"And the King loved Esther above all the women, and so he made her queen and proclaimed a holiday in Susa..."
"Hurry everybody - the king and queen have almost reached the palace!"
"Estherday, Estherday!"
"Today is Estherday!"
Beaming singers
It was a blessing to have many older girls to help with the younger ones!
"Now, let me give you some of the background to our story..."
"Persia is ruled by Xerxes..."
So many pretty colors in the costumes!
"A big parade, a holiday today!"
Flower girls spread petals before the queen
Esther arrives under a canopy
"There was an orphan named Esther, whose cousin adopted and blessed her..."
"So Esther was brought to the King..."
"Now I'm queen Esther, and, I'm sure you've guessed, 'Her Highness' is what they all sing."
"One so beautiful..."
"...sweet and dutiful"
Mordecai enjoys watching the celebration of his cousin
"Alright! Let's parrr-ty!
The Susans and Mordecai meet Zerox
"I'm God's girl..."
"You can't be born God's child - it's not by nation or race."
"Here is the key: have faith and believe"
"Your sins you confess, and God will do the rest."
"He'll see His Spirit in me..."
"God's Guy - God's Girl - God's Child!"
"Each saint of old was God's child..."
"Noah!" - "With his building"
"Barak - in believing"
"Gideon - with his courage"
"Jeptha - and his great fight"
"So if Haman knew Esther was God's child, he'd hate her too?"
"I am Haman!"
"Well, according to the official, revised, unabridged, Royal Rulebook..."
"Do I look like a court jester? And my name's NOT Shirley!"
"And won't bow down to me - I mean, won't bow to the king!"
"If it pleases the king, may I KILL them?"
"But how soon will this take place?"
"I wanna know, I wanna know..."
"...what the future holds"
"Who?"
"What? When? Where? How?"
"And they cast the pur..."
"It fell on the 13th of Adar"
"Haman has written this decree, ordering that all the Jewish people are to be killed on the 13th day of the 12th month!"
"But the law says that anyone who approaches the king without an invitation can be put to death!"
"Then see the Queen! But my name's not Shirley..."
"The present is a gift from God..."
"All are to be put to death on the 13th of Adar??"
"But the end of the day is a sunset away..."
"So for now, do all that you can"
"This day..."
"This hour..."
"This moment..."
"I will not dismiss a time such as this!"
"What will you do... with the present?"
"I will pray for you, Queen Esther." "Yes, ask everyone to fast!"
"Now, all I all have is now..."
"For such a time as this..."
"To hear the voice of God, and do His will, whatever it is."
"But right here, right here, for this time and place..."
"I will live a mirror of His mercy..."
"For now and all the days He gives"
"For such a time..."
"...as this."
"Deuteronomy, chapter 31, verse 6"
"God is in control - God is in control!"
"Nothing is by chance" - "God is in control!"
"In every circumstance" - "My God is in control!"
"Be strong and have courage!"
"Do not be afraid" - "God is in Control!"
"God is in control!" (clap!)
"The Lord God is with you" - "God is in Control"
1 - clap, 2 - clap, 3 - clap, 4 - clap...
The music was great for ending poses!
Such beautiful expression...
"If it pleases the king, may I enter the court?"
"Will you and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared?"
"Did the King ask for her request?"
"Did she ask him to spare us?" - "No!"
"What do you mean, Mordecai? 11, 12, 13?"
"Time means nothing to the Lord of all time..."
"He's got the might! He's got the power!"
"God can work in the Eleventh hour!"
"He's got the might!"
"He's got the power!"
"Three o'clock, four o'clock..."
"And he's still got time!"
"Zerox, will you read me a bedtime story?"
"When Mordecai's report proved to be true, the guards were hanged!"
"Hey man, it's Haman!"
"Yuck!"
"You could give that 'someone' a royal robe..."
"But - I thought you were talking about..."
"The NEW magic words are 'Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!'"
"While you are sleeping..."
"God's busy keeping His word..."
"...to you"
"While you're awake..."
"...or while you sleep!"
"While you are resting, angels are blessing the day that's ahead!"
"I pray the Lord my soul to keep..."
"All my problems, every care, is in Your hands"
So cute...
"God's busy keeping His Word, to you!"
Yawn!!
Aw!!
"Esther, you are the Persian cat's meow!"
"Will you spare my life, and that of my people?"
"This decree says..."
"I didn't write this!"
"It was Haman."
"But I thought the queen was Persian!"
"Take him away!"
"Surely you wouldn't do anything to harm me!"
"I'll do whatever the king says, and for the LAST time, my name is not Shirley!"
"And so Mordecai was brought before the king..."
"In that moment, when everything comes together..."
"And you realize God never was that far..."
"In that moment of time, that moment of faith..."
"When you believe"
"Extra, extra, read all about it! The queen has changed her nation's fate!"
"Look how God is using all the Susans..."
"The king and Haman now believe in Esther-Ordinary Faith"
"You need the most extraordinary, Esther-ordinary Faith!"
" 'Cause God is in control!"
"So show your most extraordinary, Esther-ordinary Faith!"
