I recently received a church newsletter in the mail that had a reminder of their upcoming "Trunk or Treat" event. For those of you not familiar with the excitement, essentially it is a christianizing of Halloween. Children dress up in their favorite costume and go to the church parking lot. The church members have packed the trunks of their vehicles with a variety of treats. So, as the children pass by, the adults hand out candy and other knick knacks. All in all, Trunk or Treat is a good opportunity to get together with other Christians and have a good time with your children.
However, I have a problem with the whole concept. First, it seems as though the Christian community has drawn away from the culture around us to the extent that we no longer have any engagement with it. We Christianize everything. For example, there are Christian music/book stores and Christian movies and Christian schools and Christian t-shirts and Christian resorts and Christian bumper stickers and Christian ... ad infinitum and ad nauseum. In creating all of these various "Christian" things, we no longer are obligated to interact with our culture. And as a result, Christians appear to be having little impact on our culture.
That being said, what must pastors do to urge Christians to engage with their culture? Have we not taught the Church that Her salvation is secure in Jesus Christ? And that interaction with the culture will not taint them or prohibit them from entering into heaven? On the other hand, is it possible that we have a right view of our own sinfulness and are concerned about succumbing to the temptation that comes from our culture? I would assume the former and doubt the latter. Let me know what you think.
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I really like this post. As an on-the-fencer ... this has often been my problem with the churches that I visit. I feel that if I don't join the singles group and a small group and this group or another - then I am not living up to expectations. That's not how I was brought up to think about church ... or christianity ... Church has been a place I go to find peace and have a little chat with God, but it doesn't mean that I can't pray just as well at home. My years in the south have turned my into a bit of a cynic for this reason: going to church for me should be about prayer, peace, reaffirmation of faith ... not proving to others that you are a good person because you show up. What matters is that it matters to you ... wherever you practice ... and that you live your life in way that reflects your faith. Last night I heard about a trunk-r-treat in my SC town ... when I asked why the kids weren't trick-r-treating in their neighborhoods tha adults all looked stunned - then one mom said that her neighbors couldn't be trusted. I just find the lack of faith in her neighbors (of which I am one) to be sad.
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SC gal, thanks for the post. I lived in SC for a few years. There seems to be a geneeral distrust of others that permeates our culture. Too often Christians forget that 'we' used to be part of 'they'. Now that we have believed the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, our interest ought not to be forming "holy huddles" but to build bridges with those around us for opportunities to tell others about what Jesus did on the cross. That's what the Apostle Paul did (Acts 17).
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