Sounds of the Season

 Central Presbyterian Church is hosting a
“Sounds of the Season”
Family-friendly Organ Concert
on Saturday, Oct. 27th at 4:15 pm

We will be sharing refreshments as we listen to music
that has been associated with spooky movies in our modern culture
but we will reclaim it for its composers' original intent;
it's use as worship music.

 

Here are some reasons why some Christians feel that Halloween should be ‘reclaimed’.

Reclaiming our celebration

Christians are faced with alternatives: to ignore Halloween altogether; to go along with it without making any comment or protest; or to reclaim the festival for ourselves. The name ‘Halloween’ means ‘All Hallows’ Eve’, as it marks the evening before All Hallows’ or All Saints’ Day, celebrated in the Christian calendar on 1 November. It was the Christians who adopted the celebration of All Saints at the same time as the Celtic start of winter, based on the fact that through Jesus, the light of the world, all darkness is banished. All Saints should be and can be a celebration of good over evil, recognizing the power and authority of Jesus, surrounded by his saints and followers in all ages.

Light is better!

There is certainly a morbid fascination in darkness, death and fear that is attractive to children. Many children live in a hard world, where there are many things that cause them pain and put them in danger. The society we have created is a difficult place for children, and there is enough darkness and evil to be going on with. We can take this opportunity to celebrate light: the light in the world which makes it open, good and bright, but also the light of Christ, who brings light to the dark places. Light is better for children.

Fear or love?

Christians can reflect on what motivates us, and what we stand for in our world. We have the spirit of love, and all the attributes associated with love that we read about in 1 Corinthians 13. Love conquers fear, and love defeats hatred and pain. Why then support or be ambivalent about a festival based on fear and horror, the superstitions of an earlier age, before the love of Christ was known and shared?

Cutting commercialism

In the same way that Christmas has been taken over by items and attractions that have nothing to do with Christ being born, so Halloween has been absorbed into our materialist world. The ever-increasing profile of Halloween puts pressure on individuals to go along with the crowd, and within that the truth of the light of Christ and the celebration of All Saints is lost, and the sinister and worrying aspects of Halloween are trivialized and hidden under cheap plastic horns and tacky outfits.