We have enjoyed doing some of the various Liturgical Teas that are described at Cottage Blessings. There are two for Lent: one for Holy Thursday, and the other for Good Friday! We did the Good Friday one last year, and this year we did them both, for our dinner on both days. It is a good way to retell the story of what happened while having dinner at the same time!
~Holy Thursday Dinner~
Caroline made labels for each of the dishes on our table this evening
Palm on the Road
This was made by buttering slices of sourdough bread and slicing heart of palm lengthwise and placing them on top if the butter.
Mk. 11:1-11 - Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey and the people lay palm branches and cloaks on the road to greet him.
Thirty Pieces of Silver
These were made by cutting slices of muenster cheese with a small biscuit cutter and serving them alongside round Nut Thin crackers... there were 15 of each.
Mk. 14:10-11; Mt. 26: 14-16 - Judas betrays Jesus in exchange for thirty pieces of silver
Costly Oil and Unleavened Bread
These are simply small dishes of olive oil with bits of chopped rosemary and whole wheat pita bread to tear up and share.
Mk. 14:3-9; Mk. 14: 12-22 - A woman in Bethany offers Jesus expensive oil, and preparing the Passover meal (Passover being the feast of unleavened bread).
The Mount of Olives
Just a pile of olives to form a "mountain"
Mk. 14: 26 - Jesus and his apostles go out to the Mount of Olives after eating.
Before the Cock Crows...
I made chicken salad for this one, to be the main dish: shredded cooked chicken breasts (I didn't really use rooster meat, ha ha!), mayo, some sour cream and/or plain yogurt (I don't like too much mayo, but it has to be moist enough!), dill, chopped pecans, salt and pepper, and sliced red grapes!
Mk. 14: 27-31 - Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him three times before the cock crows.
Here's the chicken salad on bread for sandwiches.
Gethsemane Figs
These are fig and honey cream cheese muffins... very yummy! Figs are used here because it is possible that fig trees grew in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Mk. 14: 32-42 - Jesus prays in the garden.
Judas's Kiss and Peter's Tears
Hershey Kisses obviously work well to represent a kiss, and peppermint Tic-Tacs resemble tears.
Mk. 14: 43-50; Mk. 14: 66-72 - Judas kisses Jesus as a signal showing who to arrest, and Peter cries bitterly upon realizing he has denied knowing Jesus three times, just as predicted.
~Good Friday Dinner~
Caroline made the crowns of thorns herself, with Cecilia helping some
The King's Crown
I made this by spreading most of a package of cream cheese on the bottom of a pie plate, then spreading most of a can of refried beans over that. Then I added a little bit of salsa on top of the beans and topped it all with shredded cheddar. Yum!!! The pointed tortilla chips around the edge make it look like a crown.
Mk. 15: 1-5 - Pilate asks Jesus if he is the King of the Jews.
Out of Envy
This is just basic guacamole: avocado, lime juice, garlic powder, and salt. The connection is the saying that people can be "green with envy."
Mk. 15: 6-15 - This says it was out of envy that the chief priests had brought him in for questioning.
The Crown of Thorns and The Purple Cloak
The crowns are round crackers spread with almond butter and edged with broken pretzels to resemble the thorns. The purple garment is squares of purple fruit leather - boysenberry, I think.
Mk. 15: 16-17 - The soldiers place the crown of thorns and purple cloak on Jesus to mock him.
Golgotha Eggs
These are hard-boiled eggs (from our chickens, so they are tan instead of white) with a skull drawn on each. The hard boiled egg inside is at least white like a skull! Golgotha means "the place of the skull."
Mk. 15:21-23 - Jesus is brought to Golgotha.
The Seamless Garment
I used kitchen scissors to cut tortillas into the shape of a garment like the one Jesus wore, for which the soldiers then cast lots. The "dice" on each garment are just cubes of mozzarella cheese.
Mk. 15:24-27 - The soldiers strip Jesus of his garments and gamble to see who wins the seamless tunic.
Vinegar to Drink
We didn't really drink it, but we used the red wine vinegar on the mozzarella and tomatoes and basil. I had the white vinegar out so it could be smelled (and tasted if anyone was brave enough!) to get an idea of how that would not have been a pleasant thing to offer as a drink!
Mk. 15: 33-37 - A soldier offers Jesus a sponge soaked in vinegar on a reed.
The Roman Centurion and The Two Robbers
There are 100 grape tomato halves in the bowl to represent the centurion, since he would have been in charge of 1oo men. Everyone took two of the basil leaves to represent the two thieves who were crucified on either side of Jesus. Interestingly, legend says that basil grew on the hill where the crucifixion took place, and basil is also symbolic of both hatred and best wishes, which reminds us of how each of the thieves acted.
Mk. 15:38-39; Mk. 15: 27-32 - The centurion says Jesus was truly the son of God after he dies, and the robbers are crucified with Jesus.
Laid in the Tomb
Do these look familiar? They were used again for tonight's dinner after being used for the figs the night before. Tonight, they had their tops sliced off, revealing the cream cheese filling inside. last year, I used another basic muffin recipe and hollowed out a portion inside to represent the tomb. Caroline said that the white stood for Jesus, wrapped in a white burial cloth. then the lid of the muffin is like the stone being rolled in front.
Mk. 15:40-47 - Jesus is laid in the tomb hewn out of rock.
The whole table, set and ready
Caroline shows her work on the crowns of thorns
No comments:
Post a Comment