Sunday, December 02, 2012

Advent Conspirarcy



 During the holidays advertisers are doing everything in their power and budget to creatively increase your level of dissatisfaction and get you out of that easy chair and into the mall. Or at least to the computer on their website, credit card in hand. 
Big Business thrives on our dissatisfaction, displeasure and unhappiness. Why? Because the more displeased, dissatisfied and unhappy you are- the more profits for Wal-Mart, Kmart, Costco, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Honda, Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen, Apple and Microsoft…. 
Intended or unintended there is spill over. In a consumer culture it is normal to become chronically critical, dissatisfied, unhappy, hard to please people. We also become dissatisfied with our homes, our spouses, our kids, our church, ourselves. And maybe even God…. 
The Bible teaches that there is another conspiracy in the works. An Advent Conspiracy. God is conspiring to enter your heart, change your life, pluck you out of the dissatisfaction conspiracy and plant you firmly in the kingdom of God. There is intended spill over. We become people who are changed and filled with a love for God, a love for life and a love for others. As we change, so does the world around us. We can trace this conspiracy back to Abraham and Moses, but it is seen most clearly in a baby born in a stable in Bethlehem, 2000 years ago. Christmas is about his birth and rule and reign as the true king of our world and the entire universe. 
We need to understand that Wall Street has conspired to thwart Christmas and turn it into yet another moneymaking opportunity. And we need to admit that they have done a pretty good job of hijacking our holiday. This holiday season let’s take back Christmas. Come be a part of the Advent Conspiracy. Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, Love All.