Community on Columbia

As Passover approaches (April 22-24), it’s time to experience the plagues, search for leaven and escape from any aspect of the world system, i.e. “Egypt,” that has ensnared us.

The Exodus (Cecil B. DeMille style)

Israel’s history always reflected inner spiritual truth. The plagues actually fell on Pharoah’s “heart.” Jesus defined the search for leaven as really an inner “spring cleaning” from the self-focused ways of thinking that puff us up. The blood on the doorpost finds its fulfillment in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. And the drowning of Pharoah’s army in the Red Sea signifies that we’ve been buried in baptism, and a new creation comes out on the other side.

The purpose of the annual Passover ceremony is to all bring this into present immediacy so that each participant is made to feel “as if he had personally come out from Egypt.”

Let’s make that our prayer this year. Download the Passover Memo (pdf file) for scripture readings and a schedule of activities.

The Feast of Purim is coming up! We’ll celebrate it Saturday, March 19. You might want to start reading the Book of Esther on your own, and also about the Amalekites, the forefathers of Agag and Haman in the story, and of the Edomites and King Herod in Jesus’ time.

Esther comes before King Ahasuerus.

Amalek represents all the archenemies of Israel. Exodus 17:16 – “God has sworn by His throne; God is at war with Amalek for all generations.”

Spiritually, Amalek is our flesh, which is continually at odds with the Spirit. Galatians 5:17 – “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

This feast is actually a melodrama and includes some strange customs. God is not mentioned [in the book, not the feast — Editor]. At Purim, participants take a sip of wine at every mention of Esther’s name. We are encouraged to drink until we can’t tell the difference between “Yeah, Mordechai!” and “Boo Haman!” By this we understand that we can’t trust our own judgmnent. Sometimes, like Esther, we must do something completely against protocol and “good sense” in order to fulfill our destiny and see God’s plan come to fruition. Download the Purim notes as a pdf file here.

The eight-day feast of Hanukkah, a festival of lights, occurs in the darkest time of year. It commemorates the rededication of the Temple in 165 B.C. after it was cleansed by Judas Maccabeus when the Jews prevailed against the Seleucid Greeks of Syria.

When the special oil for the Temple lampstand could not be obtained in time, Judas Maccabeus took a step of faith (and a risk) by lighting the lamp with only one day’s supply of oil. It burned miraculously for eight days until the extra oil arrived.

Many scholars place the time of Mary’s annunciation and the conception of Christ (rather than his birth) at this time of year, and the festival contains numerous types and foreshadowings of Christ’s coming.

Download the entire Hanukkah memo as a Word doc here.