TRINITYWOMEN: News You Can Use October 2015
Halloween is a holiday that dates back more than 2000 years. It is celebrated on the night of October 31. The word “Halloween” is a shortened version of “All Hallows’ Evening,” “Hallowe’en” or “All Hallows’ Eve”.
Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic end-of-harvest festival known as Samhain (pronounced “sah-win”). The Gaels believed that on October 31, the deceased would come back to life and wreak havoc, causing sickness or damaged crops. This people group wore masks and costumes in order to mimic the evil spirits or to appease them.
In an effort to “Christianize” the holiday, during the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church instituted Hallowmas, All Saints Day, which was celebrated on November 1st. Saints were honored on this designated day and food was received by going door-to-door in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day, which was celebrated on November 2.
Because of the holiday’s less than stellar origins, some Christians here in America don’t participate in it at all. Other Christians feel comfortable celebrating the holiday by eliminating the pagan and occult aspects and emphasizing giving children the candy and other treats that they desire.
Wherever your personal views lie along that continuum, I recommend that we follow the Lord’s advice and be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16) by redeeming Halloween. Here are two options.
Evangelism. If you routinely distribute treats, include a Christian tract. (Please don’t just give a tract in lieu of a special delectable. That’s no way to gain an entrance for the hearing of the gospel, especially for a child. ) There are some tracts that are specifically designed with Halloween in mind and others are more general in nature but, in either case, they are written at a child’s comprehension level. Here are the websites of a few companies from which such tracts can be purchased:
Discipleship. Spend the weeks preceding Halloween teaching the children in your life about the real saints, those heroes of the faith, be they Biblical ones - such as Daniel, Moses, Ruth, Esther, Paul, Peter, Mary and Phoebe or those extra-Biblical characters from the pages of history - such as John Hus, Jonathan Edwards, Clara Barton, Mary Slessor, John Wycliffe, Charles Wesley, Harriet Tubman and Elizabeth Elliott. Then encourage your young charges to dress as their newfound favorite hero. If they spend the holiday going door to door, they’ll have the opportunity to share about their hero with people who don’t know the Lord. Even if you design a special private activity that allows them to showcase this godly person, there is still a great benefit in doing so. The life of your young person will be enriched by having learned about someone who made a difference in their world for God. How much better for them to emulate such people than the ones being portrayed in the secular media today?
Let’s fulfill the admonition in Ephesians 5:16 and redeem the time. Snatch back Halloween from Satan who has corrupted this celebration with images of death and mayhem or false doctrine. Shine the light of Jesus into a very dark world that is desperately in need of the glorious light and life that He brings.
In this month’s newsletter, you’ll find our small group meetings listed in a feature titled, “The Gathering Place”. Dorothy Roes wrote the piece that is found in the “TWAM” section. In “The Family Room”, we have a story submitted by Cheryl Joel about God’s wondrous work in the lives of a couple on the brink of divorce. The author of this month’s devotional in the “God’s Woman” series is Jane Lyall. This month’s “God’s Money and You” article is written by Loema Titanji. We are delighted to introduce a new periodic feature, “Making Me Whole”, a health and wellness-based article; its first contributor is Dr. Ileana Showalter. Look in “The Cook’s Corner” for an interesting recipe from the kitchen of Assetou Kabre. The “Sneak Peeks” section will give you a hint of future growth and fellowship opportunities and we list some other ways that you can connect with us in the “Did You Know?” feature. Enjoy!
