From Pastor Phil...

October is a rough month for me. The weather is cool, which is great. The color in the leaves is changing, which is beautiful. At the same time, it is a month with a split identity. On one side is the joy of the Reformation, while on the other side is Halloween. These two holidays coexisting on a single date is interesting to me. They seem so diabolically separate, but there they are sitting on October 31st every year.

Philippians 4:8 tells us, Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (ESV) Paul is concluding his letter to the church at Philippi. As he is speaking to them, he begins the chapter by entreating them to stand in the Lord. As he writes to them, he talks about how they are to interact with each other, and how God's peace will reign over them. He concludes this little section with the Finally... that we read here. Paul does continue for a little bit speaking about how the church has a godly concern for him and supports his ministry. It's a rather loving statement to a faithful church as they stand their ground in an unfaithful day.

Another congregation gets spoken to about living in a time when the synagogue of Satan was active - another faithful church in an unfaithful day. In Revelation 3, we hear none other than Jesus tell John what to write in the 7 epistles of Revelation. What Jesus talks to them about is the same thing that Paul does, albeit to a different congregation, but Jesus gives us a little more color to what had been going on in the world around the Christian church. A couple things stand out to me in this epistle of Philadelphia.

1. They don't have much power.
2. Jesus loves the congregation of Philadelphia.
3. They endured through the challenges that had come to them.
4. Jesus is returning soon.
5. Jesus is writing His name upon His people.

There's a bunch in this little list, but what stands out to me is the idea of how small they were, and how they stood in Jesus Christ. It makes me think a little about Luther as the little Augustinian monk placed the 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg Church. Like the Church in Philadelphia, Luther stood on the grounds of faith in Jesus Christ, and the Gospel. In both cases, we can see and rejoice as God did His good work through the church as it remained faithful, and through Luther as he received persecutions and challenges for laying hold to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Halloween presents a challenge in light of this. Often times, we talk about how the celebration of Halloween isn't about the pagan spirit or something similar. It's about kids having a good time. It's about families getting together. All things that sound so very good. How does it get celebrated by the world around us? The newest supernatural thriller will likely be released... a quick google search reveals that in October 2025, Annabelle 4, The Conjuring 4, The Black Phone 2, and The Ritual (starring Al Pacino) are all slated to be released. On television, all night séances will be televised for our entertainment, and horror franchises will be celebrated as Michael Meyers, Chucky, and whomever else grace our televisions. Zombie shows will become numerous. People will be afraid to leave their homes in the days leading up to Halloween because of what may happen to their house as people vandalize. In the city of Detroit, the night before Halloween is known as Devil's Night. Perhaps more shocking are quotes from witches like Bryan Jordan who state, They don't realize it, but they're celebrating our holiday with us. You can look this up on YouTube or Google and find all manner of testimony to this effect.

Brothers and sisters, as we enter the month of October, I call you to pray about what you do through the course of this month. Please consider this, what is true? What is lovely? What is commendable? What is worthy of praise? Would Jesus agree go along with you? As you pray about these things, I would offer you the 2nd commandment and explanation to consider. Do we celebrate Halloween, or do we celebrate the overcoming of the Gospel over the darkness of this world as God did His good work so many years ago to bring the Gospel to light once again?

P.S.
2nd Commandment - You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks. Luther's Small Catechism, CPH App