Welcome to a festive flashback!!! It's a Tuesday Musical Note recollection from 2011 when The Notes were just getting started. Today's Notes were originally published via email in December 13,2011. Welcome and enjoy as it is certainly already begun to look a lot like Christmas!!!
Ok, so what do you get when a devout Catholic and a United Church of Christ member meet? Better yet, how about when a Barber meets a Music Man? In either situation you are bound to get into discussions that are interesting, deep, possibly political, maybe theological in nature, but certainly entertaining. In Autumn of 1951, both of these suppositions actually occurred with the same 2 men. And here is the result:
"It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" by Perry Como from 1951
In 1951, Meredith Wilson wrote a seasonal song as a part of the musical "Here's Love". While not featured in the musical prominently, the audience could hear the melody as a counterpoint to one of the songs that were featured. You say you're not exactly sure where you've heard the name Meredith Wilson, "Well, ya got trouble my friend."
"You've Got Trouble" from Meredith Wilson's The Music Man performed by Robert Preston from 1962
In September of that year, Perry Como recorded Meredith Wilson's "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" on RCA. Throughout his career, Como stayed with RCA as his recording label. Their partnership brought many hits to the airwaves over a span of more than 5 decades. While the song was recorded by Bing Crosby in October of that same year, Perry Como had struck gold with the original recording and all others have paled in comparison to the success of Como's as a hit.
A 1986 recording by Johnny Mathis (Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis) saw a resurgence in 1992 as "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" was used in Home Alone 2: Lost In New York and included on the movie's soundtrack. In case you were wondering, Perry Como was the Barber. He was licensed and owned his own shop in Canonsberg, Pennsylvania, south of Pittsburgh.
What does Christmas look like? What images appear in your mind when Christmas is mentioned? I have to admit, that those images that come to my mind about Christmas have changed throughout my life. I was raised in a Christian home, so the image of the Child in the manger has always been the foundation for any other picture that may come to mind this time of the year.
What does Christmas look like? What images appear in your mind when Christmas is mentioned? I have to admit, that those images that come to my mind about Christmas have changed throughout my life. I was raised in a Christian home, so the image of the Child in the manger has always been the foundation for any other picture that may come to mind this time of the year.
For many, a jolly old elf and reindeer, presents and Christmas trees, even family gatherings and food seem to be the images that flood folks mind as you ask about Christmas., In short, enculturation takes place. Now, "enculturation" is a made up word by an author I am reading right now, but it goes to the heart of where we are as a society. It means the images that come to our mind about certain things are a product of the things that our mind "catches" about that subject. Our culture bombards us each year with the "world's" view of the season and eventually that becomes the representation that our mind comes to when thinking about Christmas. This is tragic, because the actual "look" of Christmas was nothing like what our minds conjure up.
As you would imagine, the actual places mentioned in the Bible where Jesus was born are different today. Bethlehem (Micah 5 New King James Version of the Bible/The Message Paraphrase of the Bible parallel) is in an area of the world that is today disputed lands. If you travel to that site, you must pass through checkpoints into Palestinian held territory. The grotto has been covered by the 4th Century Church of the Nativity. While the church is fascinating for its history and beautiful in its construction, it distracts from the simple cave like structure that is the supposed site of Jesus birth. Gone are the stables and the animals. No shepherds are a part of the scene. The only angelic presence is in paintings in the church. There is a sense of awe, but of sadness as well.
But the Bible is full of rich text that stimulates the mind and causes the imagination to wonder on the beauty of the scene. The Gospel of Jesus according to Luke, chapter 2 - NKJV/The Message The young Mary holding the child. A curious but steadfast and obedient Joseph by her side. Angels singing "Glory to God in the Highest!!" Shepherds attending the New Lamb. Wise Men seeing a star and traveling for several years to find the reason for that star. All of this plays out through scripture as God's love for us was demonstrated through the virgin birth. The miraculous came together in one cold night as our Savior, Jesus, was born. This image of Christmas is the one that should cause Christians to see that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and take those images....."every where we go"
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
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