Halloween Ideas

[Guest]

Thank you, Christopher. I really appreciate your humble attitude, and your desire to please the Lord, even if doing so appears to be contrary to the stand which you had been taking.

There's no doubt that God has spoken in such ways to people in the past. They are recorded in scripture. Perhaps God's request that Abraham should sacrifice his only son, is the clearest example. Such an act was contrary to all that Abraham believed. Yet he was willing to do it at God's request.

Thanks again for sharing with us your experiences.

[Guest]

my five year old (who was busy peeking out the window at all the other kids), overheard me and became excited at the idea of giving other kids his candy.

!!!!

This was the expression on my wife's face when I was telling her this part of your story at the dinner table. Great Story!

Steve

[Guest]

Yes, great story, Christopher.

Paidon wrote:

I think there is a great difference between a holiday that has its origins in paganism, and one which is currently celebrated in a pagan manner such as Hallowe'en.

I think that's my main point -- I don't think Halloween is being celebrated in a pagan manner but, like Christmas, may have origins in paganism but now turned into something completely different.

[Guest]

Awesome story Christopher, and you must be doing something right with that boy of yours, keep up the good work

[Guest]

I think there is a great difference between a holiday that has its origins in paganism, and one which is currently celebrated in a pagan manner such as Hallowe'en.

Actually, the Vernal Equinox (aka Easter) and the Winter Solstice (aka Christmas - or Saturnalia, which itself was derived from Egyptian and Persian/Babylonian traditions), are also considered holy days by Wiccans and other neo-pagans and thus are currently celebrated by them in a pagan manner.

There are eight Wiccan Sabbats, spaced about 45 days apart during the year.

Four of these are minor Sabbats: the two equinoxes of March 21 and September 21st when the daytime and nighttime are each 12 hours long. The Saxons added the two solstices of December 21, (the longest night of the year) and June 21 (the shortest night of the year). Actually, the exact date of these Sabbats vary from year to year and may occur from the 20th to 23rd of the month.

The major Sabbats are also four in number. They occur roughly midway between the minor Sabbats, typically at the end of a month. Different Wiccan traditions assign various names and dates to these festivals. Perhaps the most common names are Celtic: Samhain (Oct. 31), Imbolc (Feb. 2), Beltane (Apr. 30), and Lammas (Aug. 1).

Dates are approximate. Some Wiccans observe the Sabbat within a few days of the nominal date. The Sabbats are believed to have originated in the cycles associated with hunting, farming, and animal fertility.

Source: http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_sabb.htm

Most Americans don't celebrate Halloween in a pagan manner. They celebrate it in a shallow, materialistic, consumeristic manner - similar to the way they celebrate Christmas.

[Guest]

Christopher, I really enjoyed your story, too. What a great experience for you and your family!

[Guest]

Well... I spent the evil night in my home way out in the backwoods of North-Western Ontario, and it passed ... just like any other night. I didn't even notice it. And that's just the way I like it!

[Guest]

paidion-- i am glad you didnt fall upon a witch's coven in those woods, a la "young goodman brown" by hawthorne. might have ruined your night!

TK

[Guest]

Halloween is a good opportunity to go street preaching, because of the large crowds that gather in towns, etc.

I usually wander the streets, and listen for the megaphone-wielding Baptists, who shout out the evils of Halloween. I then pretend to join that little group, handing out tracts. But the fun ends when they all get arrested.

I once knew a Baptist who had a home-made, propane-powered, tract-gun, and could shoot a whole package of tracts (25 per pack) a few hundred feet. One does admire the enthusaism of the Baptists....

[Guest]

Reverse trick or treating

Historically, we’ve always felt that as Christians, we shouldn’t participate in Halloween in any way. Most people in our former fellowship were adamantly opposed to it. In the past, we usually would either go to a church alternative, or turn off all our lights and retreat to some room in the back of the house for a quiet evening.

Last night however, I felt really convicted when I came home from work, shut my garage door and turned out the lights while there were kids trick or treating just one house away. I felt like I was turning my back on them.

As I sat there for a moment, I asked the Lord “What do you want me to do?”. And I felt like he was saying to me “Did I ever ask you to completely avoid others on this night?”.

So I went and told my wife that I’d rather not be hostages in our own house and that we should go ahead and turn on the porch lights and let them come. Her first response was that we didn’t have anything to hand out. When I mentioned that our own kids have an abundance of candy in their own stock from previous birthdays and holidays, we both quickly discounted it as a bad idea to take that from our kids and give it to others’. However, my five year old (who was busy peeking out the window at all the other kids), overheard me and became excited at the idea of giving other kids his candy. Although we were shocked (he treasures his candy), we decided to let him hand it out.

As kids came to our door (some of them teenagers with deeper voices than mine), they were greeted by my two kids (ages 2 and 5) eagerly serving them “treats” and having fun doing it. Some of the kids had puzzled looks on their faces and some of them were clearly touched by it (I could tell by the adoring “ohs”).

There was a concern about whether we had enough or not, but I told my son that if God wants us to give out candy, He’ll provide enough. Not only did we have enough before the night was over, but our neighbor across the street came over with her bowl of candy to give some to our kids. I thought it was an awesome lesson to them of God’s provision in a language they could understand (candy)!

I’ve never seen him so excited to serve others and give away his own things before. It was a great opportunity to talk about kindness as a fruit of the Spirit and the joy of giving that God puts in our heart. I probably didn’t even need to explain it…he was experiencing it!

The lesson for me was that God is big enough to reveal Himself even on a day that doesn’t bring glory to His name. It’s amazing how much easier it is to hear His still small voice when there’s not the constant mooing of sacred cows in my head.

Thanks for sharing this. I have learned a lot from your comments. As one who struggles with the holidays, especially this one, you've helped me to see what I've been missing from a givers point of view.

Wy wife and I always have done halloween with our children (under 6) and have thought about ending it each year, but it is normally one of the few times in the entire year that our relatives come over with their (similarly aged) children and we all have some great fellowship as a family. We just can't convince ourselves that this along with a walk around the block to get some candy by a community that is willing to give away something to anyone who knocks on the door, no matter what they look like, is sinful.