Wednesday, October 31, 2001
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Wednesday, October 31, 2001 |
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'Fall Festivals' are confusing to our children By REV JOHN HATCHER God created trees on the third day of creation. No Christian in his right spirit, however, stops and hugs a tree in order to show appreciation to it. God created the moon, the sun, and the stars on the fourth day of creation. No Christian, however, lifts his heart unto the moon or sun. Pharaoh may have worshipped the sun. But we don't. We know what he didn't: the sun will burn out one day. On the fifth day of creation, God spoke into being all the fish in the sea and all the birds in the sky. God blessed the fish and birds, but he didn't tell us to adore them. Eat them? Yes. Watch them? Yes. Worship them? No Of course, we all know that God created humankind on the sixth day of creation. He even blessed them meaning us but he did not indicate that we were to adore man and woman. So, which day did the Creator God sanctify? Which day did he set aside and make it special from all the other days of the week? The seventh day, of course. "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made" (Genesis 2:3). Get it? God made holy the one-day in which nothing took place but that God rested. He sanctified a day in which nothing was created. On one day he made the moon and sun, but he didn't sanctify that day. Another day, he created the seasons (Genesis 1:14), but he didn't sanctify that day. Throughout the Old Testament, God enjoins his people to observe the seventh day known as the Sabbath, the day of rest. God intended the Sabbath to be a day of rest and worship. After the Exodus, the Sabbath took on tones of celebration from slavery. So, the Sabbath evolved not only as day of rest and worship, but also a day of thanksgiving and praise. Nowhere, however, is there the slightest indication that we are to honor, adore, or worship whole, part, or portion of creation. In fact, the worship of creation is highly suspect. It's clearly indicated in the Bible that pagans conducted some of their worship on tops of mountains and in the groves of trees. So, are we as Christians supposed to be in the business of honoring the fall of the year or the spring of the year? Sincerely, I believe there are Christians who "oooo" and "aaaaa" over the turning of leaves and yet are unable to say a hearty "amen" at the sound of the truth coming from the pulpit. Think about it: flocking to the mountains to see the leaves turn color while absenting oneself from the worship of the true God. Think about it: churches hosting events called Fall Festivals. We Christians shouldn't confuse our children. We have three festivals or celebrations during the year: the birthday of Jesus Christ; the resurrection of Jesus Christ; and the birthday of the church on Pentecost. If we have a Fall Festival, why not be fair and also have a winter, spring and summer festival. That sounds a little too pagan. Well, is a little pagan stuff a la Halloween acceptable? No! The Rev. Dr. John Hatcher is pastor of River's Edge Community Church in Fayetteville. |
