From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Definition of foothold
1) A hold for the feet: FOOTING;
2) A position usable as a base for further advance.
This is the month that I am most concerned with the second definition; a base for further advance. There is certainly much to celebrate as we leave summer and welcome the promised cooler temperatures of Autumn. In cooler climates, the harvest has just finished. This comforting rotation of seasons reminds us of God’s provision and Sovereignty.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven...
However, simple celebrations of the harvest and Autumn can easily become something else. I understand the “fun” of Halloween. Some will say, “Well it started as a Christian celebration.” That would be partially correct. Others will say, “It’s a pagan holiday.” That is also correct. Honestly, I don’t really care, Saints Eve (before All Saints Day) or Samhain from the ancient Celtic pagans, has little to do with what happens here today.
Today, with the help of the entertainment industry and the retail marketplace, Halloween has become an opportunity to flirt with things Christians ought not flirt with…witchcraft, idolatry, and paganism. I am certain that is not the intent of the vast majority of Christians who participate, but it is the result. There is a line between a pumpkin and a jack-o-lantern, an autumn door wreath, and a skeleton, or dressing as Abraham Lincoln or a witch.
Our church is offering, for the second time, a pumpkin patch and a themed-table candy giveaway. We are celebrating Autumn and the God who gave us the seasons and we are inviting our community to join us! I pray that you will all consider joining us from Oct 17th to the 22nd, 4-7 pm Monday – Friday, and 10 am to 7 pm on Saturday. Art in the Garden will be from 5-7 pm on Saturday.
Please pray about how you and your family celebrate this season. As I preached last Sunday, ask this simple question, “Can I celebrate in this manner to the Glory of God alone?”
1 Cor 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Be careful not to give a foothold to anything other than the One True God! Amen?
God bless, Pastor Rob