Do you have favorite Christmas movies? How about these?

• A Charlie Brown Christmas.
• Elf
• It’s a Wonderful Life
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Home Alone
• The Polar Express
• Miracle on 34^th Street (love the 1947 version with Natalie Wood)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• A Christmas Carol (maybe the Muppet version?)
• A Christmas Story
• The Santa Clause
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

How about White Christmas? I love that movie. For those of you who haven’t ever seen it or don’t remember the plot, here’s a brief summary. Two sisters meet two men. The four decide to help out a retired Army general who owns a ski lodge that is losing money. Confusion sets in as messages are missed and misunderstood. In the end, the ski lodge is saved, the general is honored and the two couples fall in love. The movie ends with snow, love, a huge Christmas tree and everyone happy and healthy. I love the story, but you might find the movie to be boring.

My favorite viewing of a movie at Christmas time was watching “The Narnia Chronicles” for the first time. I had read the books and loved how C. S. Lewis created memories. And I knew that there would be a scene in the movie that might be difficult to watch. We were with a young family and so I told the girls that I might be really afraid when a scene where Aslan, the lion, goes through a bad time. The two young girls assured me that they would hold my hands if the movie got scary. Well, the scene came and two small hands found their way into mine. I sat in that dark theater, tears streaming down my cheeks. Oh, the movie scene was tough. But, what caused the waterworks was that I was being comforted by two little ones. It still touches my heart.

You see, sometimes watching a movie has nothing to do with the movie. Looking at photograph albums has nothing to do with the pictures. Checking out the lawnmower in the garage has nothing to do with the lawnmower. And, playing a video game you really don’t understand has nothing to do with gaming.

Spend time this weekend gathering together.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)