Hollow-een - October 31, 2001

 

It's that great time of controversy for the Christian family ... to trick-or-treat or not to trick-or-treat? I'm not trying to start up a fight here, but let me tell you my view. I don't see anything wrong with letting the kids dress up and go around the block for candy from the neighbors, unless of course you live in a neighborhood where that would be dangerous for the kids. What's wrong with dressing up in a costume and enjoying the fellowship and fun aspects of Halloween? There are lots of people every week who dress up in "costumes" and enjoy the fellowship and fun aspects of another tradition ... church. Participating in Halloween won't send you to Hell any more than participating in church will send you to heaven. If you don't believe and follow Satan, Halloween trick-or-treating means no more than collecting eggs left by the Easter bunny. In the same way, if you don't believe and follow Jesus, going to church means no more than going to the country club.

I'm not going to tell you what to do about Halloween. We use it as an opportunity to warn our kids about evil and don't let them dress up in any evil looking costumes. But I will ask you about your church experience. Are you going for the fellowship and fun, or are you going to worship the one who changed your life? Our Halloween experience doesn't change who we are because it is has no deeper meaning, it is hollow. I pray you can't say the same about your faith in God.

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