to be held at BUMC Tuesday

By JAINE TREADWELL

Features Editor

A unique program which enhances the Christian’s understanding and appreciation of the Jewish background of the Christian Communion will be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Brundidge United Methodist Church.

Mitch Forman will speak on behalf of Jews for Jesus and will answer the question, "What do the Jewish Passover and Jesus’ Last Supper have in common?" in a presentation titled "Christ in the Passover."

The presentation aims to enhance the Christian understanding of the New Testament by showing the Jewish background for the communion celebration, said the Rev. Jimmie Spikes, pastor of BUMC.

"Christ in the Passover" describes ancient and modern Jewish customs with an emphasis on the redemption accomplished by Christ through his death, the minister said.

"The speaker will set a table with the traditional Jewish Passover items, including symbolic foods that are explained but not eaten. The ceremonial seder plate, the three-compartment pouch in which the unleavened bread is kept, as well as the traditional cup of Elijah, are presented and new insights to their christological significance are provided."

Members of the Jews for Jesus staff have given this demonstration in more than 5,000 churches in the past 20 years.

According to Spikes, Moishe Rosen, the founder of Jews for Jesus, abstracted the presentation in 1956 from the writings of the former rabbi, Leopold Cohn, who came to faint in Christ in 1894.

"Rosen contends the Seder (Passover feast) implies some of the most important elements of Christian doctrine, such as the Trinity and salvation through a personal relationship with the Messiah," Spikes said.

The traditional celebration in a Jewish home takes up to four hours, however, the "Christ in the Passover" demonstration is an abbreviated form of the Seder, taking about 45 minutes.

Jews for Jesus gives these presentations as an invitation for believers in Jesus to learn about the Jewish roots of their faith, Spikes said. They also invite non-Christians to come and observe how Jews for Jesus see Christ in the Passover.

Spikes said everyone is invited to join the members of Brundidge United Methodist Church in this unique and informative service.