Here is Pastor Karen's devotion today. Some of you might prefer her wonderful reflections more often. You can find her meditations daily at the Facebook page of Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Renville, MN.
Good afternoon!
Halloween is weeks away, but I am already thinking about it. That’s what comes to mind when I see pumpkins. Pumpkins, to me, are for decorating with faces and gluing on yarn hair. For carving and placing candles inside.
My friend Henry gave me a pumpkin recently with some other produce from the farm, and I think I disappointed him when I to
Good afternoon!
Halloween is weeks away, but I am already thinking about it. That’s what comes to mind when I see pumpkins. Pumpkins, to me, are for decorating with faces and gluing on yarn hair. For carving and placing candles inside.
My friend Henry gave me a pumpkin recently with some other produce from the farm, and I think I disappointed him when I to
ld him how good it would look as a decoration on my back steps or table. He told me how his mother used to make pumpkin pie with fresh pumpkin to feed all his brothers and sisters. Then I felt guilty about taking his pumpkin! I had to tell him what I would do with it. How it would be something to “play with” and not something to eat.
He laughed and assured me that was OK—I could do whatever I wanted with my pumpkins. We both knew that making pie from an actual pumpkin is beyond my culinary skills!
Then this morning, I read Acts 16:16-24 in the daily lectionary and began to think about Halloween’s dark roots and rethink my casual attitude toward its celebration. I need to consider my Christian witness. I wouldn’t want people to think Pastor Karen wholeheartedly embraces a “holiday” that doesn’t glorify our Lord in any way. I also wouldn’t want people to underestimate Satan’s power to draw people into the darkness and away from the Light of the World—our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Acts 16 tells us how, in Paul and Silas’ time, people did embrace the darkness when it meant earthly rewards. Paul and Silas cast out a “spirit of divination” from a young girl, a slave. Instead of being grateful, her owners are furious because people paid money to hear the spirit “speak” through her.
When the owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place before the authorities, saying, ‘These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.’
Then the crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. The jailer responded by placing them in the innermost cell and fastening their feet in the stocks.
Hearing of the apostle’s cruel treatment is a reminder to us that as Christians, we should consider our witness to Him with all we say and do.
Now this doesn’t mean that I will suddenly stop admiring pumpkins with painted faces and yarn hair. But I won’t be suggesting any Haunted Houses at church or for us to do anything else that might make light of the powers and principalities of darkness.
My advice to parents: let the Spirit guide you to discern what is right for your family, at Halloween and on all other days. Be careful and prayerful about what your children see and experience. Don’t say yes to something just because all the other parents say yes.
Be the parent or grandparent that God wants you to be!
Be strengthened by the persecution Paul and Silas were able to endure for their faith—with God’s help.
And may the Lord bless you with His joy and peace as you seek Him and listen for His voice each day.
Let us pray. Holy God, forgive us when fear has kept us from being lights in all the dark places you have led us to go. Help us to discern what is good, Lord, and to pursue only what is good. Give us Your vision so we can see things that are harmful but seem so harmless. Give us courage to say no when Your Spirit leads us to say no. Let us never be ashamed of the gospel and what Christ endured for us, in obedience to You. In Christ we pray. Amen.
Our readings today are Job 42:1-17; Acts 16:16-24; John 12:20-26; and Psalm 72.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Karen
He laughed and assured me that was OK—I could do whatever I wanted with my pumpkins. We both knew that making pie from an actual pumpkin is beyond my culinary skills!
Then this morning, I read Acts 16:16-24 in the daily lectionary and began to think about Halloween’s dark roots and rethink my casual attitude toward its celebration. I need to consider my Christian witness. I wouldn’t want people to think Pastor Karen wholeheartedly embraces a “holiday” that doesn’t glorify our Lord in any way. I also wouldn’t want people to underestimate Satan’s power to draw people into the darkness and away from the Light of the World—our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Acts 16 tells us how, in Paul and Silas’ time, people did embrace the darkness when it meant earthly rewards. Paul and Silas cast out a “spirit of divination” from a young girl, a slave. Instead of being grateful, her owners are furious because people paid money to hear the spirit “speak” through her.
When the owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place before the authorities, saying, ‘These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.’
Then the crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. The jailer responded by placing them in the innermost cell and fastening their feet in the stocks.
Hearing of the apostle’s cruel treatment is a reminder to us that as Christians, we should consider our witness to Him with all we say and do.
Now this doesn’t mean that I will suddenly stop admiring pumpkins with painted faces and yarn hair. But I won’t be suggesting any Haunted Houses at church or for us to do anything else that might make light of the powers and principalities of darkness.
My advice to parents: let the Spirit guide you to discern what is right for your family, at Halloween and on all other days. Be careful and prayerful about what your children see and experience. Don’t say yes to something just because all the other parents say yes.
Be the parent or grandparent that God wants you to be!
Be strengthened by the persecution Paul and Silas were able to endure for their faith—with God’s help.
And may the Lord bless you with His joy and peace as you seek Him and listen for His voice each day.
Let us pray. Holy God, forgive us when fear has kept us from being lights in all the dark places you have led us to go. Help us to discern what is good, Lord, and to pursue only what is good. Give us Your vision so we can see things that are harmful but seem so harmless. Give us courage to say no when Your Spirit leads us to say no. Let us never be ashamed of the gospel and what Christ endured for us, in obedience to You. In Christ we pray. Amen.
Our readings today are Job 42:1-17; Acts 16:16-24; John 12:20-26; and Psalm 72.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Karen
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