Free Printable for Passover

Here is a printable to use for decorating for Passover and the Feast of Matzah. Just download, print, and put it on a bookshelf, your desk, the refrigerator, or wherever you'd like.

I recommend printing it on a light card stock. It holds up better than regular computer paper and gives it a more polished look. Print this out as an 8 x 10 like I did, or go smaller if that works better for you. 

This printable is completely free for your personal use! I'd love to see how you use it, so please tag me or send pictures my way. :)

Download here!

Fun and Fantastic Passover Gift Ideas

A recent discovery blew me away: a chocolate Seder plate! How have I missed out on this for so long? I mean, a Passover meal can't be complete without that right? :) There are so many fun and whimsical products for Passover besides regular Seder plates and wine glasses. I did some investigating and put together this list of things I know you'll love, whether you're looking for a gift or decorations for  your home. These are my fantastic Passover gift ideas.

Passover Stickers on Modern Tribe $2.50

Passover Server on Modern Tribe $5.50

Matzah Soap from bubblegenius on Etsy $9.00

Seder Bingo on Modern Tribe $9.00

Chocolate Locusts on Modern Tribe $9.95

Ten Plagues Nail Decals from Midrash Manicures on Etsy $11.99

Matzah Marzipops from marzipops on Etsy $12.00

Exodus 14:22 Parting of the Red Sea cards from Kevin Ohlin on Society 6 $12

Matzah Ring from Sweet Stella on Etsy $15.00

Matzah Phone Case from SealedWithaCase on Etsy  $17.99

Exodus 12:7 print from Kevin Ohlin on Society 6 $18.00

Ten Plagues Bowling Set on Modern Tribe $24.00

Chocolate Seder Plate from Le Chocolatier $25.00

Ten Plagues Coasters from matanote on Etsy $25.00

Yeshua Passover Lamb shirt from YeshuaShirts on Etsy $26.00

Happy Passover tray from BullCityStudio on Etsy $27.50

Fair Trade Ten Plagues Coaster set from Fair Trade Judaica $30.00

Preparing for Passover

Passover is coming up soon! While all of the feasts of YHWH are significant Passover has a special place of importance for believers in the Messiah as it beautifully parallels his life and sacrifice.

My first Passover was when I was 15. While YHWH's feasts are not hard to celebrate if you have never experienced them before it can be a little daunting! I can tell you from experience that each time I celebrate Passover it comes more naturally and the meaning goes deeper in me. Whether you are new to Passover or not, here is some information to keep in mind as you prepare yourself and your home for Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits.

What?
Passover or Pesach commemorates the miraculous rescue of the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt, found in Exodus 1-15. On a deeper level this story speaks volumes on the blood of Yahusha and his salvation, with Passover being the exact day the Messiah was killed because of our transgressions. Passover is one day and it is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Matzah Week.

When?
Passover falls on the Biblical date of Aviv 14. Since our modern calendar doesn't perfectly mesh up with the Biblical one, the date varies by year, but is normally in late March to early April. Immediately following Passover beings the Feast of Unleavened Bread, also known as the Feast of Matzah, which lasts for seven days. Yep, eight consecutive days of celebration!

Where?
At your house! There are special instructions for our homes during Passover and the Feast of Matzah.

Why?
Exodus 12:1-24 and Leviticus 23:5-8.

What does this mean for me?

No work days. YHWH is a fan of mandatory vacation! The Passover season gives us two days where work is prohibited - the day right after Passover, the first day of Unleavened Bread, and the second on the last day of Unleavened Bread. We should make plans to have time off from our jobs those days, as well as plan ahead to avoid cooking and housework. I believe this is an intentional instruction to free us up from the distractions that would keep our minds off these special days. More about what a no-work day is here.

Get the leaven out of your house. We are instructed to remove it from our homes and to avoid eating it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Exodus 12:19, so we have some Spring cleaning to do. Scripture simply says to remove leaven from your home. The first place to start is by removing yeast and leavened bread from your fridge and pantry. You can use these in the next few weeks and what you can't use can be donated to a soup kitchen. You can learn more about this here. While most of the leaven in our homes is found in the cupboard or refrigerator there can also be some in the form of bread crumbs on the floor or couch, etc. Cleaning our homes and searching out the hidden leaven has obvious spiritual application of searching for sin in us and removing it.

Get the leaven out of your heart. Spend some time prayerfully examining yourself and lifestyle. Does it line up with Scripture? Ask YHWH to help you make changes to honor him with your life. More about spiritual preparation for Passover here.

You'll need matzah. While this doesn't have to be the only thing that you eat, you should eat it some each day - it is called the Feast of Unleavened Bread for a reason. If you plan to purchase it, you'll want to make sure the box reads 'Kosher for Passover,' depending on where you live this might not be easy to find. You can order it online or find a recipe to make your own.

Make plans for a meal. Often called Seder (pronounced say-der), this is the meal of Passover; the meal Yahusha shared with his disciples as his last supper. I like to describe Seder as the Gospel in seven courses. In traditional Seders there is a lengthy meal with many blessings and Scriptures spoken, the story of the Exodus is read, and the foods eaten have rich meaning. It by no means needs to be fancy or complicated and hosting your own is totally doable! You can also search online for a Hebrew Seder meal you can attend online or in person. If you're making plans to have your own at home, see this post.

Celebrate. This is a holiday so make plans to act like it! Put up decorations, find leaven free recipes to try, make crafts with your kids, invite friends over for a special dinner with unleavened bread, watch the Ten Commandments movie, read the story of Passover in Scripture, as well as the Messiah's last supper. The thing that makes these days special is treating them that way. If you need ideas check out these ideas for the Biblical holidays.

More about Passover:
How to Host a Passover Seder
Meal Ideas for the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Passover Bucket List
Things the Messiah Said at Passover

What Is Written: Modesty

"Likewise, the women, when they pray, should be dressed modestly and sensibly in respectable attire, not with elaborate hairstyles and gold jewelry, or pearls, or expensive clothes." -1 Timothy 2:9

What kind of modesty does this verse refer to?

The common understanding is that Paul meant women should cover their bodies. A bikini is obviously not an appropriate choice for a congregational setting. That makes sense. I'm not aruging that women shouldn't be appropriately dressed. But if that's his point why doesn't the verse go more like this:

"Women should dress modestly and sensibly in respectable clothes, not with low-cut tops, short skirts, or spandex outfits."

Am I alone in thinking that would be a better fit for the first part of the verse?

"Not with elaborate hairstyles and gold jewelry, or pearls, or expensive clothes."

What if Paul meant financial modesty?

Expensive means the clothes cost a lot of money. As do gold jewelry, and real pearls. An elaborate hairstyle implies you are wealthy enough to pay someone to do your hair--whether a hired stylist or a servant--or at least that you are wealthy enough to have plenty of free time to do it yourself.

Think of a time you felt conspicuously under dressed. What was that like? Stressful? Humiliating? My husband and I were once riding an elevator in a fancy Chicago hotel to a restaurant a few floors up. Aware of the ambiance of the hotel we had dressed up--at least we thought so. The elevator made a stop before our destination and we were joined by several couples who were in ball gowns and tuxedos. I had never felt so out of place or embarrassed.

Once we discovered the other couples were headed to a formal ball a few stories up, we were able to laugh it off (really, it was a very audible sigh of relief). But I remember the stress that gripped me of being awkwardly out of place, like I didn't belong.

And I was just going to dinner. Imagine if that happened to someone seeking the presence of YHWH.

Is Paul instructing us not to dress like we have lots of money? You know how it is, ladies. Fashion is a contest, or at least a clique. We notice how other people dress and worry what they'll think of our outfit. We see what popular women are wearing and make a mental note to track down a floral dress or a striped top so that we can emulate them. How many times have you stood at your closet in the morning and thought, I wore that Tuesday so I can't wear it again today? For the majority of women our wardrobes are determined by what we imagine others will think, as much as they are by our own opinions. We see trendy clothes on others and wonder how they have time to shop so much. We go shopping with friends and are pressured into making a purchase we don't love or that costs too much. We try and style an outfit differently so that no one notices it's the same top we wore last week.

"But my clothes aren't expensive." You may have gotten great deals on your outfits, but do you need 35 of them? In a world of fast fashion that is dirt cheap, variety is the new expense. This is where dressing sensibly comes in. Is fast fashion and its offenses to rights of workers and the environment a sensible thing to be involved in? Some stores release new items every week with the intention of making you feel out of style and in need of a wardrobe update. Those who follow along and keep up with all the trends can inadvertently send this message to those that don't: You're out of style. You are not enough. You don't belong.

What if Paul was trying to promote an environment that was free from this kind of distraction? I am all for looking nice. But what if when we prepare for congregation we choose to focus on our hearts being in the right place, rather than our hair? What if we work to empower women in our congregations and churches to worship YHWH free from those plaguing thoughts of comparison? Just as we make sure to dress modestly to not distract men as they worship and learn the word of YHWH, we can dress financially modest to not distract women as they do the same.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you seen fashion becoming a contest at your congregation or workplace? How do you think this could affect our houses of prayer?