For years Tapestry has participated with many other churches in the Advent movement known as Advent Conspiracy. The goal of Advent Conspiracy is to celebrate our Lord’s Incarnation by focusing on the following four actions. We will:
- Worship Fully
- Spend Less
- Give More
- Love All
The above commercial from Coca-Cola is a pretty good reminder of one of the key aspects by which we try to do these four things. We try to give more presence which doesn’t necessarily mean giving more presents. This is always important but all the more so during the time we are currently living through when so many people feel isolated.
Giving presence requires much greater creativity and sacrifice than giving just presents. You can give a present with just money, and to quote Grandpas George from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” “there’s plenty of money out there, they print more of it every day.”
Giving presence on the other hand requires giving of yourself and there is only one of you. It is much more precious.
This doesn’t mean not giving a gift. Going all Scoorage doesn’t really celebrate Advent either. It just means that when we give the gift is more about the one(s) receiving and the one(s) giving the gift than it is about a mere exchange of goods. Some of the best gifts of presence I have ever received have been presents, but it was more about the thought put into the gift than the gift itself. I imagine we have all received gifts that were costly in money but basically cost nothing in the currency of presence.
Advent Conspiracy puts out resources each year to help us to celebrate the birth of the Messiah in a manner that He would enjoy. HERE are this year’s resources.
I hope you enjoyed the commercial. I know I did.
Advent begins November 29th this year.