What Should We Do With Halloween?
Romans 14:1-9, John 8:12
October 31, 2004
Introduction
Well, I’ve got some good news for you. Today’s message is going to be a bit shorter than usual, for a couple of reasons. First, because what I want to share with you regarding Halloween is pretty concise, and second, trying to preach AND keep my hand elevated is going to stretch my limited capabilities.
Halloween is one of those holidays that is viewed by different people in different ways.
Some feel that due to the pagan origin and continued ties to Halloween that it should not be celebrated at all.
Others feel that it’s an innocent holiday that allows children to have fun collecting candy and such, and it’s no big deal.
And I think both positions can find plenty of backing. My hope today is not to convince you one way or another.
What I want to do is just give you some stuff to chew on as you think through your participation or non-participation.
Normally in your note-taking guides, I leave parts of the main points blank, because I don’t want to give away where I’m going. But I forgot to put the blanks in, so you have an idea of my train of thought.
But I’m going to ask that you hang in with me, because I think you might be surprised.
Let’s dive right in, okay? In looking at the question of what should we do with Halloween, we first need to...
1. Recognize its origins.
You know, there’s just no getting around the fact that Halloween has pagan origins, and many of the current practices surrounding the holiday are reminiscent of those origins.
For instance, trick or treating is reminiscent of the belief that evil spirits came out to terrorize people, and the only way to keep them away was to offer them treats. If a treat wasn’t offered, the people believed the spirit would play tricks or otherwise bring harm.
Halloween is still a high holiday for pagans and Wiccans.
By the way, did you know that Christmas and Easter also had pagan origins, at least as it concerns what time of year it’s practiced?
We don’t know when Jesus was born, but Biblical scholars don’t think it was on December 25. In fact, observance of Christmas was not even legal in the early history of the U.S.
Our Easter celebration is generally near Passover, when Jesus was actually killed, but it actually coincides with pagan spring solstice celebrations. This coming Easter is almost a full month before Passover.
The dates for these were chosen by the early Catholic church as alternatives for the pagan celebrations.
With Christmas and Easter, the early origins have become overshadowed. But not so with Halloween. It is not universally recognized as a Christian holiday, in spite of the attempts to point out that November 1 is All Saints Day, the day after All Hallows Eve, or Halloween.
Why do I bring this up? Simply to help you see that while for many people, Halloween is just a fun time, its origins are not that innocent. Just recognize its origins.
Next, in looking at the question about what should you do with Halloween, you should...
2. Re-think your participation.
For this portion of the message, I would like to turn your attention to Romans 14:1-8, which you can find on page 804 of the Bibles in the seats.
Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
Here is what I want to point out here, and you’re probably going to wonder why I read this long passage to say this little bit, but here it is. I’m sorry I didn’t get this in your note-taking guide. Ready?
Whether or not you participate in Halloween, including trick or treating is between you and God.
If you are not sure if you should participate, then I would suggest you wait this one out and come before God with your questions.
Let’s move to the last thing to consider in looking at what we should with Halloween, and that is to...
3. Reach out with the light of truth.
Whether or not you do the trick or treating thing, you have a great opportunity to shine the light of Jesus tonight.
Look at these Scriptures with me:
Matthew 4:16 -
the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
John 1:4-5 -
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
Please read John 8:12 aloud with me-
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
What am suggesting here? Simply this: Profess, not just protest!
As I have said so many times before, it’s easy to curse darkness. It’s another thing entirely to take the thought and effort to bring truth in a reasoned and reasonable manner.
NOTE: THIS SECTION BORROWED FROM "HALLOWEEN" BY SCOTT BAYLES (SermonCentral.com). Thanks, Scott! :)
Jesus said that his purpose in coming to earth was to "seek and save the lost." That’s our mission too. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16).
So let me offer a few things to help in that regard.
1.Don’t turn out the lights and ignore it. Halloween won’t go away. So if you don’t support this holiday, determine to turn a negative into a positive.
2.If you’re staying home: buy some candy, answer the door and when you put candy in the children’s bags include one of our invitation cards. Or put a POSITIVE tract in the bag.
3.If you go "Trick-or-Treating, take some invitation cards or POSITIVE tracts to hand out along the way. I mean, think about it : how often can you go door to door on a day when almost everyone will answer the door with a pleasant attitude?
4. Instead of playing scary music, play Christian music really loud.
5. Have a Halloween party and instruct everyone to come as a Bible character.
6. Buy a pumpkin and carve a cross in it, placing a candle inside to symbolize that Jesus is the light of the world.
7. PRAY! Pray for the safety of the children who will be out on that night, but more importantly pray that the Gospel will go out that night as well - and that through God’s word some lost sinner might come to Christ.
Another idea is to think about celebrating Reformation Day. It was on October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany, touching off the Protestant Reformation.
Conclusion
I like a story about Halloween that Laurie Beth Jones tells in her book, Grow Something Besides Old. She talks about one Halloween night when she had underestimated the number of children who would come to the door to trick or treat, and she ran out of candy. In desperation, she began giving out quarters, nickels, and dimes.
One little girl about 5-years-old dressed as a fairy princess came to her door. She had the little crown and wand and everything. Jones dropped two quarters into the child’s sack, and said to her, "I’ve run out of candy, but tomorrow you can take these coins to the store and turn them into real candy." The little girl stepped back, looked up at her, and said, "Lady, this isn’t a real wand."
I hope that no matter what you choose to do on October 31, you will do it for the Lord! Like Paul said, "not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; (8) for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s."
END OF SECTION
Folks, it’s important that you not ignore the origins of Halloween, nor the fact that it is still celebrated by pagan religions today just as it was way back when.
And whether or not you do anything is between you and God.
But in any case, use this day as an opportunity to shine the light of Christ.
Let’s pray.
