I don’t know if I have an increased sensitivity to it this year for some reason, or if it is really the case, but the Rt. Rev. Alan McDonald, current moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, seems to be higher profile in the popular press than any of his predecessors in that position.

He as been quite outspoken against the replacing of Trident ICBM submarines at naval bases in Scotland.  The Good News from yesterday carries the most recent account of his comments at public meetings, usually with leaders from other denominations.  This particular meeting was in London, so he does stray from Scotland for these comments.  There have been many articles in the Scottish and British press about his outspoken stand on this topic.

But now Rev. McDonald is being widely reported on for his comments about the commercialization of Christmas and the recovery of the true meaning of it.  The reports are covering a speech he gave to the organization Alternativity a week ago.  According to the news articles, Alternativity reaches out to the poor and forgotten in society to be sure they are not forgotten at Christmas time.

However, the reports of his comments, like those on the Christian Today web site, seem to focus on remembering those members of society who are frequently forgotten at Christmas.  Some examples from the Christian Today article:

“It is vital to encourage thoughts of the present and not to think only
of the kitsch Victorian Christmas card scene of Bethlehem… but to think
of Bethlehem today and for the peace that is so longed for”

“It is of great concern that so many people feel under pressure to
present the perfect Christmas. The poorest in our society, and women,
are particularly vulnerable at this time of year. Alternativity gives
people the confidence to take small steps away from the commercial
Christmas.”

The Sunday Herald makes a brief mention of Rev. McDonald’s comments in an article on “Christmas Creep” and another article in The Herald is completely devoted to the speech, noting that it got a “mixed reaction from retailers.”

Regarding the Moderator’s higher profile, it is interesting to see the increased coverage of the Church of Scotland.

About Rev. McDonald’s comments on Christmas, it is curious to see that the reports are on what the Herald calls the “values of Christmas.”  In none of these three articles is there specific mention of Jesus, the PERSON of Christmas.  I don’t know if this goes back to the original comments themselves or to the reporting on the comments, but it is a bit disturbing to me to see the “meaning of Christmas” reduced to the “values” and not the “incarnation.”  It is the “exhibition of the Kingdom” with out the “proclamation of the Gospel.”

My thoughts, take them for what they are worth.

A news article in yesterday’s Scotsman.com entitled “Don’t worry, be
happy — and healthy” talks about the depressed mood in Scotland and the
“Scottish Cringe.”  It focuses on Dr. Harry Burns, Scotland’s
chief medical officer, and the new campaign for happiness. 
Scotsman.com writes:

Last year, the [Scottish] Executive pledged £150,000 over three years to a new
Centre for Confidence and Well Being in Glasgow. The centre, run by the
“happiness tsar”, Carol Craig, is designed to encourage more positive
attitudes, individuality and innovation, as well as recognition of
success in Scotland.

And what is the cause of the negative attitudes in Scotland?  None
other than John Knox, the founder of the Church of Scotland, according to Dr. Burns.  As
Scotsman.com puts it in the leading paragraph:

SCOTLAND should throw off the burden of “doom and gloom” imposed by
Reformation preacher John Knox and pursue happiness for the sake of its
health, according to the country’s chief medical officer.

and again later in the article:

He added that the founder of the Church of Scotland was partly to blame for a certain negativity in Scots culture.

“I think John Knox has a heavy burden to bear … ‘Oh doom and gloom’.”

I will grant two things:  That a positive attitude does improve
your health and add years to your life expectancy.  And that while the
Scots Confession, that John Knox helped write, does not say much about activities on the Sabbath, the Westminster documents do, including Q61 on the Shorter Catechism:

Q. 61. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless
performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by
idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary
thoughts, words or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.

Yes, this is the same document that begins with the well known question “Q:What is the chief end of Man. A: To glorify God and enjoy him forever.”

Now I know that we are sometimes called the “frozen chosen” and we emphasize doing things “decently and in order,”  but we also recognize a tension between “ardor and order”  and being Presbyterian does not automatically equate to a negative mood!

But you don’t have to take my word for it.  If you check out the bottom of the article the Scotsman.com invites comments from their readers and the comments are being added quickly.  Those comments (posted so far) that mention Knox defend him, including one that points out he was trained and was influential in what is now the happiest country in the survey, Switzerland.  Many of the commenters point to centuries of British rule as the cause of the bad mood, not the Presbyterian state religion.  And a few even point out that the decrease in happiness parallels a decrease in the attenders of the Church of Scotland.

So, Dr. Burns may blame “Johnny Knox,” but it doesn’t seem that anyone else wants to.