Halloween

October 31, 2016

It's Halloween again.  Long story short....Brad and I did Halloween growing up.  After salvation....we didn't see Halloween in the same way.   We didn't raise the kids doing Halloween.  When our boys hit their late teens.... they started dressing up with friends and going out to parties.  Our girls have dabbled in Harvest Parties...dressing up...getting candy.  I don't remember a time after Braverijah and Mcabe were 6 and 4 that  any of our kids trick or treated.

Still don't like Halloween.  Still have an opposition in my spirit towards it.

This is the first year since moving to LA that our girls aren't even mentioning dressing up.  (We aren't involved with a church that has an event planned this year.) Our boys went to a costume party Saturday night.  I have no idea what they are doing tonight.

This article came across by FB feed this morning.

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Previous Halloween"ish"  posts...

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When you have the spiritual gift of discernment...you have this ability to identify things as either "of the Lord" or "not of the Lord"...and usually...instantaneously.

For me...celebrating Halloween is not of the Lord. 

As a family...we have navigated this conviction in various ways over the years.   Early on ...soon after Brad's and my salvation...we tried the dressing up as Biblical characters route.

Stupid.

We have ignored the yearly event altogether... focusing on Reformation Day instead.  One year we watched Luther as a family.  Just borrowed it from the library...so we'll watch it again sometime this week...I suppose.  
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This is always good.

We have gone to church "Harvest Festivals."

Eh.  Depending on the church.  Depending on the atmosphere.

We have thrown Costume Parties.

Fun.  

(btw....I much prefer when any festivities occur on a day/night other than October 31st.)

Last night we attended a Game Night at a friend's home.  Some people dressed up.  Others did not.  There was a snack table...hot cider on the stove and a prayer time.  We prayed for Hollywood...for the lost in Hollywood.

A fun time.  Also, a somewhat somber time.

All in all...my thoughts about Halloween have not swayed or shifted in any way since becoming a Christian.

I do not think celebrating Halloween is of the Lord. 

It's a dark night.

I am beyond confident that the Lord is victorious over darkness.  Jesus is risen from the dead.  He has conquered death.  The enemy is a dog on a leash.

I simply do not think celebrating Halloween is honoring to the Lord.

We did dress up for this "Game Night" at our Christian friend' home.  Again...I really wish it wasn't on Halloween Night.  Felt sorta yukkkkkky. 

Probably won't do it again.

 

Celebrating...that's what we need to define.  And also....rejecting legalism and walking boldly and confidently and humbly in conviction.

Those the part we are learning to navigate year after year.