7B
RELIGION/(E|re Cfmlotte $a«tt
Ttiursday, October 30,2003
MINISTRY PARTNERSHIP
Halloween unmasked from a Christian perspective
Rev. Shippman
Pastor of Gt'eenville
Memorial A.M.E. Zion
Church
Living in tnda/s culture is
truly a challenge, especially
for the sincere spiritual
pupils
who
attempt
t 0
adhere
daily to
the
words of
the Mes-
s i a h
Jesus:
“And He
said to
them,
"You are
from
beneath; I am from above.
You are of this world; I am
not of this world.’” (John
8:23)
It behooves everyone be
sure that the customs, and
yes, even some ‘"holidays” of
this world’s culture are truly
understood. Why, you may*
ask? Every holiday may not
be in your best spiritual
interest. In addition, we aU
need to recognize the truth
about what we are collective
ly “celebrating”. Did the
Master not say, “And you
shall know the truth, and
the truth shall make you
free” (John 8:32)?
Let’s investigate “the
truth” about October’s major
holiday, Halloween! The
word “holiday” originally
meant “holy day,” where a
special feast, festival or cere
mony commemorating a spe
cific event was celebrated.
Halloween is one such holi
day that many of us
acknowledge and even allow
our children to participate in
without truly knowing its
“holy” origin and unknown
history.
Where did this holiday
begin? In 607 A.D., Pope
Boniface IV was given the
Roman pantheon after
defeating Emperor Phocas
and his barbaric/pagan
tribes. Three years later,
the pagan tribes. . Three
years later, the pagan tern-'
pie was rededicated to “The
Virgin Mary and All The
Saints of the Early Church.”
An annual festival was
instituted to commemorate
the event, and the date of
May 13 was chosen. This
day became known as All
Saints’ Day. It was a time
when prayers and petitions
were offered on behalf of the
souls of every deceased
saint. In 834 A.D. the date
was altered to Nov. 1, and
the name was changed to
“All Hallow,” from which we
get the name Halloween.
All hallow merely means all
holy, and the “een” is a con
traction of evening.
So, there you have it! On
the even of All Hallow Day
(All Saints’ Day), originally a
truly holy day, became the
contraction we know today
as “Halloween”! But that’s
not where the stoiy ends!
During the first centuries
of the Christian church,
Christianity was the new
religion in competition with
numerous other traditions.
One of the earliest On the
British Isles, the Druids (of
Celtic origin) had their own
holy day on Nov. 1, in honor
of Samhain, Lord of the
Dead. It was Druid belief
that on that night all sorte of
spirits, ghosts and souls of
the evil dead roamed freely,
often returning to their orig
inal homes,' there to be
entertained with food.
ft was believed that if food
and “goodies” were not pro
vided, these evil spirits
would cast spells and cause
havoc toward those failing to
fulfill their requests. It was
a treat, or be tricked —
sometimes even out of one’s
life! Tricked by the dead to
join the dead!
Remember the warning of
the Apostle Paul: “And have
no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of dark
ness, but rather expose
them. For it is shameful
even to speak of those things
which are done by them in
secret. But aU things that
are exposed are made mani
fest by the light, for whatev
er makes manifest is light.
Therefore He says: Awake,
you who sleep. Arise from
the dead, and Christ will
give you light.” (Eph 5:11-
14) .
Instead of its original sanc
tity, the eve of Nov. 1 is now
a time when children (and
adults) dressed up as witch
es, goblins and ghosts ram
ble through neighborhoods,
knocking on doors and
announcing, “Trick or Treat.”
Do you remember your
trick-or-treating days? I
remember the 1960s, when
this annual ritual of cos
tumes had lighter overtones
due to the environment that
prevailed. During this era as
a child, I certainly felt more
secure and safe. Thirty
years later in the 1990s,
juvenile vandalism becomes
the order of the night, and
our children’s treats need to
X-rayed to be sure they are
not harmful, even deadly.
Some “goblins” tear down
mailboxes, paint cars, throw
eggs, destroy lawns and
flowers — strange customs
for a civilized society.
So how can we remain” in
the world but not of the
world” when it comes to Hal
loween? Perhaps these sug
gestions maybe helpful:
• Provide and evening at
church with activities and
games where costumes can
be worn, and the focus is on
education with entertain
ment.
• Have the church youth
make surprise visits to shut-
ins or local rest homes, with
the children bringing the
treats.
I challenge you to investi
gate the Word of God as it
relates to worldly customs
and holidays. I challenge
you to uncover the truths
about each holiday we
observe throughout the cal
endar year, and may your
discoveries lead you to dis
cern how to “live in the world
but not of the world!”
And yes, this Halloween,
the only ghost you need to
entertain or imitate is the
Holy Ghost! No trick — His
treat will yield unto you the
desires of your heart!
ZION CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES
“loin Us For Service”
SUNDAY, Morning Worship 9am
WEDNESDAY, Bible Study 7pm
5409 Beatties Fd. Rd., Charlotte, 28216
704-502-2798
Joseph L. Dempsey,
Pastor
REEDER MEMORIAL
BAPTIST CHURCH
Come and share "The Journey" with us.
Sunday Morning Worship - 8 am and 10:45 am
Sunday School -9:30 am
Tuesday Bihle Study-7:30 pm
; A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY MiKlNG CONNECTIONS
WITH YOUR FUTURE
3725 Beatties Ford Rd.* 704-398-2914
Anglican-Episcopal gay dispute could spill over
By Richard Ostling
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK - The fight
over homosexuality in the
international Anglican Com
munion and its American
branch, the Episcopal
Church, isn’t just an internal
squabble.
It could permanently alter
the Anglicans’ relationship
with Catholic and Orthodox
Christianity and affect U.S.
Protestant denominations
that also are struggling with
their policies on gay relation
ships.
Last week in London, top
leaders of the world’s 77 mil
lion Anglicans reaffirmed
their opposition to gay sex
and warned that the Ameri
cans’ planned consecration of
an openly gay bishop Nov. 2
will “tear the fabric” of the
faith internationally. In the
United States, conservatives
are threatening to quit the
Episcopal Church over its tol
eration of gay clergy and
same-sex couples.
Other denominations are
watching with concern as the
situation unfolds.
“Ecumenically, we’re on
new turf here,” says the Rev.
William Rusch, referring to
the long-running quest for
unity among Roman
Catholics, Protestants and
the Orthodox.
Rusch, organizer of a 2005
North American ecumenical
conference, says homosexual
ity "is certainly more than an
issue of justice or democracy”
because many Christians
believe it touches key theo
logical issues.
For conservatives, who cite
Scriptural admonitions
against homosexual acts, the
authority of the Bible is at
stake.
The retired world Anglican
leader, former Archbishop of
Canterbury George Carey,
said this week that the
approval of Robinson by last
summer’s Episcopal conven
tion is "an ecumenical scan
dal.” Orthodox reactions
undergird his assessment:
• Greek Orthodox Metro
politan Maximos of Pitts
burgh said Robinson’s sup
porters are betraying Chris
tianity’s one “source of truth,
the Bible in the holy tradition
of the church” and declared
that Orthodoxy’s official talks
with the Episcopal Church
are “defunct.” Says another
longtime Orthodox partici
pant in the discussions, the
Rev. Paul Schneirla: “I cannot
imagine going on.”
• The bishops who head
North America’s nine Ortho
dox branches jointly lament
ed that Christianity’s 2,000-
year tradition on marriage is
being “questioned, chal
lenged or denied” in society
and in certain “faith commu
nities” (politely avoiding men
tion of the Episcopalians).
Roman Catholic leaders
also have shown displeasure
in various ways:
• A Catholic bishop with
drew permission for the Epis
copal Diocese of Florida to
use one of his churches for a
ceremony because the presid
ing bishop of the Episcopal
Church planned to partici
pate. (The presiding bishop
later withdrew.)
• At the Vatican, Pope John
Paul II told Carey’s successor.
Archbishop Rowan Williams,
that "new and serious diffi
culties have arisen on the
path to unity.” The pope said
the problems “extend to
essential matters of faith and
morals.”
• The Vatican’s doctrinal
overseer. Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger, sent warm greet
ings to this month’s Dallas
rally of 2,700 conservatives
planning a break with the
Episcopal Church.
Still, the Rev. J. Robert
Wright of New York’s General
Theological Seminary, a vet
eran Episcopal ecumenist,
takes heart that this month’s
Catholic-Episcopal dialogue
session occurred as scheduled
- even though a key Catholic
bishop said the Episcopal
actions will have "serious
implications” for the talks.
"I was qiaite relieved at
that, frankly,” Wright says.
He thinks accord among
Christians on gay issues is
possible, but he’s thinking
long term — perhaps 50 years
down the road.
The Rev. Richard John
Neuhaus of First Things
magazine, a conservative
Catholic long engaged in ecu
menical matters, said Episco
pal actions won’t "slow down
or dilute the commitment of
the Catholic Church to work
for full communion with all
Christians, Anglicans includ
ed.”
However, Neuhaus sees a
"big pothole in the road” for
the world Catholic-Anglican
talks, among the most fhiit-
ful of such negotiations. His
reasoning: The Anglican
Communion could dissolve
into factions and even if it
doesn’t, Catholics can’t be
certain whether Anglicans
speak with a single voice.
Within other U.S. Protes
tant denominations, the
Episcopal quagmire also has
implications.
Canon David C. Anderson,
whose American Anglican
Council is leading the conser
vative Episcopalians’ charge,
thinks his denomination’s
struggle could weaken pro
gay efforts in other mainline
churches.
“If they see the Episcopal
Church truly shipwreck, this
win give them pause about
going down the same road,”
he says.
But a conservative leader in
the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), the Rev. Parker
Williamson, fears the oppo
site. He thinks Robinson’s
victory "was a great encour
agement to those who would
like to see endorsement of
homosexual behavior in our
denomination.” He says the
Episcopal and Presbyterian
situations “are quite paral
lel.” ,
The Anglican Council’s Dal
las rally aU but overshad
owed a simultaneous meet
ing for 250 of Williamson’s
Presbyterian Coalition allies.
(greater iHount jfHoriah Brimittbe iBautigt Cimrcli
747 West Trade Street • Charlotte, NC • Thomas W. Samuels, D.D., Pastor
Sunday School: 9:30AM • Sunday Worship: 11:00AM
Senior Saints Bible Study: Wed.l2NOON • Wed. Prayer Hour: 7:30PM
#rier Jfuneral ^erbice
- Since 1930-
“SERVING THE FAMILY WITH DIGNITY
AND PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING”
Mr. John A McCarroU, President & General Manager
Mr J.B. Humphrey; CEO
115 N. Cloudman St.
Charlotte, NC 28216
(704)332-7109
Fax (704)332-5273
704 Walkup Ave.
Monroe, NC 28110
(704)283-5423
Fax (704)282-4197
Gospel musical at McGlohon
Continued from page 8B
she said. “Unfortunately once it happens we
tend to carry around that baggage with us.
What happens later is we begin our search
and we look within ourselves. That’s when we
discover there’s something inside of me
greater than what happen to me.
“I have been abused. I had to tell myself I’m
better than the person I have become. I want
ed to live a life that truly was reflective of my
spirit. “
“My Soul Sings” ■will focus on the lives of
Moses mother, Hagar, the mother of Ishmael
a single parent mentioned in Genesis as a
means to teach the audience how to release
people for the greater good. “These stories -will
help people depend on the strength of God to
let go,” Bennett said. “There are times when
you have to separate yourself form someone
for the greater good.”
‘Unrighteous Resurrection” is part of the
show that deals ■with how women deal vsdth
each other. Bennett says there are times
when sisters ti^' to play and put each other’s
buttons;'“Sometimes a person can push your
buttons so much that the old woman you use
to be will rise up. Women are beautiful but
they try to play each other whether they are
at the church, club, and work or in high
school. At the end of this piece we focus on
how wonien can assist in the heaUng of their
sisters.”
The play is for all ages and Bennett says the
play vriU celebrate the power of God in your.
“It will help you make it through the pain and
to overcome.”
ADVERTISEMENT
THE PROPHET’S COLUMN INC.
9626 FELDBANK DRIVE
CHARLOTTE, NC, 28216-2131
“THE DIVINE REVELATION OF CHRIST”- PART ONE
J. M. LITTLE - TEACHER
The greatest thing that can happen to a poor, spiritually bankrupt sinner is for
the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ to his heart. Salvation is the Divine revelation of
Christ to the sinner. “And Jesus answered and said unto him (Peter), Blessed
art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but
my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17).
There you have it, my friends. You cannot know Christ until He is revealed to
your heart. Stop short of Christ being revealed to your heart and you’ll land in
Hell! Cur churches today, as a whole, know absolutely nothing about Christ
being Divinely revealed to the heart of a sinner! And that includes religious
leadership. I am not judging as many of you accuse me, just stating the facts.
The greatest evidence of that is that the church member, and leader, moves
and has his being in the dark. That is, you are not sure of your salvation. Salva
tion to you is just historical and far away. Like George Washington was presi
dent of the United States. There is no reality of Christ to your heart, including
you preachers and Bible teachers. If Christ had been revealed to your hearts,
you could teach and preach Him in the first person. That means you would
speak of Christ as a living reality to your heart! But as I listen to you speak
there is no reality of Christ there. He has not been Divinely revealed to your
heart. You place the major emphasis on something else. You do not set forth
the Divine Revelation of Christ as Salvation. But it is. Salvation is the Divine
Revelation of Christ to a lost sinner’s heart! There is no other way of a sinner
being saved but by revelation. When God saves a sinner the Holy Spirit reveals
Christ to that sinner through the Word of God. Salvation begins with God and
the sinner is just the recipient of God’s grace of love.