esther was not from the line of king david, and she was not a prophet. so why is she on our jesse tree?
because she is a woman who acted in service of others, even at great risk to her own life. one of the central calls of christianity is to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, to stand up to abusive powers and to call them to reform. esther did that, gracefully, and demonstrated that one person CAN make a difference in the world.
you may copy and print the note the advent goblins left if you wish. the goblins would like you to know that the first three paragraphs came from the reformed church in america’s page “jesse tree family devotions: advent 2010”:
God is at work in everything. Sometimes things don't make any sense to us at all, but later we understand why God put us in a certain place at a certain time.
Esther was a beautiful woman, and because she was beautiful she became queen. But because she was brave, she saved the Jewish people from death. Esther's uncle told her of the danger to her and to her people, and he helped her to plan how to save the people. At first she didn't think she could help, but her uncle reminded her that everyone is important.
God had put Esther in the palace for a special job. Her bravery saved many lives.
Read Esther 4, and Esther 8
Cut a diamond shape out of stiff paper and glue it to the top of a popsicle stick. Decorate the diamond and the stick with paint, glitter, and sea coins so that it is fit for a queen. You made a scepter for Queen Esther!
Hang your ornament on your Jesse Tree to help you remember that God made you special and He has a special job for you and your life.
once again, the goblins forgot to figure out how to hang this ornament. :) we ended up gluing a string to the back of the stick. here are a few pictures of how we made this ornament: