Page 6 2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 By Ryan Edgecombe Family, Broadwell Christian Church Hello Friends: I have an excerpt for you from a famous holiday work of literature. Do you know where it is from??? "He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed that any walk—that anything—could give him so much happiness. In the afternoon he turned his steps towards his nephew’s house." This is from “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. I don't know about you, but I love this story and love the movie adaptions of the story as well. My favorite film versions include the one starring George C. Scott (1984), the musical version with Albert Finney (1970), and the Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)! If you have watched these versions of A Christmas Carol, you probably don't remember seeing Ebenezer Scrooge attending church services on Christmas Morning. There is only one film adaptation to my knowledge that includes this, being faithful to Dicken's original story. The unabridged version In the 1999 version with Patrick Stewart, Scrooge is walking through the streets of London wishing everyone he comes across a "Merry Christmas." He hears a hymn being sung from a local church: "God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen." He is drawn in by the music and decides to go to the service. He is a fish out of water! He doesn't know that he is supposed to remove his top hat upon entering but is kindly encouraged to do so. He finds an empty spot in an otherwise full pew and tries to sing but doesn't know the words. Thankfully the person that is standing next to him shares his hymnbook and Scrooge, with the music in front of him, starts to sing with great joy and gusto! "O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy!" It is a truly beautiful scene! Part of it being made possible by the kindness or welcoming spirit of the church members. Continued --
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