Blessing in disguise

The other day I had to go to the pharmacy to get medicine for my son who has an ear infection. It was a bitterly cold day and for some reason the shopping center where the pharmacy is located was particularly busy. I circled around looking for a close parking spot but the only parking spot I could find was on the far side of the shopping center. As I pulled into the spot, I was frustrated at the inconvenience of having to park so far away. I didn’t want to have to carry my sick child so far in the cold weather.

As the frustration was rising, I heard a small voice say, “Be thankful. Be thankful you have access to medicine at all. Be thankful you can afford the medication. Be thankful you don’t have to choose between food and the medicine. Be thankful you can go to any number of pharmacies in the area to get the medication. Be thankful you only have to walk a few hundred feet to get it.”

And as I walked as quickly as I could, wrapping my jacket tight around me, it continued, “Be thankful you have warm clothes to wear. Be thankful you have a warm house to live in. Be thankful you have warm clothes for your son. Be thankful.”

By the time I made it back to my car, medicine in hand, I was keenly aware of the blessings God has poured out on me. And I was thankful.

What are you thankful for?

The Devil in Pew Number Seven

I recently listened to the book The Devil in Pew Number Seven by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo with Bob DeMoss. I must admit I was intrigued by the books title. The book is a story of forgiveness in the face of repeated painful acts of violence. For the most part, I enjoyed this book although it was slow at times. There are points where, in my opinion, the author spends a little too much time using overly flowery language or explaining too much of a back or side story.There was a point where I probably would not have finished the book if it weren't one I was supposed to be writing a review on for the christianaudio.com reviewers program.

I appreciated that at various points in the book she gave voice to the various theological questions that naturally arise when bad things happen in our lives. She raises up hard questions, and for the most part, avoids giving simple pat answers. I do wish that she spent more time talking about her journey to forgiveness. She talks about that some through out the book but I was disappointed that the book ended with more of an abstract sermon on forgiveness than the honest questioning and wrestling I found in the rest of the book.

The narrator of the book was Pam Ward. She had some weird voices for some of the characters that I found a bit distracting but over all she has a clear smooth voice. For more information about the book, click here: http://christianaudio.com/the-devil-in-pew-number-seven-rebecca-nichols-alonzo?utm_source=ca+Reviewers+Program&utm_campaign=8c8f3351b8-Jan_B_Review_Opp&utm_medium=email

Hallowed be Thy Trick or Treat?

This is the sermon I preach this past Sunday, October 31st. The scripture passage is Hebrews 12:1-2. Click here to read the scripture.

Hallowed be Thy Trick or Treat?

Did you know that Halloween is the second largest commercial holiday in America? Today, Americans spend roughly $6.9 billion on Halloween each year, making it second only to Christmas. On Halloween, young and old alike dress up in costumes, attend parties, go trick-or-treating and make bonfires. Some people even dress-up their pets.

But have you ever wondered where these traditions come from or why we do them? Have you ever wondered where the name Halloween comes from or if it’s ok for Christians to participate in halloween? I thought it would be fun to take a few minutes today to talk about the origins of Halloween and some of the customs associated with is.

The word Halloween actually stems from All Saints Day which is celebrated on November 1^st. The liturgy used for All Saints Day was called Hallowmas, or Mass of the Holy Ones. Hallow means holy so Hallow be thy name, like we say in the Lord’s Prayer means Holy be thy name. And Hallowmas means mass of the holy ones. The night before was called All Hallow’s eve, which eventually turned into Halloween.

Some of Halloween’s traditions can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts celebrated their new year on November 1^st which marked the end of summer and the harvest and marked the beginning of the cold, dark winter. The Celts thought that the boundary separating the world of the living and the dead became blurred and the ghosts of the dead were able to return to the earth.

They believed evil spirits could roam the earth for one night, as they greeted their season. Winter was filled with long cold night and many people died from cold, hunger, and disease during the winter months. The Celts also believed that the ghosts of dead ancestors were able to roam the earth on this night as well.

The Celts believed that if they left their house after dark, they would run into spirits so they would wear costumes to disguise themselves. They thought that if they wore a mask or dressed as a spirit, then the spirits would think they were a fellow spirit and would leave them alone.

The tradition of trick-or-treating could have come from a couple different places. The two most likely possibilities are that it came from the Celts or from England. The Celts would leave food and drink on their door steps as a way to appease these roaming spirits. They hoped that by leaving food on the doorstep, the spirits would find no need to enter the house. Another possibility comes from the All Soul’s parades in England where poor families would beg for food and people would give them “soul cakes” if they would promises to pray for the family’s dead relatives. Later, children would go around to houses in the neighborhood and be given food and money, also in exchange for praying for the family’s dead relatives.

It has been traditional for the church to hold a vigil on the eve of major feast days. When Christian missionaries came to evangelize the Celts, they would allow Christians to participate in the festivities of All Hallows’ Eve and then at midnight, they would lay aside their masks at the door of the church. They would then process into the church for a prayer service, during which they chose to identify themselves, not with evil or other powers, but with the saints of God.

In recent years, it has been the tradition of the church to celebrate All Saints’ Day on the Sunday closest to November 1^st. As a result, the connection between Halloween and All Saints’ Day has been forgotten by many.

So what’s a Christian to do on Halloween? It’s a question that has been asked throughout the centuries and, very faithful Christians have ended up on different sides of the issue. Still today, some Christians chose to avoid Halloween all together because some of the traditions have pagan roots. Other Christians still choose to partake in the festivities, claiming that many different holiday celebrations, even Christmas, have incorporated and redefined pagan traditions into something with Christian meaning.

Here’s my take on Halloween. You don’t have to agree with me but here’s where I come out on the issue. I think when we do hold these two days, Halloween and All Saints’ Day together, it can be a powerful witness to Christ’s victory over all evil. Even if the celebration of them can sometimes be held days apart instead of back to back.

At the end of Halloween night, as you wash off the pace paint, take off your masks and lay aside your costumes, it can serve as a reminder that even though we often hide from other people and from God behind various masks, our true identity lies in Christ. Ultimately our identity lies not in the masks we routinely wear in front of other people, or the way other people perceive us. Our identity is defined by our baptism. We are ones who worship the One who has conquered death and raises us to new life. As you take off your costumes, take a moment to remind yourself that you align yourself with God, not with the powers of this world.

I also believe Halloween can be a reminder of the power of Christ. We know through the death and resurrection of Christ, ultimately all evil will be overcome by God. When Jesus died on the cross it may have looked like evil won. Even now, in our lives, there are times when it looks and feels like evil is winning. But we know the end of the story. We know, that just went evil seems to be the strongest in the crucifixion of Christ, that’s actually when God is triumphing.

None of the things we see on Halloween can overcome Christ. And when we take off the masks, it can be a wonderful reminder that Christ is stronger than anything else we face. Halloween can be a wonderful reminder that, despite the way things may appear, nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Halloween and All Saints’ Day also serve as a reminder that we do not go through this life alone. Trick-or-treating is a community event, where people travel together in groups. Faith is much the same way. We do not go it alone. We have a community of faith that travels with us on our faith journey. And All Saints’ Day reminds us of those Christians who have gone before us. Hebrews reminds us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Not even death can permanently separate us from our loved ones. Instead they travel with us, in the great cloud of witnesses that serve as an example and encouragement to us in our faith journey. Halloween and All Saints’ Day can remind us that not even death can separate us from the love of God.

Halloween has a mixed history. Some may consider it a form of worshiping the devil or evil. Others may consider it a way to proclaim our faith in Christ. If you do chose to participate in the festivities of Halloween, remember it’s connection to All Saints’ Day and hallowed be thy trick or treat.

To blog or not to blog?

I haven't blogged in awhile. Partly that's because I have been dealing with baby stuff but mostly it's because I've been wrestling with blogging in general. I've been doing a lot of thinking about how in our society feels so over stimulated. So many people are blogging, tweeting, facebooking, texting, emailing, etc that sometimes it feels like everyone is yelling and no one is listening. Everyone wants to claim their right to freedom of speech but no one wants to take up our responsibility to listen. One of the things I've learned is that while you have the right to speak, you still have to earn the right to be heard.

So I have been pondering what role this blog has. Is it just another voice in the masses? One more thing adding to information overload? Am I just one more person wanting to voice my own opinions without earning the right to be heard? Is this blog something that facilitates genuine conversation and listening to one another or is it something that shuts down conversation?

It's hard to answer some of those questions, especially since the reality is that it's probably some of both. My hope is that this blog will help facilitate conversation with one another. This is intended to start conversation, whether online or in person. With that in mind, I've decided to try to resume this blog.