Our first week in Advent Conspiracy we conspired to Worship Fully. Last week we focused on Spend Less. This week goes hand in hand with last week Give More. God is calling us to give more intentionally and relationally. That means giving more of our time, our energy, our memories, our talents, our presence. It’s a both/and. Spend less money and give more of yourself to the ones you love.
We have to ask the question: Is how we are celebrating your birthday Jesus what you would have in mind? It sounds obvious, yet we seem to have drifted away from this liberating, straightforward truth: The Father gave his one and only Son. God’s answer for the world’s problems has never been material things. God did not give us more stuff – even good stuff like work, food, or health. God gave us himself. The most priceless and personal gift of all!
What can we learn from the Gift of Jesus about giving gifts at Christmas?
PJ Point: Americans’ 2019 holiday spending plans from Gallup
Read the full Gallup Piece here
- Consumers estimate they will spend $942, up sharply from year ago at $885
- Record-high 37% plan to spend $1,000 or more up from 33%
- Another 21% will spend between $500 and $999; and 27% between $100 and $499, while 3% less than $100
- Relatively High Proportion Plans to Spend More Than Usual (18%)
- Only 16% say they will spend less this year than in 2018 (Record-low in almost 50 years)
- 65%, say they will spend about the same on gifts this year as they spent a year ago.
How often have you spent money on Christmas presents for no other reason than obligation? Or received one? Thanks, but no thanks, right?I am asking you to consider buying ONE LESS GIFT this Christmas.
PJ Pondering
What story does our gift-giving tell our children? Is it really healthy to give our children whatever they want? Does it build character?
Sometimes we have been guilty as parents of overwhelming our kids with gifts out of love of course but does the sheer volume distract them from the celebration of Jesus lost in the midst of the mounds of wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows.
Maybe it could be simpler like some have done… A trend that has gained traction over the past few years on social media is the “four gift rule“.Parents pledge to give their kids just four presents:Something they want, something they need,something to wear and something to read.
PJ Point
For most of us—the special gift we best remember is a different kind of gift—a relational gift. The best gifts celebrate a relationship.
PJ Point
Even worship-every-Sunday Christians have drifted from this liberating, straight forward truth of Christmas season: God’s answer to the world’s problems has never been material things. God did not send down stuff, God’s gift was himself.
PJ Pondering
What if we let the same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus, as Philippians 2:5 says, and we asked of any purchase we make:“what do you think of all of this Jesus? Is how we are celebrating your birthday what you would have in mind?”
PJ Pondering
The miracle of Christmas is the infinite becoming finite-an infant fully human and still fully God. This is the profound truth that lies at the heart of our historic Christian faith.
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. What came into being through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.
John 1:1-5
PJ Point
Before time itself was measured, the Voice was speaking. The Voice was and is God. This celestial Word remained ever-present with the Creator. His speech shaped the entire cosmos.
The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
PJ Point
That is, a universe sized God, who had no reason to need to do it, chose to become one of us: with skin and bone and voice and heart.This epic-sized God, as Alan Hirsch said, “moved into our neighborhood in an act of humble love the likes of which the world has never known.”
PJ Pondering
So what can we learn from the Gift of Jesus about giving gifts at Christmas?
First God gave us his Presence. We sing “O Come O Come Emmanuel” each year, and remind one another that this means ‘God with us.’ But do we allow that Emmanuel reality to permeate the way we live during the Advent season?Could it be possible that even our gift-giving could be drenched with this beautiful moment when God gave us his presence in a unique, flesh-and-blood way?
PJ Point
We have a need to be with each other, to hear another voice, to see another face, to hold another hand. When we make time to be together, our presence is a present: a relational gift.
PJ Point
Second the Gift of Jesus was Personal.Luke’s account of the Christmas story includes that very famous angelic line Today you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. A savior is born to you for you—a very personal gift.
Relational giving means we pay attention to the other person, we think about who they are and what they care about.
PJ Point
Third The gift of Christ was costly.In Philippians 2: 6-7, we hear that in Christ God emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant. He did not force his way into our world as a powerful king but came in the humblest of ways, a way that led to a cross. The gift God gave cost God everything. What that tells us is that relational giving will cost us and be risky at times.
PJ Final Point
The Word became flesh and dwells among still, us as a gift. A Gift for your family, and the whole human family. And that is the last thing that we learn about God’s gift of Christ –it was for All.
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