Posted on 10/16/2009 4:19:52 PM PDT by NYer
October 31 celebrates the day that the Reformation in Europe began with Martin Luther posting his 95 theses on the Wittenburg church door, leading to a firestorm response in Germany. Why not use this occasion for a celebration of our Reformed heritage. And yes, this can be fun for the kids too!It's ironic that protestants are choosing Holloween to celebrate the Reformation, considering that many Catholic families celebrate All Souls Day by dressing as Catholic saints. Of course - protestants probably won't be up for a good old-fashioned cult of the saints party like we are.
[Here is what Reformation day involves:]
Why not have a celebration at church where all get dressed up as characters from the Reformation (I've dressed up as John Calvin, Martin Luther, a peasant, and even John Tetzel (the salesman of those infamous indulgences)? When I couldn't get a 16th century idea then I dressed as a Bible character. You can transform the fellowship hall into Wittenburg, Germany or Geneva. Here is an opportunity to go over the great "solas" of the Reformation: by Scripture alone, by grace alone, by Christ alone, by faith alone, and to God be the glory alone. Have people explain them. Show a video of one of the reformers. Draw murals of Reformation events.
Here are some other things our church has done over the years: Medieval line dancing (a lot like Scottish line dancing), Medieval relay races (put the indulgences in the bottle), bobbing for apples, German cover dish dinner, acting out your character (don't tell anyone who you are, but act it out -- the ideas are limited only by time and background).
I know a young Baptist whose mother asked the doctor to deliver her son on October 30 to avoid birth on Halloween, her due date.
They shouldn’t desecrate my favorite holiday in such a matter....
I’ve never known Catholics to use the pejorative term, “Papist.”
Well, this oughta be a fun thread.
Sounds like a great idea to me. I hate Halloween, consider it a time for witches and satanists to celebrate their craft. We used to have harvest parties without the witches, ghosts and goblins.
I’ve got a better idea. Instead of celebrating Halloween, celebrate November 5th, Guy Fawkes Day.
I am afraid that too many of our Catholic "brothers and sisters" consider us Protestants to be in the same category as "witches and satanists".
PCANews at the Christian Broadcasting Network website has come up with a way to overcome the satanic/occult aspects of Halloween - a Reformation Day party! They explain it:
Ummm. That's every Oct. 31. Nothing special about this year.
And, would that they would remark on it. I suspect many American evangelicals don't have a clue of the significance of the day.
I've been working on my scraggly beard since the beginning of summer. Now to find a black beret. This is the look I'm aiming at:
WOW I love Halloween!
It just gets better every year!
Oh, sure. I'll bet that goes over big with the kids.
Seriously, I wouldn't get too wound up about it, I've personally never heard of such a thing. Not that I'm the go-to guy on protestant lore or anything...
But what I observe is that churches are commonly holding halloween parties for the kids for two reasons, one being for reasons of safety and the other to replace the satanic aspects. Kids are encouraged to wear costumes, but anything satanic is obviously not welcome. Food, fun, and you open and close with a prayer.
Halloween is getting bigger and bigger among adults in recent years. And Halloween is one of the biggest holidays of the year in the “gay” community. And we know the “gay” community has become more visible and open. And some adults, esp. children of the ‘60s who never grew up, are big on Halloween parties.
Many Evangelical churches are having “Hallelujah” parties to give the kids an alternative to the ugly and scary occultic images with which so many infantile adults now decorate their homes.
Occasionally somebody answered the door who knew who she was!
We do call ourselves Papist, but with tongue gently in cheek.
Oh, yes, we’ve had a couple of interesting threads running that indicate that possibility.
Well, Protestants call us idolatrists who worship the Whore of Babylon, so hey, it all evens out.
My grandfather was born Oct 31,1900, he died Dec.23, 2000.
Halloween is not satanic, people. Get a grip.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.