|
December 2009
 |
| Kids take the message of the real St. Nicholas to Batavia's Riverwalk. |
 |
| The one-hour program included songs, puppets and a skit to help people understand what gift-giving at Christmas is really all about - and the greatest gift of all in our Savior Jesus Christ. | Shoppers in Batavia, Illinois, got a lesson in early church history on a cold, cold day in early December. More than 100 members of Immanuel Lutheran Church (950 Hart Road) braved the cold to present an outdoor St. Nicholas Day celebration Dec. 6 on Batavia's downtown Riverwalk. St. Nicholas lived in what is modern-day Turkey from 270 to 346. Many legends developed to extol his good deeds and gift giving, and festivals are celebrated in his honor throughout the Western world.
The one-hour program included the Third Voice Contemporary Choir and instrumentalits, dulcimer soloist Mary Cook, the Children's Choir and Tongues of Fire middle school choir, as well as the church's traditional Christus Choir. Immanuel's puppeteers told the story of St. Nicholas and how he helped young women by providing gold coins for their dowries. A contemporary skit by Deb Riddell, Bill Lane and Elise Will showed how St. Nicholas' generosity and kindness could still be practiced today.
More than 300 attended the outdoor program and brought donations of gently used shoes and non-perishable foods. St. Nicholas was known for filling shoes of poor children on Christmas Eve and helping the poor. The shoes will be sent to Tanzania, and the food went to the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry, which has many Immanuel members among its volunteers.
|
