rwjx2khsmj Posted December 13, 2010 Author Share Posted December 13, 2010 Was there a tie in with the sermon? Was it to make a point? . The communion was given following the Christmas program. Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves were all in the program and stayed to serve communion and take up the offering afterward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I would be very uncomfortable. It does seem very irreverant. Santa acting as usher, Santa passing the collection plate, Santa doing the children's Sunday School, eh. Santa serving communion? The others (usher &tc) would make me uncomfortable too, but Santa serving communion would make me want to have some clearance between me and them... just in case there was lightening involved. Joking aside, I don't believe I would have taken communion... I am not sure I would have stayed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Santa serving communion would make me want to have some clearance between me and them... just in case there was lightning involved. :lol::lol::lol: Though I do think God has bigger fish to fry in this world. Tackiness has got to be pretty far down the list of smite-worthy sins :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pqr Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I don't think I could bring myself to take Communion from Santa. Actually I know I would have walked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 :lol::lol::lol: Though I do think God has bigger fish to fry in this world. Tackiness has got to be pretty far down the list of smite-worthy sins :D I'm leaning more towards mocking than tackiness....... All the same, it was a joke ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Although I do have to say that our priest often gets mistaken for Santa Claus with his white bushy beard! He says this time of year he'll be ... wherever ... and kids will come up to him and with big eyes ask, "Are you Santa Claus?" To which he'll reply, "No ... but he is a good friend of mine." (Referring to St. Nicholas.) :001_smile: Our last church attracted several homeless guys. Our pastor used to comment that word must have gotten out that we weren't going to send them away packing. One of them was an older guy named Steve who had long white hair and a long white beard. My youngest caught sight of him one day in December at the coffee and pastry time between services. My son grabbed my hand and whispered, "What is he doing here?" I told him that it was the time of year that everyone wanted to worship Jesus. This man was probably in his 60s and really did look like Santa in an aloha shirt and sandals. He wasn't all together in the head and was fighting some addictions (or their after effects). But he liked to come to church on Sunday and sing and praise with his hands up. As our pastor used to say, it was hard to criticize him for coming in and doing what we all ought to do. Steve and his friends were a good reminder to me that we're all broken in the eyes of God and that I really don't have it going as much as I might want to think I do. One of the homeless guys confided to a friend of mine that he timed his meth hits so that he'd be least under the influence during services. Another guy was young, maybe 18-19 and liked to come and listen in to Awanas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 The communion was given following the Christmas program. Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves were all in the program and stayed to serve communion and take up the offering afterward. Well the Santa thing wouldn't have bothered me. But after reading the above, I'm sort of bothered by everyone's response. Didn't you say you were just visiting this church? So you don't know who the players are or who has usual roles doing what during the service? Usually the people that most often volunteer and are willing to do things like be in a program, embaress themselves by dressing up as Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves are the people who are usually very involved in the church. Usually the kind of people who would NORMALLY be serving communion and helping out. Did you ever stop to think it wasn't supposed to be "Hey look, we're so cool and relaxed we even let Santa serve communion" but maybe it was Good Old Joe, who will do whatever the leadership committee asks him to do to help out, even dressing up as Santa. And Good Old Joe, NORMALLY is one of the main people who serve communion. This time he was just still in outfit. Maybe he didn't have time to change. Maybe leaving to change would have left them short handed because maybe they had lots of extra people and visitors today. Maybe, maybe, maybe. If they'd just done a program and he was dressed as Jesus or Joesph, and still wearing his costume would you have been bothered then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockey Mom Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 The communion was given following the Christmas program. Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves were all in the program and stayed to serve communion and take up the offering afterward. And it makes even more sense now. :) I would have been more annoyed having to wait for a costume change. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Ds says that St. Nicholaus is a Bishop! Times like this it's good to Be Anglican! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 The communion was given following the Christmas program. Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves were all in the program and stayed to serve communion and take up the offering afterward. Wait! So these people were serving their church in a Christmas program...that lead into a time of communion...where they continued to serve. If that isn't a beautiful image of Cristianity, I'm not sure what is!!!! Jesus came in an unusual package to show us how to serve...and "Santa" was just modeling what his savior did. I'm a bit shocked right now...we must all have hit the eggnog a bit early this year ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Ds says that St. Nicholaus is a Bishop! Times like this it's good to Be Anglican! :lol:Hee hee! It all works out in the end! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 It at least makes sense now (at least as much sense as incorporating Santa into a church program can make ;) ). I would hardly call saying it would bother me an extreme or shocking reaction, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I find that quite appalling actually. In my church only the ordained elders serve communion and I'm pretty sure Santa is not one of them.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Wouldn't bother me. We're Catholic by the way. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Seems too much like mocking the Sacrament to me. I would not be OK with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 :lol::lol::lol: Though I do think God has bigger fish to fry in this world. Tackiness has got to be pretty far down the list of smite-worthy sins :D Tell that to Aaron's sons.;) The clarification bothers me even more, actually. I would likely not stay through a worship service that include the Clauses and elves. A worship service is not the place for entertainment. It is a place for reverent, God focussed worship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Yes. I would be bothered. I don't think I would partake. If I was visiting, I wouldn't return. It strikes me as disrespectful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I have no problem with Santa as a character. I'd have no problem with a Santa in the lobby of a church handing out cookies to the kids or whatever. But he doesn't belong in the communion service. I would seriously question the church leadership's judgement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I. Am. Appalled. . :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Tell that to Aaron's sons.;) Weren't they killed because they tried to overstep their authority? That's the interpretation I remember hearing given for Leviticus 10 (the "unauthorized fire" bit). Not exactly the same thing as tackiness... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Weren't they killed because they tried to overstep their authority? That's the interpretation I remember hearing given for Leviticus 10 (the "unauthorized fire" bit). Not exactly the same thing as tackiness... No, I don't think so. They were killed because they offered "strange fire" that the Lord had not commanded. In other words, we can't just invent "creative" ways to worship the Lord of the Universe. I don't think Santa serving communion is tacky. I think it's irreverent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I am not Christian and I don't go to church but I think that would leave even me feeling a little Alice in Wonderlandish. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyCrazyMama Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 The communion was given following the Christmas program. Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves were all in the program and stayed to serve communion and take up the offering afterward. So Santa was part of the Christmas program in church? How did they spin that? It seems odd to me that a church Christmas program included Santa, elves, etc. at all.:confused: (Not that I have a problem with that but it's different :001_huh:) I votes yes, it would bother me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I'm in the camp that says that's beyond tacky and deep in the realm of irreverent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 (edited) Wow. At the moment when one is to MOST have their mind on Christ and his shed blood on the cross for our sins and they serve up Santa? I am beyond shocked. I'm absolutely speechless. :iagree::iagree::iagree: Edited December 13, 2010 by Alessandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southcarolinamom Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Santa is a myth, Jesus Christ is not. I wouldn't want to mix the two together, for young children's sake ....it could send the wrong message, i.e. "Santa is real" "Christ is real" -- and then a few years go by, children mature, and then realize Santa isn't real, .... ergo ... Christ may not be real to them. That would break my heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Some have posted that if you are focused on who is giving you communion rather than God you probably shouldn't be taking communion. While this is true, it is the church's responsibility to draw attention to God, not to the individual giving communion. I find it difficult to believe that having a communion server dressed in a Santa costume helps the congregation focus on God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 I thought this thread had gone away :D. But just wanted to add...last Sun we went to church and when it came time to serve communion one of the servers was a young adult wearing a Santa hat! Dh and I just grinned!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 (edited) I would not have wanted a lot of Santa and the Elves in church to start with. I distinguish between the Divine Service and a Christmas program. Strongly. If they are doing a play, it's a play. If it's a Divine Service, it's a Divine Service. You do not just tack Holy Communion onto the end of a play. Ever. It's too significant and precious for that. This church's leadership is very, very confused if they can do such a thing. I would be inclined to take this as an indication that the theology there is seriously flawed. That they don't know/teach the significance of Holy Communion properly, and also that they don't have a decent theology of worship. My inclination would be to go and talk with the Pastor(s) about my concerns after the new year, gently and lovingly, but also not to return there for worship or any teaching, especially with children along. And, BTW, I write and direct my church's Sunday School Christmas Service every year. The children are all clear that this is a worship service, that we are reverent in church, that even when acting they have the privilege and responsibility to proclaim the Word of God properly, and that they should not expect applause, because this is not a drama but rather a worship service. The adults sing hymns that fit the service. The Pastor preaches as part of the service. It is not the normal liturgy, but it does proclaim the Word of God clearly and beautifully and reverently. And it never includes Holy Communion, because it doesn't go through the Sacramental liturgy. It's not that I oppose Christmas plays. Edited December 23, 2010 by Carol in Cal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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