Monthly Archives:

October 2011

All Saints, Halloween

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

With Halloween upon us all the ghosts, witches, and ghouls come to play… err, trick-or-treat.  Poorly made scary movies run non-stop on TV. Millions will give out candy to kids and people will participate in those zombie 5ks. Adults spend about $6.7 billion a year for parties, costumes, and candy. With Americans spending that much money on this festive holiday, is there a sinister evil moving among us, pushing us to celebrate a poorly documented holiday?

There is more to Halloween than we think. Many have made Halloween to be an evil day, which has not always been evil since its inception. What started as a Christian day to prepare for All Saints’ Day (November 1st), Halloween became a spooky, evil, and candy filled observance.  The term “Halloween” from its beginnings, had nothing to do with any pagan or evil beliefs.  The Christian festival All Hallows Eve morphed into our current word Hallowe’en.

Many believe Halloween is associated with the pagan concept of Samhain, a Gaelic harvest festival in which the beginning of the year and worlds of the living and dead would be thinly divided. It’s true, early Christians converted this practice and aligned it with a Christian observance.

The fact is we don’t really know what happened in the Samhain harvest festival.  We have historical records that roughly inform us what the festival was about, but nothing certain. Regardless, the question remains, can Christians celebrate this “evil” holiday?

Professor of philosophy at Biola University (a Christian university), John Mark Reynolds helps us understand how Christians can reject the overtly evil undertones of Halloween:

Christians have the right to reject [the pagan] interpretation. My neighbor’s celebration of Halloween as a pagan festival does not require me to lose All Hallows Eve, because of course in the actual historical memory of the West that is what Halloween is.  The day after All Hallows, Christians celebrate the lives of the greatest of the faithful who have died and gone to God. On All Hallows the fact that we will all die is brought home to us. We do fear death, but rejoice in the victory of Christ over death. The costumes and the joy poke fun at the diabolic, they do not embrace it.

Thomas More once said that the Devil cannot stand to be mocked.    By spending the night of October 31 filled with fear over what evils might be occurring (and sometimes are), we live in the fear that Satan wants us to live in. By laughing, mocking, and even “cartooning” evil with goofy costumes we can take a posture of triumph with Christ.

We Christians certainly should not take light the power of evil. We do not practice occult activities of the paranormal, but the evils of this world are real. Prostitution, human trafficking, children dying of starvation, murder, and torture are the real evils of this world. We Christians should not fear a kid who wears a Sponge Bob costume and spends a night with his friends enjoying candy. Certainly, there are greater evils than an underwater sponge.

Is Halloween evil? It is, if you want it to be evil. The truth is All Hallows Eve (Halloween, the Christian practice of it) was corrupted.  Christians can take comfort in understanding the historical Christian remembrance that is associated with All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day.  Teaching our children to remember the “saints” of our lives and the Christian witness encourages us to celebrate All Saints Day. Christians can even make Halloween fun for children by having events in churches or in our communities where children and their parents can dress up, play games, remember our “saints” and share some treats in a safe place.

Halloween

Why We Love the Paranormal

What is it about the paranormal that Americans find so fascinating?  A Gallup poll found that about 75% of Americans believe in the paranormal (ghosts, telepathy, clairvoyance, astrology, etc…)  Nearly 50% believe in ghosts and 41% believe in extrasensory perception. And, almost a third believe that ghosts can haunt people.  There is an extremely small percentage of Americans (less than 1%) that celebrate Halloween in neo-pagan ways and most see it as a time to dress up.  Many in Christianity believe Halloween to be such an evil day that they shun any connection with it.  Still, we find so many fixated on the holiday with billions spent on costumes, candy, and parties.

Maybe it goes beyond a fascination and the paranormal has become a love affair. According to Romance Writers of America, paranormal romance books are the fasting growing segment in their industry with such big sellers as the Twilight series selling 1.3 million copies on the first day of release. (Ladies, Edward or Jacob?)  In fall of 2005, we saw a rise in shows like Medium, Ghost Whisperer, Night Stalker, Supernatural, A Haunting hitting the TV scene. Ratings for shows like Ghost Hunters and Celebrity Ghost Stories continue to drive ad sales.

Our preoccupation with the unknown is nothing new.  Throughout human history we have always wanted to believe in something greater than ourselves. Religion can give us a sense of divine comfort and direction but for some that is not enough.  For those who seek the paranormal it is a way to have a connection with supernatural forces.  Paranormal interests are not only for men, but also women. Even housewives are getting in on the act by forming their own paranormal groups.

Lynn Schofield Clark, associate professor of communication at the University of Denver and author of From Angels to Aliens: Teenagers, the Media, and the Supernatural, explains why we love the paranormal:

At its heart, this interest in the paranormal and supernatural is about coming to terms with the fact that we have less control over things than we thought we did,” Clark says. “And with the fact that maybe we know less than we thought we did, too. Stories about the supernatural and paranormal occur right at the intersection of faith and science. They’re titillating, because they ask us to consider questions such as, ‘How do we know what is real?’ and ‘How do we know that what we think is real is actually real?’

Keeping such fascinations are a part of life as long as they do not become obsessions. Obsessions with the communication with the dead, occult practices, and the like are often fill with people searching for meaning but unable to find it.  Abuse is common.  Fortunetellers are often people making money off of desperate people stuck in grief with the loss of their loved ones.  Occult groups are often places of manipulation.

For some, the scare of a movie gives us a sense of “safe adventure”.  We sit in a theater with others to be scared only to be reassured with pop corn and soda. For others, the mystery is always there to prove if ghosts are real or not. No matter our level of interest in the paranormal, it is part of our humanness to want to know more. To discover. To try to push the boundaries of the known and unknown.

Let us not push our boundaries too far from curiosity to obsession. I pray that we can separate the desire for a suspenseful thrill and unhealthy fascination with evil this Halloween.  Stay safe.

end of the world, Rapture

The End is Here (again)

We remember the hype and hysteria around Harold Camping and his end of the world prediction that came and went. I first blogged on the topic back in March 2011when no one was really worrying about it. Well, he’s back!  Now, the end of the world will be this Friday – October 21!  According to the Family Radio Worldwide teacher radio nut, Camping believes that the end started in May and will conclude this month.

Though a “spiritual rapture” occurred at the apparent the end of the world back in May, this time Camping is for real.  The end will not go out with a bang, but with a whimper.  Camping said:

“We’re getting very near the very end. Next Friday looks like, at this point … it will be the final end of everything.”

“There won’t be earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters.

“The end is going to come very, very quietly.”

I think we’ll see Camping “flabbergasted” again with another apocalypse fall out. If you are depressed about the end of the world, read my ‘End of the World Guide: 37 Things You Should Before the End‘ to cheer you up.

You have to hand it to Camping, he learned his lesson about being definitive about the end.  He added “probably” to his prediction. Last time, he explained what happened:

“What really happened this past May 21st? What really happened is that God accomplished exactly what He wanted to happen. That was to warn the whole world that on May 21 God’s salvation program would be finished on that day. For the next five months, except for the elect (the true believers), the whole world is under God’s final judgment.”

At 90, Camping is still causing an international news story. Pretty good!  When I’m 90, I just hope I can get to the bathroom in time.

Culture, steve jobs

Steve Jobs, the Modern Prophet?

This past Sunday a private memorial service was held at Stanford University’s chapel for Steve Jobs, the juggernaut of the personal computing world.  Jobs’ passing has many of us reflecting on the work of one man’s life. His leadership provided for many visionary changes that have affected the world. Like the prophets from old, one man, albeit with blue jeans and a turtleneck, could prophesy the future. Unlike a prophet foretelling of doom, Jobs showed the world that the future was encased in a neat, clean, and powerful package.

He gave people something to hope for… even if it was just a product.

Connecting Steve Jobs to the concept of a “prophet” may cause some consternation in the Evangelical Christian community, but it is there.  Much like prophetic leadership guiding people to an unknown place and time, Jobs was able to motivate people into action and embrace the future. The iPhone, iPad, and other “i” products enabled people to take their relationships with them and put their interests, music, pictures, and friends in their pockets and backpacks.

Like a Moses or Joshua, Jobs was able to lead people to a promised hope. Steve Jobs had the ability to encourage people to change, and that’s a hard thing to do.  People followed Apple and Jobs into a new era of computing and personal electronics. That’s great and all, but what makes Jobs so prophetic?

His speech in 2005 to graduates at Stanford illustrates his prophetic ability:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but some day not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

What profound cryptic philosophical and religious language. Death the single best invention of life? Jobs is preaching a gospel that so many know, but few want to admit.  American Christianity has a lot to learn from Job’s words.  We Christians believe in a faith of death and resurrection, but we cannot let churches die. In biology, the death of one organism means life for another.  We are afraid to close churches for fear people will lose their faith. Yet, letting one church die can mean life for a new church. Resources, ideas, and property can be given for a new faith community to form.

Steve Jobs may have not been a believer or even religious, but he sure acted like a prophet. What more can we glean from such secular individuals in order to better Christianity?

One definition of a “prophet” in Christianity is someone who speaks the truth about God. Steve Jobs spoke the truth about death and its ability to change, but can we embrace this message?

Rob Bell

3 ways Rob Bell will affect everyone

Rob Bell, the controversial mega church pastor and author of “Love Wins”, recently announced that he was leaving the Grand Rapids church (Mars Hill) that he founded. There was so much interest in the announcement that Mars Hill’s website crashed. To most, Bell’s departure does not really cause the world any concern.  Usually when a pastor leaves a church it has a great impact on a small group of people, both in positive and negative ways.  However, Rob Bell’s departure affects just about everyone in the country.

How can one pastor’s departure affect a whole country?

1. Robb Bell is working on a major TV project with Carlton Cuse, the executive producer and screenwriter for LOST. The New York Magazine reports that the two are working on a show that would be loosely based on Bell’s life. The show is rumored to be called “Stronger”:

Stronger is similarly expected to explore spiritual themes but without being as on-the-nose as other recent series that have tackled these issues, such as 7th Heaven and Touched by an Angel. There’s also expected to be a narrative twist to the project that will make it a bit unconventional, but for now, that detail is being kept secret (this show is from a Lost-ie, after all).

Bell and Cuse met at TIME’s 100 most influential person dinner.  With the power of a big time TV producer, especially one from LOST, millions of people will be exposed to Bell’s brand of Christianity. Clearly, Bell’s move to Los Angeles will position himself to rub shoulders with celebrities, politicians, and other influential people.

2. Bell’s teaching and writing are changing the way Christians and non-Christians think about God. Through his book, “Love Wins” Bell explained that we should think more about God’s care for people rather than God’s plan for damnation.  The reaction caught the attention of CNN, ABC News, Newsweek, and other major media outlets. The topic of “who goes to heaven” is an extremely sensitive subject. You do not think he is making that big of a splash in the world? Well, his story and his book were the subject of a TIME magazine cover story that questioned, “Is Hell dead?”  Bell reengaged the debate of  annihilationism, universalism, and salvation on a secular level.  What pastor can do that? With about 78% of the country claiming some sort of Christian identity, Bell’s teaching will continue to make waves within a large majority of America.

3. By leaving local church ministry, Bell will reach an audience that few have been successful with.  Rob Bell  has big plans. He has accomplished what few pastors can do: grow a church from nothing, write books, star in his own DVD series, and speak all around the world. Bell is no Pat Robertson, Jerry Fallwell, or Jim Baker. His “hipster” image is putting certain Christian stereotypes to rest. He is perhaps in the best position for a mega church pastor to become mainstream. When we say mainstream, we mean not just with all Christians, but with the secular world. To some, that is a very encouraging thing but to other it is frightening. Perhaps, Rob Bell could tap into that demographic that is quickly disappearing from church life: the Millennials.

Stay tuned. Rob Bell just may begin to change the face of Christianity.

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