Coffee House

For some time when I was much younger I was under the impression that I was attending a coffee school. I could see no other way of reading the letters "CofE School" my mother had written on my minimal work books. It was the first school I had ever attended and although I failed to see the relevance of the coffee inference, I took it in my inocent and short trousered stride as something that would no doubt become clear in time. My reading skills were also minimal, but later on I learnt the proper meaning of the "Church of England" reference. Much about my school routine was explained, not least the incessant dribbling speeches from a local vicar. The front rows at these assemblies where we smalls sat cross legged on the floor were singularly hazardous as they fell well within the splash zone. The said vicar did his Christian ;best to staunch the flow with a well placed handcerchief, but there were always moments where some point required a two handed gesture that would leave the gates unguarded. We were very attentive to the hand movements, as you can imagine, but perhaps the distraction meant that much of his meaning literally passed over our heads.

Moving on to the present day, yestereve we were watching an Episode of a TV show called "House", it ended with one of the crew of characters mentioning rather dramatically that he would be wanting 30 pieces of silver. I was pleased to find my son entirely ignorant of his meaning. I duly explained a little about the stories of betrayal, guilt and suffering that form an unhealthy crust on the seabed of Christianity for we who attended a smattering of Sunday school in our youth. I hope such "stories" will remain just that for my children, little more than a hint of froth at the tips of the waves at the surface of the sunny oceans of their life. There is much that is highly creditable in the big book of Jesus stories, but I don't regret leaving them off of the list of bedtime reading for my offspring.
So far they are both doing fine coming to their own conclusions as to the inherent guilt or innocence of humanity without these guidelines, but I am a biased observer.
I am of course not trying to diminish my already slim panel of viewers by so rudely stating my views, and intend no offense in so doing. I am sure the modern Vicar is entirely leak proofed and full of enlightenment.