Are you ready for Christmas?
Unlikely – there’s still a month to go – houses to clean, trees to decorate, cookies to bake, presents to buy and wrap, travel to organise, meals to coordinate. There’s a LOT that has to be done before we’re ready for Christmas! And what about the COST of Christmas? I am fully aware that we don’t like to talk about money, it’s taboo to bring it up. And the reason for that is our culture is one of greed and want, where money is simply a tool by which we strive to buy more. Think of your own Christmas to-do list – it involves money to buy the presents, the clothes, the food – our society has moved beyond abundant generosity to gluttony when it comes to Christmas spending – we have become a people of January debt, because we try to buy ourselves a happy holiday. Is that the Christmas you’re getting ready for?
Are you ready for Christ?
That’s a harder question – of course, we would all like to say that we are – completely ready and prepared, at all times. But that would not likely be entirely true. That’s part of why we have the entire season of Advent. Advent marks the new year on the Christian calendar. It sets aside time to intentionally slow down, avoid the hustle-bustle of our secular Christmas preparations, and focus inwardly to prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ’s coming. So how do we do that? The check-list for preparing for Christ is not as easy as preparing for Christmas.
So, we pray. We take time to reflect on the word of God. We remember that this anticipation is not a new feeling – that we are journeying the same way that the Hebrew people did as they waited for the Messiah. We reflect that we too are a people waiting – waiting for the second coming of Christ, of pure light breaking through into our world.
There’s a joke bumper sticker that reads: “Jesus is coming! Look busy!” Realistically, though, I would rather looked prepared. I would want to have my spiritual house in order, to know that I had done all I could, to the best of my ability, to respond to God’s word. To prove that I was thinking ahead, and watching and waiting; not that I had been caught unprepared as though company had just unexpectedly dropped by. A little mess in the living room is not a big deal; a little mess in your heart can be problematic. And, as we’re reminded, “you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” (Mt 24:44)
We have been challenged. When we listen to the words of our Lord and Saviour, for whom we wait, we hear commands to love unconditionally, whether we like a person’s actions or not. We are to care for the whole creation, seeing in it God’s perfection and grace. We are to tread gently in relationship with our neighbours, respecting their dignity and integrity, as they do ours. We are to worship our God, above all else. And, we are to give – freely, without hesitation, without grudge.
So we return to the taboo subject of money. I want to remind you, however, that Jesus spoke about money. Often. Whether it made people uncomfortable or not. Because for Jesus, money was not simply an instrument with which to buy things. It was an instrument through which we could respond to God’s grace and love through our own generosity; not because someone else told us to, but because (through our prayers) God had invited us to take part in His great works. We, God’s chosen people, have been asked to give 10% of our income back to the ministry of His work. As a friend of mine once said, God has given us EVERYTHING, in profound abundance. And He wants us to keep 90% of it.
We as Anglicans have always had a problem with that – because of our history. We used to be a state sponsored entity, so we did not have to be concerned with the bottom line – if we didn’t cover our bills, the government would. Needless to say, those days are long gone, but the deep-rooted mentality remains. Other denominations have a different mindset. The Mennonites, for example, understood that to build their church required a minimum of 10% simply to exist, as they had to cover all costs themselves. Any funds given in excess of that tithe are called alms, and are used in other ways to the Greater Glory of God.
And so we now have an opportunity to shift our way of thinking. Not to give to God whatever is left in the bank account at the end of the month, but to intentionally choose to give to God first. Our budgets reflect where our priorities lie, so I invite you over this Advent season to reflect on what your priorities are, and decide if your personal budgets demonstrate that. If not, how will you make changes toward that? 10% is a lot of money – no one denies that. But to spread 10% out over the year is a lot easier than trying to make it up all at once. Maybe your givings can increase by 1% next year and gradually work up to tithe; maybe you can send post-dated cheques for the times you will be away to help keep your givings (and the church budget) more evenly balanced; maybe you have other ways that you give to God through the church.
However you give, whatever you give, needs to be talked about. Not with the clergy, not with the treasurer, but with God. As I mentioned before, God has invited us to be co-creators with him in His work, through the church. Please pray on how you will respond to that invitation. Have an open and honest conversation with God and with yourself about money; not just what you put into an envelope but why you do it. This will not be a quick or easy time of prayer and reflection, but I promise you that it will be worthwhile. I want for you to feel good that what you give to the church is your involvement in the building of the kingdom; not that you are obligated to write a cheque.
Our response to God’s call should be one of joy and grateful thanksgiving – and of hope. We are a people of hope, a people whose careful watching and waiting shows us the glimpses of the kingdom. We are a people filled with anticipation and expectation of the coming again of a great light. We are a people blessed with a specific season, this Advent, a time to celebrate the calmness and gentleness of intentional spiritual preparation. We are a people, blessed with abundance, getting ready for the true Christ Mass. “For the sake of the house of the LORD our God” (Ps. 122:9)
“God of the watching ones, give us your benediction. God of the waiting ones, give us your good word for our souls.” (Celtic Daily Prayer)
