#45 - Alternatives To All That Christmas Shopping

[From Stan: You might consider using the present growing troubles of Tiger Woods as a conversation starter with non-Christian friends. First, ask them what would they consider the marks of a great life they would like to have. Then share with them how “Tiger Woods basically has (had?) it all: he’s a billionaire AND at a young age (financial security for life); he’s married to a beautiful model and has 3 healthy and beautiful children; he has world-wide fame and popularity; he gets to do for a living what he is gifted and obviously enjoys doing and is probably the best in the world at what he does. AND YET, with all that, he was dissatisfied enough to (it appears) commit adultery. He is just one of many stories of famous people (and Hollywood is full of them) who “had it all” and yet were not satisfied. Why do you think this is so?” To paraphrase C.S.Lewis, [if we are not satisfied with the things of this world, it probably means that we were meant to be fulfilled by life rooted in another world (Heaven or things of God).]… Of course, it goes without saying that we should all be praying of Tiger and his wife, that their marriage would be saved, but more importantly, that, as I suspect he and she are not believers in Christ, that they would come to know Him who ALONE fulfills any life as it was meant to be.]

Also, be sure to check out my special “Letter to the Christian Church posting this Sunday, Dec. 6.

Can Christmas Still Change the World? By Mark Earley, December 01, 2009 (from Breakpoint.com)Five pastors.

Five congregations. And one radically different approach to Christmas. What can we learn from it?

In 2006, pastors Rick McKinley, Chris Seay, and Greg Holder had a vision to revitalize the celebration of Christmas in their churches. They found two other like-minded pastors, and, together with their congregations, conspired to restore the meaning of Christmas. As Rick, Chris, and Greg explain in their book Advent Conspiracy, they all recognized and detested the rampant consumerism that turns the remembrance of Jesus’ birth into a cult of materialism. “Our story is consumption and consumerism...We worship less. We spend more. We give less. We struggle more.” That was their perspective. To address the problem, they challenged their congregations to spend less on themselves that Christmas so that they could spend more on others. As a result, this coalition of churches was able to raise around half a million dollars—enough to fund the digging of a high-capacity well in Nicaragua, and 13 deep wells in Liberia.

But these “Advent Conspirators” don’t simply tell us what they’ve accomplished. They challenge us to go and do likewise.At RethinkingChristmas.com, people who have joined the Advent Conspiracy share some practical suggestions on how to spend less money, yet give more love. One mother commented that she planned to make personalized cookbooks for her kids this Christmas. She scanned family recipes written in her handwriting and that of her mother’s, and placed them in a binder. That’s a gift that her children will treasure for years, and hopefully pass on to their children. While this may not have cost much, it involved a wealth of time—something far more meaningful. But our giving should not be limited to family and friends. This is the challenge of the Advent Conspiracy: “As poor people who have met with the righteous wealth of God, it is now our turn to model his generosity by sharing our wealth with those in need.” So far, many participants in the Advent Conspiracy movement have opted to give the money they raise each year to Living Water International, a Christian ministry dedicated to providing access to clean water to people around the world.

But whoever we give to, the point is to get beyond ourselves and love the unloved in the name of Christ. Rick, Greg, and Chris remind us of the blessings that result. As they write, “When we show up and love in the name of God, God shows up. That’s part of the mystery of partnering with Jesus in the work he is still doing.” During this past year of recession, it may be encouraging to remember that God doesn’t expect us to give what we don’t have. Those who have lost jobs may not be able to do much more than the poor widow in Luke 21. Though she only put in two small copper coins, Jesus commended her. While others gave out of their wealth, she gave out of her poverty and from her heart. So this year, as you remember how, long ago, God’s people longed for the coming of the Messiah, and as you look forward to Christ’s coming again, make a change in how you spend. Perhaps this Christmas can be the advent of a deeper faith for you and your family.

< P.S. from Stan: Besides checking out the website “Rethinking Christmas.com, consider doing away with Christmas shopping for the most part (except for children).Instead, may I encourage you to consider giving each person on your “list” a Christmas card telling them that in lieu of a gift, you are giving what you would have spent to a ministry that reaches out to people who are in need – one that gives gifts to children of those in prison, to a Christian pregnancy resource center, to World Vision or some other ministry that helps needy overseas, the Salvation Army, or Open Doors, that helps Christians in third world countries, especially former Muslims, who are persecuted for their faith. (If you need any other ideas or contact info, please let me know.

The reason for doing this is that many times during this time of year, we give with the expectation that we will receive something of possibly equal value in return. Most of us in this country have so much that, in lieu of this season celebrating the birth of Jesus, THE Gift that can never be returned in kind by the recipient, we should celebrate it by giving to those who we have no expectation of ever returning our gift in kind, those who are truly in need. Rather than going into debt (nuts!) and wearing ourselves out trying to find the perfect gift for someone who probably has the means anyway to get that item for themselves, we should think of those who cannot. I just think that doing this will make this season a whole lot less focused on buying stuff and just giving to those who really have needs for basic things.