Halloween or Reformation Day?

It seems that our world is head over heels in love with Halloween to the point that you can go to almost any store and find all kinds of paraphernalia. Halloween has become big business and the merchants are using their “trick or treat” to drain our pocketbooks and fill theirs. If you have looked closely these days the merchants are also promoting the death culture with the ghouls and goblins dripping with blood. Our public schools spend the month of October in preparation for the party centered around Halloween, costumes, candy and spooky music!

Have we become so enamored with Halloween that we have forgotten about what happened on Oct 31, 1517? We as Christians should know that this is a day not just about “fun” but about what happened in a German Monk’s life that would ultimately alter not only his life but the life of the church from that point forward. So let’s step away from Halloween and learn about the courage of one German Monk named Martin Luther.

Luther had been searching for peace and digesting the book of Romans in preparation for his class he was teaching. He read “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes,” [Rom 1:16] It was his “light bulb” moment. He realized that salvation could not be purchased; indulgences sold by the church were not a “get out of hell card free.” He gathered his courage and wrote about this transformation that had changed his life forever! He wanted the world to know this marvelous truth as well as the church’s wrong teaching about salvation. After writing his 95 points/theses he nailed them to the Wittenberg Castle Door. Soon because of Gutenberg’s printing press invention these 95 points soon found their way across the Roman Empire. Martin Luther’s boldness changed not only his life but the life of the church from that time forward.

We too should be as bold and courageous as Martin Luther to tell the world of this marvelous news. Stop and use this opportunity to share the gospel with those who do not know. So although Halloween trick or treat is a fun activity there is something far more significant that we should be talking and sharing about.

Here’s some ideas you could use with anyone, child or adult. Google Martin Luther and learn about his life. Then choose one of these activities to do with your family or neighbors. Let’s teach our culture about Reformation Day, the day the world changed forever. 

Sing “A Mighty Fortress is our God” written by Martin Luther 

Print out a picture of Martin Luther for little ones to color as you explain this day