A few tips for celebrating Halloween…
As modern evangelical Christians (those who believe in Jesus and the role we are given to share the Gospel and be examples to the world), we stand in a weird limbo sometimes with a holiday like Halloween. On the one hand, Halloween can be an ungodly celebration of evil, witchcraft, violence deception and death. God’s people were considered “unclean” if they came in contact with dead bodies (Leviticus 11:40, 17:15-16, 21:1, etc.) and those who consulted mediums or tried to raise the dead were themselves to be executed (Leviticus 20:27). These laws and all the others were to distinguish God’s people from those around them as Children of God the Life-Giver and Protector (as opposed to celebrating death and decay) and to keep them from following in their neighbor’s evil practices (Leviticus 18:29-30). There are certainly parallels to our day and age.
But there’s the other side to Halloween: the Fall festival that brings neighbors out into the streets (something rare these days), gives kids a reason to dress up and pretend and for young and old to joyously ingest copious amounts of sugar. It’s the holiday responsible for “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, which I guiltily confess is one of my favorite movies of all time for its creativity, music, and sweetness. What a great opportunity to have fun with friends and family, enjoy a night at least partially outdoors, and get cute pictures of the kiddos (like the one of my cousin Steve and I as Fonzy and a lion). Some even make it an evangelistic opportunity, passing out Gospel pamphlets or invites to church. 1 Corinthians 9:22 may apply here.
So, what should we do? Should we protest or participate? I won’t tell you the answer to that, as I think this is one of those areas that falls under our freedom in Christ. Whatever we do, do it for the glory of God. But here are a few considerations, at least, that may help you make a decision based on thoughtful and prayerful reflection:
- Your conscience matters. If you can’t celebrate Halloween without feeling weird or guilty, then don’t.
- Love what God loves and hate what he hates. If He hates evil and sorcery, gore and death, then it’s best to leave those things out. It’s also important to remember that Evil is real and that “playing” and “pretending” can desensitize us to the real thing.
- Make the best parts, like relationships, gratitude, and imagination the primary parts of your activities. Enjoy the people around you.
- Bring God into your parties. Talk about the harvest and spend some time thanking God for all He’s given you. Or pray for a friend based on conversation. Or teach your kids to be generous by giving some of their candy away.
I hope that helps and if you want to discuss more, please reach out! –Kyle
High School Lock-in Fri & Sat
The 9th-12th graders will be enjoying some extended time together this weekend at the Fall Lock-in. They plan to do mini-golf at Airway Lanes, then head back to the church for food, games, and sleep for the weak. This will be from Friday evening to Saturday morning at 10. Because it’s a lock-in, that means those not approved as volunteers with the youth program are locked out. If you need to access the church for some reason on Friday night, please contact Hayden on his mobile number (in the directory) and have him let you in.
Highlights
- The Bethlehem Journey cast is filled out! If you’re able to help set up or decorate, please contact Pam Reeves, Chris VandenOever, or Kyle.
- The First Kids Christmas Program will be Sunday morning, December 22nd.
- C & E Construction completed the wall framing today on the parsonage garage rebuild. Trusses are on order, but scheduled two weeks out.
- Operation Christmas Child boxes are due November 10.
Prayer
- Please continue to lift up Katie VandeVen, John Smith and others with health struggles.
- Please pray for our Christmas programs and services as we plan and prepare to celebrate Jesus.
