Let's hear it for Martin Luther!

In our family, we don't celebrate Halloween.  Never have.  Its pagan roots just don't sit right with us, we feel it is a celebration of evil.  The whole idea of having to wear costumes to scare off the dead spirits is chilling, to say the least.  I know that a lot of y'all do celebrate it and think it is harmless and cute, even most of my Christian friends, so please don't think I am condemning your actions.  As long as y'all have given thoughtful consideration to why you do celebrate it, that is all I ask.  But we do celebrate Reformation Day, and have for several years.  It started at our wonderful church in Louisville, Redeemer PCA (Presbyterian Church in America).  It is a celebration of the beginning of the Reformed church tradition, began on oct. 31, 1517, when a monk by the name of Martin Luther posted his "95 Theses" on the church door at Wittenberg, in Germany, listing the grievances he had against the Catholic church.  He didn't want to leave the church, just wanted them to see the error of their ways (by really reading the Bible), and "reform," but he eventually did leave b/c the Church didn't want to change.  We have him to thank for all the Protestant denominations we have today.  And he also wrote my all-time favorite hymn, "A Mighty Fortress."  Which we sang at our Ref. celebration, along with Jason's 2 sisters and their families and his parents.  There was also a quiz I found for the kids, and a quiz for the grown-ups (Thanks, Ben!!)  We all learned something that night, which is what it was all about.  I really want my kids to know about how the Reformed tradition started, and that time in history is fascinating! (can you tell I was a history minor?!)  Plus as a homeschooler I am anxious to turn anything into a learning experience!!  Alas, we didn't get to dress up in medieval costumes, b/c one of Jason's sister's and her husband are against any costumes on Halloween, even if what we are celebrating doesn't resemble Halloween in the slightest.  So my kids were bummed, b/c they play dress-up all the time and it would've added to the learning, as far as I am concerned.  But for family unity, we had no costumes.  

So maybe next year you should have a Reformation Celebration instead of going trick-or-treating.  Think what a testimony that could be for your kids!  That is all for now.  Good night!