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An excellent way to engage young and old in the biblical narratives, reader’s theatre provides an opportunity for everyone to participate in playing a role and gaining greater knowledge of the characters and events illuminated in the scriptures. Whether performed as a “play” or just enjoyed around the dining table, reader’s theatre could add to your celebration of God’s festivals and prompt further discussion of the biblical themes. Here are five scripts of varying lengths that can be downloaded and printed.
GOSHEN GAZETTE This Passover script provides a humorous, but biblically sound retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt from the eyes of first person accounts as read in the “Goshen Gazette” news. This could be acted out by a youth group in costume and presented to the congregation. Or it is easily broken into one page scripts that can be read by adults and children around the table for the evening meal at the beginning of the first Holy Day during the Passover season.(Night to Be Much Observed — Passover Seder)
Comments Off on Celebrating the New Covenant Passover?, Articles, by CGP.
Celebrating the New Covenant Passover? But does it matter when?
Based on the Hebrew scriptures, the gospels, and historical record we are confident in stating that during the time of Jesus’ death the Jews were correct in celebrating the Passover seder (Old Covenant Passover) at the end of the 14th of Nisan/ Abib in accordance with the instructions in the book of Exodus. Some Churches of God in the past century have called this time the, “Night to Be Much Observed.” Now the trickier part is in the gospel accounts, concerning the timing of the foot washing, bread and wine ceremonies that we will call the New Covenant Passover. This is due to the one divergent reading that seems to say that the disciples ate a “Passover” meal with Jesus at the beginning of the 14th. However, in the scholarly literature this was considered to be the “thorniest” question about ‘timing’ in all of the New Testament. There were according to the scholarly writers 4 main possible explanations. Here they are in a nutshell:
The beginning of the 14th was the “real” Jews’ Passover, and everyone else keeping the Passover (such as the Pharisees and Sadduccees) on the following day were in error (most unlikely)
The beginning of the 14th was not the Jew’s Passover but the disciples being from Galilee typically celebrated Passover at the beginning of the 14thlike the Samaritans rather than the mainstream of the Jewish community (very unlikely)
The beginning of the 14th was not the OT Passover, that would be held later. But Christ would be dead then, so he kept the Passover meal a day earlier in this one case. Therefore many, Messianic Jews, favour adding the bread and wine ceremony to the Passover seder meal on the 15th(possible)
This meal was the beginning of the whole 8-day season of Unleavened Bread (U.B.) which was also referred to as Pesach. Currently, the last day of U.B., the holy day, is called the 7thday of Pesach. The beginning of the 14th was the night in which the leaven was typically put out of the homes of all the Jews and was included in the general season of activities under a generic label for the season as Pesach/Passover. The meal Jesus ate on Abib 14 was not THE Passover seder meal, but a meal beginning the season. Paul and John seem to indicate we are to observe the symbols of the bread and wine, but not the meal, at the same time Jesus and his disciples originally did, thus making it a new observance with new symbols. (most likely)
Comments Off on Holy Time? — Interview with Dr. S. Bacchiocchi, Articles, Jeff Patton, by CGP.
What is old is new, Some questions do not change, and some answers remain the same. If you are concerned with keeping your life in tune with the biblical narrative, then it is time to thoughtfully reconsider this issue of holy time.
Does It Really Matter Which Days You Keep?
by Jeffrey H. Patton
In our worship of God the Father and Jesus Christ, should Christians keep traditionally popular, accepted days like Lent, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Easter, Whitsunday and Christmas? Or should we keep the days that the Bible talks about like Passover, Pentecost, and other strange sounding Old Testament festivals like the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles?
Does it really matter which days we keep or choose NOT to keep? Why would anyone suggest that Christians should get their religious Holy Days out of the Old Testament? Hasn’t there been a total theological divorce between Old Testament and New Testament, law and grace, Judaism and Christianity? What is the Truth?
Comments Off on Counting Down to Passover – Sacrifice & Passover, Sermons and Media, Videos, by CGP.
Understand the lessons of this time of year as the new sacred year begins. Abib/Nisan 1 is Thursday March 19 in 2026. The New Covenant Passover is Tuesday March 31st at sunset and the Holy Day begins Wednesday April 1st at sunset in 2026
In ancient religions, sacrifices were often made with the idea of “buying off the gods” and this has translated into a more modern notion that offering a sacrifice, somehow, makes it “right to do wrong.” But is that the scriptural reality, or are there some profound insights that Christians can discern from the lessons of Sacrifice and Passover? And does sacrifice really atone for intentional sins? The bible provides the answers.
Comments Off on Counting Down to Passover — Patrick, Passover and April Fools, Sermons and Media, Videos, by CGP.
What does St. Patrick’s Day, April Fools, and Passover have in common? It will surprise you!
Jeff Patton examines some of the writings of the early Roman church fathers, the Celtic church, and the scriptures to illuminate the Christian practice of Passover and Sabbath observance and the adoption of the Sunday/Easter tradition by the Roman Church.
Passover, Abib/Nisan 14 in 2026 begins the evening of Tuesday March 31.
The Vatican is often courting the Protestant churches to rejoin the “fold” of the Catholic church. Is this ecumenical model something the Church of God should embrace? As a group or individuals should we relinquish our biblical understanding of Passover, in favour of Easter? Or, do we have strong historic and biblical precedents that tell a cautionary tale, and warn us to avoid those who forsake the scriptural understanding and embrace concepts steeped in church tradition. What were those truths for which the apostle John and his followers were willing to sacrifice their lives? Who has the real authority to determine how and when we worship God? Why Passover not Easter!
Purim begins Monday evening March 2 in 2026. Here is a timely message for those who value the scriptures.
Considering the ongoing attempts of government to remove Christian thought and biblical discourse from the public square, we need to consider the dangers of compromise and Paul’s advice. As we approach the Passover season this year, we should be aware of the leaven of sin in our world, and the dystopian ideologies that are permeating society at every level. Paul warns us to avoid being tolerant of the evil, lest it corrupt us and our communities. We are God’s partners and in fellowship with him, so we cannot be double-minded and in league with the world’s ideologies. Esther faced similar dilemmas. Having been taken to the king’s palace, she needed wisdom to deal graciously in her situation without compromising her godly values. Eventually, for the sake of saving her people she was put to the test. We all will face our day of testing and the danger of compromising under pressure. Will we keep God’s promises and his vision in the forefront of our minds and hearts? Will we endure and be victorious following Esther’s example, when our time of testing comes?
