Editor’s note: A number of Madison area churches are again participating in The Advent Conspiracy this Christmas season, including Door Creek Church. Today’s Breakpoint Commentary is also about The Advent Conspiracy.
What is "Advent", anyway? The word comes from the Latin word adventus, which means "arrival" or "coming." The full name of the church season is Adventus Redemptoris, "the coming of the Redeemer" – or, less literally, "the coming of the Savior." In most liturgical churches, such as the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Episcopal, and Lutheran churches, Advent is a holy season of preparation for the celebration of Christmas.
In the 6th century, Christians in Rome began linking the Advent season explicitly to the coming of Christ. But at that time, and for centuries thereafter, the "coming" that was celebrated was not his First Coming –his birth – but his Second Coming at the end of time. It was not until the Middle Ages that the church began using the Advent season to prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth. And even then, this newer sense of the Lord’s "advent," or coming, did not supplant the older sense—the Second Coming. At Door Creek Church we have both of them in mind. Through the Advent conspiracy, we hope to…
- create a sense of hope for the restoration of the world that we long for and that Christ will
bring. - motivate people towards living out a lifestyle of holiness as we wait for the advent of the Lord and the restoration of all things.
- help people see that the reason for the restoration is that the Lord is loving toward all people.
"Prepare" for Advent? How’s that done?
We prepare for Advent #2 by preparing ourselves to be different.
"You ought to live holy and godly lives, as you look forward to the day of God and speed it’s coming. For this very reason make every effort, by your faith to produce virtue, by virtue knowledge, by knowledge self-control, by self-control steadfastness, by steadfastness godliness, by godliness brotherly affection, and by brotherly affection love." 2 Peter 3:11-12; 2 Peter 1:5-7
When I prepare for Christmas at my house, I have to do a lot of work on my house. Preparing for Advent #2 means I need to do a lot of work on myself.
So what’s this whole "conspiracy" thing?
The Advent Conspiracy is a grass roots movement with more than 1,000 churches in 17 countries participating as co-conspirators – with projects as varied as drilling a water well for those who lack access to clean water, or simply \encouraging church communities to think of meaningful acts of kindness as meaningful gift options to replace traditional gifts.
So why is Door Creek jumping on this bandwagon?
Door Creek’s mission statement reads, "Changing people into devoted followers of Christ who change the world with His love". The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary Love. Pastor Marc, through these messages, wants to teach about the great Love of God in such a way that we are better equipped to love the people that we will encounter during the holidays. It’s Marc’s desire that the Advent Conspiracy serves as a catalyst whereby God will grab our hearts in such a way that we love with Christ’s Love throughout the year. "Envision what God will do in and through our family. Embrace it with all you have. We will never regret joining God in changing lives to change the world." – Marc
Rather than giving a gift card out of obligation, our church is committed to giving gifts that really will change the world; like quality time, providing clean water, feeding the hungry and looking for ways to be more loving. It’s not just about saving money in this economy; it’s about remembering that when we give presence instead of presents, the great Love that is Christmas is being reproduced.
Door Creek Projects are:
- Guatemala – water filters
- Guatemala – clean air ovens
- Liberia – wells for clean water
- Nehemiah – "at risk" students project
- Salvation Army – feeding the homeless and hungry
- Road Home – caring for the homeless
Other area churches participating in the Advent Conspiracy in Madison include Blackhawk Church.