Here is a very interesting reflection on the festival of Purim, which begins this evening at sunset, and its connection to our Christian lives. I found it very thought-provoking, and I think you will, too.
I posted this last year at Purim 2020 – I think it still has some useful ideas for Christian appreciation of the festival and I have enjoyed looking over the material again. Enjoy! 🙂
In the next day or two, Jewish communities around the world will celebrate Purim. The origins of this joyous festival are found in the book of Esther. And while neither Esther nor Purim are particularly well-known by contemporary Christians; as a festival with a biblical foundation, I would like to suggest that there is much to be gained by Christians reflecting upon Purim. This, I believe is particularly true as we journey through the season of Lent and look towards Easter.
The book of Esther tells us why the Purim festival is observed annually. Purim is at the very centre of the book, and indeed, the reading of the Esther story in its entirety forms a…
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My Pastoral Ponderings 
I have sometimes wondered if Jesus cried out this to point us to Psalm 22 with a message that went far beyond the abandonment that was very real for Him at the moment. That cry is the first verse This the last – They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this. Psalm 22:31
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Yes, it is an incredible psalm all the way through. One of the most moving moments in our liturgical church year for me is at the end of the Maundy Thursday service, when this psalm is chanted in its entirety as our altar is stripped. We depart in silence with this Psalm’s closing words echoing in our souls …
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