The Empty Stocking

From my childhood, one of my favorite Christmas movies was The Bishop's Wife. Not the dreadful one with Denzel Washington (whose work I really enjoy, especially Crimson Tide), but the 1947 version with Cary Grant, David Niven, and Loretta Young.

I think my favorite scene was when Dudley (Cary Grant) decorates the Christmas tree using his angelic powers. During the course of the show, Dudley find himself falling in love with the bishop's wife (Loretta Young), and she with him. All because the bishop's attentions are focused more on building a new cathedral than on his wife and daughter.

Years later, I began to appreciate the closing scene of the movie. Bishop Brougham is struggling trying to write his Christmas Eve sermon, and Dudley takes over the task, dictating to the typewriter what the bishop's sermon will be. It's an eloquently short sermon that plainly teaches that charity is what we should be giving to one another.

"Tonight, I want to tell you about the story of an empty stocking. Once upon a midnight clear there was a child's cry. A blazing star hung over a stable, and Wise Men came with birthday gifts. We haven't forgotten that night down through the ages. We celebrate it with a star hung on a Christmas tree and a cry of bells and gifts, especially with gifts. We bind them and wrap them, and we put them under the tree. You give me a tie, I give you a book, Aunt Martha always wanted an orange squeezer, Uncle Harry could use a new pipe, oh, we haven't forgotten anyone, adult or child. All the stockings are filled, all that is, except one, and we have even forgotten to hang it up! The stocking for the child born in a manger. It's His birthday we are celebrating, you know. Don't let us ever forget that. Let us ask ourselves what He would wish for most, and then let each of us put in his share - loving kindness, warm hearts, and a stretched out hand - all the shining gifts that make peace on earth."

To all of you who have embraced charity at this season, I wish you a Merry Christmas. And thank you.

Comments

Pastor Dave said…
I have always been impressed by this poem/sermon from the Bishops Wife.
thanks for posting it, I will present it tomorrow at my church to motivate folks about the true meaning of christmas
Pastor Dave
10:29 PM, December 23, 2007
Pastor Dave said…
It's a new year and my thoughts are still the same, we must continue to practice Christian Charity, I will be using this poem again tommorrow morning during my Christmas Sermon, God Bless You

Pastor Dave
10:50 PM, December 20, 2008
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Genealogy. It's all Relative

Genealogy is a pursuit where you'll never know what you may turn up. Or the fascinating things that drop in your lap. Some people approach genealogy wanting to prove some old family legend. Some just are curious about how their family got to where it is. And others, well, some others want to see what they can get from someone. Once upon a time, not very long ago, a man came in to the Family History Library and wanted to trace the descendants of a European royal (any royal, pick one -- no kidding!) to see if he was a descendant. We explained it was easier to go backwards from your self and see where you connect up. He didn't like that answer, and I don't think he ever came back. Someone once said the easiest way to trace your family history is to run for office. There's a lot of truth in that old chestnut. So the other day I was glancing through the online Deseret News and noticed an article about Mitt Romney and his LDS roots. As I was reading the article, I cam...
Read more

The ST XI Screenwriters Speak

TrekWeb posted an excerpt from an MTV interview with the screenwriters for ST XI. The TrekWeb article can be found here . Here's some highlights: "The challenge of the movie is to be 100 percent true to the fanbase but also to bring in a whole new group of people who've never seen 'Trek' before," Kurtzman said. >My comment: Isn't that what they've all said before? And how well did it work? Of course, this one just might do it. Maybe. Orci and Kurtzman also confirmed that the film is not in any way a prequel but a reimagining of the franchise. Whether that means a whole new look for Star Trek remains in question. "We're not going to start totally from scratch," Orci said. "We want it to feel like it's updated and of the now. That's actually the discussions we're having now: how to keep the look of the universe yet have it not look like nothing's new. It's tricky." >My comment: Reimagining is so cliche....
Read more