Some things are meant to go together! Ham and beans, chocolate and peanut butter and of course human beings. When people get married it's like a three stranded cord that is not easily broken where the third strand is our relationship with God. So here's my question to all of you that sprang up over our Halloween debate; Should Pastor Greg and I be total clones of each other or can we compliment each other by bringing to the table a difference of opinions? Greg and I in some ways are like night and day where the darkness takes over after a beautiful sunset and even though the two are very different from each other in the end they make a whole unit of one complete day.
So in that light...It amazes me how many Christians are not educated about the Fall festival of Halloween. Pastor Greg says it is one of his favorite holidays, but it's not mine. Now, I probably already lost about half of you because of your love for the Fall season, spiced cider, pumpkin pie, candle lighted gourdes, pumpkins and costume parties. What some of you are not aware of is a side of Halloween that is very real, very dark and gloomy. So before I loose the rest of you who have already ran out and purchased your Halloween costumes let me say this. I too love the Fall season as the weather starts to cool off knowing that Thanksgiving is right around the corner but all the mischief, lawlessness and crime that comes in tandem with the Halloween spirits is not welcomed.
Halloween on a consumer level is just one of a handful of holiday's that is targeted by many manufacturers solely to capitalize on all of us. I walked into Wal-Mart the other morning and was kinda surprised to see artificial Christmas trees on display when Halloween was yet a week away? Do you think corporations are making any money off the holidays we choose to celebrate? I know what some of you are thinking... "If I want to buy costumes, candy and party props that's my business not yours!" Many of you feel that people who are down on Halloween are "Legalistic Christians" and giant wet blankets but I would say in my defense "Be a Berean", Google "Halloween" to discover for yourselves the history and origins of the celebration that you so lovingly embrace. You are going to discover that there is no love in it.
Pastor Greg, on the other hand, has a different perspective in that history has been written from the victor's stand point and that Druid traditions have been distorted. Now remember Greg is a full blooded Irishman. So is this what the Apostle Paul was talking about when he said that he could be all things to all people and that eating meat offered to idols was no problem for him? What about the whole Not Of This World movement and God's idea about the bride of Christ being set apart and made ready for her bridegroom? Greg's bottom line is that all the holiday's we celebrate are a direct result of the Catholic Church's response to counteract the Pagan Nature Festivals of that time.
My proposal: I personally believe that many of the festivities associated with Halloween are really fun and should continue in a different light and not necessarily be associated with the Christian church's alternative of a Harvest Festival. Here is some food for thought, is celebrating Halloween like celebrating Satan's birthday? Or how about this...its been said that for a Christian to celebrate Halloween is like someone from the Jewish faith celebrating Adolf Hitler's birthday. So by all means celebrate death if it is that exciting for you but if I had to choose a fabricated holiday, I'll take Christmas any day. Our God is a God of life! (Zoe) He sent His one and only Son that you may have life and life more abundantly.
So what do you say?
So in that light...It amazes me how many Christians are not educated about the Fall festival of Halloween. Pastor Greg says it is one of his favorite holidays, but it's not mine. Now, I probably already lost about half of you because of your love for the Fall season, spiced cider, pumpkin pie, candle lighted gourdes, pumpkins and costume parties. What some of you are not aware of is a side of Halloween that is very real, very dark and gloomy. So before I loose the rest of you who have already ran out and purchased your Halloween costumes let me say this. I too love the Fall season as the weather starts to cool off knowing that Thanksgiving is right around the corner but all the mischief, lawlessness and crime that comes in tandem with the Halloween spirits is not welcomed.
Halloween on a consumer level is just one of a handful of holiday's that is targeted by many manufacturers solely to capitalize on all of us. I walked into Wal-Mart the other morning and was kinda surprised to see artificial Christmas trees on display when Halloween was yet a week away? Do you think corporations are making any money off the holidays we choose to celebrate? I know what some of you are thinking... "If I want to buy costumes, candy and party props that's my business not yours!" Many of you feel that people who are down on Halloween are "Legalistic Christians" and giant wet blankets but I would say in my defense "Be a Berean", Google "Halloween" to discover for yourselves the history and origins of the celebration that you so lovingly embrace. You are going to discover that there is no love in it.
Pastor Greg, on the other hand, has a different perspective in that history has been written from the victor's stand point and that Druid traditions have been distorted. Now remember Greg is a full blooded Irishman. So is this what the Apostle Paul was talking about when he said that he could be all things to all people and that eating meat offered to idols was no problem for him? What about the whole Not Of This World movement and God's idea about the bride of Christ being set apart and made ready for her bridegroom? Greg's bottom line is that all the holiday's we celebrate are a direct result of the Catholic Church's response to counteract the Pagan Nature Festivals of that time.
My proposal: I personally believe that many of the festivities associated with Halloween are really fun and should continue in a different light and not necessarily be associated with the Christian church's alternative of a Harvest Festival. Here is some food for thought, is celebrating Halloween like celebrating Satan's birthday? Or how about this...its been said that for a Christian to celebrate Halloween is like someone from the Jewish faith celebrating Adolf Hitler's birthday. So by all means celebrate death if it is that exciting for you but if I had to choose a fabricated holiday, I'll take Christmas any day. Our God is a God of life! (Zoe) He sent His one and only Son that you may have life and life more abundantly.
So what do you say?
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