Setting the Table – Samanu
“They will come from east and west, from north and south, and recline at the table in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 13:29)
#livedead #pray #Nowruz
The fourth item on our Haft Seen table is a sweet pudding called samanu (سمنو). Samanu is made primarily from wheat germ; it generally takes about a week to prepare and several hours to cook. If you are interested in learning how to make samanu, watch this video. Because the process is intensive, Persian women traditionally cook large pots of samanu together. They laugh, talk, and sing as they take turns stirring the germinated wheat extract into a smooth pudding.
Let’s consider two aspects of samanu: the transformation of common wheat sprouts into sweet pudding and the importance of community in the process.
The wheat sprouts undergo hours of preparation and cooking in order to transform into a sweet dessert. This transformation process has many parallels with discipleship. New believers quickly discover that following Jesus necessitates straining out old, sinful habits. Discipleship is a slow, steady process of obedience, but the resulting transformation over time is well worth the journey. Today, we pray for the Persians who will decide to follow Jesus this Nowruz: that their decision will lead to a lifetime of obedience to Christ and transformation.
Secondly, community plays an important role in making samanu. Families and friends gather together to prepare the pudding and have fun in the process. Effective, long-term discipleship also requires community. We embark on our spiritual journey with Jesus alongside other believers. Let’s pray that Iranians would not be isolated in their Christian walk, but that somehow God would provide each Iranian with a church family.
