Monday Morning Update - Advent Conspiracy

I have been silent for many weeks, strongly impressed to keep my opinions about Advent Conspiracy to myself. In praying about posting Monday Morning Updates, I decided to wait and let others hear from God during this series without my opinions and thoughts weighing in on what God was telling them.

If you are asking, "What is Advent Conspiracy?" Well, it's a book, a movement, and a way of life. Chris Seay wrote a small book entitled Advent Conspiracy that has sparked believers to rethink the materialism at Christmas. Shawn spent several weeks walking through many of these principles with our congregation. You can find these principles and more information online at www.adventconspiracy.org.

We have long felt that we were missing something valuable in Christmas. The year that our children cried because they were tired of opening gifts sort of clued us in that we were missing the point. We love to shower our children with gifts to demonstrate our love, but then in a matter of weeks or months we are hauling off their discarded stuff to Goodwill. Every year we experience great stress attempting to find the perfect gifts for people who don't need or want any more stuff. Then there are the gifts that we buy out of obligation - for people we don't even really like. And then there are the bills - the massive piles of bills from going overboard with money we didn't really have.

So this year, Christmas changed at our house. We only bought gifts for our immediate family. In an effort to be responsible to our budget, and to prevent our dollars supporting slavery, we bought most of our stuff used this year. My daughters and I all received $10 bikes. Katie received a $25 dollhouse that retailed for $200, Grace a $500 drumset for $150, and James a mountain bike for $85. We also bought fair trade items online at www.tradeasone.com. Many of our purchases were probably not fair trade, but at least it is improving.

For Shawn's family, we decided to give the gift of relationship. We all committed to spending a week together this summer on vacation. We will coordinate our time off in such a way that we can stop our busy lives and connect. Looking at the relational aspect of Christmas also made me rethink our holiday. We made the effort this year to see all our parents. It was a long trip, all the way across and around Arkansas, but definitely very rewarding to visit my family.

This last Sunday, we spent time telling our stories. The stories of how God showed up this Christmas. We heard from families about serving the homeless, helping others, and astonishing accounts of blessing. The power of the stories of our people was incredible. I loved getting to hear how God had worked in others. However, I am more excited to see how God continues to work over the next few weeks and months as we continue to rethink how we live. To worship freely, give more, and love fully.

The Holiday Spirit

I was out late this evening doing a bit of Christmas shopping. It is interesting to see the other shoppers wandering the aisles. I spent a long time at Wal-mart tonight. And these are my observations.

There are lots of confused and bewildered men. They wander aimlessly up and down the aisles at a total loss as to what to buy their special someone. If they are in the lingerie department, they carefully avoid eye contact with the women around them - it seems a bit awkward to ask a stranger for her opinion on the black or the red item. When shopping for chick flicks, they do extensive opinion polls - asking the other women on the aisle, "Have you seen this one?" Or in jewelry - asking the sales clerk, "What do you think my wife would like?" (Cause the clerk knows your wife so well.) Then there are the desperate and determined men. You can hear the tension in their voice. They are going to buy something worthwhile and wonderful, no matter what, darn it. (edited for you, honey!) And it's going to be the first girly item they see - then they are running for the door.

Grandmothers. God just did something unique when he created them. In the toy aisles, the grandmothers are slowing browsing. They discuss amongst themselves what their grandchildren want for Christmas and swap recomendations. They are excited about their families coming home and are trying to make the holiday perfect. Grandfathers. Most of them tonight were leaning against the buggies with vacant expressions while the grandmothers chatted.

Moms. We are - on the whole - frazzled. There were moms with lists. Lists of special ingredients to prepare special foods for the holidays. Lists of who wants what toys. There were moms yelling at spouses or children as they shopped. There were lots of moms like me wandering the aisles and randomly chunking stuff in the basket figuring somebody would like it.

Young couples. They were holding hands and going ga ga over buying their first decorations and shopping together for Christmas presents for the first time. Lots of hand holding and giggling. Rather cute.... I suppose.

So there's Wal-mart. Quite the interesting study in human behavior.

*By the way - want to know how to totally stress out a church planter? Let him realize the night before a mailer goes out that it is not printed with date, time, or contact information. We printed and stuck labels on cards forever!