Passover

My hubby and I are both major history and culture buffs.  A few years ago, our church had done a bit of a Passover experience led by a young man in the leadership whose family had been non-practising Jews (he had later become a follower of Jesus).  We found it to be a pretty awesome addition to our family's celebration of Easter- a real pull into the reality of Jesus' life.  We discovered that in our town there is a Messianic Jewish congregation, and they are kind enough to open their Passover Seder to people who are not members of their congregation (not just that- they really welcomed us with open arms).  What an INCREDIBLE celebration!  Dear hubby was born and raised Lutheran, and I grew up in a conservative church of Anabaptist descent.  We currently attend a non-denominational church planted by Baptists.  We have good worship music in service, but it's really rather quiet compared to the incredible Davidic dance and blowing of real animal horn horns!  Makes you wonder what it was like to be there when Joshua had his troops blowing their horns around the city of Jericho!

We had a really amazing picture of what our wedding feast in heaven will be like!  At our table was seated a delightful former Mennonite family...now there's a group that should have been overwhelmed by dancing and horns- many parts of our state are heavily Amish and Mennonite, and my grandfather left the Amish faith, so I know how conservative they are!  We also had my dear hubby, who is the grandchild of Germans who left their country following World War II (and his grandmother would never speak of her opinion of the "unpleasantness" of that era), my daughter with her Choctaw tribal registration, my little Scotch-Irish self, and a kind gentleman born and raised in a Jewish synagogue and a very helpful CPA.  What an amazing combination!  The room itself was filled with people of all colors and cultures.  What an amazing preview of when Jesus gathers his children-- really "red and yellow black and white... [all] precious in His sight" to celebrate Him together!

Because dear hubby and I have seen a number of different "flavors" of Christian belief, I feel that we can honestly proclaim it's not the "custom or culture" of belief but that your heart is following Jesus and has accepted His forgiveness and gift of sacrifice.  I was so blown away by the excitement and enthusiasm of these Messianic believers!   I also really felt God speaking to me this evening... that we should raise our son like this... seeing that true believers are believers regardless of culture or style or color or type of music or service or any of the little things that we very human Christians sometimes let come between us.  I have worried so much about all the "hostile adoptee" blogs I have seen on the Internet, because God has chosen to relieve my bareness through the gift of adoption.  We try to offer our daughter (and all we are given the privilege of parenting in addition to her) not only her culture but as much culture and history of the world around her as we can.  I worry about the accusations made against white parents raising Asian children.  But I also really felt God tonight, showing me that He loves all His children in their wondrous variety, and that what matters is the joy of family, and adoption into His family.  What a wondrous family it is!  (And if you have the opportunity to try something like taking your family to a Passover Seder- it's such a cool way to celebrate part of the story of Jesus' sacrifice and Resurrection!)