What is Advent? (Part 1)
I love the season of Advent in the Christian liturgical calendar. It gives us the opportunity to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ from two different perspectives. One perspective looks back at how the Messiah came into the world humbly and as an infant to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). The other perspective looks forward to him returning a second time as a conquering king to make all things new (Revelation 21:5).
Advent is traditionally observed with a selection of Bible readings and prayers along with a wreath and four candles that signify hope, faith, joy, and peace respectively. Often, there is a fifth candle placed at the center of the wreath called the Christ candle, and it signifies Jesus’ love and/or light. My family has made it a practice to observe Advent in this way, and it has helped us remain focused on the reason for the season.
Several years ago, our local church chose to observe Advent differently. Our desire was to push back against the cultural pressures that we often feel around this time of year. We joined other Christians around the world in a movement to rethink Christmas called the “Advent Conspiracy.”
That’s a funny phrase, isn’t it? The word “conspiracy” means a secret plot or plan, usually by a powerful person or a group of people. In this case, I’m referring to the Lord’s plan to redeem and restore his creation from slavery to sin and death, and from living under the control of the evil one. He conspired through Jesus to bring good news to the afflicted, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners (Isaiah 61:1). He conspired to begin the process of redemption through the life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God. He conspired to continue the process through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). He conspires to complete the process upon Jesus’ return. Therefore, Advent begins and ends with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is God’s greatest gift to meet our greatest need.
This Good News should fill us with joy, wonder, purpose, and peace. But somehow during this time of year, we are tempted to spend more and worship less. The world’s promises in December lead to debt and regret in January, and we somehow enter the new year mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained.
Jesus wants us to live free from such entanglements. In the Advent Conspiracy, we conspire to overcome the cultural weight of them by worshiping fully, spending less, giving more, and loving all.
We worship fully when we worship God with all that we are and all that we have. Part of that is lifting our voices to God in praise and prayer. But it also includes any number of other responses to God such as love, rest, gratitude, humility, generosity, obedience, play, and more.
We spend less when we understand that sometimes less is more. Specifically, spending less is more about our mentality toward stuff than about the amount of money we spend. Many of us don’t need more stuff. So, spending less is more about simplifying life, practicing contentment, good stewardship, and freeing up or saving up resources to serve others through generosity and sacrifice.
We give more when we recognize that the best gifts celebrate our relationships with God and others. Giving more means giving in love, giving meaningfully, and giving our presence like Jesus does. Giving our presence—giving of ourselves—is much more meaningful than giving presents.
We love all when we love others like Christ loved us. He came near. He entered our mess, and he gave us his best. So, to love others in the same way, we will want to enter their mess and give our best. Our service will probably require sacrifice. Jesus’ service certainly did.
Finally, we receive freely. That’s the invitation God has given us. Sometimes gifts are hard to receive because they aren’t wanted. It’s hard to receive underwear from your parents, a vacuum cleaner from your husband, or a membership to the Fruit of the Month club from just about anybody.
And sometimes gifts are hard to receive because they aren’t needed. A couple of years ago I made known to everybody that I didn’t need another baseball cap or hoodie. They were stacked up on a shelf in my closet. I told people, “I’m good. Really.”
But, in Jesus Christ we must receive freely. “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:9-13). In Jesus Christ, we’ve been given our greatest gift to meet our greatest need. We are to receive him freely.
During this season of Advent, I plan to write more on what it could look like for us to worship fully, spend less, give more, love all, and receive freely. In the meantime, I encourage you to consider one of those things that you would like to focus on and lean into it. What choices could you make right now to ensure you are living freely in this season?
For more information on the Advent Conspiracy, you can go to www.adventconspiracy.org.