#Magi Hallmark Christmas

[devilrosola]

Calling Magi Writers

Okay so I came across this meme

And well, thought it'd be fun to use it for plots and put Magi charas into it.

One idea led to another and now a group of us decided to use this as a prompt for a bunch of Magi Christmas Stories this season!

Please spread the word and feel free to join in. I will be making a collection on AO3 to add the stories to. Possibly a side blog. More details to follow.

Feel free to ask questions!

[devildomwriter]

Keep it cookin’ in the pot, Soon, ya got hot choc-o-lat! | Satan x Reader

.7K Words | GN! Reader | CW: none, slightly suggestive at the end

Hallmark movies played in the background as you sat on the couch with your reading shall and a Christmas book.

In the kitchen you heard Satan moving through the cupboards, searching for mugs and the necessary ingredients for hot chocolate. It was the perfect thing to drink by the fire and a good cozy book. It was his favorite part of the holiday season. He didn’t care for the hustle and bustle, he just wanted to read a good book by your side.

This time you’d recommended a few books to him with a Christmas element.

The microwave beeped and you heard Satan blow off the steam coming from the mugs. He walked back to the couch and sat one on the side table next to you.

“Thank you,” you smiled and sat down your book to stir the mug and blow gently on it. You took a sip and pulled back. “How hot did you make these?”

“Is it too hot?” He asked with a frown.

“Don’t worry, I’ll just wait for it to cool down.” You were surprised the mug hadn’t been got too.

“These mugs are meant to withstand 400-degree water.”

“How…how hot did you make it?”

“Not enough to scald your mouth. I researched it.”

You nodded thankful he hadn’t made it as hot as it could get in the Devildom. He sipped his and grinned. He licked the chocolate from his lips and set it back down to pick up the book you’d given him.

You left your hot chocolate where it was and scooted closer to him on the couch. He grinned and raised his arm, welcoming you in.

You snuggled into his side and he rested his head upon yours as he began reading The Gift of the Magi.

You felt his grip tighten around you as he neared the end and when he laid the book down he looked a little sad.

“How bittersweet…to give up what they most loved for each other and have it be for nothing.”

You shook your head. “It wasn’t for nothing. It was for love. Besides, her hair may grow back and he may get another watch.”

He hummed and thought about it.

“Love? I suppose it is.”

He hugged you again and eyed your full hot chocolate mug. He summoned it to his hand and you sat up straight to take a sip. It was finally safe enough to drink and you sighed happily.

“Do you have any other books?”

“You’ve read most of them already, I’m running out of ideas.” You said, racking your brain for another title he may not have read.

He thought for a second and smiled. “Why don’t you drink your hot chocolate and I’ll quickly read up to the point you are in the book you’re reading now?”

“You want to read it together?”

“That’d make me very happy.”

You smiled and nodded, agreeing enthusiastically. You quickly ran out of the hot chocolate and he was still reading. You got up and he looked up worriedly. You raised the mugs and grinned. “Want more hot chocolate?”

He nodded excitedly as he began quickly scanning the page.

You washed the mugs out and poured in the ingredients again. This time you added marshmallows and heated your drink before his so yours wouldn’t become so hot.

Before his hit chocolate was finished you jumped in surprise as you felt his arms wrap around you from behind.

“Won’t your hot chocolate get cold?”

You shook your head, “not at all, don’t worry.”

He nodded and held up a bag of miniature marshmallows. “Want some?”

You agreed and added some to your drink as you waited for his. The microwave finally stopped and he took a sip and smiled. “How is it so much better when you make it?”

“Mine was better when you made it too,” you admitted.

Satan suddenly began to laugh and hugged you more tightly. He kissed your forehead and you blushed as he continued to laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, it’s nothing…I was just happy thinking…maybe it’s like the Gift of the Magi?”

“Oh?”

“It’s the love that makes it so special.”

You turned bright red and he chuckled and pecked your cheek. He led you back to the couch to continue your book but after the sweet things he said, reading wasn’t the only fun you had on the couch that night.

[babymagi]

the first couple chapters of my cheesy-ass hanukkah hallmark movie fic is out btw <3 Bouquet of Candles - Chapter 1 - BabyMagi - Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic [Archive of Our Own]

am trying to get it out during hanukkah week but might be a bit late but definitely will be done before christmas :)

[lecameleontv]

La série TV Un Soupçon de Magie (2015) avec l’acteur James Denton interprétant le Dr Sam. [Site officiel]. Titre V.O. : The Good Witch

La série est régulièrement rediffusée : Programme TV

Il avait déjà tourné en 2003 avec l’actrice Catherine Bell dans l’Ep. 8.18 de la série JAG, et il l’a retrouvera dans Christmas on Cherry Lane (2023)

Statut : terminée Nb de saisons : 7

1ère diffusion U.S. : 11 avril 2015 sur Hallmark Channel Promotion : Cannes 2015 - Christmas Con 2022 - Christmas Con 2024

Réalisation : Stefan Scaini (6 épisodes), qu’il retrouvera dans le TVfilm Perfect Harmony (2022) ...

Saison 1 : captures 1 - Saison 2 : Promo 1 - Saison 3 : Saison 4 :  Saison 5 : autres photos/captures p1, p2 , p3 - Presse - Spécial Halloween Saison 6 : photos promos - Presse -  Saison 7 : Presse -  Promo 1 - 2 - Captures p1, p2, p3, p4, ...

Lieux de tournage :   - Overfield Street à Hamilton (Ontario, Canada) - Cinespace Film Studios’ Kipling Avenue ( Toronto, Ontario) - Cambridge, Ontario

Pendant les tournages, l’acteur rentrait tous les week-ends chez lui, puis tournait un TVfilm pour la même chaîne à la fin de chaque saison et enfin rentrait dans sa famille. 

Ses collaborations avec la chaîne Hallmark : - The Real West - Christmas on Cherry Lane (2023) et Happy Holidays from Cherry Lane (2024) - Perfect Harmony (2022) - Kiss Before Christmas  (2021) - For Love and Honor  (2016) - Paradis d’Amour (2014)

Actualités 2020 de la série : - octobre : tournage de la saison 7 - 03 mai : diffusion inédite de la saison 6 aux USA sur Hallmark Channel

Actualités 2019 de la série :  - 01 novembre : saison 4 sur Netflix Fr - 26 juillet 2019 : promotion presse Hallmark d’Eté - 02 juillet 2019 : saison 4 disponible sur Netflix - 09 juin 2019 : diffusion inédite de la saison 5 aux USA sur Hallmark Channel - mai 2019 : promotion presse - 21 mars 2019 ; présentation des UpFronts

En France, la diffusion M6 s’est arrêtée à la saison 3. En attendant des nouvelles ... l’intégrale depuis la saison 1 a été rediffusée en 2020 sur W9.

Revoir les épisodes sur M6.

sources : imdb, hallmark-movie-fanatics,  robnorthstar, et   fangirlhome

 “I specifically chose Good Witch because I had faith in Catherine and the [previous] success of the movie franchise. Desperate Housewives, I almost didn't take because at the time ABC was at the very bottom of the ratings and running Who Wants to Be A Millionaire four nights a week. There were no scripted dramas and after we came along so did Grey's Anatomy and LOST, but at the time I'd done two series for ABC, Philly with Kim Delaney and Threat Matrix, which I led, that only lasted one season each. When Housewives came up, I thought it sounded like reality television and almost didn't take it. That's why I can't say my eye is really that good. [...]  I knew Good Witch would probably do well because the movies were so popular, And people love Catherine Bell, so Good Witch was established, otherwise you kind of assume with a new series that it's probably going to get canceled as most of them do. I felt pretty confident that viewers would respond. Did I have any idea it would be the No. 1 show on the network? No, but it's not a shock. [...]  It seems everything on Hallmark is doing well. The movies are doing better than ever; When Calls the Heart's numbers were up, so we can't complain. We basically have over 3 1/2 million unduplicated viewers, which is crazy for basic cable. [...]  It's a fun time to be at Hallmark. [...]  People want something positive, I think they're tired of watching people being awful to each other and they can turn on Hallmark Channel and see people treating each other well and have a happy ending. I really believe that has a lot to do with it. [...]  Bill Abbott came to me with Good Witch after I'd hosted the [ Hero Dog ] awards, Living here and traveling to Toronto to shoot the series is fantastic, so I don't do a lot other than Hallmark now. I have two teenage kids and [the show] allows me to be here. We go back to work in August and I get to come home every weekend. I do local plays, the 12 episodes of Good Witch (including the two-hour Halloween movie) and another Hallmark movie, so that's pretty much my year. [...]  Right now, we are very blessed, and I can't complain. There are times I miss L.A. and I do miss the commute to Universal Studios because as an actor having the same job for eight years is rare. Now I'm flying two hours for work, but there are perks -- I don't have to pay for gas and I'm getting frequent flyer miles. “ James Denon le 27 juin 2019 - mediavillage.com

“It would be unseemly to complain about your show being cancelled after seven seasons, and I won’t. I’ve been very fortunate to have been on other long-running series, but Good Witch was special. The fans were so devoted to the show and I’m disappointed for them, but I hope they know how much the actors appreciated their vocal support. The cast was the nicest collection of wildly talented people I’ve ever been around. The producers treated us extremely well, and I’m happy to still have two movies to make with the network so I’m not saying goodbye to the Hallmark audience yet.” James Denton, 2021.

Son goût pour l’art musical est visible, outre pour Band From TV, dans : - Danse Avec les Stars. - Ma Seule Famille - Perfect Harmony (2022) - Grace Unplugged   - Desperate Housewives  

Alias Lyle dans Le Caméléon. Alias John Kilmer dans Agence Matrix. Alias Mike dans Desperate Housewives. Alias Peter Hudson dans Devious Maids .

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[trees-to-meet-you]

My mom’s asking for my favorite Christmas movie what do I say

[maddie-grove]

Little Book Review: Star of Wonder

Authors: Jo Beverley, Alice Alfonsi, Tess Farraday, and Kate Frieman.

Publication Date: 1999.

Genre: Romance novella Christmas anthology (three historical, one contemporary.

Premise: According to legend, one of the Magi gave his disfigured daughter a magical necklace that helped her unite with her true love. At the turning of a new century, it sometimes appears to help a lady in a jam: a would-be nun dealing with a Viking invasion and an awkward crush on her widowed friend, a jilted spinster who gets lost on a beach, an English heiress who gets tricked into babysitting some kids in a cowboy town, and a grieving philanthropist who doesn’t understand computers.

Thoughts: I don’t have a great history with Christmas romance novella anthologies. Part of the issue is the awkward pacing and plot of the average romance novella, especially pre-2010. Then there’s the schmaltz factor, although it’s usually tolerable compared to, say, a Christmas Hallmark Movie. This anthology wasn’t better than most--it’s extremely dated, and most of the stories are kind of janky--but it was a lot more wacky, which I appreciated.

Now, one by one:

Day of Wrath by Jo Beverley: Set in 999 CE, in the midst of a Viking attack on an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, this novella is the best of the bunch, with a vivid setting and a decently structured plot. Unfortunately, there’s some really nasty discourse about the hero’s “cowardly” late wife, who committed suicide under ambiguous circumstances after surrendering the castle in his absence. The subplot romance between the heroine’s sister and a Viking who raped her is also bad.

Starlight Wedding by Alice Alfonsi: This is a very silly story, but I enjoyed it. In late 1799, the heroine accidentally wanders onto the hero’s seaside estate from another part of the country (by magic? Not clear), and the hero assumes she’s a sex worker (???) and thinks that gives him license to be rude and lecherous. He also unreservedly hates his adorable orphaned eight-year-old nephew, the only family he has left thanks to a boat accident plus the French Revolution, and contemplates robbing him of his inheritance so he can hire the heroine as his mistress (despite her saying that’s never going to happen). He eventually gets over his hatred, which of course is rooted in grief, but, I don’t know, not everyone turns into an Eva Ibbotson villain due to grief. I can’t even be mad at him, because the whole thing is so stupid.

Last Kiss at the Loving Cup Saloon by Tess Farraday: I don’t actually remember a lot about this story! It’s 1899, and there’s a hot cowboy named Joe who’s tricked into looking after the illegitimate children of a railroad baron after their maternal aunt abandons them. Then he tricks Katherine, the railroad baron’s prissy wife-by-proxy-marriage, into helping him look after the kids. It’s kind of cute, I guess, but forgettable and clumsily written.

Joy to the World by Kate Frieman: As an artifact of Y2K anxieties, this story is interesting. As a romance...look, it already had a strike against it as a contemporary romance, and I lost what interest I did have when I figured out that it was a romantic suspense novella about rich people and FBI agents, rather than a more down-to-earth story. The reveal is also way too complicated, and I had more positive feelings towards the villain (pity) than the protagonists (eye-rolling indifference).

The unifying concept works pretty well, though.

Hot Goodreads Take: There aren’t a lot of reviews of this anthology, probably because it was published back when “uses the Internet for fun” was unusual enough to be noteworthy personality trait. Joy to the World seems to be a common least-favorite, though.

[cooperhewitt]

Night Visitors

Amahl and the Night Visitors was the original Hallmark Christmas movie. The one-act opera by Gian Carlo Menotti was the first opera composed for television in the United States. Commissioned by NBC, it was first performed on Christmas Eve in 1951 from a studio in Rockefeller Center. Sponsored by Hallmark, it was also the debut production for the Hallmark Hall of Fame and became the first network television Christmas special to become an annual tradition.  NBC presented it annually with many of the same singers and production staff until 1966.[1]

The story centers on a boy named Amahl and his mother, who offer food and shelter to the Three Kings on their way to Bethlehem. Having no gift to send, Amahl offers his crutch for the newborn child and is then miraculously healed.  Menotti said that the idea for the opera came to him while walking around the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  He saw Hieronymus Bosch’s The Adoration of the Magi, and remembered his own childhood in Italy.  There, gifts were brought to children by the Three Kings, rather than Santa Claus.

Eugene Berman designed the set for the original televised opera, though production difficulties made it difficult to see his work.  This set design—with a large star in the sky and snow gently falling on an otherworldly landscape—was likely for a staging at the New York City Opera the following spring.[2]

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Berman lived in Paris and made frequent trips to Italy before moving to the United States in the mid-1930s. A surrealist painter, Berman also gained renown as a set designer, working in both New York and Los Angeles. In 1950, he married actress Ona Munson—best-remembered for her role in Gone with the Wind—in Igor Stravinsky’s living room in Hollywood.  The collection at Cooper Hewitt also includes several of Berman’s stage designs for a 1957 production of Don Giovanni. [3]

Laura Fravel is the Curatorial Research Assistant (American Art) in the Drawings, Prints & Graphic Design Department at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. 

[1] Amahl and the Night Visitors was revived in 1978 with a version that premiered on NBC. Learn more about the original 1951 production through The Paley Center for Media’s website.

[2] The Morgan Library & Museum has a related set design for the April 1952 production.

[3] Berman’s designs for Don Giovanni include variations on this terrace. In 1944, Berman’s designs for theater were exhibited in Homage to Ballet and Berman at the Museum of Arts and Decoration, Cooper Union (the forerunner to Cooper Hewitt).

from Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum https://ift.tt/35zYvz5 via IFTTT

[globalworship]

Surreal Christmas Cards by Dali ... for Hallmark!

Salvador Dali "Nativity" 1959

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"Nativity" by Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was one work in a series of Christmas cards commissioned by Hallmark. When Dali's cards hit the shelves, many were appalled by his dark, surrealist approach to the accustomed scene of joy typically depicted. As an increasingly devout Catholic in his later years, Dali often incorporated religious ideas into his work. He has said of his own art, "I am painting pictures which make me die for joy, I am creating with an absolute naturalness, without the slightest aesthetic concern, I am making things that inspire me with a profound emotion and I am trying to paint them honestly."

Art and commentary from https://www.facebook.com/civa.org/

+++

Dali actually created several Christmas cards for Hallmark - a series of 10 were commissioned, but only 2 were deemed suitable and printed. One that was printed is this Nativity:

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The other card printed was this Madonna & Child (with butterfly):

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Some of Dali’s other designs:

A Christmas tree made of butterflies on a barren plain:

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Magi with dramatic camels:

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An angel playing a lute while his head becomes birds in flight, as mountains mmic angel wings:

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A giant Santa with a literal “chest of drawers” (1948), bearing gifts for children such as his famous melting clock.:

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Another Christmas tree of butterlfies, with an angel heralding the Birth with a trumpet and a figure like Father Christmas on pilgrimage through the snow.

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An all-around fantastic image complete with heavenly angels and earthly celebrants, from 1974:

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Christmas card etching for UNICEF (1981)

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A Christmas angel (with horse), reportedly for another UNICEF card:

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An angel holding a Christmas tree:

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More Magi on camels bearing gifts:

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‘Sugar figures’, a gouache, watercolour, ink and collage on paper laid down on cardboard, commissioned for for a Christmas greetings card in 1970 featuring a Christmas tree of angels and butterflies.

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Cuadricula(Grid,1964)

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Dali’s Christmas card collection is widely documented on the web. He created a total of nearly 20 over several decades, not only the set of 10 for Hallmark. Here are some sources for more of his Christmas cards and related information.:

https://www.hallmarkartcollection.com/creatively-thinking/stories/dali-at-hallmark/

http://www.openculture.com/2014/12/salvador-dalis-avant-garde-christmas-cards.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/12/23/these-salvador-dali-christmas-cards-outraged-hallmark-shoppers-in-1960/

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-hallmark-once-gave-works-rockwell-dali-masses

https://dali.com/jolly-dali-found-special-inspiration-holiday-magic/

https://rz100arte.com/arte-navidad-salvador-dali-10-controvertidas-postales-navidenas-creadas-hallmark/

https://news.justcollecting.com/salvador-dali-christmas-cards-artcurial-auction-paris/

Dali occasionally made other Christmas cards other than the set he designed for Hallmark. Learn about some of these here: https://rebeccambender.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/dali-christmas-cards/\

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The man himself.    :-)

[codynaomiswire]

Some Personal Christmastime Reflections

Have been thinking about this lately, and thought I would share some of my thoughts in case it’s helpful to anyone this Christmas season.

A couple days ago, I was feeling distressed because I found myself not feeling the “Christmas spirit” like I had in past years. I had been running around like crazy doing what was required of me at this point in my life, but I also felt like I wasn’t getting much of anywhere. I was super stressed, and I felt like I was missing out on what was supposed to be a happy and joyful season. While I did have some of the decorations up, had been listening to some of the familiar songs, and had plans to be with family and friends during Christmas Day, it still felt like something was missing during this month of December, and it was stressing me out. The Christmas season was supposed to be a time of going to a bunch of parties, making sweet baked goods with loved ones at home, and going to Christmas programs, etc. For various reasons, this Christmas season didn’t really entail that for me this year, and it felt like so much of the season had just passed me by. And after Dec. 25th, the celebrations would be over just like that, the post-Christmas blues would set in, and I would just have to wait another year to hope next time would be better.

Perhaps this may sound rather cliché and not particularly profound, but it was finally impressed on me within these last few days that Christmas really wasn’t about all of the trappings and extra things that tend to go along with it, and it’s ok if the present Christmas season doesn’t look or feel like the others. Of course I knew factually that Christmas was about much more than just the trappings, but I do really believe that there is a difference between knowing something and then realizing something. I think especially when it comes to something like Christmas, we know in a very matter-of-fact way that of course it isn’t just about all of the pomp and glitter and lights and high energy that goes along with it, but perhaps we don’t fully realize that until we actually experience those dry, stressful, and/or grief-filled Christmases that come our way in life.

It’s ok if this Christmas isn’t “perfect.”

It’s ok if this Christmas doesn’t look or feel like one of the enchanted ones from childhood.

It’s ok to feel some frustration or even sadness during this time of Christmas. There shouldn’t be any pressure to feel like you need to be super happy in order to be doing the season “right.” Not all Christmases look the same, and sometimes life presents us with challenges that make us stressed, angry, and/or sad. Just because your Christmas doesn’t look like one from a Hallmark channel movie, it doesn’t mean it’s not still Christmas, or that you’re somehow doing the season “wrong.” One scene often overlooked in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is when the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge Christmas being remembered and celebrated everywhere, not just in the glamorous places. They see it in the face of a tired, sweaty captain far out at sea away from his family, in the humble celebrations of a lighthouse keeper’s family, and even in the hospitals and prisons of Victorian London. Christmas is about love and hope, and both shine brightest in the darkest of times and circumstances. So long as we know both the love and hope of Christmas, especially during the hardest seasons of life, perhaps we come closer to truly appreciating Christmas than during the happiest times.

It’s ok if this Christmas doesn’t have snow.

It’s ok if the house isn’t clean or decorated.

It’s ok if your gifts aren’t ready yet, or if you have no material gifts to give or receive at all. Not all gifts come in packages with bows. The greatest ones often don’t.

It’s ok if you don’t feel “the Christmas spirit” right on Dec. 24th and/or 25th. Do you feel it more before? After? That’s ok. (Esp. since the “Christmas season” used to be considered 12 full days, with the first day being on Christmas Day itself. Perhaps we should start thinking more in those terms again, instead of ringing in the Christmas blues right on Dec. 26th.)

The very first Christmas in Bethlehem had none of the trappings or traditions that we associate with our modern Christmases, save for perhaps singing, as the angels did on that blessed morning. (There’s your first ever gospel choir for ya!) There was no snow. There were no Christmas trees. There were no presents, as the magi didn’t actually come until well after that day. There were no other friends or family around, but strangers did become friends to the Holy Family as a rag-tag group of shepherds came to visit them. There were no immaculately clean floors, shiny countertops, fine china, and orchestral arrangements of Christmas carols playing in the background. Instead, there was straw, dirt, the blood of childbirth, and the cries of both pain and joy from Mary as Jesus was born into the world.

It’s ok if this Christmas isn’t the spectacular event we see depicted in the movies, magazines, books, or commercials. It’s ok if your holiday traditions are few and simple. I’m not saying this to knock the traditions which can be quite big and exuberant, or to knock those who do give quite generous material gifts to loved ones at this time of year. For many people, that is truly a way of showing their love, joy, and thankfulness during this season. There is certainly something to be said for all the beauty and energy that can be expressed during this time. I do think though that we can get so caught up in those things, and how we think Christmas ought to look and feel, that we can bring about undue strain on ourselves when we don’t feel like we are experiencing it in those ways.

Christmas isn’t a feeling, or an aesthetic, or even a set of traditions. It is remembering what God has done for us, learning to love those around us as ourselves, and being thankful for all of the precious gifts that we have been given to us, with the most precious being the gift of God’s Son to us. And that is something we can carry in our hearts always.

Merry Christmas everyone!

[devilrosola]

Hallmark Christmas Magi fic!

Don’t Let Him Pass You By

Authors: Baalsdungeon, Devil Rose Ships: Hakuryuu/Judar, Kouen/Ja’far Words: 10,686 Rating: T

[staystrongandlivefearless]

Hi! I literally found you through that Hallmark post while I was looking for inspo pictures of Christmas in NYC (because a gorgeously cinematic feature film version of The Gift of the Magi needs to be theatrically released plz and thank you) and I saw you work in film and I was like !!!!! I'm an actor so it's always really neat to come across others who work in film on this website since I don't run into them too often. If you don't mind me asking, what department do you work in?

I work in film Lighting! I’m Lead Lamp Operator on my crew:)

[2103miles]

Helen’s Daily Prompt 17 - What is Your Favorite Book That Takes Place At Christmas

My first thought was that I can’t use Winter Solstice because I knew Mary Beth would and we have already been matchy matchy enough this week. Then I tried to think of other “adult” Christmas books I’ve read and turns out I’m really lacking in that department, other than classics like A Christmas Carol and The Gift of The Magi but I’m not going to even pretend to have liked them.

So next year, I need to plan some Christmas reading because after a quick internet search, there are plenty to choose. Maybe less Hallmark movies and more Christmas books?

My pick is one of my favorites from childhood. My parents read it every year.

Unfortunately, it’s no longer in print but who can resist Torten who makes toys for children he thinks Santa won’t visit because they’ve been bad. Then he and his friend Drusus, a polar bear, have to deliver them.

[searchingwardrobes]

Christmas in Storybrooke: 3/13

Summary: My Hallmark Christmas movie fic in which flights get cancelled and Henry’s “best friend’ gets snowed in with him in his quirky hometown for Christmas. Only with magic and fairy tale characters.

Yes, you read that right. I outlined this fic, and it will be 13 chapters (well, 12 plus an epilogue) because apparently my muse loves to torture me. Once I finish Sleepless in Seattle, I’ll be updating this daily to hopefully finish by New Years. Hopefully . . .

Rating: M for suggestive scenes and adult situations, not smut

Trigger warnings: Henry is an adult. Read that again: Henry is an adult. Look at the picset: that’s Andrew J. West. If Henry actually behaving like an adult makes you feel icky, the don’t read this.

A03

Tagging @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @kday426 @bethacaciakay @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @snidgetsafan @delirious-latenight-laughs @winterbaby89 @distant-rose @yohoyohoafandomlifeforme

Chapter Three: White Christmas

 Henry rolled over on the lumpy futon, groaning and arching his back. How had ever slept on this thing as a teenager? Across the room, Evie was still asleep in the bed from the old guest room. She was on her side, one pillow under her head and a second one clutched to her chest. Her brow was furrowed and her fists clenched, and he wondered not for the first time why her body was always so coiled and tense in sleep. She seemed to be so steady most of the time, so unfazed by the rough nature of her work. Did she keep it all bottled inside?

He threw his blankets aside, also casting off such melancholy thoughts about Evie. Maybe she just couldn’t relax in an unfamiliar place while she was missing her family. He pulled a sweatshirt on over his undershirt, put some thick socks on his feet, and padded down the cold hardwood stairs to the second floor. It was quiet there, but he could hear voices drifting up from the ground floor along with the sounds of someone working in the kitchen. Sure enough, he found his siblings scurrying around the kitchen while his stepfather stirred a pan of scrambled eggs at the stove. A timer dinged, and Killian smoothly pushed the pan off the hot burner and opened the oven door to pull out a pan of cinnamon rolls.

“Morning, lad!” he called to Henry, in his usual bright morning voice. Killian’s love of the early hours had always been a source of slight irritation for both Henry and his mother. It never felt right that he was so chipper when the sun was barely rising.

Of course, the upside was having a breakfast chef. Once they had convinced him that broiled mackerel was not a suitable breakfast food, that is.

“Grab these eggs, for me?” Killian asked as he set the pan of sticky rolls on the countertop. Hope was next to the fridge pouring glasses of orange juice. Soon, they were all gathered around the table with plates of food.

“I’ve missed breakfast like this,” Henry sighed as he bit into a cinnamon roll. “Usually I just grab a donut or a bagel on my way to work.”

“Why do you still have to work for that online newspaper?” Hope asked. “You wrote that book.”

“Well,” Henry sighed, “novelists don’t exactly make a ton of money, especially when they self- publish. I have to pay the bills somehow.”

“It was a fantastic read, Henry, I couldn’t put it down,” Killian added, “I don’t know why a publishing company hasn’t picked it up.”

Henry warmed at the praise. Everyone in Storybrooke had supported his career. He was pretty sure everyone in town had bought multiple copies of his first novel. But to hear Killian support him like this meant even more. Not only because the man read voraciously but because he was the closest thing to a father he had ever had.

“Well,” he said, struggling to swallow his bite of egg as his heart soared, “I think they see fairy tale retellings as only selling in YA markets, and mine is definitely an adult book.”

“Yeah,” grumbled Hope, “Mom and Dad won’t let me read it yet.”

“Sorry, kid,” Henry sympathized.

Leia attempted to wipe her sticky fingers on the front of her nightgown, and Killian wordlessly handed her a wet wipe. “When do we leave for the farm, Daddy?”

“No!” Charlie protested, almost spilling his juice, “the Snow Festival is first!”

“But I want to ride Buttercup!” protested Leia

“Shut up, you two,” Hope snapped.

“Don’t tell your brother and sister to shut up,” warned Killian.

“Fine,” Hope muttered, rolling her eyes.

“And you two,” Killian added, pointing at the twins as they stuck their tongues out at each other, “you know full well we’re going to the festival first, then the farm. There’s no point arguing about it.”

“The festival’s going to be lame this year,” Hope pouted, pushing at her eggs with her fork.

“Hope,” a voice said from the stairs, “watch it, young lady.”

“Swan!” Killian exclaimed, jumping from the table and rushing to his wife, “I was going to bring breakfast up to you!”

Emma waved him off as he helped her into a chair. “I’m fine, babe. I’m not an invalid.”

Killian frowned as he started scrambling some more eggs. “But I worry about the stairs, love. It seems like a lot of strain, and Whale said you’re not supposed to over exert yourself.”

Emma rolled her eyes exactly as Hope had earlier. “You insist on carrying me up the stairs, going down is no big deal. And I’m already having to be pushed around the festival today in a wheelchair. At least let me eat breakfast at the damn table with my family.”

“Words, Mommy!” Charlie crowed with a smirk.

“Speaking of the festival -” Henry began hesitantly.

“Don’t worry,” Emma assured as she reached her hand over to rest upon his arm. “I sent a message to Elsa, and we also had an emergency town meeting. No magic.”

“Like I said,” Hope grumbled, “lame.”

“What’s lame?”

The silence became palpable as every head swiveled to the bottom of the stairs where Evie was just coming down. She had combed her hair and put it in a smooth, low ponytail, but she still wore her snowflake flannel pajamas.

“Hope was just expressing her opinions on our town’s annual Snow Festival,” Killian smoothly explained as he set a plate of food in front of his wife. “I’m afraid she’s getting to that age -”

“The tween age?” Evie laughed as she took the empty seat between Hope and Emma. She looked over at Hope and winked. “I remember those days.”

“She only thinks it’s gonna be lame cause there’s no mag-”

Henry reached over and clamped his hand over Leia’s mouth. “No . . . magi . . . “ he stuttered, wracking his brain to come up with a lie. “You know, the three wise men?”

“Yeah, magi,” Emma put in, “there . . . uh . . . used to be a live nativity scene . . . but, uh, people complained about the animals -”

“And their poop!” Charlie finished, dissolving into giggles. “Camels poo-oop, camels poo-op -”

“Charlie, that is not appropriate at the table,” Killian told his son firmly.

Henry caught Evie’s eye, who was holding her hand over her mouth and trying not to laugh. An awkward silence fell as Evie and Emma both started on their food.

“You know,” Evie finally spoke up, her gaze still on her eggs, “I work for the FBI. I can tell when people are lying.”

Silence reigned again, as the entire Jones family exchanged concerned glasses.

“But,” she continued, “I can also tell when a lie is innocent and when it’s more . . . nefarious. This is clearly a lie I can overlook.”

Everyone let out breaths they didn’t realize they had been holding.

Evie took a sip of juice, then added, “For now.”

*******************************************************

The family ended up being late to the festival, what with getting three kids out the door and maneuvering Emma’s wheelchair down the porch steps. Emma’s irritation at using said wheelchair not necessarily helping matters. So by the time they reached town hall, it was packed. Luckily, Regina, Zelena, and the Charmings had saved them a nice spot up front. The crowds, of course, also eagerly parted for the savior, calling out well wishes and concern for her and the baby. If Evie noticed Emma’s special treatment, she didn’t comment on it.

“As if this weren’t humiliating enough,” Emma grumbled under her breath. Henry exchanged an amused glance with Killian; they both knew his mother wasn’t fond of being fawned over like the princess and hero that she was.

Further introductions were necessary as Evie met the rest of Henry’s family for the first time. He had prepared his grandparents ahead of time to call themselves his aunt and uncle, and Neal at 13 was old enough to play along and pretend to be Henry’s “cousin.” Little Ava wasn’t even a year old and not yet talking. Evie eagerly took the baby from Mary Margaret (no “Snow” Henry had lectured everyone over the phone), and the little one seemed just as eager to be in Evie’s arms. His other mother and Aunt Zelena were also on their best behavior, welcoming Evie with rare warmth. Twelve-year-old Robyn was fascinated by Evie’s career in the FBI.

“Have you ever had to shoot someone?”

“Robyn!” Zelena reprimanded. “That is not an appropriate question!”

“It’s okay,” Evie laughed as Ava gurgled and grabbed at her nose. “No, Robyn, I haven’t. Most of what I do is more boring than you would expect. I mostly talk to people after they are brought in. I try to get them to tell the truth.”

Henry could tell by Robyn’s expression that she was disappointed. He also knew Evie was being vague on purpose; her specific job with the bureau wasn’t exactly an appropriate topic for children.

“Well,” Regina said, “it was nice to meet you, Evie, and I can’t wait to talk more later, but right now I have a job to do.”

His mom made her way up to the stage that had been set up in front of town hall. Everyone cheered as she waved to the crowd and stepped up to the microphone.

“Welcome everyone, to our annual Snow Festival!” she paused while the crowd cheered some more. “I’d like to welcome to Storybrooke, Qu-Mayor of Arendelle, Elsa Frost!”

The crowd clapped half-heartedly as this was much shorter than the usual speech. Normally, his mother reminded everyone of the Snow Queen and her spell of shattered sight that was thwarted by sisters Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle. Even though the spell happened in the summer, not the winter, the town had voted that the Saturday before Christmas was the perfect time to celebrate the historic Storybrooke event.

As Elsa came up the steps to join his mother, Henry realized he had never seen her dressed in normal clothes. Instead of her usual royal gown, she wore a simple blue off the shoulder sweater dress with black leggings and boots. Her hair was still braided over her shoulder, and laced through with decorative snowflakes. He wasn’t surprised to see her without a coat, hat, or mittens. As she often said, the cold just didn’t bother her. Everyone else gathered around, even his mother on stage, were bundled up and shivering.

Elsa embraced Regina, then turned to the microphone. “As always, I am delighted to be here. This town is full of so many dear friends.” Here Elsa searched the crowd, her gaze resting on Emma and Killian for a moment. “And now, I would like to present, Arendelle’s yearly Christmas gift!”

With that, Elsa lifted a large sheet off an ice sculpture that stood on the ground in front of the stage. Next to him, Evie let out an awed gasp, but she was the only one impressed. Everyone else gave only polite applause.

“That’s amazing,” Evie told him, “I’ve never seen something so intricate! And how did she get the ice castle to glow like that?”

It was beautiful, and it was no doubt made from Elsa’s ice magic. But normally Elsa made the ice castle while everyone watched in awe. The castle was slightly different every year, but it was always big enough for everyone to explore. It would have slides and turrets and winding staircases. Then Elsa always ended the presentation with a burst of magical snowflakes, intricate and as big as your hand that twinkled with glittery multicolored magic as they floated over the crowd. In comparison, this year’s sculpture was a huge disappointment. Hope caught his eye, her arms crossed and her eyebrows lifted as if to say, told you so.

“Henry,” Evie leaned over and whispered, “um, why is everyone glaring at me?”

Henry looked away from his sister and saw Leroy giving Evie a look so hateful he was surprised daggers weren’t shooting out of the dwarf’s eyes. “Oh ignore Leroy, he’s always in a bad mood.”

“No, Henry, not just him.”

Henry scanned the crowd to find that she wasn’t exaggerating. All of the dwarves were gathered around Leroy like a group of rural thugs from The Outsiders. Granny was giving her the stink eye over the edge of her bifocals, and even the fairies were staring snootily down their noses. Henry scowled, rubbed Evie’s arm comfortingly and marched over to Granny and the dwarves.

“Will you all lay off?” he hissed so Evie couldn’t hear. “It’s not her fault that her flight got cancelled. She’s essentially stuck here for Christmas, so the least you can do is make her feel welcome.” Without waiting for a response, he marched over to the fairies. “How do you think it looks to have a group of nuns shunning a visitor to town? I’d expect this from the dwarves, but not from all of you.”

“I agree,” a voice spoke up from the edge of the group.

Blue turned to face the petite blonde. “Tink, you aren’t even part of our order anymore.”

“And this is exactly why. You’re really going to pout over a silly little festival?” Tink then turned to Henry apologetically. “Hook told me about your friend. Introduce me?”

“Um, okay,” Henry said hesitantly, “but none of that Hook business, and your name is Tina, okay?”

She nudged Henry with her elbow. “I can be subtle.”

God, I hope so, Henry prayed to whoever would listen. As he walked back over to his family with Tink, his concern only increased. His other grandfather and Belle had joined them, and Elsa was bent over Emma’s wheelchair giving her a tight hug. Mercifully, Gideon had taken off somewhere with Hope, Neal, and Robyn. That was three less magical youngsters he would have to worry about. Hopefully the twins would keep behaving themselves.

“Henry!” Belle exclaimed, bounding over to him and embracing him in a tight hug. “We’ve all missed you. Did Killian tell you I have six copies of your novel in the library?”

He glanced over his shoulder to where Tink was introducing herself to Evie. Since his best friend’s eyes weren’t bugging out of her head, he assumed it was going well.

“Um, yes, he did, but considering that everyone in town bought their own copy, I think it was overly generous of you.”

“It was not,” scoffed Belle. “That book is a masterpiece, and we need to make sure it’s preserved for the future. Isn’t that right, Rumple?”

“Aye, it’s a great accomplishment, my boy.”

He slapped Henry on the back and smiled, but Henry still couldn’t shake the feeling that Belle was always happier to see him. Nevertheless, he shook his grandfather’s hand in greeting.

“We’ve been meeting your friend Evangeline here,” Belle continued in her eager, friendly voice. She put an arm around Evie in a half hug, and his friend tossed him a look that clearly said help! It wasn’t that Evie had an aversion to touch like Emma did, but meeting so many people all at once was clearly overwhelming her. Mary Margaret was now on stage announcing the snowman building contest, giving Henry a perfect opportunity to rescue her. He extended his hand towards her.

“I believe you told me once that you’ve never built a snowman?”

Evie grinned and took his hand. “I did.”

“You know what they say,” he told her with a wink, ”you never forget your first.”

He had no idea what possessed to say something so audaciously suggestive in front of his entire family.

“He gets that from me, you know,” Killian commented to Grandpa David as Henry walked away with Evie on his arm.

He had no idea what that meant, either.

***************************************************

“You know,” Evie grunted as she rolled their snowman’s head across the snowy ground, “no one ever mentions in Hallmark movies what a workout snowman building is.”

Henry chuckled as he helped her roll the head on top of their snowman’s torso. “I don’t think Hallmark movies are the best place to get accurate information about snow.”

Evie draped a scarf around their snowman’s neck, then looked around at the competition and frowned. “Ours looks like Frosty, but some of these are works of art.”

Henry nodded as he gave their snowman a carrot nose. “It’s gotten very competitive as the years have gone by.”

“Look at your stepdad and the twins,” Evie pouted.

Henry followed her gaze to see Killian lifting Leia to put a garland of poinsettias on their snowfairy’s head. It also not only had wings on its back, but Killian had helped the kids add glitter to intricate carvings along the bottom. The snowfairy had an hourglass figure as well.

“Yeah, Killian’s pretty artistic. You should see him carve a pumpkin.” Of course, he used his hook for those, but Evie didn’t need to know that. Come to think of it, he normally used his hook in the snowman building competition, so it was pretty impressive that he had done so well without it. “He and the twins won last year.” Until the twins were disqualified for bringing their snowpirate to live, that is.

Evie bent down to press buttons into the bottom of the snowman. “So what’s up with your grandpa?”

“What about him?”

“You and him; you seem kind of . . . distant.”

“Oh,” Henry replied, shaking his head. He had thought she was talking about Grandpa David, and he suddenly realized she thought David was his uncle. “Yeah, we’re not that close really.”

“He doesn’t have to be so cold,” Evie said with an edge to her voice.

Henry sighed as he turned the pebbles they were using for the snowman’s mouth in his hand. “I’ve tried to figure out why he’s like that, but I’ve given up. He says he loves me, but . . . .” Henry started pressing the pebbles one by one onto the snowman’s face. “It may be because of my dad. People say I look like him, and since he died . . . maybe it’s painful for my grandpa? But then other times, I wonder if he just doesn’t like me.”

“He should be happy to have a bit of his son in you.”

Henry shrugged. “Could just be his personality then.” Or being the Dark One, once again something else Evie couldn’t know. “Or it may be my stepdad. Killian and I are close, and, well . . . Grandpa has never liked Killian much.”

Evie nodded as she stood and brushed snow off her knees. “Everyone has some dysfunction in their family.”

“Even your perfect suburban family?”

She rolled her eyes. “Please, Henry, you have no idea.”

She gazed over his shoulder and smiled at whatever had caught her eye. Henry turned to see Hope, Neal, Robyn, and Gideon shoving handfuls of snow into each other’s faces and laughing instead of working on their snowman. Evie squinted.

“Is that . . . “

“Cerberus, the two headed dog of the underworld? Yep, it is,” Henry answered.

“Guess they’re Percy Jackson fans,” Evie mused as she put the top hat on their Frosty.

“Yeah,” Henry said dryly, “guess so . . . “

*************************************************

Evie plopped down on a bench next to Elsa who had been sitting and chatting with Emma in her wheelchair. Henry smiled as Evie said something to his mother, and they both laughed. When he reached them, Evie grinned up at him.

“I was just telling your mom how miserably we did in the competition.”

“And I was telling her that the only time I got so much as an honorable mention was when Elsa was my partner.”

The Queen of Arendelle giggled. “I think the judges felt sorry for us. You would think I of all people would be able to build a simple snowman.”

Emma grasped Elsa’s hand, her laughter leaving her breathless. “You should have seen it, Evie, a pitiful little thing that only reached our knees.”

“It looked like it was already melting,” Elsa added, fanning at her cheeks as tears filled her eyes from laughter. “With that huge carrot nose and crooked stick arms.”

“We named him Olaf,” Emma finished.

“Like in Frozen!” Evie exclaimed. “Cute! I bet you get Frozen jokes a lot with the name Elsa, and being blonde, and -”

“Dad!” Hope yelled so loudly over Henry’s shoulder that all four of them jumped. When they all swiveled towards her to find out why in the world she had screamed that way, she pointed near the ice skating pond. “I want to ice skate with Dad.”

“He’s coming over here now,” Emma pointed, then she mouthed to her daughter thank you.

“Mommy, mommy, look!” Charlie shouted, waving a blue ribbon in his hand as he and his sister and Killian approached. “First place!”

“And we didn’t even -”

Killian clapped a hand over Leia’s mouth before she could finish. “We didn’t even have the biggest snowman,” he finished.

“Our cerberus would have won if his second head hadn’t fallen off,” Hope grumbled.

“Uh uh,” argued Leia, “our snowfairy had glitter!”

Charlie stuck his tongue out at his big sister.

“Can you three get along for five minutes?” Emma groaned.

“Daddy!” Hope squealed, bouncing over to grasp Killian by the arm. “Come skate with me!”

Killian’s eyes grew wide and he scratched behind his ear. “Now love, you know how ridiculous I look trying to ice skate.”

Henry bit his lip to hold back his chuckle. A pirate who spent two centuries on a tropical island wasn’t exactly the most coordinated man on ice skates. Teasing him about it had become a favorite past time for all the Jones children.

“I see you, Henry,” Killian protested, wagging a finger at his stepson.

“How about if there’s a beginner on the ice with you?” Evie spoke up. She turned bright eyes on Henry. “I’ve never ice skated, but I’ve always wanted to.”

“I thought lots of people skate in New York City?” Charlie asked.

“They do, I guess,” Evie said with a wrinkled nose, “but what they don’t show in the movies is how crowded those rinks are. And I’ve never wanted to make a fool of myself in front of that many people.”

“Come on, then!” Hope cried, pulling her father down to the edge of the rink. Evie was right behind his little sister, and with a shrug to his mom and Elsa, Henry could do nothing but follow.

************************************************

Evie was clinging to Henry as if her life depended on it. Just staying upright was an incredible feat, and to say they were going a snail’s pace around the rink was an understatement.

“Whoa - oooh - woah!” Evie cried out as her feet slid back and forth beneath her. Her grip tightened on the collar of Henry’s coat.

“Careful!” he cried, wrapping his arms tight around her waist. “You’ll take me with you!”

“I take it back,” she muttered into her shirt, “building a snowman is a piece of cake compared to this.”

“You know,” he said against her hair, “it’s easier to skate going forwards.”

Still pressed against his chest, she tilted her face to look up at him. Her face was flushed, and wisps of her auburn hair had come free of her low ponytail. The green of the beanie on her head made the green in her eyes brighter, and even though there seemed to be a thousand layers of clothes between them, he was keenly aware of every one of her curves.

“So,” she said with a grin, “how do I turn around without falling on my ass?”

He suddenly realized he had a goofy grin plastered on his own face, and quickly cleared his throat. ”Um, very carefully?”

She rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the detailed instructions, Scott Moir.”

“If that makes you Tessa Virtue, I beg to differ.”

“Ha, ha, can you just help me face the other way, smart ass?”

He frowned down at her. ”Actually, I think it would be easier if I turned around.” He loosened his hold on her and then slowly let go with his left while keeping a firm grip on her with his right. “Don’t move,” he warned her as he pivoted. He tucked her into his side. “There, see?”

She wasn’t looking at him, but down at her feet. “Now how do I move?” she whispered as if talking too loud would sent her feet flying out from under her.

“The way my mom taught me is to pretend like your marching, only with tiny steps.”

“Which mom?”

“Does it matter?” Henry laughed. “It was Regina. Now, try it.”

Of course, he also had cursed memories of Emma teaching him. In his mind, those false memories still felt real. He cleared his throat to push the thought away as he watched Evie tentatively shift her feet back and forth.

“See, you’ve got it!”

Apparently, he had spoken too soon. Maybe there was a dip in the ice. Maybe it was the shock of Gideon Gold flying past at top speed. Maybe it was simply a sudden lack of balance. Whatever it was, Evie’s feet flew out from under her as a scream tore from her mouth. Henry moved to catch her, but her iron grip on his coat brought him down with her. He took the brunt of the fall and cushioned Evie’s landing.

Luckily, hysterical laughter poured out of her mouth. Henry let out a breath of relief, even as pain shot up his hip. Her laughter was contagious, and soon they were both breathless with it. Evie rolled off him and onto the ice, holding her side as she attempted to calm down. Henry rolled over to look down at her, his hand ghosting over her head, and then down her arm.

“Are you okay?”

“Me?” Evie gasped, laughter still spilling from her lips. “I landed on top of you!”

“As small as you are?” Henry teased. “You just knocked a little wind out of me.”

“Shut up with the short jokes,” she told him, smacking him lightly in the chest.

Without thinking, he grasped her hand and pressed it to his chest. They were both wearing mittens, but his heart still thudded. His gaze drifted from her eyes, those flecks of gold now shining merrily, and down to her lips. They were pink from the cold, but still full, and -

“Henry?”

“Yes?”

“The ice is kind of wet.”

“Oh,” he said, a blush filling his face as he scrambled to his knees. He helped her up, and once again she was clinging to the front of him, her nose buried in his coat.

“I think I’ll stay right here this time,” she told him.

That was definitely fine with him. The thought came unbidden, and Henry suddenly knew that his feelings for Evangeline Crawford went far deeper than friendship. But could he really expect to win this woman’s heart when every other word out of his mouth was a lie?

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

Here’s a list of the Hallmark related holiday films that are apart of Jingle in July on the Hallmark Movies Now streaming app.

Angels & Ornaments (2014) Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

Catch a Christmas Star (2013) Hallmark Channel

Finding Father Christmas (2016) Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

Broadcasting Christmas (2016) Hallmark Channel

Fallen Angel (2005) Hallmark Hall of Fame

Gift of the Magi (2010) Hallmark Channel

Have a Little Faith (2011) Hallmark Hall of Fame

The Note (2007) Hallmark Channel

The National Tree (2009) Hallmark Channel

Northpole (2014) Hallmark Channel

November Christmas (2010) Hallmark Hall of Fame

An Old Fashioned Christmas (2010) Hallmark Channel

The Santa Suit (2010) Hallmark Channel

A Season of Miracles (1995) Hallmark Hall of Fame

Silent Night (200) Hallmark Channel

Silver Bells (2905) Hallmark Hall of Fame

Three Wise Women (2010) Hallmark Channel

Angels Sing (2013) Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas (2014) Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

Cancel Christmas (2009) Hallmark Channel

It’s Christmas, Carol (2012) Hallmark Channel

The Wishing Tree (2012) Hallmark Channel

Baby’s First Christmas (2012) Hallmark Channel

Battle of the Bulbs (2010) Hallmark Channel

The Case for Christmas (2011) Hallmark Channel

Christmas in Canaan (2009) Hallmark Channel

Christmas Comes Home to Canaan (2011) Hallmark Channel

Mr. Miracle (2014) Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

A Dog Named Christmas (2009) Hallmark Hall of Fame

[woodworkingpastor]

Whose time is it? -- Matthew 2:1-18 -- Sunday, January 2, 2022

Do you ever wonder what people are thinking about when they hear Christmas hymns on secular radio stations? The hymnal is a treasure-trove of theology, and Christmas hymns are some of the richest examples of that. So it makes me wonder what people are thinking when they’re driving down 581 singing versions of hymns that we sing in worship; perhaps singing lyrics like “this is the night of our dear Savior’s birth” along with Josh Groban or Celine Dion. What do people with no real sense of their need of a Savior think about when they hear that song? Does it awaken something deep within their soul? Or does it get filed away into the same compartment as I’ll be home for Christmas and Frosty the Snowman—simply one more accoutrement of a sentimental holiday season?

We are past Christmas on the “Hallmark Calendar” but not yet past it on the liturgical calendar, so we have this one more Sunday to give these things some consideration. I will confess that I’m cheating with the texts today—I chose the texts for Epiphany (January 6) instead of the texts for this Sunday so that we could look at this portion of Scripture—one that is both familiar and terrible. It also explains why on Christmas Eve the wise men from our nativity set were in the back yard and not in the Outdoor Chapel—they don’t arrive until later.

Matthew’s telling of the wise men’s visit calls to mind the hymn We Three Kings. This is a hymn that I enjoyed singing as a child with my home congregation—#141 in the red hymnal. I’m not exactly sure what it is about this hymn that made me enjoy it as a child; it may have had something to do with the fact that my home congregation was not the most musical group of people, and even though we dutifully sang three hymns plus the doxology in worship each Sunday, even as a child I knew the singing during Christmastime was going to be better. That fact might have simply burned these Christmas hymns deep within my soul, an enjoyment that continues to this day.

The theology of the hymn

We three kings is a great hymn, even though the hymn writer makes the common—and likely mistaken—assumption that there were three kings. That detail is recorded nowhere in the Bible; it is simply assumed that if there were three gifts, there must have been three kings. Some devotional resources even go so far as to name the kings (Gaspard, Melchior, and Balthazar).

This hymn and its tune offer us a gift in their simplicity. The three beats per measure are an interesting musical choice. Normally songs in “three” make us want to waltz. But this one doesn’t quite get there. One article I read on this hymn notes a heaviness or weightiness to the tempo, inviting us to consider how we would feel as a long journey kept going on and on. Do you remember those long trips in the backseat of your parent’s car when you were driving to Christmas celebrations, listening to the tires run over the expansion joints in the concrete as the miles went by: ca-chunk, ca-chunk, ca-chunk? Important things are waiting at the end, but those miles in the middle—no matter how necessary they are—can get looooong. I have a friend who grew up in St. Louis whose family made an annual trip to visit relatives in Denver. She described the trip like this:

Get in the car

Drive 1.5 miles to I-70.

Drive for 12 hours.

Exit I-70

Drive 1.5 miles to grandma’s house.

Get out of the car.

The lyrics of We three kings present the hymn’s theology in a very straightforward manner, doing the hard work of Biblical interpretation for us:

There are gifts of gold (v. 2) and frankincense (v. 3), because these Magi from the East recognize Jesus as a king.

It’s the myrrh that is out of character; right here in Jesus’ Epiphany, we are already tipped off about where his life is heading. We’ve barely put the Christmas decorations away and already we are on the journey to Good Friday:

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom; sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

The wise men’s gifts foreshadow the coming work of this king, the true king. How many people who listen to our local “Christmas station” have Holy Week on their mind when a Christmas hymn is squeezed in between Frosty the Snowman and Santa Baby?

A king with competition

The hymn text’s theological weight tells us who Jesus is, lest we get sidetracked by sentimental feelings. But the important contribution of this Scripture text (at least the first portion of it) is how it tells us who Herod is.

Matthew goes to great lengths to remind us that the Kingdom of God exists in contested time and space. In the time of King Herod is a reminder that when Jesus enters the scene there are real issues that must be contended with. We’re just three chapters from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus reminds us to “love our enemies.” We know this to be more than sentimental platitude because Jesus had enemies from his infancy. In the world as it exists we will encounter real enemies who will use their power and their authority to shape the world according to their own making. And so when these wise men from the east show up in Jerusalem and start asking questions about the child who has been born king of the Jews, news inevitably travels the short distance to the ears of the one who currently was king of the Jews, the evil King Herod.

Ours is a faith that refuses to be made private; we follow Jesus in the midst of wars and rumors of wars, violence on our streets and in our homes, the needs of those who live in poverty, the challenges faced by those who juggle raising children, loving grandchildren, caring for aging parents, navigating a pandemic, and managing a career, mortgage, and student loan payments. Faith is its own entity in times when others place demands on us.

But when King Herod heard this, he was frightened (v. 3). This is an unexpected turn in the story. Why was Herod frightened? Probably because of his great paranoia against anyone who might make a claim against his throne. Herod’s paranoia about losing his power was so great that he had one of his wives and several of his sons murdered because he thought they were plotting against him. For all Herod knows there is another revolt being planned in some dark alley of Jerusalem and this child could be the one that removes him from power.

But Herod is not the only one who is afraid; Matthew tells us that all Jerusalem [was] with him in this fear. The residents of Jerusalem knew the power and paranoia of this man; it is said that Caesar Augustus observed that it was safer to be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son. As the current Jewish king, Herod could not eat pork, so his pigs were safer than his family!

It turns out the residents of Jerusalem were right to be afraid because Herod’s so-called wish to worship the child was a ruse. It wouldn’t be long before the full extent of that lie became apparent as Herod orders all the children of Bethlehem under the age of two to be killed. If we only celebrate the Hallmark version of Christmas, then we will never read this story; we would have already moved on to New Year’s Resolutions and reflections on how we hope 2022 will be better than 2021. But the so-called massacre of the infants in Matthew 2:16-18 is a significant part of the Christmas story because we live in a world where even little children can be seen as a threat. Every year on Christmas Day my Facebook memories reminds me of an article I wrote for the Roanoke Times about the kidnapped Chibook girls from Nigeria; an article that appeared in the paper on Christmas Day. Children used as pawns in war.

An angelic GPS map

It is the angels who come to Jesus’ rescue once again. We love the angels on Christmas Eve, but here too we benefit from expanding our understanding of Christmas. Jesus’ birth and earliest years keeps the angelic messengers quite busy, for they see the danger that is emerging and appear to the wise men, warning them not to return to Herod, but instead make a hasty exist out of town, then telling Joseph to do the same.

This story of wise men and gifts and a tyrannical king and angels brings proper end to the Christmas story—and sets us up to move forward with our opportunity to depart by another road. In our own Christmas celebrations we have followed the lead of the wise men and both given and received gifts. We’ve collected postage stamps and note cards for those in prison; donated mittens and hats for children at the Rescue Mission; and made other special offerings to ministries and charities important to us. We also have the opportunity to serve Jesus in another way, as we depart by another road. We can reject the temptation to grasp for power, to dominate others, to refuse forgiveness. Following “another road” will lead us into the Kingdom of God.

[riverdamien]

Epiphany and epiphanies

Epiphany and epiphanies

Matthew 2:1-12

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    Epiphany with an upper-class E is the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the world--a Star, journey from the east, gifts, and a warning obeyed. But in this year, when the coronavirus snakes its way into our homes, our communities, our workplaces, and our parishes, my thoughts turn to lower-case epiphanies defined by Merriam-Webster as moments of sudden revelation, intuitive grasp of reality, a revealing scene or moment. All of us have experienced such.

    The red rose symbolizes such an epiphany. For years we have kept one on our desk to remind us of the blood of Jesus, the Crucified Jesus, and the healing power Jesus brought through his crucifixion.

    The red rose is a symbol of following Jesus in giving our lives away for others.

    What epiphanies have the frightening pandemic offered us?

Greater appreciation of friends and families with whom we are unable to gather in person;

Awakening to the beauties of creation-winter sunsets over the ocean, the beautiful design of trees, all that we more closely observe in our walks on the beach, the woods, the desert, and mountain trails;

Time to spend in prayer and meditation which may lead to insights in  how to follow Jesus and an awareness of the real first Christmas, not the sanitized version, Hallmark version, but the scriptural story of exclusion, odorous animals, dirty shepherds, bloody birth--made more glorious and challenging by God's gift of Emmanuel;

An awareness of the pain and sacrifice of all first responders--store clerks, doctors, ministers, nurses, and all others who place their lives on the line for us. They expose themselves in service to us;

Perhaps we have a greater awareness of the hunger around us, 1 out of every 3 persons in the Bay Area goes hungry every night, and we find ways to help;

    And we all need to come to the realization that once we come out of the threat of this menacing pandemic, we must not try to return to "normal".

    Normal was a country of severe economic inequality, racism is woven into the cultural and institutional fibers of our nation, homelessness, people without health care, people suffering from severe mental illness without support.

    Normal was corporate power in the hands of a few, high rent, and political indifference to "the cries of the poor". It was the destruction of our ecology, in order to gain wealth and more.

    Once the biblical Magi realized that this star was different and unique, they acted; they set out on a journey that leads them to the true Epiphany, the Christ-Child, the rose who would shed his blood in service to humanity, in turn calling us to shed our blood in the way we live.

    May we act on pandemic epiphanies to assure that we do not return to "normal". Warned in a dream the Magi returned home "by another way."

    May we have a new heart to heed the warnings of a terrible virus in order to return to a post-pandemic life determined to follow the Rose in the giving of our lives to the creation of the life of "another way," lighted by justice, peace, mercy, and compassion, for ALL. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

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Fr. Christian River Damien Sims, sfw, D.Min., D.S.T.'

P.O. Box 642656

San Francisco, CA 94164

www.temenos.org