New Danville Mennonite Church

Pastor's Corner

The Advent Referendum

As we approach the month of Advent and then celebrate the birth of our King Jesus, let us not only consider what we do over the next weeks but how we do it as well. God is calling for a referendum on our cultural Christmas celebration. We no longer can afford to putter along, tiptoeing around what society is shoving down our throats and speak out boldly for the King and the Kingdom. We say that “Jesus is the reason for the season” yet our words and are actions are often a poor match at best. I am guessing that with the economy in poor shape our spending will be less. Spending less on Christmas is a good thing as long as it is for the benefit of the Kingdom and not because we have less money in our wallet.

As you think about the “ Advent Season” consider Jesus’ challenge in Matthew 25:14-30.

¹⁴"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. ¹⁷So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. ¹⁸But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
¹⁹"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
²¹"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
²²"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
²³"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
²⁴"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
²⁶"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
²⁸" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. ²⁹For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ³⁰And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

How will you vote on the Advent Referendum? How will you use the talents Jesus has given you? Will you multiply the Kingdom or will you bury your head in cultural ideology. Here are a few suggestions but use it as supper table talk and come up with your own.

1. Worship More - Worshiping Christ can become the greatest and most enjoyed focus of the season.
   • Worship by using an advent calendar
   • Worship by attending Christmas and Advent service in the community or at other churches.
   • Dwell in the Luke 2 passage each day of Advent. Read it and see what new things God is showing you each day. Share those new things with family and friends.
   
   
2. Give More - God gave his Son as a personal and relational gift. Christians can try to give more meaningful, relational gifts instead of just expensive ones.
   • Give namesake charitable gifts through Compassion International or Heifer Project.
   • Have the family choose a cause or need toward which they want to redistribute Christmas spending.
   • Do some research on clean drinking water as a world issue and discuss how you might contribute toward clean drinking water or other global crisis issues.
   • As a gift, go visit friends or family that you haven’t seen for sometime and in the process build memories that will last a lifetime.
   
   
3. Spend Less - Decrease the number of Christmas gift purchases.
   • Make Christmas wish lists and then break them into wants and needs.
   • Create a Christmas gift budget that is 50 percent smaller than last year.
   • Everyone in the family draw names and buys a gift for only one person.
   • Limit the number of gifts the kids receive to one from the parents and one from each set of grandparents, and tell them three gifts were good enough for Jesus.
   • Fast from gifts altogether for just one year. Reflect on how it impacts you and have a family discussion about it the day after Christmas.
   
   
4. Love All - In Advent, Jesus enters our poverty so we will no longer be poor. With the money saved by buying less, contribute to those who are the “least of these” in your “Daily Living Network.”

Blessings,
Curtiss