Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Pagans?

Update: LBC's Fall Festival was amazing. I took Ella and my nephew, and they had a blast! The Gideons were there passing out Bibles, and the Gospel tent saw five people accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. Way to serve, LBC!!!


On the way home from church tonight, I had an interesting conversation with my two oldest children.

Lindsey: Mama, are we considered pagans if we celebrate at church with a Fall Festival?

me: (completely caught off guard by that doozy) What made you ask that?

Gabriel: That's what we talked about in counsel time tonight.

Lindsey: Yeah. {Name} said that Fall Festivals are the worship of crops and that even our church celebrating with a Fall Festival was wrong.

Me: Before I tell you what I think, tell me what you think.

Gabriel: It made me feel guilty about having fun at all the Fall Festivals we've been to. I got scared that I made God mad at me.

Lindsey: I felt guilty, too, but I feel like Christ has always been placed up front and center so I don't understand. Is it still bad even if we involve Christ?

I'll be the first to admit, that I enjoy church Fall Festivals. I'll also admit that the idea of them can be questionable since most are celebrated the same weekend as Halloween...and there may be costumes and trunk-r-treating involved (for the record, my children have dressed up for past Fall Festivals.). However, the worship of crops? I've witnessed nothing of the sort. If anything, the praise to God for a bountiful season/harvest passed down to us from long ago. Even more so, community outreach. A wonderful opportunity to serve Christ. While they are celebrated during the week/end of a questionable holiday, it brings people into a church atmosphere that's comfortable and relaxed....hopefully, helping them to feel comfortable enough to come back again. It's an opportunity to put Christ before the pagan holiday by giving the community something that they want (candy, games, free food) only to feed them something that they need...the Truth and the Light.

My answer to my babes: Put Christ ahead of everything that you do. Ahead of the games, candy, prizes, holidays, gifts. Know why you are where you are. In everything, praise Him. Worry only what He thinks of your character, and not what others think. Find ways to serve Him, even in situations that involve candy and games and you'll have nothing to worry about. :0)

LBC is planning a fair themed festival this year. The best part of all? The Gospel tent. :0)

Lindsey and Gabriel will not be with us, however. They leave Friday, with their dad, for a weekend trip to Orlando. Their first year to not attend a Fall Festival with me...but, wow! Disney, Sea World, and Arabian Nights. What a treat!

Praying that my blog besties have a blessed week/weekend, in the event that I don't log back on until next week. Happy Fall!



Relishing in His goodness...