Tuesday, Dec 3, 2024
“Holiday Classics”
What is your favorite Holiday Classic?
Before you answer that question, you probably want to know what I’m referring to. Am I talking about Holiday Classic films, music, food, or what?
For instance, I used to think that my favorite Classic Holiday Film was National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Sometime later it changed to “White Christmas’, but I’ve also included “Elf”, “Polar Express”, and of course, “A Christmas Story” among my favorites. Now, my favorite is “It’s A Wonderful Life,” which I only recently saw for the first time but can finally now appreciate as one of the best Holiday Classic films.
I find it interesting that my favorite things seem to change over time. It’s not nostalgia that I’m referring to. Instead, it’s the fact that my favorite Holiday Classic dessert has changed many times over (currently Detwiler’s pecan pie) and my favorite Holiday Classic song has similarly changed (currently Kelly Clarkson’s, “Underneath the Tree”).
My opinion on Holiday Classics changes often, as does my understanding and focal points of the Bible. One of the fascinating things about reading the Classic Christmas Story is that every time I read it, I learn something new about the story that I never noticed before. Even as a pastor, I continue to read the Bible (especially the most well-known stories) and discover new, eye-opening and puzzling mysteries that cause me to stop, pause, and ponder. My favorite scene changes often (Currently, I’m fascinated by God’s message to the Magi regarding King Herod’s evil intentions in Matthew 2:12).
Do you have a favorite Holiday Classic? If so, what is it? Food, Film, or scene from the Bible? Has your favorite Classic changed over time? I bet it has, which is why taking another look at the Classic Christmas story can be so beneficial. Even though we know how the story goes, God could be accomplishing something new through something old, classic, or newly discovered.
Classic Coke, Classic Levi’s, and Classic Miracle on 34th…those aren’t the only Classics out there.
“And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” (Rev 21:5a, NLT)