Feast of the Lamb

Eggs prepared by Lora Carter Nafziger and her sisters for our Easter feast.

We celebrated Easter this Sunday with a glimpse of the feast of the Lamb.

After much good music and song, Heidi's sermon took us to Mark's account of the women who come to the tomb and are told by a young man in a white robe that Jesus has been raised. He instructs them to go back and tell the disciples, and that Jesus is going ahead to Galilee and they will see him there. Instead, as so often in Mark's account of Jesus' followers, they don't get it, and they flee in terror and amazement, and in fear, tell no one. Heidi challenged us to think about how we share the story, and gave us five minutes of her sermon time to jot down a few words or an image of what is central for us in this on-going story of Jesus' life, death and resurrection, and then to share that with someone nearby.

Then came our glimpse of the vision described in Isaiah 24: 6 - 9:       On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
    of rich food filled with marrow,
    of well-aged wines strained clear.

    And he will destroy on this mountain
    the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
    the sheet that is spread over all nations;
    he will swallow up death forever.

    Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
    and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
    For the Lord has spoken.
    It will be said on that day,
    Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him,
    so that he might save us.
    This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Two tables at the front were spread with festive cloth and decorated with candles and flowers, and a steady stream of our many children carried in candles, fizzy grape juice, plates and baskets of rich breads, fruits, cheeses, eggs, chocolates and more, till the tables were full and overflowing. And still more baskets and plates arrived, till the piano bench was pulled in to hold a few, the table at the front was full, and several of the helpers stayed at the front holding food, as our worship leader led us in giving thanks.

After our time of feasting, a group of many ages gathered like an African choir at the front, leading us in a Tanzanian praise song and dance -- an exuberant, celebrative conclusion to our glimpse of that feast which will be for all peoples.