‘You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town. He’s making a list, and checking it twice; he’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice, Santa Claus is coming to town. He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!’
Either read out those lyrics from the Christmas song ‘Santa Claus is coming to town’ or play your favourite version (we like The Jackson 5 version). Ask the young people to imagine they are Father Christmas.
• Who goes on your naughty list and who goes on your nice list? On what basis do you put people on each list?
• What level of ‘niceness’ does a child have to achieve before you give them a brand new Xbox or PlayStation?
• Do you actively punish the naughty child? What’s the worst present you can give them? (e.g. a broken Playstation 1 in a Playstation 4 box.)
Tell the young people they have the option to accept the judgement of Santa Claus. If he deems them ‘nice’ they will get a great present, ‘naughty’ and they will lose any presents they were due to get at Christmas. Would they take Santa’s judgement? Ask them if they would change their minds if Santa produced a report with a list of naughty and nice things they’d done in the last year and made it publicly available? Would the world be a better or worse place if Santa Claus was real and handed out presents on the basis of naughty or niceness?
Either read out the first lines from ‘Joy to the world’ or play your favourite version (we like Sufjan Steven’s version on Songs for Christmas, Vol. 4). ‘Joy to the world! The Lord is come, let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing.’
Ask your young people:
• Why do you think the world should be happy that Jesus has come?
• Does Jesus give himself to the world based on people’s behaviour?
Read Luke 5:30-32: ‘And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”’
• How is Jesus different from Father Christmas?
• Does Jesus care about our behaviour? And if so, how is this different from how Father Christmas views our behaviour?
