Newsletter & Events
La Conner & Bay View United
Methodist Church
Methodist Church
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Ever since late August Halloween stuff has been in the stores. Economists say that Halloween
right up there with Christmas, Easter, and Valentine’s Day for the most money spent. And in
recent years Halloween has become as much an adult holiday as one for kids. It seems the kids
go trick-or-treating from 5 to 7 p.m. and then the adults party from 8 p.m. until after midnight
(especially this year, when Oct. 31st falls on a Friday)!
So what do we know about Halloween? Well, as one of the few people who truly can claim to
“work to beat the devil” (!), I should be the expert on this, right? But seriously, there are many
questions about the celebration of Halloween among Christians, and some of them are valid. Are
we really worshipping Satan and evil? Where did Halloween come from, anyway?
Halloween is a contraction of “All Hallow’s Eve”, or the “Evening before All Hallows Day” or
“All Saints Day”. It is a Christian holiday celebrated on Nov. 1st . The Roman Catholic Church
began beatifying (bestowing sainthood upon) people it believed to be outstanding Christians,
including the first twelve apostles (minus Judas Iscariot, of course!) and St. Paul. We, as
Protestants, also recognize this “holy dozen” with the title of “Saint” (with a capital “S”). The
Roman Catholic Church and some other Christian churches also began beatifying other saints,
too, giving each one a special day of the year, until there were no more days left! So after 364
saints’ days, All Saints’ Day was developed as a way to honor all the rest of those wonderful
Christians, living and dead, who have blessed us. And it is a day to recognize the “great cloud
of saints” who have passed on before us.
So, since “When All the Saints Go Marching In” (the Afro-American spiritual originally based
on Revelation 7:9-17 that has become a jazz tune – and the ring tone on my cell phone!) on
Nov. 1st, all the evil spirits must return to hell or their places of abode (like cemeteries or
haunted houses!) by midnight of the day before. They can only come out on Oct. 31st until 12:
00 a.m., according to the superstitions of the Middle Ages.
Many of those pagan European customs continue in our Halloween celebrations today. From
the Celtic Druids in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe, we get the bonfires that light up the time
of year when things are getting darkest. From the “Pennsylvania Dutch” (actually Germans),
we get “Jack-o-Lanterns”, which were originally another large vegetable, but became pumpkins
in this country. Black cats, corn stalks, orange and black for decorations, harvest moons,
witches, goblins, and ghosts all come from superstitions and the activities of the fall season.
Belief in Dracula comes from a bloodthirsty medieval ruler with that name (meaning “Son of
Drac”) in Romania. Werewolves came into the popular imagination from a congenital skin
disease, a form of lupus (which is Latin for “wolf”) which turned some peoples’ skin dark,
made them grow extra hair on their bodies and be extra-light-sensitive in their eyes (meaning
they only came out at night!). And our ideas about devils with horns, red skin, and pitchforks,
all came from the Dark Ages in Europe, too. (Another question: Is there just one Satan, or many
little devils running around out there?!)
So Halloween is an excellent opportunity for Christians to discuss what we really believe about
evil in the world and whether it’s OK to put on a costume and bob for apples and watch scary
movies. Some Christians believe in a personal Satan figure, while others believe that evil is an
impersonal force in the world. There is a denomination called the “Unity Church”, based in
Missouri, that basically says that evil is a figment of our imagination. And others think all evil
can be banished by a few visits to the psychiatrist’s couch. But most Christians, including those
of us who call ourselves United Methodists, believe that evil exists. We don’t see the world with
rose-colored glasses or paint it with a “Pollyanna” glow. We know that sin and horrible things,
like the awful shootings in our valley last month, do happen, both on an individual and a societal
level.
And we also believe that God has already achieved the beginning of the conquest of evil in the
world. On Easter God overcame death, which was (and in many cases, still is) considered to be
the worst evil. As a result, God also began the end of all kinds of sin and cruelty. Never again
will evil control the entire world, as long as Christians continue to believe in the sovereignty of
God and to practice the love of Christ.
Certainly, there are Satanic cults out there that take advantage of Halloween in our culture to
carry out their own rituals, worshipping the devil and evil. They are dangerous if they engage in
warping young minds to the real dangers of thinking that evil is somehow good and a god, so
that they kill others or destroy property.. They are absolutely terrible when they carry out
human sacrifice. (On a much lower level, that’s what the “trick” part of “trick or treat” used to
mean – soaping windows, tipping over outhouses, and other pranks!) Most of the practitioners
of Wiccan religion are harmless “nature-worshippers”, but some, if they do not follow the
loving ways that we Christians endorse, can do wrong things, too. And there are other
religions, like the Afro-American voodoo, Santerìa, and Candomble cults in Latin America, that
are not Christian, but can be used for evil (as has Christianity, too, we should add!).
As Christians, we should never say or do things that could give the forces of evil in the world
more power than they otherwise would have. That means avoiding language that disparages
others. It means not voting for policies that are racist, sexist, or against the poor and powerless.
One way to defeat evil and the devil may be to laugh at it. Charlie Chaplin’s movie, in which he
mocked Hitler, is one example. “Dr. Strangelove” and “Catch 22” called our attention to the
deadly threat of the atomic arms race. And when we dress up as ghosts, goblins, and gruesome
monsters, we laugh in the very face of evil. Real evil at Halloween is found in those who engage
in the practices mentioned above, those who put razor blades in apples and candy, and those
who use the holiday as an excuse for “Devil’s Night” vandalism and violence. Real evil exists
among those who do nothing to oppose the real evils, like poverty, war, disease, and the lack of
educational and economic opportunity.
So sometimes I think those who oppose celebrating Halloween have a point, and other times I
think they’re aiming at the wrong target. I have no problem with Halloween, as long as we don’
t believe in the evil we make fun of, and as long as we are not distracted from the real sins that
are within us and around us. And the best way to do that is to stay focused, on Oct. 31st and
Nov. 1st and all the other 363 days of the year, on God!
right up there with Christmas, Easter, and Valentine’s Day for the most money spent. And in
recent years Halloween has become as much an adult holiday as one for kids. It seems the kids
go trick-or-treating from 5 to 7 p.m. and then the adults party from 8 p.m. until after midnight
(especially this year, when Oct. 31st falls on a Friday)!
So what do we know about Halloween? Well, as one of the few people who truly can claim to
“work to beat the devil” (!), I should be the expert on this, right? But seriously, there are many
questions about the celebration of Halloween among Christians, and some of them are valid. Are
we really worshipping Satan and evil? Where did Halloween come from, anyway?
Halloween is a contraction of “All Hallow’s Eve”, or the “Evening before All Hallows Day” or
“All Saints Day”. It is a Christian holiday celebrated on Nov. 1st . The Roman Catholic Church
began beatifying (bestowing sainthood upon) people it believed to be outstanding Christians,
including the first twelve apostles (minus Judas Iscariot, of course!) and St. Paul. We, as
Protestants, also recognize this “holy dozen” with the title of “Saint” (with a capital “S”). The
Roman Catholic Church and some other Christian churches also began beatifying other saints,
too, giving each one a special day of the year, until there were no more days left! So after 364
saints’ days, All Saints’ Day was developed as a way to honor all the rest of those wonderful
Christians, living and dead, who have blessed us. And it is a day to recognize the “great cloud
of saints” who have passed on before us.
So, since “When All the Saints Go Marching In” (the Afro-American spiritual originally based
on Revelation 7:9-17 that has become a jazz tune – and the ring tone on my cell phone!) on
Nov. 1st, all the evil spirits must return to hell or their places of abode (like cemeteries or
haunted houses!) by midnight of the day before. They can only come out on Oct. 31st until 12:
00 a.m., according to the superstitions of the Middle Ages.
Many of those pagan European customs continue in our Halloween celebrations today. From
the Celtic Druids in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe, we get the bonfires that light up the time
of year when things are getting darkest. From the “Pennsylvania Dutch” (actually Germans),
we get “Jack-o-Lanterns”, which were originally another large vegetable, but became pumpkins
in this country. Black cats, corn stalks, orange and black for decorations, harvest moons,
witches, goblins, and ghosts all come from superstitions and the activities of the fall season.
Belief in Dracula comes from a bloodthirsty medieval ruler with that name (meaning “Son of
Drac”) in Romania. Werewolves came into the popular imagination from a congenital skin
disease, a form of lupus (which is Latin for “wolf”) which turned some peoples’ skin dark,
made them grow extra hair on their bodies and be extra-light-sensitive in their eyes (meaning
they only came out at night!). And our ideas about devils with horns, red skin, and pitchforks,
all came from the Dark Ages in Europe, too. (Another question: Is there just one Satan, or many
little devils running around out there?!)
So Halloween is an excellent opportunity for Christians to discuss what we really believe about
evil in the world and whether it’s OK to put on a costume and bob for apples and watch scary
movies. Some Christians believe in a personal Satan figure, while others believe that evil is an
impersonal force in the world. There is a denomination called the “Unity Church”, based in
Missouri, that basically says that evil is a figment of our imagination. And others think all evil
can be banished by a few visits to the psychiatrist’s couch. But most Christians, including those
of us who call ourselves United Methodists, believe that evil exists. We don’t see the world with
rose-colored glasses or paint it with a “Pollyanna” glow. We know that sin and horrible things,
like the awful shootings in our valley last month, do happen, both on an individual and a societal
level.
And we also believe that God has already achieved the beginning of the conquest of evil in the
world. On Easter God overcame death, which was (and in many cases, still is) considered to be
the worst evil. As a result, God also began the end of all kinds of sin and cruelty. Never again
will evil control the entire world, as long as Christians continue to believe in the sovereignty of
God and to practice the love of Christ.
Certainly, there are Satanic cults out there that take advantage of Halloween in our culture to
carry out their own rituals, worshipping the devil and evil. They are dangerous if they engage in
warping young minds to the real dangers of thinking that evil is somehow good and a god, so
that they kill others or destroy property.. They are absolutely terrible when they carry out
human sacrifice. (On a much lower level, that’s what the “trick” part of “trick or treat” used to
mean – soaping windows, tipping over outhouses, and other pranks!) Most of the practitioners
of Wiccan religion are harmless “nature-worshippers”, but some, if they do not follow the
loving ways that we Christians endorse, can do wrong things, too. And there are other
religions, like the Afro-American voodoo, Santerìa, and Candomble cults in Latin America, that
are not Christian, but can be used for evil (as has Christianity, too, we should add!).
As Christians, we should never say or do things that could give the forces of evil in the world
more power than they otherwise would have. That means avoiding language that disparages
others. It means not voting for policies that are racist, sexist, or against the poor and powerless.
One way to defeat evil and the devil may be to laugh at it. Charlie Chaplin’s movie, in which he
mocked Hitler, is one example. “Dr. Strangelove” and “Catch 22” called our attention to the
deadly threat of the atomic arms race. And when we dress up as ghosts, goblins, and gruesome
monsters, we laugh in the very face of evil. Real evil at Halloween is found in those who engage
in the practices mentioned above, those who put razor blades in apples and candy, and those
who use the holiday as an excuse for “Devil’s Night” vandalism and violence. Real evil exists
among those who do nothing to oppose the real evils, like poverty, war, disease, and the lack of
educational and economic opportunity.
So sometimes I think those who oppose celebrating Halloween have a point, and other times I
think they’re aiming at the wrong target. I have no problem with Halloween, as long as we don’
t believe in the evil we make fun of, and as long as we are not distracted from the real sins that
are within us and around us. And the best way to do that is to stay focused, on Oct. 31st and
Nov. 1st and all the other 363 days of the year, on God!
“WITCHES, GHOSTS, AND LITTLE DEVILS” ~Pastor Lockwood~ |
The Native American Spirituality Workshop was a great success due to the help of so many.
Katrina helped in so many ways from printing up our programs to help in the kitchen. A special
thank you goes to Jim & Betty Wilson for greeting people as they arrived and getting nametags
ready for us to wear. A special thank you goes to Virginia Sanford & Marion Robinson who
cleaned up after the luncheon & all who donated their food to make this day special. We all
enjoyed both Larry Campbell & Dayton Edmonds & their special insight to Native American
spirituality.
Thanks to all who came & enjoyed the day.
Adult Nurture Committee of Bay View & La Conner Churches
Kathy Willins Carol Oglesbee
Carol Hegg Maggie Collinge
Katrina helped in so many ways from printing up our programs to help in the kitchen. A special
thank you goes to Jim & Betty Wilson for greeting people as they arrived and getting nametags
ready for us to wear. A special thank you goes to Virginia Sanford & Marion Robinson who
cleaned up after the luncheon & all who donated their food to make this day special. We all
enjoyed both Larry Campbell & Dayton Edmonds & their special insight to Native American
spirituality.
Thanks to all who came & enjoyed the day.
Adult Nurture Committee of Bay View & La Conner Churches
Kathy Willins Carol Oglesbee
Carol Hegg Maggie Collinge
| Native American Spirituality Workshop |
| Piano Keys |
As of September 23rd we have collected $1890.00 for Piano Keys. We only have $110.00 left
to raise to meet our goal of $2000.00. Luke & Lila Long gave keys in honor of Vivian
Katherine Weise & Ava Diane Weise. Andrew & Abigail Lester gave a key in honor of
Beatrice McLaskey.
to raise to meet our goal of $2000.00. Luke & Lila Long gave keys in honor of Vivian
Katherine Weise & Ava Diane Weise. Andrew & Abigail Lester gave a key in honor of
Beatrice McLaskey.
| Blessing of the Animals Sunday, October 19th |
We had such fun with our Blessing of the Animals Sunday last fall that we thought we’d do it
again! On Sunday, October 19th, bring your (controllable!) household pets to worship with
you. If you think church is “for the birds”, or has “gone to the dogs”, this day is for you! We
will feature songs about our relationship with God’s creation and creatures, a sermon on “The
Theology of Ecology”, and a blessing for each of our precious animals. Mark your calendars!
again! On Sunday, October 19th, bring your (controllable!) household pets to worship with
you. If you think church is “for the birds”, or has “gone to the dogs”, this day is for you! We
will feature songs about our relationship with God’s creation and creatures, a sermon on “The
Theology of Ecology”, and a blessing for each of our precious animals. Mark your calendars!
| Charge Conference after La Conner Worship October 26th |
Our annual local church reporting conference, called a “Charge Conference” (for the
congregation or congregations to which a pastor is appointed, or “charged”), is coming up
after the worship service at La Conner, about 12:30pm, on Sunday, October 26th. We will
have a chance to meet our new Puget Sound District Superindendent, Rev. Alan Ocampo, and
to celebrate the ministry of our Bay View and La Conner congregations over the past year.
We will have a chance over coffee, after the Bay View service that morning, to meet Rev,
Ocampo, and then we will have a potluck lunch together at the La Conner church. While we
eat, Rev. Ocampo will meet with our Staff-Parish Relations/ Lay Leadership Committee in the
Sunday School room, and then they will join us in the fellowship hall for the Charge
Conference, itself.
Charge Conference involves a brief devotional by our D.S., the sharing of our various
committee reports and a report by the pastor, the passing of the budget and pastor’s salary
for 2009, and the acceptance of the Lay Leadership report, electing our officers and
committee members for the coming year. Charge Conference is open to everyone, so plan on
being with us!
congregation or congregations to which a pastor is appointed, or “charged”), is coming up
after the worship service at La Conner, about 12:30pm, on Sunday, October 26th. We will
have a chance to meet our new Puget Sound District Superindendent, Rev. Alan Ocampo, and
to celebrate the ministry of our Bay View and La Conner congregations over the past year.
We will have a chance over coffee, after the Bay View service that morning, to meet Rev,
Ocampo, and then we will have a potluck lunch together at the La Conner church. While we
eat, Rev. Ocampo will meet with our Staff-Parish Relations/ Lay Leadership Committee in the
Sunday School room, and then they will join us in the fellowship hall for the Charge
Conference, itself.
Charge Conference involves a brief devotional by our D.S., the sharing of our various
committee reports and a report by the pastor, the passing of the budget and pastor’s salary
for 2009, and the acceptance of the Lay Leadership report, electing our officers and
committee members for the coming year. Charge Conference is open to everyone, so plan on
being with us!