An Advent Conspiracy

We have entered into the beginning of the church year, the season of Advent. If you heard or read last week's sermon, you know that Advent is a season of anticipation, of active waiting, of being Christ's hands & feet in the world while we wait for his triumphant return when he will make all things new.

The 2nd reading from this coming Sunday is from 2 Peter (chapter 3, verses 8-15a, specifically). The writer of this second letter of Peter (who probably wasn't really Peter, but we'll talk about that another time), says this:

"Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God...?" (vs. 11-12a; italics mine)

This passage suggests to me that there is something we can do, that we ought to be doing to speed up God's coming, to be part of bringing God's kingdom (God's reign, God's ruling) here on Earth, here in our own lives. Advent is a good time for us to be thinking about our part in God's dream for the world, to wonder individually and together what we can be doing to reveal God's love to that world, the world God loves so much...

While wandering Facebook (a social networking site that connects me with friends and colleagues and loads o' interesting information), I learned about the "Advent Conspiracy", which invites us to spend Advent in this way:

Worship Fully

Spend Less

Give More

Love All

This video from their website is great & says more about what this season should be about vs. the way we tend to experience it.

What would it look like if we all bought one less gift and gave the money away? For clean water, for world hunger, for warm clothes - for some need that speaks to your heart personally?
Let me know what you think in the comments!