Advent Conspiracy – Worship Fully – Week 1
In 2008 country artist Faith Hill released a Christmas album and the first single to hit the airwaves was a song called “A Baby Changes Everything.” With two new borns in our extended family this year, we can relate!
The song’s familiar words remind us of this most wonderful time of the year. For many it’s a time of parties, meals, laughter, and gifts. And yet, for far too many it can be the most difficult time of the year. The burdens of pain — of broken relationships, financial strain, and loneliness.
From deep within many wonder, is there more to the Christmas season?
Enter Advent, the time period prior to the traditional Christmas season. Advent is a spiritual season of preparation, remembrance and hope . . . but for what? In the season of Advent we are invited to participate in the preparation of “making all things new” as we remember the birth of Jesus and as we wait with great hope of the return of Jesus one day.
You might be thinking to yourself, this whole Advent thing doesn’t sound like the Christmas season that I am familiar with. You are probably right. Christmas has been co-opted by consumerism and popular culture. “Spend and get” tend to define Christmas.
So what can we do about it?
This first week’s theme of Advent, “worship fully” is a bit unique in that in life most everyone worships some one or some thing. It may be God, a Higher Power, money, family, work, or stuff. Our lives are oriented around a central theme or purpose.
Loving Community believes that out of our love for God and as we learn to live in the way of Jesus, we are prompted to worship fully through the practice of being good neighbors, connecting people into relationships, and serving the needs of our community.
It is our hope that through participating in the Advent Conspiracy, it will help you discover how to worship fully and that will lead you to spend less, give more, and love all.
So back to our song, which as you might have guessed is about the baby Jesus. One of my favorite lines of the song is:
“She can feel He’s coming soon, there’s no place, there’s no room, A baby changes everything, a baby changes everything”
Let’s be honest, our lives can become so jam-packed. Work, kids, school, sporting events, and church. And unless we make an intentional change, the Christmas season just adds to the chaos.
So let me ask you what might be some way(s) you could create some room, some margin in your life for Jesus during this season of Advent?
The final lines of the song are:
“My whole life has turned around, I was lost but now I’m found, A baby changes everything, yeah, a baby changes everything”
I wonder how your life could change in this Advent season? Let me encourage you to not get lost in another consumeristic Christmas but instead join us in this journey.
If you are feeling lost in life, maybe through a new practice you’ll be found? After all, the arrival of the baby Jesus changed everything some 2,000 years ago and we believe God invites us into God’s on going work through the way of Jesus as God is changing everything.
Grace and Peace to you and yours this Advent Season,
Chad Mustain
Is a follower of the Way of Jesus, partner to Heather, and father to daughter, Jimmie Kathleen. His interests include time with loved ones, running, reading, coffee, baseball, music, & collecting NBA jerseys from thrift stores. Chad received his BS degree in Music and Worship from Mid America Christian University and his M.Div from George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. He was granted provisional status as a Board Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains, and works as a hospital chaplain at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.
