Territorial Bloggings

It seems as though this year’s celebration of Halloween is causing a bit more consternation than usual, attributable to the fact that Oct. 31 falls on a Sunday this year. At least this is certainly the case in NW Indiana, with some communities sending the kids out to trick-or-treat on Saturday evening, and others on Sunday. Valparaiso happens to have gone along with the county sheriff and chosen Saturday. This is fine with me, if for no other reason then this: my kids (ages 7 & 5.5) won’t get all hopped up on sugar & have to wake up for school the next morning. (It’s easier to get them up & ready for church than for regular school…)

Besides, it also frees up Sunday for the more important occasion: Reformation Day!

The thing I don’t get is this — the uproar by what the press refers to as the “Christian community”. They’re more accurately referred to as the “Contemporary American Evangelicals” (the co-opting of the word evangelical is the topic of another rant/post…) community, though, as most of the folks quoted in the papers seem to be members of the many non-denominational churches that dot the landscape. Don’t get me wrong - I have no doubt they are basically good, God-fearing folk; however they have been theologically misguided into focusing a bit too much on pietism & works righteousness.

Sunday is not the post-NT “Sabboth”. We were freed from that Law by Christ on the cross. Setting aside regular time for worship in the Divine Service is all well and good, but let’s not get so caught up in things that we ascribe too much importance/significance to a particular day of the week.

If you object to celebrating Halloween on a Sunday, then you should object to celebrating it any other day of the week. Worries about pagan influences, the glorification/mainstreaming of darkness, and the like are just as dangerous & objectionable on Tuesday as on a Sunday. Just be consistent.

But if it’s about letting kids dress up in costumes & have the opportunity to beg for some candy? Well, then it’s a little harder to see the objections about Sunday. Unless you don’t like kids going out & getting hopped up on sugar on school nights. That I can understand…

-ghp