As guests walked toward the Rockville-Tolland Seventh-day Adventist (RTSDA) Church building to attend the Christmas concert, Emmanuel, Our Shepherd, on December 14, 2024, they were greeted by the sounds of “baa, baa” and welcomed by friendly, woolly animals eagerly chomping on hay.
Undoubtedly, the startled guests checked their surroundings to see if they had indeed arrived at the right location. Most guests did not expect to see two sheep from a local farm welcoming them to the concert. Known as Sweet Pea and Little Guy, these adorable animals stole the show and helped set the mood for this third and last installment of the Emmanuel Christmas concert trilogy.
As in previous performances, members of the community were given a Christ-centered view of the holiday season in this livestreamed event. They were reminded of the dual role of Jesus as both our Lamb and Shepherd. Through an originally written script, narrators, musicians, singers (including the RTSDA Choir) and artists, Christ’s work of salvation was expounded upon and traced throughout the Bible and in human history.
Three teenagers from the RTSDA church figured prominently in this production: 1) the narrator, Thomas Yawingu, dressed as an ancient Hebrew shepherd boy, 2) Omenihu Nwokoma, a classically trained pianist who created an original piano composition, “Whispers in the Pastures,” for this concert, and 3) artist Vanessa Maitland, who created a short, animated film titled, “A Lamb in Distress.”
Plant-based refreshments and fellowship followed the concert. Church members were pleased to mingle with guests they invited, including the “sheep lady,” the local farmer who brought Sweet Pea and Little Guy.
Click here to enjoy a sample of the concert: rockvilletollandsda.church/sermons/archive, then click Livestreams (directly above black and blue graphic), click 2024 (on left), click December, then click Emmanuel our Shepherd.
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