Halloween has always been one of my very favorite holidays. I love decorating for it (think cute, not macabre) and having pretty much my only excuse to dress up during the year. I didn't trick or treat as a kid because we lived out in the boonies, but with our clan of cousins we had some awesome Halloween parties. (After re-reading that I feel like there should be some banjo strummin' going on.)
Because of these fond memories, I'm terribly excited to introduce Josh to this fun time of year. We've been to the pumpkin patch, read Halloween books before bed each night, Josh observed David carving the pumpkins (because I'm not that silly to put super-messy/sharp instruments into Capt. Destructo's hands) and last night at the church Halloween party we went trunk or treating. (All the cars line up and the kids go from trunk to decorated trunk collecting the goodies.)
Today I read an article on CNN about whether or not Christians should celebrate Halloween. I guess some groups of fundamentalist Christians either totally abstain from Halloween, change it to a "harvest party" or try to "christianize" it by having Hell Houses.
If celebrating an essentially pagen holiday bothers you, then be my guest to not trick or treat or attend a harvest party instead. No problem with that at all. I do have a problem with the Hell Houses though. They're probably not all the same, but one of the big companies that do them have live actors depicting scenes of abortion, rape, suicide and murder and then somehow transition into redemption through Christ. What the heck? My mind can't comprehend in any way, shape or form that this is acceptable to a loving God as a way to teach people about Him.
When we picked out pumpkins and carved them we did so together as a family. When we went trunk or treating we met with good friends, watched out for each others' children and were again spending time together as a family. To me, that pleases God. Whether we're hunting for Easter eggs or baking cookies for Santa, it's being together as a family, laughing, being silly and creating wonderful memories together that's important.
So yeah, I think Jesus would love to go trick or treating with us.
3 comments:
amen Lauren :)
I absolutely love this post Lauren! So glad you guys had fun at the trunk-or-treat! Wish we could have been there. But it's been so fun looking at all of the photos on facebook!
We made a pentagram pizza tonight. It was pretty good. I also agree hell houses are awful. I mean isn't all hallow's eve about exorcising the bad before celebrating all saints? It just doesn't bother me.
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