Easter Feast

Please join us at 3:30 PM (eating by 4:00 PM ) on Easter Sunday, April 1st. Our annual feast is a time for a time of food, fellowship and joy as we celebrate the goodness of our God to us through the resurrection of His Son…

On Easter our congregation gathers together in the afternoon to celebrate our annual Easter feast. The food theme for the meal is Greek food. We choose Greek food because of the rich Easter feasting heritage that comes from Greece. In Greece, Easter is the most celebrated holiday of the year, surpassing even Christmas. While this can be looked at as merely a cultural tradition, it is hard to ignore that the glory of the resurrection is a pinnacle of our faith. Without the resurrection, as Paul says, our faith is in vain. No hope without it.

The meal held on this day is a cornucopia of tastes, textures and colors that reflect the glory of the event being celebrated. Two essential components of the meal are wine and lamb. In Greece, Easter goes by the name Pascha, which is derived from the Hebrew word for Passover. In the New Testament, the ancient Passover of Israel is seen as fulfilled by the death of Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. But Christ is also shown to be the risen lamb who reigns from heaven. Not surprisingly therefore, the main course at these meals is a roasted lamb. In fact, the popularity of lamb as an Easter food in many countries is undoubtedly related to its importance as a Christian symbol. But wine is also considered important because it reflects the joy that this day brings to those who believe. A joy that goes beyond the grave.

Historically, their party in Greece is better than ours, so we have made it our tradition to borrow from their traditions. This does not mean that we will adopt all of their customs, or even their reasoning behind their customs, but even a Protestant should know a good meal when he tastes one!

Beyond these cultural/historical reasons, there are other reasons for this choice of fare. Greek food is not the norm in most of our homes. It will require some time, thinking and preparation. In short, it will be special. This reality is at the heart of a good feast; we break from the norm and partake in the extraordinary. Also, Greek food is perfect for getting the whole family involved. Whether through layering Baklava or stuffing and folding grape leaves, all ages can get involved in the preparation. This is a perfect way to start family traditions and a helpful avenue for learning to take yourselves lightly as your attempts may not come out like the picture!

So with all this in mind, we look forward to feasting with our church family this Easter, April 1st at the Trevithick’s. See the church bulletin for directions.