young and old, as if they personally are part of the story. As such, the Passover has been termed one of the most effective teaching tools ever devised, as it appeals to all of the senses and involves everyone to tell the story of God. It represents the very best of communal liturgy.
Chametz-leaven
The evening before the Passover Seder any trace of chametz (leaven, pronounced ka-mets) is removed from the house. Leaven (yeast) is a necessary element in baking and wine making. However, it was viewed somewhat ambiguously because it also has the power to decay and destroy. Even Jesus used it as both a positive and negative metaphor. In Jewish tradition it came to have more of a negative connotation as a religious symbol, signifying the potential for corruption and sin. As a result, the removal of leaven carries with it deeper significance in Passover than simply its connection with the exodus. Its removal, and the symbolic removal at the beginning of the Seder, signifies the attitude of penitence, the willingness to remove any corrupting influence in one’s life and submit to God in obedience. As the Israelites prepared for the exodus by obeying the commands of God through Moses, so in removing the chametz, we symbolize our willingness to obey God in preparation for celebrating the deliverance he has already brought to His people.
Preparation: Prior to the beginning of the service, "hide" several pieces of regular raised bread in fairly obvious places around the room (chunks of unsliced homemade or bakery bread are more effective for this, although regular sliced bread is fine).
Dad/Leader: Welcome to our Passover Seder. Let us ready our hearts to celebrate and tell the story of deliverance, freedom, and redemption. Tradition teaches us that we must all consider ourselves as slaves in Egypt, that we must all consider ourselves to have walked in darkness, so that we might celebrate the deliverance in the Exodus as our own deliverance. It is in that spirit of community that we enter this Passover celebration.
Mother/Woman Leader: As the Israelites prepared for the exodus by obeying the commands of God through Moses, so in removing the Chametz, the leaven, we symbolize our willingness to obey God in preparation for celebrating the deliverance he has already brought to his people. Let us find and put away the Chametz from this place to prepare for our own experience of deliverance. And as we do, let us search for any hidden sins in our hearts that might prevent us from celebrating the joy of this festival.
Action: Have several younger children search for and collect all the bread in order to remove the Chametz and prepare the room for the celebration of the Passover. When the bread is collected, preferably in a basket so that all can see it, have it carried out of the room.
Explanation: Even though we have called people to reflection, this should not be a solemn occasion. The children should be allowed to have fun searching, and the remainder of the service should be marked by joy and celebration, as well as a certain amount of freedom and informality. Remember, the context of Passover is a family meal.
Dad/Leader: We praise you O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who hallows our lives with commandments, and who has commanded us to prepare for Passover by removing the leaven.
People: Any leaven that may remain among us, which we have not seen and have not removed, may it be as if it does not exist, as if it is the dust of the earth.
Spirit of the Seder
By J. Patrick Lewis
Our house is cleansed, and we await
The celebration of the eight
Days of Pesach. Girl and boy
Anticpate the feast of joy.
Once again we praise the Giver,
Whose Gift of Gifts was to deliver
Us from ancient bondage, chains
That scarred the hard Egyptian plains.
Leave no family on its own
To celebrate the Feast alone:
Invite them all to see and hear it.
f the spirit. (Kimmel, 3)
Night Journey
Dad/Leader: Get ready. We are going on a journey. It will last only one night, but it will take us a long, long way. We will travel from slavery to freedom. From sorrow to joy. From a country not our own to the land given by God to our ancestors. For this is the night of Passover, the night when our ancestors left Egypt, the House of Slavery. They left on foot, in hast, carrying their belongings on their backs, driving their flocks and herds before them. We are going with them. Our journey is called the Seder Our guide is a special book called the Haggadah. It tells the Passover story. Get ready. We are leaving soon. Our journey is about to begin. (Kimmel, 5)
Kadesh – Light Passover candles
Mother: Praised are You, God, Ruler of Creation, who has made us holy through Your commandments, and commanded us to kindle the festival lights.
Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel yom tov.
Action: The Mother/Woman Leader lights the Passover candles.
People, Mother leading: May the lights we now kindle inspire us to use our strength which you so freely give us to help and not to hinder, to love and not to hate, to bless and not to curse, to serve and worship you, O God of freedom!
first cup – cup of sanctification and freedom
Preparation: The Leader will usually have four separate glasses for each of the four cups to be used in the service, while others will have a single glass that is refilled. It is effective to have rather ornate glasses for the Leader, a different style for each cup.
Leader: God gave promises of freedom to His people. With four cups we celebrate and we recall the four parts of God’s promise to Israel and to us.
People: I am the Lord; I will free you from the bondage of Egypt, I will deliver you from slavery, I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, I will take you as my people and be your God. [Exodus 6:6-7]
Action: The Leader fills his first glass, as each person fills their own glass or the leader of each group fills the others. After everyone’s glass has been filled, the Leader holds the cup in his right hand so the people can see it.
Leader: We take the first cup and proclaim the holiness of this day of freedom. Blessed is God who fulfills his promises, who is ever faithful to his servants who trust in Him. We praise you, O Lord, who makes holy your people.
Action: We all drink the first cup.
Urchatz - wash
Explanation: In preparation for the meal, there is a ceremonial hand washing This is not a sanitary action but is symbolic of the "clean hands" with which one comes before God (Psalm 24:3-4). This can be done only by the leader, with a brief explanation of the action, or can be done by all the participants. If time allows, this can be expanded into a communal activity, in which one person pours for another, thus emphasizing the humility and service to each other in community. It is also possible to incorporate a reading here from John 13:2-14, in which Jesus washed the disciples’ feet as a sign of humility. It is not included here in order to preserve the flow of the story without introducing specifically Christian elements at this point.
Preparation: If this part of the Seder is to be included, there will need to be a pitcher of water, a small basin to receive the water as it is poured, and a towel at the Leader’s table. For a public service, a pitcher and basin, as well as a small towel for each person should be available for each of the groups. [An alternative method is for each group to have one large basin of water, a smaller empty one, and a small cup for dipping and pouring the water.]Or wet washcloths in a bowl.
Leader: We will now prepare for the meal by washing our hands, symbolizing the sacredness of this occasion, and the purity of heart and hands that we are called to exhibit as God’s people.
Action: Take the pitcher or cup in one hand and pour a small amount of water over the other hand into the empty basin, then reverse the process; dry hands. Since this is a symbolic action, only a very small amount of water should be used.
Karpas – Parsley
Explanation: Symbolism for the love of God for His people expressed in His willingness to enter into a covenant with them. While Parsley is the traditional green vegetable here, celery or another leafy green vegetable can be used.
Preparation: If they are easily available, fresh spring flowers can be placed on the table, either before the service begins or at this point. If this is a public service, each family or a representative from each group can be asked to bring flowers from their own yards or gardens to contribute to the atmosphere of newness and rebirth. [Another option is to give each person present a small live spring flower at this point in the service.]
Leader: Passover is a springtime festival, the season of rebirth, renewal, and new life. The days are filled with more light than darkness. The earth is becoming green with new life.
Action: The Leader takes a sprig of fresh Parsley and holds it up for the people to see.
Leader: This vegetable, called Karpas, represents life, created and sustained by the Lord. We are filled with joy at the goodness of His love and care for us, and bringing into our lives all good things. And yet as good as He intended life to be, it is often mixed with tears.
Action: The Leader lifts up the bowl of salt water so all can see.
Leader: Tonight, we are not simply celebrating springtime or love. We are celebrating the freedom and wonderful deliverance that Heavenly Father brought to us as slaves in Egypt. But we do not forget that life in Egypt was hard and filled with pain and suffering and tears. Let us never forget that the struggle for freedom begins in suffering, and that life is sometimes immersed in tears.
People: Praised are You, God, Ruler of Creation, who created the fruit of the earth. Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheimu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ri ha-adamah.
Action: Everyone dips a spring of parsley the salt water and eats it.
Yachatz - Breaking of Bread
Explanation: This part of the service begins to introduce themes that will become more obviously Christian as the service progresses. The Israelites waiting for deliverance and redemption in Egypt is a central element of the story that is to unfold. The hope in God who is the only One who can bring deliverance is also a crucial element.
There is not only a sense of celebration at what God has done in the past; there is also an eager anticipation of what God will continue to do. The traditional saying "next year in Jerusalem" is an expression not only of the faithfulness of God in the past, but of faith and hope in God’s future. Jerusalem is really a symbol of the restoration of all things for which both Jews and Christians eagerly await. So, while the Seder is a celebration of deliverance already accomplished, there is a strand throughout the Seder that recognizes the yet to be fulfilled promises of God. We can trust in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that they will continue to fulfill their promises.
Preparation: On the leader’s table there should be three matzot on a plate covered with a napkin. If available, a special Matzah bag (matzah tosh) may be used. For a public service, each person participating may also have the three Matzot on a plate covered, or the designated leader at each table may have the Matzot.
Action: The Leader uncovers the three Matzot, takes the middle Matzah, and holds it before him
Leader: Now I will break the middle Matzah in two. Later we will share it together as the Passover offering itself was shared in this service in Jerusalem. Among people everywhere, the sharing of bread forms a bond of fellowship and community.
Action: The Leader obviously breaks the middle Matzah in half, returns one half of the broken Matzah to the plate with the other two and leaves them uncovered. The other half he holds in front of him.
People: This is the bread of affliction, which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry come and eat. All who are needy come and celebrate Passover with us. Now we celebrate it here. Next year, may we celebrate Passover in Jerusalem.
Action: The Leader wraps the Afikomen (the second half of the broken Matzah) in the napkin.
Leader: We will hide a portion of the Matzah later, which we will use as the Afikomen, the dessert of our meal. Our ancestors from Egypt hid food not knowing when they would eat again. We remember our parents, grandparents and all our ancestors as we break the middle matzah. It is because of their struggles and sacrifices that we are able to celebrate our Seder as citizens of a free land. (Kimmel, 23)
Action: The Leader fills his second cup of wine, and signals the participants to refill their cups. DO NOT drink this cup yet.
Birds Head Haggadah
13th Century Probably the oldest surviving Ashkenazi (German) illuminated Haggadah manuscript printed Passover Haggadahs were first made in the 15th century. Most of the human figures have pronounced birds' heads, although other methods of distorting human heads are used, such as blank faces, heads covered by helmets, and a servant with a bulbous nose. In the above scene we see the baking of matzah (unleavened bread) by figures with human bodies and birds' heads. It is thought that these distortions were necessitated by the illustrator's strict compliance with the biblical prohibition of graven images, understood to include the realistic depiction of the human form. This stringent understanding of the law represents the exception rather than the rule in medieval Haggadah illustration.
Israel Museum, Jerusalem
The story of Passover
Explanation: The Passover Story is the heart of the Seder and was traditionally recounted as a parent telling the exodus story to his children, following the biblical command, "When your children ask in time to come . . . then you shall tell them" (Ex 14:14; Deut 6:20-21). The four questions, actually five with the first general question introducing the four more detailed ones, are usually asked by the youngest child present that can read well, with the answers given by the father or grandfather, although the answers can be alternated between a "father" and a "mother."
The fourth question traditionally has been, "Why on all other nights do we eat either standing or reclining, but tonight we eat only reclining?" In the days of the Roman Empire, to be able to eat reclining rather than standing was the mark of a free person. Emphasizing this was a way to symbolize the freedom that the exodus brought to slaves. Traditionally, pillows are used in the chairs, and the third cup is often taken while leaning to one side or leaning back on the pillow to symbolize reclining.
Preparation: A child should be chosen ahead of time to read the questions and provided a copy of the service to become familiar with the reading.
Leader: The Torah tells us that our children will ask questions about who they are as God’s people. The Lord has instructed us that we should tell them the story so that they might know the Lord. It is both a duty and a privilege to answer the four questions of the Passover and to recount the gracious acts of our God.
Wise child – What is the meaning?
Mah nishtanah ha-lahylah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-layloht, mi-kol ha-layloht?
Child: Why is this night different than all other nights?
She-b'khol ha-layloht anu okhlin chameytz u-matzah, chameytz u-matzah. Ha-lahylah ha-zeh, ha-lahylah ha-zeh, kooloh matzah?
Why on all other nights do we eat bread with leaven, but on this night we eat only unleavened bread?
Wicked child – Why do we bother?
She-b'khol ha-layloht anu okhlin sh'ar y'rakot, sh'ar y'rakot. Ha-lahylah ha-zeh, ha-lahylah ha-zeh, maror?
Why on all other nights do we eat of all kinds of herbs, but on this night we eat bitter herbs?
The child that doesn’t know enough to ask
She-b'khol ha-layloht anu okhlin bayn yosh'bin u'vayn m'soobin, bayn yosh'bin u'vayn m'soobin. Ha-lahylah ha-zeh, ha-lahylah ha-zeh, koolanu m'soobin?
Why is it that on all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining, but on this night we eat in a reclining position? Leader: We will now answer the four questions concerning Passover that you have asked. People: Once we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord in His goodness and mercy brought us out of that land with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Leader: Had God not rescued us from the hand of the destroyer, surely we and our children would still be enslaved, deprived of freedom and human dignity. People: Once we worshipped idols and were enslaved by our sins, but God in His goodness and mercy forgave our transgressions and called us to be His people. Leader: Therefore, tonight is different than other nights because we have gathered to remember who we are, what God has done for us, and to tell to our children the story of God’s grace and deliverance. People: Praise be to God who is everywhere. Praise be to God who has brought us freedom and has delivered us from all that enslaves us!
The four children Arthur Szyk (1894-1951) Poland Moses striking the Egyptian taskmaster (Exodus 2:12).
Mother/Woman Leader: God had promised Abraham and Sarah that they would be a great people, a promise he renewed to each generation, to Isaac and Jacob. As time passed Jacob’s children came to live in the land of Egypt where his son Joseph was advisor to Pharaoh. But years passed and another Pharaoh came to power who did not remember Joseph and did not know his God, so he enslaved the Israelites. He forced them to work hard making bricks of clay and straw with which to build his cities. As the people increased in numbers, he feared that they might rebel against him, so he ordered every newborn boy drowned. They knew only toil, suffering, and tears.
Leader: They cried out from their cruel oppression, hoping that God would remember the promises He had made to the fathers. And God heard their cry and remembered the covenant He had made with Abraham. Through a wise mother and sister, God saved the life of the boy Moses from the ruthless hands of Pharaoh. After he had grown up, God sent Moses to deliver the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt, and promised Moses that He would be with him.
Mother: And yet when Moses asked Pharaoh to free the Israelites, he refused and increased their labor. So God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh and the land of Egypt so they might know that the Lord is God, and let the people go.
Action: The Leader takes the second cup of wine and holds it.
Leader: In a moment we will drink the second cup, the cup of deliverance, and we will celebrate in joy God’s deliverance from slavery. A full cup is a symbol of joy. Yet our joy and our cup is diminished because the Egyptians, who are also God’s children, suffered from Pharaoh’s evil ways. Lives were sacrificed to bring about the release of God’s people from the slavery of Egypt, and we do not rejoice at the death of any of God's children. As we recount the plagues, we will spill a drop of wine from our cups for each plague to show regret for the suffering of our enemies.
Action: As each plague is recited, a single drop of wine is removed from the cup, either with a finger or spoon, and placed on a plate. Traditionally, a finger is used to symbolize the finger of God’s judgment on sin. DO NOT drink from the second cup yet.
Leader: Blood in all water-Dam. Frogs-Ts’fardei-a-. Lice-Kinim. Swarms/wild beasts-arov. Cattle Disease-Dever. Boils-Sh’chin. Hail-Barad. Locusts-arbeh. Darkness-choshech. Death of the First Born-makat B’chorot.
Action: The Leader replaces the second glass on the table WITHOUT drinking, as the participants do likewise.
Mother: Each plague represents a hardship for the Israelites, forced to draw water, hail destroyed buildings they were forced to make, cattle and crops they were forced to tend died from disease, Pharaoh condemned the Hebrew male infants to death. Pharaoh continued to refuse to let the people go until the last plague, the death of the firstborn of all of Egypt. This convinced him to release the people. By following God’s instructions and putting the blood of a lamb on the door posts of the houses, the Israelites were spared this plague as death "Passed Over" their houses.
Preparation: The Seder plate at the Leader's table should contain the lamb bone and the egg.
Action: The Leader removes the symbolic lamb bone from the Seder plate and holds it up for all to see.
Leader: This is the symbol of the Passover lamb that was killed so that our children might live. It reminds us not only of God’s wonderful grace in providing for us life and not death, it also reminds us that we are called to obedience in response to God’s gift of life.
Action: The Leader replaces the bone and removes the roasted egg from the Seder plate and holds it up for all to see.
Leader: The egg has no beginning and no end, the egg is also a symbol of new life and hope, and reminds us that God is eternal.
Action: The Leader replaces the egg.
Mother: Even as the Israelites were leaving, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army after them. Trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the Sea of Reeds, the Israelites had nowhere to go. But God told Moses to lift his staff over the sea, and God parted the waters. They were able to pass through the midst of the sea. When the Egyptians tried to follow, the waters closed back over them. When the Israelites saw that they were free, Moses’ sister Miriam led them in rejoicing and praising God.
People, Mother leading: We Praise you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who hears the cries of the oppressed, who brings freedom to the captive, and who creates for yourself a people.
Action: The Leader takes the remaining half of the Matzah and holds it up for all to see.
Leader: Tonight we eat Unleavened Bread because our ancestors in Egypt had to leave in such haste that they could not wait for their bread to rise.
People: You shall eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you came out of the land of Egypt with great haste, so that all the days of your life you may remember the day of your departure from Egypt [Deuteronomy 16:3].
Preparation: At the Leader’s table, there should be a small clear custard type bowl containing the Maror.
Action: The Leader replaces the Matzah and takes the Maror (horseradish) and holds it up for all to see.
Leader: Tonight we eat bitter herbs to remind us of how bitter our lives were as slaves in Egypt. As sweet as our lives are now, we must never forget the bitterness of our bondage.
People: The Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields. [Exodus 1:12-14]
Preparation: At the Leader’s table, there should be a small clear custard type bowl containing the Charoset (pronounced ka-ro-set).
Action: The Leader replaces the Maror (horseradish) and takes a spring of Karpas (Parsley) and the bowl of Charoset and holds them up for all to see.
Leader: Tonight we dip twice. We have already dipped the Karpas. We will also dip the Charoset to remind us of the sweetness that God can bring into the most bitter of our circumstances.
People: I am sorely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word! How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! [Psalm 119:107, 103]
Action: The Leader replaces the Karpas (Parsley) and Charoset.
Leader: Tonight we eat with special ceremony because in each generation, every person should feel as if he or she has actually been redeemed from Egypt. We tell the story because we are the redeemed of the Lord, and we can sing a new song of praise because of His grace. And yet it is not a new song, because countless people through the centuries sang it as generation after generation have experienced the deliverance and redemption brought by our God.
People: Once we were slaves but now we are free!
Action: A Song of Testimony (e.g., Amazing Grace)
Dayenu
The Words The Meaning
Ilu hotzi hotzianu Had God only taken us Hotzianu miMitzrayim Out of Egypt - Hortzianu miMitzrayim It would have been enough.
Dayenu
Ilu natan natan lanu Had God only given us
Natan lanu et haShabat The Sabbath
Natan lanu et ha Shabat It would have been enough.
Dayenu
Ilu natan natan lanu Had God only given us
Natan lanu et haTorah The Torah –
Natan lanu et haTorah It would have been enough.
Dayenu
The second cup: the cup of deliverance
Action: The Leader takes the second glass, and raises it for all to see.
Leader: With the second cup we celebrate the deliverance that God has brought to us. We are privileged to thank God, to praise Him, to reverence Him, and to rejoice in His grace. He has brought us forth from bondage to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from darkness to light, from slavery to redemption.
People: I am the Lord; I will deliver you from slavery [Exodus 6:6]. We praise you O Lord our God, who has freed your people.
Leader: We praise you O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.
Action: We all drink the second cup then hide the Afikomen.
The meal
[Action: If this is a full meal seder, the seder plate is removed from the table, and the meal is served. Often, boiled eggs are the first course of the meal. Sometime during the meal, either the Leader or the children secretly hide the afikomen (the broken part of the middle Matzah). After the meal is finished the dishes are removed from the table, and the seder plate is returned to the table.]
The third cup: the cup of redemption
Explanation: At this point we leave the traditional order of the Seder to move into Christian celebration. Normally the concluding order is: the Afikomen is found and eaten, the third cup is taken, the hope of Messiah is expressed in Elijah’s cup, and the fourth cup concludes the Seder. Historians suggest that it was the third cup with the Afikomen that Jesus used at the Last Supper to institute the Sacrament. To preserve this tradition, we will combine Elijah’s cup with the third cup in celebrating, since we are no longer looking for Elijah to come.
Leader: We will now offer a blessing for the food.
People: We praise you O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who in kindness, goodness, and grace gives food to the world. Your love for us endures forever. We praise you, O Lord, who provides food for all life.
Leader: May the Holy One, who makes peace in the heavens, make peace for us and for all people. Amen.
Action: The Leader fills his third cup of wine and replaces it on the table. NO ONE ELSE fills their cup yet.
Leader: This cup is for Elijah the Prophet. Elijah did not see death but was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire. It has been the hope of God’s people that Elijah would come at Passover, to announce the coming of the Messiah, the son of David. As the prophet Malachi said: "See, I will send you Elijah the prophet before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes." [Malachi 4:5]. This cup has traditionally been left untouched, awaiting the time when Elijah would appear to share the Passover.
*[Leader: We will now open the door to welcome Elijah to the Passover.]
Action: A child opens the door.
*[Action: If there is no door handy to open (or as an additional symbol), a child can place an empty chair at the table to the right of the Leader to symbolize the hope of Elijah, and the Leader can say: We will now set a place to welcome Elijah to the Passover. The Leader then places the filled third cup at Elijah’s place.]
We Latter-day Saints are blessed to know that Elijah did indeed come in these latter days. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received this vision on Passover April 3, 1836.
Read D&C 110:13-16
Leader: It is now time to reveal, that which has been hidden. We will find the Afikomen so that we may conclude our meal. The Afikomen has traditionally symbolized hope for the future, a symbol of redemption, as God again acts in history to proclaim good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor [Isaiah 61:1-2 quoted in Luke 4:18-19].
People: I am the Lord; I will redeem you with an outstretched arm [Exodus 6:6].
Action: If the Leader has hidden the Afikomen, the children now search and find it and return it to the leader. If time is short, or if very small children are participating, the Leader or others, even the older children, can give clues to the younger children where to find the Afikomen, especially if more than one piece has been hidden. This serves in its own way to symbolize the role of parents and the community in leading children to an understanding of the hope and future that they will find in being God’s people. Afterward the Leader holds a piece of the Afikomen in front of him in his left hand.
Leader: As we have found the afikomen that has been hidden, we celebrate the fact that our long hoped for Messiah has come.
People: And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the afirst begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and bwashed us from our sins in his own cblood, And hath made us akings and bpriests• unto God and his Father; to him be cglory and ddominion• for ever and ever. Amen. [Revelation 1:5-6]
Leader: We will now fill the third cup.
Action: The people refill their cups
Leader: Jesus stood in the synagogue of his hometown of Nazareth and read from the Isaiah scroll that promised a new work of God in the world. When he had finished reading, he said, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" [Luke 4:21].
Mother/Woman leader: Jesus has brought to us a new freedom from the chains of oppression and sin that enslave us. Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples on the night before he was betrayed and delivered for crucifixion. He commanded that his disciples partake of the bread and the wine as emblems of his broken body and shed blood. We partake of these elements to participate in the new life, in the new birth that Jesus Christ provids for us.
Action: The Leader takes Elijah’s cup in right hand, while still holding the Afikomen in his left hand.
Leader: I have taken Elijah’s cup because we no longer wait for Elijah. We celebrate in joy today not only because Elijah has come, but because the Messiah has also come!
People: Blessed is He who has come in the name of the Lord!
Mother/Woman leader: We praise you O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you, O God, for giving to us your only Son, who suffered and died and rose again, that we might be reconciled to you. How great a love you have bestowed upon us! As we now eat this bread and drink this cup, may you forgive us of any sin that we secretly harbor in our hearts, may you give us the freedom that comes as you transform us into the image of your Son, and may you fill us with your presence through the Holy Spirit that we may truly become your people.
Action: The people all take a piece of the broken Matzah.
The Leader holds up the bread for all to see.
Leader: This broken bread of redemption reminds us of the broken body of our Lord Jesus Christ that was broken for us. Take and eat this, remembering that Jesus died for us, and in so doing accept Christ’s Atonement that brings freedom from bondage to sin.
Action: All eat the bread. When finished, the Leader holds up the cup for all to see.
Leader: This cup reminds us of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that was spilled because of us and on our behalf. Drink this, remembering that Christ forgives and forgets our transgressions through repentance.
Action: All drink the cup. This may be followed by a song of praise
The fourth Cup – The cup of thanksgiving & Hope
Leader: Our Seder is now complete. We rejoice with thanksgiving and are humbled by God’s love!
People: I am the Lord; I will take you as my people and I will be your God [Exodus 6:7].
Leader: Yet the story of God’s redemption is not ended. We celebrate what God has done in our history, and what he has done for us, but at the same time we still await. As Jesus left, he promised he would come again and restore all things. We have faith and wait for the day Christ will return.
Action: The Leader fills the fourth cup and signals the participants to refill their cups. The leader raises his glass in front of the people, and all the people also raise their glasses.
Leader: We raise our glasses a fourth time in Thanksgiving for God’s fulfilled promises, those yet to be fulfilled and for his endless, eternal love for us. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has adopted us as your children, and allowed us to call you Father.
Action: All raise their glasses again and then drink the cup.
Leader: The traditional conclusion of the Seder is a hope for the future expressed by Jews throughout history: "Next year in Jerusalem." We will conclude our Seder with the same expression of hope and faith in God, as we await the coming of a New Jerusalem.
People: Next year in the New Jerusalem!
Action: The Leader extinguishes the Passover candles
Sister Roth – Seattle 3rd ward enrichment Seder 2003
Wonders and miracles : a Passover companion / illustrated with art spanning three thousand years ; written and compiled by Eric A. Kimmel.
Children's Haggadah = [Hagadah la-yeladim] / text by Howard Bogot and Robert Orkand ; illustrated and designed by Davis Grebu.
The Passover story [sound recording] / narrated by Theodore Bikel; sung by The Western Wind; written by Rachel and Miriam Rabinowicz.
The Passover Seder for Christians Haggadah adapted by Dennis Bratcher http://www.crivoice.org/haggadah.html
Passover Haggadah Images
http://www.emanuelnyc.org/seder/table.html
Coloring Pages
http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/pesach/pescolor.htm
Kid’s activities (plays too) http://kosher4passover.com/kids.htm
http://judaism.about.com/cs/passoverbooklets/
http://www.aish.com/passfamily/passfamilydefault/Haggadah_Coloring_Pages.asp
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