Tag: Christmas

Christmas Eve Greetings

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Here it is, Christmas Eve, and when I get up from this computer, I must begin the long labor of setting up our Christmas tree. Hours later, when I’ve finally finished, and sit back to drink my iced tea and listen to a little more Christmas music, my wife will take the duck out of the oven and we’ll have Christmas dinner.

Hey, as long as you’re here, have a seat and talk to me while I grapple with these ornaments and warn off the cats.

We have shut the door against the world today: no one allowed in but family, friends, and angels. And memories. People and places we have loved. The people have moved on to glory; the world has swallowed up the places. But there is a place the world can’t swallow up, and that is where the people are now.

May the Holy Spirit be with you all this Christmas Eve.

Lee and Pat

 

It’s Christmas Day!

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

In a few minutes we’ll be heading off to my sister’s faraway and hard-to-find house for Christmas dinner, via the Road of Death, the Garden State Parkway. Please pray for us to get there and back without any harrowing adventures.

But what really matters today (and on all the other days) is this:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory,  the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.   John 1:1-5,14

You servants of Satan, who misgovern the nations and feed your people’s souls to the Devil, the light that shineth in the darkness will destroy you and erase your works: for the Lord hath spoken it.

Raping Tolkien

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Yesterday, giving it a last-minute once-over before it goes to the printer, I found a typo on the cover of my new book, The Palace. Happily, it’s fixed. Nothing like a totally wrong word in the cover copy to make an author look bad.

But I can’t imagine how I’d feel if some movie-maker were doing to my books what Peter Jackson seems to be doing to Tolkien‘s classic, The Hobbit. Unlike Tolkien, I am not dead.

Jackson has taken a fairly compact book and stretched it out into a three-part movie marathon. The Hobbit II: The Desolation of Smaug has just been released, in time for Christmas. And no, I haven’t seen it. Are you kidding? These days, for the price of a bad movie, you could get a good book (one of mine, for instance). But I’ve been reading the reviews, and I have arranged for someone who has seen the movie to write a review for this blog.

It would take too much space to list all of Peter Jackson’s insults to Tolkien. Let me focus on just one of them.

For no cogent reason whatsoever, Jackson has invented a new major character to throw into the story–a gorgeous Elf-maid who is also the greatest warrior in Middle-Earth. (Barf bag, please. Excuse me for a minute…) I mean, what’s a fantasy without the most worn-out old cliche of them all?

But he doesn’t stop there. He has Miss Mirkwood fall in love with a Dwarf! Uh, Elves and Dwarves are different species. So this is like someone falling in love with a Shetland pony.

I think I might pay not to see this. I certainly wouldn’t pay to see it.

What did Tolkien or his heirs ever do to Jackson, to deserve this? Could the next movie please be directed by Reggie Jackson? Or LaToya Jackson? Anyone would do a better job than this. I am quite sure the specter of an Elf-Dwarf romance will ruin my sleep tonight.

But enough of this–I have a Christmas tree to decorate!

The Best ‘Christmas Carol’

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Beyond a doubt it’s Scrooge, starring Alistair Sim, 1951, We watched it yesterday. We watch it every year, and my response to it grows stronger every year.

Both my wife and I stopped counting how many times this movie brought tears to our eyes. I suppose that makes me a big fat softy, but I just don’t  care.

What is it that makes this version of A Christmas Carol so special? After all, there are a lot of movie versions of the story–I don’t even know how many.

Of course the acting is superb. That’s not what makes it unique. The music goes straight to my heart: traditional folk melodies, backed up by a full symphony orchestra. Among the most haunting and beautiful of these old tunes is My Love’s an Arbutus–find it on youtube. But there’s great music in the other versions, too.

This old Scrooge is one of a kind because it’s the most unabashedly Christian of them all. God the Father, by His sovereign power, has made Christ to be for us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption (I Corinthians 1:30). A Christmas Carol is all about redemption, a free gift of God–and whose heart is not moved by that?

Well, yes, there are poor souls out there who think the State is their redemption, and they’re always running off to some court or other to get an order protecting society from Jesus Christ.

But life is stronger than death, good is stronger than evil, beauty is better than ugliness, hope is  better than despair, and Christ the Lord is Lord of all.

Merry Christmas–and, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us, every one.

A Very Fine ‘Christmas Carol’

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I know–the phrase “made for TV” conjures up visions of shoddiness, banality, and tripe. But here is a remarkable exception to that rule.

A Christmas Carol, with George C. Scott as Scrooge, first appeared on TV in 1984 as one of those Hallmark Hall of Fame productions. Charles Dickens’ story has appeared in countless film versions, but this one, if not the very best (I think that honor must go to the 1950 film starring Alistair Sim), is still wonderfully good.

All right, maybe I’m getting sappy as I get older. Time after time, this film stirs my heart. If you’re not afraid to feel, this one’s for you.

Scott’s Scrooge is probably the meanest and most obnoxious of them all–and so his redemption and regeneration is all the more occasion for rejoicing. There are those who say A Christmas Carol has nothing to do with Christ. Well, if redemption and regeneration are not the essence of Christianity, I don’t know what is.

I must also add that Frank Finlay‘s Marley–Marley’s ghost, that is–is surely the scariest of them all. And the original musical score by the Bicat brothers will stay with you for a long time, and delight you every time a few bars of it happen to dance across your mind: I promise you that.

If you haven’t seen this yet–well, what are you waiting for? It’s on youtube. Watch it today!