EDS' Yuletide Eve Christmas Show and Pageant

The cast of Emmanuel Day School provided us yet again on the darkest day of the year, with the brightest light! I cannot begin to capture in words how magical, festive, and moving last night's Christmas pageant and show was. There were eaily 300 people here watching their little miracles sing and dance the night away! (go to www.emmanueldayschool.com for photos).
The Winter Solstice, or Yule Night is an ancient celebration to welcome back the light in our daily life...the days begin to get longer in light, and such is the perfect time to welcome the light of the world back into our hearts as we near Christmas Day.
I often tell the parents that this indeed is their first gift of the season. And I am never wrong about that. I always place tissues on our seats in the auditorium. Last evening a parent said to me that up until last evening they struggled to figure out why I did this. Was it cold season perhaps? And then she said when the curtain opened and I saw my child under the stable gazing at the manger listening to the Drummer Boy...I reached for the Kleenex!
The children do 2 very solemn pieces in welcoming Baby Jesus, or Baby Emmanuel as we have come to name our Jesus, to this world. Then the sunglasses come out, the star dons LED lights, and the singing Magi in sparkling capes make their appearance to rock the house with Boney M's version of Mary's Boy Child ...and EDS classic that has made its way on to last year's EDS Greatest Hits Vol 1 CD we gave out last year. The children couldn't have been better!! And I laughed and cried throughout the entire night! The parents were even singing and cheering us on!
We are so fortunate to share space with Emmanuel Church and really are so glad we have made EDS a ministry here in our parish. The children adore their school, but more importantly have been given a strong sense of God and God's love that they in fact "rocked the house" for Him! The in turn someday will be our future here at Emmanuel.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to my staff whom I could not do this without, (Terri, Trish, Christine, Jocelyn and Allison) for living with my perfectionism and persistence. They are the best colleagues and friends anyone could work with each and every day. I also want to thank Emmanuel's Vestry. The Tuesday Sewing Group for their constant praise and encouragement. And a big thanks to John Totter, Sue Crowninshield, Richard McMorrow, Ann Pelletier, Kathleen Skelley and Greg Cole for their daily efforts, support and helping me to do such great things for Emmanuel Church! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Miss Dawn