5 Ways to Show our Faith for Halloween
Posted by Natul Middlebrook on
Be purposeful in weaving God into all things. "Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." - Deut. 6:7
Fall is by far my favorite season, but it’s tainted by two things. Living in South Texas, we don’t actually have a fall. It’s a perpetual summer with short-lived interruptions of cool fronts here and there. It is the brave soul that throws on that comfy, cozy sweater only to be cursing her decision by noon. But the idea of Fall is dreamy nonetheless and there’s always Hobby Lobby foliage and the NEW Pumpkin Spice Cold Brews..so there’s that.
The other reason this season is bittersweet for me is the subject of Halloween. I’m not quite sure how to approach it. I’ve done the whole “no Halloween thing” and dressed my kids up in biblical costumes and only attended our church Fall Festivals. “Say No to Satan & Trick or Treating” was our slogan.
Not really…..but you get the picture.
Over the years my commitment to uncelebrate Halloween has fluctuated and I’ve found myself compromising on some values because it’s exhausting to navigate year after year especially when those little people in your house are caught up in the spookiness of it all.
I also got tired of answering to well meaning friends and family who lovingly shared with me that maybe I took it all a tad too seriously.
Maybe there is truth to that….but the opposite could also be true.
Are we not taking these things seriously enough? I mean, shouldn’t our faith season everything we do?
In an effort to let my kids embrace the celebratory spirit of the season, I wanted to share with you some things that I’ve tried to incorporate the last few years as a way to saturate the festivities with our faith.
You can still partake in all the fun fall festivities, but be purposeful in weaving God into all things (Deuteronomy 6:7). I especially like The Pumpkin Patch Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs because it is a book that brings in a biblical perspective to pumpkin picking and carving. Every page contains a biblical reference and you can use it as a way to inspire your kids before hitting up your local pumpkin farm.
2. Shop your Closets & Attics for Costumes ...
• Get creative and pull from what you already have in your house.
• Hire a local seamstress/tailor to make your costume.
• Swap with friends and reuse their costumes from prior years.
• Hit up your local thrift stores and ask if they carry costumes.
Halloween is a perfect time to share Fair Trade chocolate with your friends and neighbors. Fair Trade chocolate does more than ensure that farmers are paid a living wage, it ensures that the cocoa beans used in your chocolate weren’t harvested by slave children in Western Africa. Yes, friend, you read that correctly...
The more caring mamas there are like you choosing to use your purchasing power for good, the more those big chocolate companies will feel pressure to change.
4. Put on Spiritual Goggles ...
I ask you to consider this paraphrase from Ephesians 6:12:“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, powers, world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
I ask you to consider this paraphrase from Ephesians 6:12:“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, powers, world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Let’s make the most out of every opportunity (Colossians 4:5)! Since Halloween is one of the few nights that we deliberately gather outside with our friends and neighbors, it’s a perfect time to look for opportunities to invite neighbors to dinner, to church or to just hangout.
Keep your kids part of the dialogue. Pray with them before you hit the streets-tell them that you’re praying for God to open doors for them to share the love of Jesus.We are, afterall, a city on a hill, a light in the darkness.
In no way are we to partake in the true meaning of Halloween, but we are to embrace this night to cast a light into the darkness and to believe that the sweetness of Jesus is the true reason for the season:)
Dear Natul, I love this blog!! Your writing is amazing and helpful. I had been thinking about the Halloween thing since most of the people I know likes to celebrate it. Thanks for the great ideas in how to use this time to get more connected to Jesus. Love it !!!