How is the Christmas alphabet different from the regular alphabet?
“There’s no L (Noel).”
Why are Christmas trees so bad at knitting?
“They keep dropping their needles.”
The jokes were corny and elicited groans, but there was nothing corny about the telling of the Christmas story in dance, music and words, by 1:11 Ministries at Bradford Baptist Church on Saturday evening.
Young dancers shared their gifts on stage, in a performance that was both moving and deeply meaningful.
This year’s presentation, O Holy Night, combined Hans Christian Andersen’s story of The Little Match Girl, with the Christmas story. Young dancers celebrated the Christmas season in choreography inspired by Ukrainian folk dances – interweaving the joy of the season with the “tidings of great joy” brought by the angels on Christmas Eve.
There was a deeper meaning, 1:11 Ministries’ Mercy Hope explained, as the Little Match Girl first watched from the sidelines, afraid, and then was gradually drawn into the dance.
“We don’t know our place in the story,” said Hope. “This time every year we are reminded of this beautiful story and we are invited into it.”
On stage, the dancers made the Little Match Girl part of the performance, of both classical ballet and contemporary dance. From being an observer, she became a participant, finally accepting the invitation to experience the joy for herself.
“We’re being offered so many gifts. Life itself is a gift,” said Hope. “Every single gift is from the Father, but the first gift is Jesus Christ.”
She told the all-ages audience, “Not everyone accepted the gift that He was,” just as not everyone accepts the invitation to be in a relationship with God. “It’s totally our choice.”
Hope said, “We don’t know the beauty of a gift until we open it… Just open your heart to receive. There’s so much beauty. Don’t miss it by being afraid.”
The evening of music and dance ended in a prayer, refreshments, and wishes for a merry Christmas, sharing “the biggest gifts of the season.”
