Scotty Williams

Halloween is a day that is surrounded by much debate. Here are three helpful tips for those, and especially Christians, not joining the festivities.

1. Don’t Explain

Growing up in a Baptist home that did not celebrate Halloween, I was always asked why I had no costume and did not go trick-or-treating. The answer I was told to give was that I was a Christian and could not take part in celebrations that honored the devil. Though I wished to offend no one I often came off as condescending, and it brought a lot of unnecessary trouble with others. A better answer would have been, “My family just doesn’t celebrate”, and to leave it there plain and simple without the extra trappings. I learned this from non-religious friends who did not celebrate Halloween, and most people would respond with an “OK” and move on.

You do not need to explain your non-observance. Just keep things plain and simple, and most people will respect you.

2. Don’t Promote Fear

Sometimes non-observance is equated with negativity, and those who sit out are wrongly deemed as spoiling the fun. The congregation that I attended growing up encouraged its members to be “Halloween killjoys”, and to point out its dangers that others might get saved. One danger was bad people poisoning candy, a concern that came in response to the death of Timothy O’Bryan in 1974. His father killed him with cyanide laced pixy stick, and since then numerous scary urban legends have come about. While explaining my non-observance I would share these horrid myths, and take the joy from classmates who were only trying to have fun.

Of course, one should always err on the side of caution with Halloween, or any other holiday, but this can done without stoking people’s fears. A better thing to do would be wishing the observant a good day, and actively promoting joy. For example, there are people who do not give out candy, but give nice greetings to trick-or-treaters that come to their door. There are also non-observers who volunteer to check candy, and show that the well-being of children in their community is a top priority.

You do not need to promote fear. Just wish people a good day while showing kindness and care.

3. Don’t Limit Yourself

In addition to Halloween, October 31st has many other celebrations from India’s National Unity Day to National Knock Knock Joke Day. For us Protestants October 31st is Reformation Day, where we remember the birth of our tradition through Martin Luther’s 95 Theses. On this day we a hosts of joyful traditions that we keep, and there are even parties with food, games, and carving pumpkins with Luther’s seal. My point is that there are many other fun things to observe besides Halloween, and they are not made up alternatives like “Hallelujah Night” for disgruntled Christian kids.

You do not need to limit yourself to sitting out and/or feeling left out. Just celebrate the other things that make October 31st so wonderful.

I hope that these three tips are helpful, and for the nonobservant I wish you a joyful October 31st as you stay home or do something else. And for those who are observant I wish you a Happy Halloween and safety as you trick-or-treat and enjoy the festivities.

According to some Church traditions, the Devil hates blackberries. Why? Because they remind him that he has lost.

War in Heaven

In its final book, Revelation, the Bible tells the story of a woman who faces an angry dragon that wants to eat her child. She flees to the wilderness where she hides for many days, and while laying low the dragon makes a full assault on heaven. With an army of rebel angels he aims to take the throne of God, but is stopped by Michael the Archangel and flung down to earth. After this, some Christians believe that he landed on a thorny blackberry bush, and was so enraged that he cursed, burned, stamped, spat, and even peed on it.

Whether or not the bush story happened, it has led to a feast called Michaelmas, and customs that have shaped the faith of countless people for centuries. Some believe that after the feast all blackberries become poisonous, and will bring curses and bad luck for anyone who eats them.

Growing up in a Baptist Church I was unaware of Michaelmas, but after learning of it as an adult I began to observe it. This year I am making a pie that is traditionally eaten on this day , and yes it will contain the infamous berries that made the Devil rage. To be clear, I am less prone to believe extra-biblical legends, but this story still conveys a message that I think is very important.

What was most humiliating for Satan was that life on earth continued.

Shame on Earth

Though evil is a harsh reality that should not be taken lightly, it does not have the final word or determine our destiny. Furthermore, we don’t just have a dream of evil being defeated someday. In truth, it has already happened and perhaps its presence on earth is a sign of this. Like the dragon in Revelation, evil has been beaten and expelled from heaven, and here below it rages among us deeply humiliated. And what brings it shame is not the extraordinary and miraculous, but common things like blackberries that we find in daily life.

Despite their delicious fruit, blackberry bushes are considered a noxious weed. They are often an invasive plant that grows rapidly in forests and parks. Last summer, while biking around the Bodensee with my family, I was amazed by the prevalence of them everywhere we went. I was also grateful for the abundance of them, I love blackberries, and I happily ate my fill. In short, I found a delight in the common and the ordinary, and this is what brings evil shame as it works around our world.

Looking back to legend after his fall from heaven, what was most humiliating for Satan was that life on earth continued. It didn’t matter how much he cursed, burned, stomped, spat, or peed. The plant that welcomed his arrival with thorns continued to grow and thrive as we do.

Our role is not to get the better of or shame the Devil.

Reminding the Devil

Our lives are not just a string of suffering and grief. They are a mix of brokenness and beauty where every pain is matched with a joy. And that joy is available to us each day in common things, which invite us to celebrate that the forces of against are vanquished. Yes, we will and should grieve when evil comes, but we can also laugh with the knowledge that it is a beaten enemy.

There are many messages that Michaelmas gives, but its most important message is that our role is not to get the better of or shame the Devil.  Our role is to remind him that he has been defeated, and we do so by living with an enjoyment of the common and the ordinary. Today I will remind the Devil by savoring a delicious pie, and recall the story that it symbolizes with gratitude and gladness.

Grief

It has been seven months since the end of All Souls Protestant Church, and many have been wondering if I am OK. After all, it was not easy to lose a Church that I planted and nurtured for six years through the ups and downs of congregational life. To be honest, closing All Souls greatly wounded my pastoral heart, and it made me give much consideration to walking away from ministry.

When a congregation ends it is like the death of a loved one. In fact, it is a death with all the stages of grief. You go through denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, with the added weight of leading others through these things as well. Furthermore, the death requires someone to pull the plug, and it felt like being a doctor and a chaplain at the same time. While turning off the machines I was also giving last rites and praying with the family.

The end of All Souls was indeed a wounding experience, but thankfully I have recovered and am on the road of healing. I am also overjoyed to have this call behind me, and though I miss its wonderful people I do not miss its constant pressures.

Church planting is like the Wizard of Oz. People think and feel a certain way until they look behind the curtain.

-Rev. Dr. Brien J Aadland

Stress

From the outside Church planters seem like the great and powerful Oz. In the eyes of many who behold them they are almost spiritual giants. But behind the holy smoke and fire is a curtain, which hides away a clergyperson being shrunk down from stresses. Certainly, all pastors feel strain of vocational ministry, but for Church planters it is amplified as they build up new communities. They do not have the resources or personnel of an established Church, and often have to fill the gaps while doing their pastoral work.

Looking back to All Souls I was more than just the pastor, I was the secretary, Sunday school leader, youth minister, HR person, and music coordinator. Each week I was doing the work of a small staff alone, and in a denomination where Church planting had never been done before. It was a struggle to translate my experiences to colleagues, who only knew ministry within traditional settings. Moreover, it was a constant challenge to see where All Souls fit in the denomination, for there were no statutes of fellowships to which it could belong. I was wearing many hats as a Presbyterian in another Reformed world, and as a foreigner who was often the non-White in the room.

There was so much stress that came with the blessings of serving All Souls, and it began to affect my health, family, friendships, and faith.

When you feel like God has put you on a shelf, you are being called to rest. Lean into that rest.

-Rev. Dr. Teddy Reeves

Rest

Three months after closing All Souls I felt like God had “benched” me, or put me on a shelf. This feeling came from a belief that I had failed, but as a colleague stated God was really calling me to rest. For quite some time I was overworked from planting, and needed a quiet break to avoid burning out. I needed a pause without the scream of obligations, and a time to refocus on the things that really matter. Sadly, I could only focus on keeping All Souls going, and had lost sight of what was most essential and important.

After showing me that God was calling me to rest, my colleague encouraged me lean into that rest. The essential and important things are what bring rejuvenation, and in my case they are family, friendships, and creativity. I realized that weeks had gone by where I neglected these gifts, so to lean into the rest I have focused on and enjoyed them. Each day I am intentional about spending time with my family, speaking or meeting with friends, and doing art and music. And through these gifts I have found strength and energy, and recaptured my love of ministry that was crumbling away.

Dr. Jemar Tisby says that resting is an act of obedience, which brings God delight and gives us freedom. As I currently lean into rest I am finding that my vision of God has changed, and there is no pressure, grief, or sense of failure. The Lord to me right now reaches out with a friendly heart, and has given me enriching and uplifting opportunities to use my gifts. Though not serving a parish I have been freely preaching, teaching, writing, and taking part in projects that are healing and fulfilling.