It’s actually Halloween today and one of the things that Janet and I have looked forward to each year is the annual Trunk or Treat event at church. Back when we were growing up, we went door to door collecting candy and never had the option of heading to a mall or a church parking lot to collect additional sugary bounty in our bags.
I remember the year that my brother, Doug, and I dressed up as Indians after Mom had made these terrific headdresses for a scouting project we were doing at the time. We were learning about different cultures and I still have pictures of us dressed up in our awesome costumes as we participated in the grammar school Halloween parade.
Earlier today, we once again fixed up our trunk in typical Halloween decorations and handed out candy to hundreds of children who clearly enjoyed the entire event. There was a bounce house, face painters, food trucks, caricature artists and many other things to entertain not only church families, but many people from the surrounding areas as well. It is probably the biggest event of the year for outreach to the community in general. Both Janet and I greatly enjoy seeing the smiles on the faces of the kids who we engage with – and we love seeing the choices they have made for their costumes.
Halloween is the celebration the day before November 1st, All Saint’s Day and November 2nd, All Soul’s Day. Those are the the days that we remember and honor folks who have passed away, particularly family members and friends. In fact, Halloween comes from “Hallow” that means “holy” and “een” is an abbreviation of “evening.” So Halloween is the celebration that precedes the solemnity of All Saint’s Day on Nov. 1st and then All Souls Day on Nov. 2nd. Primarily, All Saint’s Day is the time that we pray for those who we believe are in heaven. By contrast, All Soul’s Day is a time of prayer for, as its name implies, all souls.
Some cultures celebrate the climax of these three days by also participating in Day of the Dead ceremonies on Nov. 2nd as well. They believe that the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest during this period of time in the year. Certainly, the death of Houdini, arguably the greatest magician and illusionist of all time, on Halloween in 1926 still contributes to this idea of being in communion with those who have already passed away. He was a believer in communicating with the dead and wished for his wife to get it touch with him post mortem, as he had tried to contact his own mother after her passing in 1913.
There are some people who choose to follow spiritualists and mediums rather than God and there are numerous verses in Scripture that point to times that people have made this choice. Of course, God doesn’t endorse this.
In 1 Samuel 28, Saul consults a medium after he thinks that God will not answer him. In fact, he disguises himself and engages the Witch of Endor who conducts a seance for him. It does not go well for Saul, as God has repeatedly told His people to trust in Him and not these others. Our verse for tonight is one of the warnings of God about putting our trust in others. We are told, in Leviticus 19:31, “ ‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.”
My encouragement this evening is that God wants us to turn to Him for our needs. And while I certainly hope that you have had a great Halloween and perhaps have even been a part of the events of the day, my prayer is that we will all focus on God and remember those people who have gone before us tomorrow, Tuesday and throughout the rest of the year… Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace.