A godly alternative

3:42 p.m. Today's project was to bake a cake for the Harvest Festival cakewalk at Calvary Chapel Moreno Valley Sunday night, otherwise known as Halloween.

I love the fact that so many churches in the Inland Empire hold alternative candy, activity and costume events so parents don't have to take their kids out trick-or-treating. Our festival will have blow-up slides, game booths operated by the home fellowship groups, tons of candy prizes and even a toddler area to keep the little ones separate.

For many years while our kids were small, we took them to Harvest Christian Fellowship where we attended, to see a play in the sanctuary, and go from activity to activity collecting candy. The church just requested that no evil or demonic costumes be worn. Christians are told in I Thessalonians 5:22 "Abstain from all appearance of evil," and in Ephesians 5:11 to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness."

I have pictures of now-35 year old Sean (above) dressed as David from the Bible complete with bow and arrow, and also as an elephant with the papier mache mask we had made for him. Through the years, our kids and grandkids were shepherds, angels, sports figures, princesses, pumpkins, caterpillars, bees, all kinds of cute and fun costumes. There was no need for witches or devils or ghosts--what point would there be in that?

Even non-Christian parents are looking for safety on Halloween, with crimes against children mounting, and registered sex offenders often sent to San Bernardino and Riverside counties' outlying communities from Los Angeles and other urban areas. In the 50's and 60's, we kids walked around the neighborhoods in big groups, with parents nearby, not out fear of kidnapers or molesters, but to assure safety crossing streets in costumes. So it's a blessing to have neighborhood churches opening their grounds and facilities to the kids, even having music events for teens. It always blessed my heart the day after Halloween to hear my public school students tell me excitedlly about going to various neighborhood churches for wonderful parties. I pray that the Gospel is preached in each church Sunday night this year, carrying out the mission given to us by the risen Lord Jesus in Mark 16:15, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel."

Also, I pray that the weather is clear and mild, with the light of the Son shining into eternity!