Friday, December 10, 2021
Readings:
Isaiah 12:2-6
Amos 8:4-12
2 Corinthians 9:1-15
Somewhere over the years Christmas has moved from being a celebration of the Church to a means of economic stimulus for our economy. Americans will spend up to $850 billion on Christmas this year according to a Spectrum News account. The success or failure of retailers' entire fiscal year will be determined by the next few weeks' sales figures. It is hard to not get caught up in the rampant spending and consumption.
Yet, observing Advent can help, and even be an antidote to what the Christmas season has become. An effective way to not get caught up in the onslaught of our culture is to tell a better story. Advent tells us the story of God having come into the world, and that God will come again. The story of Scripture is one of generosity that shifts our focus to how we give away from what we get. By immersing ourselves in the story of God being with us (Emmanuel) then, and now, and in the future, - we begin to see that what we value changes. God is the better story, we are invited to live into God’s narrative - not Amazon, or Target, or Walmart, or whomever else is whispering in our collective ears.
Steve Autrey
Senior Pastor, Denver UMC
