Celebrate October 31st?

     October 31st has meant different things to different people throughout the centuries.

     Liturgical Calendar of the Church.  For many centuries the liturgical calendar of the church has celebrated All Hallow's Eve on October 31st and All Saints Day on November 1st.  All Saints Day is a day to remember all the saints (the believers in Jesus who have died).  I often think of Hebrews 11 as a litany of saints who died waiting for the hope in Christ.  In many of the liturgical church traditions October 31st, All Saints (Hallow's) Eve has been a time to remember loved ones and other faithful followers of Christ who have died.

     Witchcraft and the Occult.  In other non-Christian settings October 31st has been a day of witches and demonic activity.  Some of this goes back to medieval times and to places where the occult has been venerated.  The practice of witchcraft and the occult remains a current reality in our world today.

     American Commercialism.  In our context where retail establishments and other businesses are looking to make money, October 31st has become "Halloween" (from All Hallow's Eve).  It is a standard American holiday where decorations for home and office, candies and traditional foods mark the season very much like Valentine's Day, Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving.  It is a fun day for kids to dress up in costumes and get candies while adults may prefer to watch horror movies.  The themes range from ghosts, goblins, monsters and vampires to super heroes, Disney princesses and all kinds of animals.

     Reformation Day.  Martin Luther, the German Monk and one of the fathers of the Protestant Reformation, nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Church at Wittenberg on October 31st, 1517 (All Hallow's Eve).  Many church traditions that identify with the Reformation, especially Lutheran churches, celebrate October 31 as Reformation Day.  It is ironic that on a day when the church remembered the dead it experienced a renewal!  In the darkest moments of the medieval church the light of Scriptures shone bright as the morning sun!  No wonder the Reformed Church celebrates this day joyfully.

     Calvary, McAllen.  Our church has always looked for opportunities for outreach.  For quite some time churches have done Fall Festivals or Hallelujah Fests or Trunk or Treats to give families a wholesome alternative to Trick or Treating in the streets and to provide an opportunity for outreach to the community.  For many years our church, Calvary, held a Noah's Ark Festival with games and animal costumes celebrating the Bible story on October 31st.  We stopped doing this about eight years ago because we needed to concentrate our volunteer and financial efforts on our Fourth of July Tailgate.  Since then many of our ABFs have looked for opportunities to have block parties or to do outreach in their neighborhoods on October 31st.

     These are five examples of what October 31st has meant to different people.  However, the question remains, What does the Bible say about all this?  What is the biblical way to respond to October 31st celebrations?

     Biblical Direction.  While the Bible does not directly address Halloween or October 31st it does address the issue of the observance of certain days.  It also addresses the issue of deciding what is sacred and what is unholy in regard to matters of personal conviction.  Notice how Paul addresses this in Romans 14:5-23 (NIV):

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bow before me;

    every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.  22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

     So what is this passage about?  It is about Christians passing judgment on each other in matters of personal conviction.  Matters of personal conviction are different from absolute biblical truths.

     Personal Conviction.  There are matters in the Bible that are clear mandates from God and apply to everyone regardless of personal conviction.  For example murder is always a sin whether someone has a personal conviction about it or not.  So is lying and adultery.

     Jesus is Lord.  He died for our sins and rose from the dead.  He is the only way to God.  We are saved by grace through faith.  We should live holy lives and be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  These are absolute truths.  They are clear in Scripture.  They are not up for debate.

     However, Paul teaches us that there are matters of personal conviction.  There are many areas of the Christian life where we have freedom because we are not under the law (Galatians 5:1-6).  Paul's audience in Romans 14 had differing convictions about holidays.  Some of them wanted to observe all the Jewish Feasts (Passover, Pentecost, Sabbaths, etc.).  Others thought that it was not necessary to observe these any longer since Christ fulfilled the law.  Who was right?  Who was more spiritual?  Paul says that both are right if each is acting according to his or her own conviction.

     The other matter in which Paul's audience differs had to do with eating meat or being vegetarian.  In the Roman environment where these Christians lived the meat that was sold in the market place was sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8:1).  Some Christians felt like eating meat was equivalent to committing idolatry.  So they were personally convicted to not eat meat:

Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

I Corinthians 8:7 (NIV)

   While Paul respects the conviction of these people, he also states that God is bigger than idols and false gods.  God can make holy what has been defiled.  So Christians who have faith that God is the only true God have the freedom to eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols.

4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6 (NIV)

I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. ...17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, ...All food is clean

Romans 14:14, 17, 20 (NIV)

     Biblical Principles.  Paul says that meat does not make someone holy or unholy.  Food or drink do not make someone holy or unholy.  Participating in a worldly custom does not necessarily defile someone (1 Corinthians 8:10).  What defiles us more that what we participate in is how we affect our brothers and sisters in Christ.  What matters is our faith and whether we are doing what we do for the Lord.  Our convictions should be led by God's Spirit in faith for the sake of Christ.

     The really important biblical principle here is to not pass judgement on brothers and sisters in Christ who have different convictions.  Some Christians are more strict with how they live their Christian life.  We should not look down on them.  Some Christians exercise more freedom in their Christian life.  We should not judge them.  And never should we use our freedom to offend or make someone stumble.

     This biblical principle has multiple applications to how believers apply their personal convictions in regard to dress, entertainment, art, food and drink, etc., etc.  But this post is specifically about October 31st.  So the question is how does this biblical principle apply to October 31st?

     Biblical Implications for October 31st.  Some sincere and dedicated Christians believe that celebrating Halloween exalts evil and darkness.  Some sincere and dedicated Christian believe that Jesus can be Lord even over Halloween because his light dispels the darkness and his power overcomes all other powers.  Who is right and who is wrong?  Those who act on their conviction led by the Spirit, with faith in Christ and as unto the Lord are right.  Those who do it in the flesh, with pride and disdain for others are wrong.

     For us at Calvary it means we respect individual convictions about celebrating October 31st.  We especially respect what parents teach their children since they are the primary disciple-makers in their family.

     There are folks in our church who use October 31st as an opportunity to do outreach in their community.  We respect that.  There are people in our church who allow their children to wear costumes and get candy on October 31st.  We respect that.  There are some families in our church who abstain from any kind of celebration on October 31st.  We respect that.  There are some who think nothing of it positive or negative.  We respect that.  As long as each individual believer and each family does it unto the Lord and with a clear conscience then it honors God.  As long as each individual believer and each family does it in love and does not intentionally make others stumble then it honors God.

     This year October 31st falls on a Wednesday.  This raises some questions for our volunteers and our parents.  Our pastoral staff recognized this a couple of weeks ago and decided we needed to answer those potential questions.

     Questions.  Will we have any kind of celebration on our campus?  Will kids be allowed to wear costumes?  Will we talk about Halloween in the classrooms?  What is the stance of our pastoral staff and church regarding this?

     Our stance is that of Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8.  We have families in our church who believe October 31st is a great opportunity to celebrate fall, or children, or God's blessings, or the Reformation or lots of candy or all the above.  We have families in our church who believe October 31st is a day of evil and darkness and they do not want their children to have anything to do with it.  Thus, we will not impose an October 31st celebration on everyone.  Neither will we condemn those who find a reason to celebrate in their Christian freedom.

     That means at least seven things to us this October 31st,

1. We will be loving and kind to everyone.  We will not judge one another in our personal convictions.
2. We will allow teachers who desire to do so to have candy or cupcakes in their class.
3. We will not tell kids to wear costumes to church.  Neither will we turn away kids who wear a costume to church.
4. We will not scold children for wearing a costume or having a candy if their parents allow them to do so.
5. We will not shame parents or children who feel uncomfortable in celebrating anything on that day.
6. We will not talk about Halloween in our classrooms (for or against).  We will talk about Jesus.  (We may talk about the Reformation).  We will leave the Halloween conversation to parents with their own children according to their own conviction.
7. We support any group or individual who uses this holiday for calling attention to Jesus and His light.  If this gives our disciple-makers a platform for engaging the lost in their community, we bless that effort.

     There are some who wish we would simply take a stand against it.  There are some who wish we would flippantly celebrate it without regard to those who are offended.  We will do neither.  We value the freedom in Christ and the unity of His body too much to take an easy way out.

     Let us love one another!

Julio Guarneri, Lead Pastor

Rolando Aguirre, Pastor for SLM and Disciple Team Leader

Paulo Gatan, Pastor for Administration and ABFs

Chad Mason, Pastor for Mobilization and Global Impact

Marcus Rodriguez, Pastor for Families with Students

Susan Sosebee, Pastor for Families with Children

Benjamin Aguirre, Associate Pastor for Spanish Language Ministry