As Reina is getting older I am often faced with challenging questions that leads to meaningful conversations with her. Reina had a Halloween party scheduled on Friday at her school and we didn’t let her stay for the party because we don’t celebrate Halloween. So on our way back home from picking her up early from school Reina was telling me how the party is not anything scary or weird but just eating yummy treats and having fun. She was definitely disappointed that she was missing a good party. So I had to explain why we don’t celebrate Halloween and that I will make sure that she has more fun and better food at Fall Festival. I’m sure I will have to remind her and make sure that she fully understands as she gets older. For parents who are dealing with same issues, here is helpful information that we used to give out to the congregation.
NCFC does not believe that Christians should participate in the celebration of Halloween due to its origin and practices, which are contrary to the teachings of the Bible.
The custom of Halloween is traced to the Druid festival of the dead around 100 A.D. Samhain, a Druid god of the dead, was honored at Halloween in Britain, France, and the Celtic countries. Druids believed that souls of the dead returned to their former homes to be entertained by the living. Bonfires were built atop hills so they might find their way. Suitable food and shelter was provided for these spirits(“treat”) or else they would cast spells, cause havoc, destroy crops, or create terror as they haunted the living (“trick”). Many witches and Satan worshippers gather to continue the traditional practice of worshipping evil spirits on Halloween day even today.
When children dress up and knock on doors and ask for treats, they are mimicking the dead! The Bible instructs us to have nothing to do with the occult practices, the deeds of darkness (Deuteronomy 18:10-11). Some may say, “but we only do this for fun... we don’t practice witchcraft.” That which represents Satan and his domain cannot be handled or emulated “for fun”. Such participation places the participant in the forbidden enemy territory.
That is why NCFC insists on having our Fall Festival on Halloween night. We do not just tell our children not to participate in Halloween, but we offer them an exciting alternative to celebrate life and the Giver of Life, not death. So I hope you brought your entire family to this wonderful family event, and showed your support. If you missed it this year, make sure to plan ahead so you can attend next year. You will have so much fun, and your children will love you for it!
From Pastor Brian’s Heart
November 1, 2015
Another family reunion for North and South Koreans was held in the DMZ of Korea this past week. 96 families had private reunions with their relatives living in the North. Such a family reunion event began as a result of the first inter-Korean summit in 2000. Twenty face-to-face family reunion events have been held so far.
Nearly 130,000 South Koreans are registered in the government’s database as having family in the North, separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. Half of them have already died, with around 66,000 people on the waiting list. The border between the two Koreas remains tightly closed, with no cross-border travel, phone calls or email exchanges allowed. The two Koreas are technically still in a state of war as the Korean War ended in a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.
The Korean War separated millions of Koreans from family members for a multitude of reasons. What they have in common is shock that South and North Korea remain so bitterly divided after so much time. A mother, 95, reunited with her youngest daughter, who was 2 when she left her and is now 64. She said before meeting her daughter, “I am not sure if I will even be able to recognize her. I don’t even remember how she looked as a baby.” In another reunion, a husband who was separated 65 years ago met his wife. They were separated after 6 months of marriage when the Korean War started. She said that she can't even cry because it has been so long but she missed him a lot. She thought her husband died and has had a ceremony every year for the past 37 years. She gave birth to his son after he disappeared and raised her son alone with hard jobs. These similar stories were commonly shared from everyone who was fortunate enough to be selected to be a part of this reunion.
What a tragedy! The war separated them from being together for such a long time. And there is yet another divde that separates people. Hurt separates! What does hurt do to relationships with other people? It divides. When a person hurts another person, it drives them apart and separates them.
Have you been hurt by someone or have you hurt someone, and as a result, the relationship has been broken? And are you longing to restore that broken relationship again? How can you be close again? Something needs to be done. The hurt has to be forgiven. You may say, “It wasn’t my fault that our relationship broke!” But Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus, being blameless, voluntarily offered Himself to be the sacrifice that would overcome our sins against God.
And the Apostle Paul says in Colossians 3:13, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Not only did Jesus bring us close to God, but Jesus also wants us to forgive others and be forgiven from others. Jesus can give us the courage, strength and love that will enable us to forgive. No human can remove the hurt. Only Jesus can. Are you having a hard time forgiving someone even though you’ve been wanting to forgive because your wound is too deep? Ask Jesus to give you the courage, strength and love that will enable you to forgive. Jesus desires to restore our broken relationships with each other. What a tragedy it would be if the relationships remain broken for 50, 60 years or even beyond! You don’t want to wait too long before it becomes a little too late. Our God is a God of union, not of separation.
From Pastor Neil’s Heart
October 25, 2015