Vol. 2, No. 5 — September 2008


The Bucket of Simplicity: How do lifestyle choices impact your heart?
by Craig Miller

This project is adapted from the 2007 to 2008 Anchorage (Alaska) Service Adventure Unit’s Bucket of Simplicity.

During the Service Adventure term, we focused on the idea that culture, sometimes a negative influence in our lives, informs the way we live. To do this, we used many resources, including the films Affluenza, The Corporation, Buyer Be Fair, and Who Killed the Electric Car? These films advocate that we cannot trust the culture at large to inform us about what and how much to buy. These films and ideas strengthen our commitment to simple living and challenge us to do more.

The Bucket of Simplicity was one step. The idea came from past Service Adventure leaders as a creative way to incorporate different ideas for simple living into our daily lives. At the beginning of our year together, everyone in the unit put ideas for simple living in a bucket; we then drew out one idea a week for the whole group to do together during that week. Ideas thrown in the bucket ranged from not using the computer, to cooking all of our meals over a fire (we never did that one), to preparing a meal to share with the homeless on the street, or not using any mirrors in the house. Some of the ideas probably didn’t have a lot to do with simple living, but were challenges to our current lifestyle nonetheless.

The Bucket of Simplicity was valuable to us because it was a way for the entire group to make changes to our lifestyle. The changes might have been hard to do by ourselves, but were fun when done together. We could focus on one change at a time, while realizing that living simply is possible and can be fun.

The following activity asks your group to take some time to ponder some of these same issues.

Purpose
To challenge the cultural norms that tell us that more is better (materialism) and that we should be entertained constantly (instant gratification).

Focus on Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Activity
Read the scripture aloud and talk about what the group treasures or where their hearts are. This discussion could center on whether or not the things they treasure are material things, relationships, or something else. Are their treasures in heaven or on earth?

Next, watch the film Affluenza together. Afterward, discuss using the following questions.

1. The film laid out several of the environmental and social impacts of consumerism and materialism. Were any of these surprising to you?
2. Do you think that most people realize the effect their shopping habits can have on the environment? Their families and communities? On people around the world whom they’ve never met?
3. How did this film impact you? What did you learn? Are there things about your own lifestyle that were addressed in this film? How does this film change your thoughts about your own lifestyle?
4. Two thousand years ago, Jesus told his followers to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth. Do you think that the problems addressed in this film could be avoided if people followed Jesus’ advice?

Craig Miller is the Anchorage (Alaska) Service Adventure leader for the 2008-2009 service term. Service Adventure, one of Mennonite Mission Network’s Christian Service programs, invites young adults age 17-20 to live in a household with four to six other youth in a variety of locations across the United States, and to serve in a community for 10 months.