Advent Series 2022: Simplicity
Take Communion
(Leader: Begin your gathering together by taking communion together, whether as a full meal together or some version of the bread and the cup before or after your meal. If you don’t already have a Communion liturgy, take a moment to be still and then read Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus:
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Read This Overview Aloud Together
All over the Scriptures we find language of waiting and watching. A story is woven from beginning to end about waiting and watching for a Messiah, whether for his first coming or his return. Before and after we learn that this Rescuer is Jesus, the Bible is filled with teachings from wise men and women on how to wait and watch for God’s coming. Jesus’ cousin John was one such messenger, sent to help people recognize God when he showed up in their midst. John offered three instructions to those who wanted to prepare themselves to wait and watch for God. To those with much, he advised simplicity. To the tax collectors, he advised generosity. And to the soldiers, he advised justice. While not many of us are tax collectors or soldiers, in the western context, most of us do qualify as having much.
It seems that one of the means by which Jesus curated joy in his life was by intentionally living a life of simplicity. In his teachings we find a theme of simplifying our consumption as a way of making more room for God in our lives. But consumerism is our default setting. Now, we’ll likely nod our heads in agreement or let that reality produce shame in us. However we respond, though, most of us will go on living our lives the same. But what if we didn’t? What if, instead, we let that reality – that we have accommodated ourselves to the constant, addicting, endless pursuit of more – invite us into something?
Tonight we want to invite the Spirit to show us what is competing with our undivided devotion to Jesus.
Do This Practice Tonight
As we consider the role that simplicity can play in our own lives, let’s remember that simplicity is not about what we do with our leftovers – it’s about our whole lifestyle. Simplicity is about what we do with our money, our stuff, our time, our attention, and so much more.
Throughout the gospels Jesus constantly called people to simplicity, though it entailed different things for different people. Jesus was not worried about stuff or money – Jesus was worried about the heart. Whoever it was, Jesus’ call to simplicity was a call to recognize and release an attachment to something besides God. As we have a conversation around simplicity, let’s keep in mind that everyone comes to this conversation from different backgrounds and that each of us may be invited by the Spirit to take different steps forward.
Have a conversation. We are going to begin our time by having a conversation through the following prompts:
In your experience, how have you noticed consumption getting in the way of or distracting you from your relationships with your family, your friends, or God?
On the surface, the idea of living more simply may sound refreshing, but the idea of buying less, getting rid of some of what we already have, and generally not numbing ourselves with more stuff can bring up anxiety, sadness, or dread. As you sit with it, how does the cost of simplicity actually make you feel?
How might simplicity actually help you make more room for God?
Has anyone experienced the kind of simplicity that makes more room for God? What has that been like?
Pray for each other. Let’s use the rest of the time for our Practice tonight by breaking up into smaller groups of 3 or 4. If anyone is feeling invited by the Spirit to take a particular step towards simplicity, take a moment to share that with one another. And once everyone has shared who would like to, pray for each other. Ask the Spirit for courage in responding to God’s invitation, for creativity in taking steps towards simplicity, and for the fruit of more room for God in our lives.
Read The Practice for the Week Ahead
The Practice for the week ahead is to set aside some time to intentionally consider how we can simplify our consumption in order to make more room for God. Advent is a perfect time to practice simplicity because, beyond the hyper-consumerism of Christmas, simplicity is a practice for freeing our hearts to wait and watch for God’s return. Take some time this week to work through the following questions:
Do I have more than I need?
What has gotten in the way of me sharing what I have?
What are a few ways I could practice simplicity? (e.g. in your home, your appearance, your spending habits, your access to abundance, etc.)
Looking at this list, what is one step I want to take this Advent season to make more room for God through simplicity in my life?
End in Prayer
(Leader: Close your time together in prayer, asking that God would help us become the kind of people who wait for his return with hope by actively practicing simplicity.)