Sunday, March 8, 2009

Purim 2009


Well, my little group of kids from children's church did a presentation for the adults at church tonight. They read a children's version of the story of Esther for the adults and then passed out baskets for tzedacka (offering for the poor) and little paper plate baskets of goodies that Little Critter and I baked for the adults to enjoy. It was HYSTERICAL!!!! The youngest child, a 5 yr old, stood there thru the entire thing mumbling to himself...."I don't want to do this. mumble, mumble, I can't read this.....mumble, mumble,...I don't want to party....mumble, mumble...." He was SO funny! The girls didn't show up, so one of the other teachers played Esther for us, while I was Queen Vasti. Unfortunately, I got killed in the first 3 minutes.....boohoo! LOL! I'm hoping I can get the picture to show up here....Wohoo! I did it!!! The child bending over is Little Critter. The littlest one is the 5 yr old who mumbled all thru it, the boy with his back to us is Mordicai and the woman kneeling down is Esther. (Little Critter was Hamon. He was worried that it would hurt the other kids feelings to have everyone booing them all the time.I was SO proud of him!) The kids made the masks last week and we talked about how we'd do this presentation. But when it came time to actually do it, only the three boys showed up. And one of them is a visitor! Now, he comes regularly to visit his Grandma, but isn't there all the time. Only 5-6 times a year. He did a great job hamming it up as Mordicai. He was a hoot! Little Critter did most of the reading (until the King has him killed) because reading is hard for Mordicai and King Xerses can't read yet. When Hamon (Little Critter) got killed, Esther read the last paragraph or so. The boys were SO proud of themselves and the congregation clapped and laughed and booed Hamon like pros. It was great. My littles are beginning to understand that they're all Esthers...placed by Papa in the places they're placed for such a time as this. Just as we all are. Do you realize that, dear friends? We're all Esthers, placed where we are to fulfill the plan Papa made for us before the beginning of the world. There's something you do that no one else can do as well as you. There's a person waiting for you to share the love of Papa with them, or a widow waiting for you to visit them, or a poor person that needs the help that only you can give them. I pray that as we celebrate Purim for real the next couple days, that you will realize how important you are to Papa and to His plan for this world. You've been placed here, for just such a time as this! Rejoice in your place and fulfill His plan for you with all the love in your heart. Then you can bless Papa! How cool is that!?!?! Well, it's probably time for me to go....Pesach (Passover) comes up soon and I have lots of work to do before then. Be blessed, and Happy Purim! Joie

3 comments:

NoReply said...

Ester is SUCH a totally brilliant story - it has everything, a good action plot needs, a beautiful damsel, love, plotting, fear, and the good overcoming evil at the end....

You make my 'purim' sound quite boring.

ps: if you can hold of the play for Jonah - the one involving a red telephone - I know your little ones would have heaps of fun, including the muttering one...

pps: you have posted a picture! yeah way to go you! :0D

ppps: your link at the top 'I stand with Israel' is stuffed - have another go...

Anonymous said...

Do you realize Esther is the only book in the Bible that does not mention the name of God but that God's plan and hand is in it from start to finish.

What grace and courage Esther had. She saved her people.

Yet when I studied the story of Esther I heard it said by some preachers that Vasti was not a virtuous woman because she disobeyed her husband. I would to if he asked me to dance naked and do lewd things around men drunk or not. After all, she was the queen. She showed much moral integrity and sadly that was lost in the wonderful story of Esther. When I heard a preacher bring that point up about Vasti I could not help but have compassion and respect for a woman who did walk in her integrity. But Esther was there for a time such as that to save God's chosen people.

Shabot Shalom

ABNPOPPA said...

Shabot Shalom,

I came here via Let the Truth Be Know and MRG. Nice blog. You threw me with the Shabot at first and then I read your profile. It is all clear now. My grandmother was Jewish and my mother passed some verbiage and traditions down to me. I will be back.

They call me Pops