Evening Prayer Holy Wednesday 8th April 2020 Passover

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.

Song “Shalom Chaverim 

https://youtu.be/ImAIzsLUq5g

Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. ⁴ Today, in the month of Aviv, you are leaving. ⁵ When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to observe this ceremony in this month: ⁶ For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the Lord. ⁷ Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. ⁸ On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ ⁹ This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. ¹⁰ You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year.

Exodus says that the children of Israel had been slaves in Egypt for 210 years, and God promised that he would release them from slavery.

This would only come after the Egyptian Pharaoh had refused their release and God had released 10 plagues on Egypt to demonstrate his power. The plagues were

Blood, Frogs, Lice, Wild Beasts, Pestilence,Boils, Hail, Locust, Darkness.
Slaying of the First-born.

Following the last plagues, Pharaoh ordered Moses to immediately take his people out of Egypt.

The Israelites packed and left immediately without enough time for their bread rise – for this reason, unleavened matzah bread is eaten at Passover instead of risen or grain products. During Passover the Jews are commanded Exodus 13v3-7 " No leaven or yeast shall be eaten."

The festival's name comes from the belief that God "passed over" the Jewish homes when killing the Egyptian firstborns.

Before Passover the house is cleaned of any yeast, every room and crevice. Then a seder meal is celebrated with 4 cups of wine crackers called Matzohs and a symbolic meal including bitter herbs and roasted lamb. 

Intercessions

We pray for all our loved ones to get the care they need and the healing. We pray there will be someone they can turn to at this time to help them. We pray for all who are anxious. Give them your peace and calm in their hearts. Have your hand upon us, our homes and our loved ones. Be with us all we pray this night and every night. In Jesus Name Amen. 

Song “When Israel was in Egypt’s Land”

https://youtu.be/vf6jBP4YXwo

Blessing

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has kept us alive 

Morning prayers Holy Wednesday 8th April 2020

Loving God we remember today Judas

Who planned to betray Jesus

We know sadly we all carry within ourselves

The capacity to betray. 

Help us to acknowledge this 

recognise it and deal with it. Amen 

Song “All glory Lord and honour”

https://youtu.be/pHN8UAk6Yow

Prayer for Gods help

Make me a clean heart 

And renew a right Spirit within me

Give us again our joy

The Lord’s Prayer in your own language

Reading John 13v21-30

²¹ After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

²² His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant.²³ One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.²⁴ Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

²⁵ Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” ²⁸ But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. ²⁹ Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. ³⁰ As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

Prayers for people and situations you are concerned about.

Ending with…May they not fail you, nor we fail them Amen

A Song “Behold the Lamb”

https://youtu.be/ACHPwx7EGQA

Closing Responses

God of all that gives life

Keep us and our loved ones safe this day we pray

Keep evil from without us and within

And move us on to resurrection. Amen

© Iona Community adapted