I found this to be an interesting article. I think it would be awesome if more Christians would do something like this. I hate "Fall Festivals" that are really just Halloween parties held at churches. I am all for Fall Festivals held at churches that have nothing to do with Halloween. When I was the youth pastor at Hepsibah Baptist Church, the church would put on a fall festival that was either in the middle of October or in the first Weekend in November. There were hay-rides, games, boiled peanuts, cotton candy and usually some Bluegrass music. I loved it.
Now, I don't know this person that wrote this article but I did not like the way he references "good Christians." I know that he is using it sarcastically, and it rubs me the wrong way. I try to live my life to bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus. Being a 'good Christian" is not my aim. But, that is just a small issue.
The main point of this post, and what I want to spend the most time one, is that I would not call what he and his family are doing as "celebrating" Halloween. It is using Halloween for evangelistic purposes. And I am all for that. I am all for taking advantage of something that the world does in order to impact the culture for the sake of Christ's kingdom. I believe that we need to do whatever it takes in order to shine His light into the darkness.
About this author, I just wonder if his house is decorated with spider webs, coffins in the yard and ghosts hanging in the trees. Are he and his family dressed as witches and goblins in order to be more "missional?"
I don't ever ask myself the pointless question, "What Would Jesus Do?" but I do often ask myself, "what would Paul do?" I wonder if Paul would dress up as a zombie or a wizard and shout, "Happy Halloween" as families approached his house. But, getting back to the point, I wonder if Paul would have wanted the churches that he had planted to join in with what the culture was doing? Would he have wanted the church at Ephesus to join in with the worshippers of Diana duirng their festivals at the Temple of Artemis? I wonder. So, in the end, I am all for using Halloween as a means of reaching the lost world, but I am adamantly opposed to Christians celebrating Halloween.
I am in favor of Reformation Day however.
