The Santa Rant

I hate Santa.

You may think that's a little harsh but it is absolutely genuinely true.  I hate Santa.. I love Christmas but I hate Santa.

I bring this up now, on the 26th October to give you a chance. A chance to turn your back on Santa this Christmas.  I know that may seem like a crazy thought and I know that for many parents it is unthinkable but hear me out, maybe I will convince you.

1) Santa steals Christmas from Jesus.  As I have said; I love Christmas.  I love trees and carols and excited kids.  I love spending time with family, buying gifts and I especially love Christmas lights.  Jesus is the light of the world and to see the place lit up like...well like a Christmas tree in massive celebration of His arrival thrills me.  Unfortunately Santa Claus wants the credit for Christmas to go to him and not the Saviour of the world.  Schools, homes and even churches give far to much time to the Santa myth to the point where many children of primary school age see him as the central figure to Christmas.  This is shameful.

2) Santa steals Christmas from families.  Think about it, parents indulge their kids at Christmas.  The buy them more toys than they could ever play with, let them eat all their favourite foods, take them on trips and try to make it as special as possible.  Yes, they do this because of the media pushing materialism and peer pressure (from their kids peers and from their own peers) but the main reason they do this is because they love their kids.  Rightly or wrongly their love for their children is manifested in the act of giving, in many cases sacrificial giving, and who gets the credit - Santa Claus.  'Wow', say the little Kids, 'look what Santa got me, I love Santa! Mum? Dad? What did you get me?'.  Reclaim Christmas for your family tell your kids that Santa doesn't love them but you do.

Everyone loves Santa?

3) There is no reason for Santa.  I can find no conceivable reason for continuing the Santa myth.  There is nothing good about it, nothing.  And don't give me all that 'magical time for kids, let them have their innocent wonderment' nonsense. It is a flat out harmful lie.  If you want your kids to be filled with wonderment at Christmas time, tell them the story of the king of the world who came to be born in a stable.  Tell them about the angels heralding Him in, about the shepherds who came to see His, the wise men who travelled hundreds of miles to worship Him (find the Christmas story here).  Tell them the story of Jesus, tell it accurately and they will be amazed.

There are many other reasons for hating Santa, I just don't have space here but I'm sure you could think of a few.

Christmas does not need a tacky false lie stuck on the end of it to make it a good time.  If you choose to celebrate Christmas do it truthfully and it will be beautiful and love-filled.  Sure your kids might take a week to get their heads round the fact (note the word fact) that Santa is the product of the Coca-cola company, but they had to find that out someday anyway and they'll not care half as much as you think they will.

So here's my advice.  Tell your kids that Santa didn't come through for them, it turns out he doesn't love little boys and girls after all. But they are not to worry because the people who really do love them are here and will make this year truly special by allowing Christmas to be Christmas.

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Maybe you agree with me, maybe you don't, I'd love to hear your point of view. You can also express yourself by voting in the poll in the sidebar.  >>

Happy Days

A recent survey revealed that six out of seven dwarves aren't happy.

Happiness is a strange concept, everyone is striving for it but it seems very few find it.  Or at least few can hold on to it for any length of time.  There are books and T.V. programmes and 'experts' telling us the secret to happiness and even the American Constitution has the 'Pursuit of Happyness' at it's core.

So what is it? Beats me. Don't get me wrong, I'm a happy sort of person (although I'm prone to bouts of grumpiness, frustration and anxiety too), but I have never experienced a happy feeling for a prolonged period without one of those other pesky emotions getting in the way.

Joy,on the other hand, is entirely achievable. Joy is easy. Joy doesn't rely on the happy feelings, in fact joy can be experienced in the darkest of times. To be joyful means to be content in the fact (not just the feeling) that you are in the right place doing the right thing. Even if that thing is desparately sad or extremely perilous.

A friend of mine who passed away recently, Mina Mudd, was full of joy.  Even in the face of illness and death she never once lost sight of her hope in Jesus.  She knew, knew, that she was sustained by God and He was working things out in her life just how He wanted them. At times she was happy, no doubt about that but she was always joyful. I will miss Mina, many people will.

This joy is only available from one person, Jesus Christ.  In summery, don't worry, be joyful.

'I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.'   John 17:13

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Here's a band that express their joy in the Lord very well.  This song in particular will leave you felling up beat (I hope). Others they write will encourage you with their words and I recommend you check those out too.  This song however, expresses well the emotion of knowing you are sustained by God. I hope you enjoy it.

Rend Collective experiment; Movements.

Eighty-Two Percent

82% of people who don't attend church regularly said they are likely to go to a church service if they were invited by someone they know. 82 percent!  I read that statistic recently in book.  The author, Thom S. Rainer, had surveyed a large sample of people that don't attend church on a regular basis and this is the conclusion he came to.

I'm not sure I believe it. That would mean that people are just not inviting other people to church. 

Maybe we need to remember that church is very much worth going to.  We focus so often on negative stuff; 'it's boring', 'the music can be a bit naff', 'we do weird stuff like pray and sing and listen to talks'.  In reality though church is brilliant. Anyone can go (for free) ,you can hear about someone who can transform your life for the better, and you are loved there. Church is simply brilliant.

I know that every church has it's issues and I have yet to find one that is perfect or anywhere near it but it is still brilliant.

Yesterday a friend of mine came to church disturbed.  Something wasn't right with her.  By the time she left she had allowed Jesus to take the lead in her life saying to him, 'Please, be my Lord'.  She told me that she felt a sense of peace. Church didn't do that for her but church is a place where people can hear about that peace and are pointed to Jesus.

Our God is an amazing God and He has chosen to use the church with all it's weakness and failings to tell the world about Himself.  If you are one of the 82% I want to apologise to you.  I want to say sorry if I personally have had the opportunity to invite you to church and haven't.  We Christians can at times be a bit useless when it comes to doing the right thing. Don't let that put you off though.  Invite yourself.  Tell that church-goer you know that you are interested, that you want to give it a go, that you will go with them if they'll let you.

Those of us who call Christ our own need to open our mouths more, don't be ashamed of your Saviour or His people.  We should be able to say, 'I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes'. (Romans 1:16)