Virtual Methodist

At this time of year the newspapers usually come up with a story about some cleric who has disabused children of the existence of Santa and his place in the Christmas story... "Spoil Sport Vicar Equates Santa with Satan!" and that sort of thing... It goes hand in hand with the "Keep Christ in Christmas" stuff that also starts circulating from late November on... This year, not only did a couple of blogs kick back against the "Keep Christ in Christmas" thing, with  "Keep Chi in Xmas" , which I posted on facebook this time last month, but there was also at least one post offering a partial rehabilitation of old St. Nick... But thanks to my friend Lynda Gould, I also came across, on facebook, the following "Anti-Santy Rant" by Glen Scrivener which offers a reflection on our attitude to God and Jesus in the light of our attitude to Santa Claus... You can see a version with Glen Scrivener delivering it to camera, here ... But this is t...

A few days ago I overheard this conversation which Sally later posted as her fb status update: Sally: So do you think Santa is a real person? Ciaran: What?? You can't disprove Santa is real. Well you can, but then you would crush my childhood dreams and I will bring Childline down on your head like a hurricane. Everyday life in the Campton household. Anyway, a few days before I overheard another conversation on a bus which included the line: "I gave up believing in God shortly after I gave up believing in Santa and the Tooth Fairy." I'm sure you've come across similar, and if not, spend 5 minutes looking at the comments on many "Christian" contributions to YouTube or other open-access Christian website. Such an attitude to the idea of God reflects more on our "consumerist" attitude to God... he's there to bless us and to turn painful experiences (like losing a tooth) into gain (hopefully financial!). If you want to start de...

Now I'm not one of the "Have you not noticed that Santa is an anagram of Satan"-brigade, indeed, I have donned the red suit and beard on more than one occasion (terrifying numerous kids in the process), but we must keep Santa in his proper place mustn't we! And that place clearly is in a very tasteful tree decoration which shows him bowing the knee before the Baby Jesus... Everyone say "Ah!" Cheers