Churches around the world are joining an emerging international movement to restore the “scandal” of Christmas by observing the holiday more authentically.
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(Photo: AP Images / Franka Bruns)Two unidentified pedestrians walk past a decorated window of a shopping center at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007. Many Germans did some of their Christmas shopping on the second weekend of advent.
The Advent Conspiracy – the name of the movement – calls on churches and their members to give simpler but more thoughtful gifts that foster relationships. Christians are then encouraged to use the money they would have spent on expensive gifts to help the needy around the world.
“It’s called the Advent Conspiracy, because Jesus’ birth - his coming or ‘advent’ – was done in secret, almost hidden,” said Rick McKinley, senior pastor of Imago Dei Community Church in Portland, Ore., and an organizer of the movement. “His coming was scandalous. He didn’t come parading as a king. He didn’t come posturing for power. And he gave himself away to others.
“Ultimately, he gave the greatest gift of all – his life for our life. We think Christmas should be celebrated the same way,” he said.
More than 1,000 churches in 17 countries are participating this year in the Internet-based project focused on the gift of providing clean drinking water for impoverished communities in developing countries. Another 600 churches have requested more information about the program, according to the movement.
World Relief and Rick Warren of Saddleback Church have also supported the efforts.
“There’s nothing wrong with giving a perfunctory present or a gift card, but what that often does is rob both the giver and the recipient of the joy and depth of relational giving,” said McKinley. “The meaning of the gift – and the meaning of Christmas – can be easily lost.”
A relational gift could be an $8 package of coffee a granddaughter bought to share with her grandmother so they could sip coffee and the grandmother could share stories about her life. Another idea is a father who instead of buying his son an X-Box, gave him a baseball glove and pledged to spend more time playing catch with him.
The Advent Conspiracy’s statement of belief is “worship more, spend less, give more and love all,” McKinley highlighted.
The movement came together a year ago when five churches decided the greatest and most significant gift their initiative could give was clean water to needy people. The churches were Imago Dei; Ecclesia in Houston, Texas; Windsor Crossing Community Church in Chesterfield, Mo.; New Providence Community in Nassau, Bahamas; and Fellowship Church in Anthem, Ariz.
Last year, the movement raised $400,000 and donated it to Living Water International, a Houston-base ministry that provides clean water and medical attention and shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Clean water changes lives,” said Stan Patyrak, assistant vice president of Living Water. “It changes our lives too. When clean water is offered in the name of Christ, it changes the recipient’s view of Jesus. Their thanks go back to him, not to us.”
Patyrak pointed out that Americans spend over $100 billion on Christmas giving in a year, but it only takes $10 billion to solve the world’s water problems.
Unsafe water takes the lives of nearly 14,000 people each day and is responsible for 80 percent of the sickness in the world, he said. More than 1.1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water, according to the World Health Organization.
“We are excited to see how the movement has caught on,” McKinley said. “And we would love to see the church retell the story of Christ’s birth in a way that evokes worship and justice in the world.”
The Advent Conspiracy also gives donations to other local projects, such as providing for needy children.
On the Web: Further information at adventconspiracy.org
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Go, natty threads! I've been out of town for 2 weeks, so it's been awhile. But I agree completely with you. God has made it clear OVER and OVER in His Word how He feels about anything pagan, and yet Christians continue to "sacrifice" rather than obey (much like Saul). God commanded His three Feasts to be observed, and yet Christians say, "Listen, Lord, we'd much rather celebrate these man-made holidays. But, look! We'll say "Jesus is the reason for the season"! How's that?"
I have no doubt that God knows the hearts and minds of individuals, and there are many who celebrate Christmas and do it with their whole hearts towards Him, ignorant of the fact that God never meant it to be this way.
Christmas is not an issue of salvation......but an issue of obedience, loving the truth, and rewards. Scripture says that those who love the truth will stand in the last days.
"Just because the word Christmas comes from "Christ's mass" and was coined by the Catholic Church doesn't mean that I cannot celebrate the birth of Christ and call it Christmas with a heart of devotion free from the baggage of the past. "
The Israelites dedicated the calf to YHWH.
Didn''t they rationalize that in exactly the same way?
Was God happy?
The problem is that God himself said repeatedly "Do not learn the way of the Heathen."
Sadly, absolutely everything about the Nativity is taken directly from some or another pagan celebration, right down to the christ (simply "the annointed one" in Greek- there were MANY) being born in the time of winter solstice, being adored at his birth, and being born of a virgin mother.
To continue to celebrate the nativity is to continue the pagan festivals that God has specifically forbidden. To rededicate a celebration of Isis to Mary, of Mithra to Yeshua, and of Saturn to God doesn't make it holy in God's eyes.
People say "Well that's not what Christmas means to me."
That's fine, but GOD has made it clear what such celebrations mean to HIM.
God has also made it clear that we don't get to pick and choose how we should serve Him.
He has rules. We have the rulebook.
When you face God what will you say?
"I read your rulebook, but I didn't think you were really serious"?
Or "But it was CHRISTMAS"?
InSpirit&Truth,
It's easier to trash another denomination then to defend your own. The only thing I've seen you be positive about is Mike Huckabee, so let me ask you: do you think Mike shares your opinion about Catholicism?
"Where it may be improper for Christians to celebrate the mortal birth of their Saviour, is it also improper to celebrate his ressurection? Should Christians living in the USA forgo celebrating on July 4, thanks giving day, new years day? "
What in the world do specifically American secular holidays have to do with Jesus' resurrection?
No, it isn't improper to celebrate His resurrection, because Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, and he told them that when they celebrated Passover, to use the bread and the wine to remember Him. But Christians really should be celebrating the Passover as Jesus reformed it, not Easter, not Good Friday (hello! He did NOT die on a Friday! Ah, that's a lesson for another day....), not Palm Sunday. Easter is nothing more than a spring fertility festival, named for a pagan goddess. Eggs, bunnies....fertility symbols. I sometimes wonder if it grieves Jesus' heart that the remembrance of His death and resurrection is named after a pagan goddess, while Passover is ignored.
Thanksgiving and July Fourth are holidays which celebrate the freedoms we have in this country. Since they are not based on pagan customs disguised as biblical festivals, they are no big deal. My point with Easter and Christmas is that they have replaced two of God's ordained Feasts- Tabernacles (when Christ was actually born) and Passover- with pagan festivals.
The Catholic church was rabidly anti-semitic....they hated anything of Jewish origin. Israel is God's chosen people, and God Himself created Judaism. Jesus was a Jew....in fact, the absolute best Jew that ever lived! He followed the law in the true spirit of how it was created, and He reformed it, He didn't destroy it. By hating Jews, the Catholic church hated Jesus, and hated God, because God created Judaism. So the Catholic church embraced paganism, and Christians continue to embrace it today, teaching the traditions of men as if it were holy scripture, and ignore God's forever Feasts.
Where it may be improper for Christians to celebrate the mortal birth of their Saviour, is it also improper to celebrate his ressurection? Should Christians living in the USA forgo celebrating on July 4, thanks giving day, new years day?
No one has addressed my questions as to WHY most Christianity ignores God's Feasts, that Jesus Christ Himself celebrated, in favor of MAN-MADE holidays?
The same people who wouldn't DREAM of praying to Mary or the saints still blindly follow the Catholic church in their lies about Christmas.
Jesus said His sheep know His voice and follow Him. Jesus never celebrated Christmas, but He did celebrate God's ordained Feasts.
We have the world-loving Christians and the world-hating Christians represented in the two views on Christmas (those who reject it completely and those who see it as the feast of the Saviour who became man for our sake). World-loving Christians should remember that Jesus said he did not pray for the world (John 17:9) and world-hating Christians should remember that God so loved the world (John 3:16) that he gave his only Son. This is a classical divide in the Christian church. Those Christians who want to reach all nations should not compromise the gospel in the process. Those Christians who want to go out of the world should not forget that grand commission in Matt 28:18-21. Let us be humble and try to practice the full Biblical truth. It is not always easy.
Just because the word Christmas comes from "Christ's mass" and was coined by the Catholic Church doesn't mean that I cannot celebrate the birth of Christ and call it Christmas with a heart of devotion free from the baggage of the past. Amazing Grace is a song that was written to a bar room tune but that doesn't mean I must cease singing Amazing Grace.
I think the idea of keeping our gift giving to relational type gifts and using the money saved to reach out to the needy is a great idea. Perhaps an even better idea would be to use the money saved to support missionaries around the world who are sharing the message of salvation.
The Name of Christmas. Why is this day called Christmas? This word, which we of English-speaking race use as its name, shows the Catholic origin of the festival. Christmas is " Christ s Mass " the Mass offered in honor of the birth of Christ. Probably few of our non-Catholic friends advert to the fact that the day which they celebrate so universally is a feast of the Catholic Church, taking its very name from the supreme act of Catholic worship. [The Externals of the Catholic Church (ECC)- Christmas Day Chapter XXIII - 1917]
I'm not Catholic, just adding information to the thread for discussion. I posted this in another thread. Is that illegal?
I mean, I understand that they are trying to promote alot of good things....like togetherness and helping others. But they need to do that in the name of Christ ALL YEAR LONG, and leave the lie of Christmas behind.
Christmas being celebrated "more authentically"???? Being that Christmas is a MAN-MADE holiday which God did not set forth at all, but the Catholic church did, how in the world can it be celebrated more authentically????
Why in the world are these people putting such effforts into Christmas? Why don't they READ THEIR BIBLES? God set forth His Feasts: Tabernacles, Passover, and Pentecost. Jesus Christ Himself celebrated these Feasts, and yet Christianity for the most part ignores God's chosen Feasts in favor of a reformed pagan celebration of Zeus and the sun god!
Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles! If you want to celebrate His birth more authentically, then celebrate it then! And without Christmas trees, which the bible speaks out against in Jeremiah 10!
People, please, please WAKE UP! The bible says that you must have a LOVE OF THE TRUTH to make it in the last days! Christmas is a lie. Jesus is the truth. Just because you celebrate a lie and try to call it the truth doesn't make it so.