Well, for starters, Halloween is impossible to ignore and the holiday is gaining ground. Each year neighborhoods add more homes that are “all in” with Halloween décor. It hasn’t reached Christmas proportions, but it’s gaining ground.
Over the centuries Halloween has taken various forms and has been claimed by both pagans and Christians as a holiday. Yes, even Christians. A form of Halloween began hundreds of years ago when the Celts established the tradition of celebrating the end of the harvest season on October 31. But their celebration had a twist: they believed that October 31 represented a day when the boundaries of the living and the dead would overlap and that the dead would come back from their world to “haunt” the living. Centuries later churches coopted part of this tradition to honor deceased saints and martyrs. Today, nearly every tradition of Halloween—like jack-o-lanterns, costumes, trick-or-treating–can be traced to an ancient practice or tradition that has either Christian or pagan roots.
Today Halloween is pretty much all about candy, costumes, and “haunted” houses. And it’s all about these things to the tune of $7.6 billion. Whether you observe Halloween or not, you can’t miss seeing the season. So why not use the “other world” nature of Halloween as a tool to learn a truth deeply ingrained in the Christian faith: there is a spirit world that is more important than the world we see. In fact, check out Ephesians 6:10-12 below.
Ephesians 6:10-12
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
It’s obvious that we are interacting with another world that we cannot see. And we’re not to take this lightly, in fact, we are to armor-up to the fullest and take our stand. In Genesis 50:20 Joseph points out to his brothers, who had sold him into slavery, that God was able to use their bad intentions for good. Let this Halloween season serve a similar function. Halloween is certainly not a holiday conducive to spiritual growth, but it can serve as a reminder for you to prepare and protect your heart from the devil’s schemes, and that’s a very good thing.
To that end, here are some suggestions to use Halloween 2015 for good.
- Use Halloween as a Reminder
Every time you see a Halloween decoration or media reference, think about “the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Use each occasion as an opportunity to tighten up your armor of God.
- Use Halloween as Ministry
Pair your students with elderly friends and parishioners who live in neighborhoods with trick-or-treating. This is a made-to-order cross-generational activity. It gives the elderly and teens a chance to interact and gives the teens an opportunity to help. Another idea: while it might be a little too late to host your own “trunk or treat” event, mobilize your group to come alongside another church’s “trunk or treat” event. Or, if your church is hosting an event, encourage your students to help.
- Use Halloween as Outreach
When trick-or-treaters are at your door, parents aren’t far away. Be sure to interact. This is a great opportunity to establish relationships with neighbors.
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