While we don't celebrate Halloween per se, we do enjoy carving pumpkins and eating lots of candy! Candy Corn for the win!

Tonight we're having a different sort of Wednesday night service at out church. With the new building comes lots of new land and so we will be outside as much as possible for our Fall Family Fellowship. We have carnival type games for kids to play and win candy, lots of food (hey, we're Baptists!) and plenty of cider. There will be a donut eating contest where you see how quickly you can eat a donut that's hanging by a string - without using your hands. I don't know what else is planned but I'll do my best to get home in time!

The weather is just right for some outside fun. It's cool but not cold. Kids should be fine running around. If it does get cold we have LOTS of room inside. It's amazing to actually have a building!

We've been living out of an 8-foot trailer for so long, packing and unpacking chairs, tables, and everything else for the rented spaces we've used.  Even though it's been just a few weeks we're already feeling like all that was a lifetime ago.

Now, I've been told that someone (or some church) has donated a pine wood derby racetrack! We used to have these every year up in Vermont and I can't wait to start again.

 

Melissa cleaned up the garden over the weekend and canned lots of tomatoes. We froze several quarts of beans that were given to us (our beans didn't amount to a hill of...never mind) and there are about a dozen plump green peppers in the fridge right now. Cucumbers, zucchini, and summer squash are all gone - some if it thankfully! There's only so much zucchini you can eat.

Should Christians celebrate Halloween? Not with the traditional ghosts, goblins, and "scary" creatures, anyway. Think of it this way: Many secularists don't like Christmas because of the religious overtones even though in mainstream society (in the USA anyway) the day has become completely commercialized so that you can't recognize the religious meanings. That doesn't negate the significance of the day to Christians. In the same way Halloween has been commercialized and the pagan/wiccan/witchcraft overtones have been whitewashed with Hollywood versions. That doesn't change the meaning of the day.

Now, Christians know that even the Devil must answer to God (see Job) and has no power other than what has been given him. We live with the victory of Christ and should not run scared from masks of witches or ghosts. This is the day that the Lord has Made! Rejoice and be glad!(Psalm 118:24) No day is more evil than any other.

Nor are costume parties evil. Neither do they always have to be "Christian" with Bible-themed costumes - although my son was an awesome wee-little man (Zacchaeus) one year. Parties are always good and harvest time is as good a time - and a theme - as any.

So is the day evil? No. Is dressing up in a costume evil? No. Is candy evil? No, unless it has nuts. Are costumes of witches, ghosts and vampires evil? No, the costumes are not but they do represent evil and through their use we end up celebrating evil. Should we fear spirits? No. Any spirit we encounter has been sent - or allowed - by God.

So why not celebrate with spooky stuff? I think it draws us away from God through fear. We allow the "what-if" of God not being in control to rule our minds. Are we honoring God this way, by thinking less of Him even for just a day?  The idea of supernatural forces running wild - even for a night - is completely contrary to the truth of God's sovereignty.

So do not fear Halloween.