The Advent Conspiracy
Weekly Devotional – 12.06.09
An angel of the Lord appeared to [the shepherds] and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:9-11)
The Advent Conspiracy is, at its heart, an invitation to worship Jesus. God sent his son, who would bring “great joy…for all the people.” And this threatened the kings of the earth because while they promised joy based on coercion, power and material wealth, Jesus offered a better joy that was based on forgiveness, love and justice. This is why the angels filled the sky with song; why shepherds and wise men bowed down in worship. This was the advent of a different kind of king.
But that can all get lost if all this just becomes a church program. Or if it just becomes something that adds to Christmas more obligation, more stress and more guilt.
We still encourage you to spend less on gifts because Christmas is about Christ, not consumerism. We still encourage you give more relational gifts just like Jesus gave himself relationally to us. We still encourage you to love all by donating what you saved by spending less—after all, Jesus came first to the poor. BUT, these things have got to come out of our worship for Christ. If we let these things overshadow our worship, then it’d be better that we didn’t do them at all. Because if it’s just more guilt and more stress, then what’s the point? Christ didn’t come bearing those things, he came bearing “good news of great joy.”
So our encouragement is to focus first on worshiping Christ, and then let everything else flow from that. Let your celebration of Christmas—the giving and receiving of gifts—be an expression of that worship. In fact, take some time to worship Jesus right now, who left his divine privileges behind to be with to be the human embodiment of joy and salvation for us.
Pray, slowly meditating on the words as you do…
Christ Jesus, I praise you because you came selflessly, taking on human flesh, to show us the way. Thank you for your loving sacrifice for me. And for being a different kind of king. Help me to experience real joy this Christmas season. And please help me to find real peace as I carve out time to worship you.
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Home of Christ Church in Newark
Faith. Community. Justice. Witness.
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