Halloween and All Saints Day

All of these certainly are signs of a changing season and the arrival of autumn. I am sometimes asked…

-So what do we as Methodists believe about Halloween?

-Why is All Saints a Christian observance?

The answers I provide are Methodist answers to these questions, not Patti answers, but I do agree with them.

Halloween

Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve means “the evening of the Hallows.” “Hallows” is simply an older English way of saying “saints”--so the evening of the Saints.

The “evening” because ancient Jews understood the day began at sunset rather than sunrise so the first worship service of the day would be in the evening. Put all of that together and Halloween refers to the first worship service on All Saint’s Day (Nov. 1) held on the evening of October 31.

The jack-o-lanterns and etc. connected to this time because of early cultural festivals celebrating a time between warm and cold, harvest and dormancy, life and death.

Cultural Halloween celebrations have continued to grow over the years with Halloween being just behind Christmas as the times of year with the most decorations and celebrations.

Because of Halloween's association with death and darkness, some Christians have concerns about it. But it can be a time to acknowledge our fears knowing that Jesus’ resurrection overcame death. Our hope is for the resurrection of the dead and the fullness of life in the new creation in the age to come.

All Saints Day

November 1 is All Saints’ Day and annually the church recognizes it on a Sunday.

As Methodists, we follow four inter-related theological guidelines: Scripture, tradition, experience, and reason. These are the sources of our understanding of faith. By tradition we mean all that has gone 

before us in the Christian church. We are part of a long history that goes back through John Wesley, to the early days of the Church, and the apostles of Jesus. All Saints Day is an opportunity to give thanks

for all those who have gone before us in the faith. It is a time to celebrate our history, what United Methodists call the tradition of the church. It is also a time for personal celebrations for lives which have

impacted us.

Charles Wesley, the brother of John, wrote a hymn “Come Let us Join Our Friends Above”. In the first verse he wrote: Let the saints on earth unite to sing, with those to glory gone. For all the servants of our King in earth and heaven are one.

On All Saints Day we remember all those—famous or obscure—who are part of the “communion of saints” we confess whenever we recite The Apostles’ Creed. We tell the stories of the saints “to glory gone.” 

Retelling these stories grounds us in our history. These memories teach us how God has provided for us through the generosity and sacrifice of those who have come before us. The stories of the saints encourage us to be all God has created us to be.

See you on Sunday for the celebration of All Saints Day!!!  Pastor Patti