Advent Conspiracy

by Bob Setzer, Jr.
According to one recent study, the fastest growing religion in America is not Islam or Christianity. The symbol of this rising faith is not the star or the crescent or the cross. No, the symbol of this burgeoning movement is a dollar sign, for the religion that is swallowing Christianity whole is rampant unrestrained consumerism.

So argue the authors of a provocative new book entitled The Advent Conspiracy and a companion website, www.adventconspiracy.org. The pastors and congregations at the helm of this movement believe the celebration of Christ's birth has been shanghaied by compulsive spending that returns less and less, at least as measured by the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control the New Testament suggests are the litmus tests for the truly spiritual life (Gal. 5:22-23).

Of course, an anti-capitalist crusade of the "Ain't it awful" variety is pretty standard fare at Christmas. But The Advent Conspiracy is different. It is not driven by joyless, wincing Christmas stooges but by serious Christians asking what a Christmas with Christ at the center might look like in twenty-first century America. The Advent Conspiracy is about saying "No" to Christmas excess so we can say "Yes" to the things that really matter: like giving very personal gifts to the people we love while sharing our bounty with those in need.

The four movements of The Advent Conspiracy will provide our focus for the four Sundays of Advent:

• Spend Less
• Americans spend nearly half-a-trillion dollars each Christmas. That's enough money to provide clean drinking water to every person on the planet, many times over. Are we buying what's on Jesus' Christmas wish list, or just our own?
• Give More
• The point of spending less Christmas is to stay out of debt and give more to Kingdom causes. But "giving more" isn't just about giving money. It's about giving yourself. When God gave the best God had that first Christmas, God didn't give more stuff, even good stuff. God gave God's Son, God's Self.
• Worship Fully
• Advent and Christmas are sacred times to gather and sing our hearts out to the newborn king. On Sunday, December 12, the third Sunday of Advent, our choir will present "A Service of Lessons and Carols." Not to be missed!
• Love All

Jesus' first act of solidarity with the poor and needy was to be born among them. What does that tell us about the radical, reckless love of God?

The Advent Conspiracy is a plan for treating Christmas like the birthday party for Jesus it was always meant to be. I'm going to give it a try. Care to join me?