Christmas 1857 was not a very happy one in the Gosse household. Philip, an eminent Victorian Zoologist and Puritan, had come to the conclusion that Christmas should be celebrated free from all its pagan trappings. He gave strict instructions that no difference whatever should be made to the meals on that day. The servants rebelled to the extent of making a small plum pudding for themselves. They felt so sorry for Philip's young son Edmund that they enticed him into the kitchen where he ate a slice of the rich concoction. Unfortunately it gave him a pain. His conscience smote him and unable to contain himself any longer finally blurted out to his father, "Oh! Papa, Papa, I have eaten of flesh offered to idols." After cross-examining his son Philip Goss was soon aware of the plum pudding in the kitchen. Grabbing Edmund by the hand and crying out, "Where is the accursed thing?", he rushed into the kitchen, grabbed the paltry remnant and ran to dust heap where the idolatrous concoction was consigned violently to the ashes.

Our reaction to this sad incident is surely to say, "What a silly man!" Philip Goss was taking the fun out of Christmas for his servants, his son and probably, if the truth be known, himself. Silly hats, fairy lights, crackers, mistletoe, holly, paper chains, cards and mince tarts are not of the essence of Christmas but they do make a small contribution towards its pleasure. It should be possible to reverence and worship the essence, the boy child, and enjoy the peripheral non-essentials.

Jesus was confronted by critics who wished to deny his disciples their happy times with him. The disciples had given up everything to follow Christ and although it was not always easy to remain loyal it was quite often exhilarating to be with him. When the Pharisees suggested that Jesus and his followers should cut out the eating and drinking, the animated fellowship over a good meal, he responded with a short parable, "No-one in their right mind," says Jesus, "Cuts up a new coat to patch an old one. That would ruin both. Don't be silly."

It is foolish to take the fun out of following Jesus - to remove the gilt from the gingerbread.

Many youngsters have been turned off Christianity because Sunday was such an excruciatingly dull day. I must confess that as a small boy Sunday was the worst day of my week and I was not particularly strictly brought up. It was the only day that I suffered from boredom. I got so depressed it bought on my asthma. In the end my father relented and let me do homework in the afternoon. I would have been happier playing football on the village green. I would have been better playing football than struggling for breath in my bedroom. It is silly to make Sunday a penance for children.

An equally perverse tendency has been to take the fun out of worship. It really is appalling that church services are so tedious. On the whole the dullest services are those where participation by the congregation is severely restricted by the predominance of the preacher. I sometimes think that Christians meet together to facilitate the worship of one man - the preacher. Long, long, sermons of mediocre quality that even squeeze out hymn singing definitely take the gilt off the gingerbread. The fun service at our church is the prayer meeting where the pastor speaks for ten minutes and nearly everyone plays some part.

It is foolish to be so earnest in Christian service that you never have any fun in life. This was not the practice of Jesus. He could always find time for a party, a cruise on the lake and a walk in the mountains. Even Paul must have found his long journeys therapeutic.

It is the height of folly for any clergyman or pastor to work so hard that they have no fun with their family or friends. Stress of work is entirely avoidable. The tendency to take on too much may be grounded in pride. A man may be driven by the desire for success or the determination to remain successful. Jesus said, "Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart." Mt11v28. Jesus did not complain of stress!

It is safe to call Christians sinners but it is a brave man who accuses them of being silly. Perhaps that is because whereas we are all sinners some are a lot sillier than others!

Go to Luke5v37 LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE