Happy Halloween

Yes, I said HAPPY Halloween! Why is it so wrong for a pastor to see today as a good thing and not something horrible? I don't understand it. Tell me what other day of the year that you have all the kids in your neighborhood stop by your house. Tell me another day of the year, besides Christmas, that exhibits the concept of it's better to give than to receive better. Halloween is not a horrible thing. Will bad things happen tonight because of stupid people? You better believe it, but it did yesterday to and you didn't get any candy.

Please don't look at Halloween as a boycott event. See it as an opportunity to dress your little girl up as an angel and tell her that someday she will be one. See it as an opportunity for your little boy to be a kid and not worry about being made fun of for dressing up. See it as an opportunity to build community with your neighbors who don't have a clue that Jesus loves them. See this is an opportunity to be the talk of the town by giving out the best candy. See this as an opportunity...

Tonight I will celebrate Halloween. I will pull the fire pit in the front of my house and start a fire. I will set up the outdoor furniture in the front yard. I will give candy to all the kids and see their smiling faces. I will be as accessible as I can. I am not going to hide. I won't pass out any tracks about hell. I will talk about Jesus if I have the chance but if I don't talk about him, I think that's OK. I am not going to worship Satan, but tonight will remind me that I am like every person that comes to my door and I too need grace and mercy. You see, Halloween is just like all other cultural events that aren't inherently Christian. You can leverage it to build relationships for the future or you can boycott it and lose the opportunity.
Leverage the opportunity...