Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts

Sunday, 30 December 2012

Did I Really Write All That This Year?


Another blogging year has passed, and in true Chanel 4 bad TV style, here’s a look back at my favourite posts this year.
 
Waaaay back in January, Pastor Mark Driscoll was causing a stir with his marriage book he had written with his wife Grace, and also with his derogatory remarks towards our UK pastors, how very dare he! 

Here’s a look back at the post I wrote in response to that.  

Also in January Wikipedia went on strike for 24 hours and the cyber world didn't collapse! By the way does anyone know whatever did happen to the Wiki-leaks bloke? Is he still hiding in an embassy somewhere? Or am I completely mixing my news feeds?  Anyway, I came to the rescue and provided web surfers with any inane information they may have been looking for here.

February was a sad month for us, and no sooner had I posted about the church being more than just a building, rather, a gathering of Christians, our town faced a tough few weeks as the devastating news unravelled about our Vicar having been murdered at his home the Vicarage. All the denominations pulled together to support the members of the  C of E church, with services being held in our Baptist church and all different members of the community attending. 

The church on that occasion was definitely not the building. The church in February was the Christians from all the different meeting places who offered support to the confused and grieving, the church was the parents and teachers at school who comforted the children and assured them they were safe, the church was the high police presence who spoke to anyone and everyone as they met them in the street at the school gates, or outside the church. The church was and always will be God’s people who reach out in love and support to their brothers and sisters.

March was miracle month in which a nation (including Sun readers!) joined together in praying for a young footballer Fabrice Muamba who collapsed of a heart attack during a game.  He has since made a miraculous recovery and may even be able to take up professional football again in the future!

Also in March that age old question on everybody’s lips ‘what happens when we die?’…..What? Oh, you've never thought about it? Well perhaps after reading this post you might give it a thought, this also reminded me of a book review I posted, on Rob Bell’s book 'Love Wins' way back in the olden days of blogging, in which everyone ends up in Heaven! Yay, here’s hoping?!

April brought us the gay bus campaign, that’s right, you shouldn't judge a bus on its orientation….well, obviously, I suppose you may have to make a certain judgement based on its orientation or you may end up in Scratchy Bottom (real place Dorset) when you actually wanted to go to Sandy Balls! (real place Hampshire…….thank goodness the Wiki strike didn't last long).

I also started training for running my first and ahem, last 10k, and Monty Python taught us a lesson about accepting when we are beat and need help!

In May, I did against all expectations, complete the 10k, no I did not say I ‘ran’ it – that was never on the cards, but I was jolly chuffed with myself and my mates for what we achieved and we finished with a total of just over £1000 raised!

June, and the nation went crazy over the Royals, though I’m sure if you asked half the primary aged kids around the UK, if they could name  the Queen and her children and grandchildren, they would probably reply: “Freddie was gay wasn't he? I don’t think he had kids”. Who am I kidding, they won’t have ever heard of Queen.

This is a long post 'cause I'm covering the year for goodness sake! Go get yourself a cuppa and return, because coming up after the next paragraph break we have the next 6 months, find out what actually happened in August and why did they destroy Jimmy Saville's grave…….


Right, you sorted with your brew?  Good, because I bring you news that in July scientists found God, woop woop……oh no, wait, they found the 'god particle' my mistake. I don’t actually think they've ever looked for God, they should though,  it really would save a lot of money on big whiry things looking for particles, I mean, I have particles colliding in my house every day – it’s called dust.

August? What happened in August? I didn't write a single post. I can only imagine it being the school holidays I couldn't find a quiet 15 minutes to get anywhere near the lappy. Oh no actually I remember August, I slept through it.

September I ended up realising I’d been married for a very looooong time! Almost as long as the Hobbit movie – but with less animal deaths.

Every child of the 70’s & 80’s had there sad memories of unanswered letters turned to feelings of thank *£*$ for that, I’m so relieved Jim didn't fix it for me. C’mon though, we knew he was weird didn't we? It has since unravelled into a ‘who’s who’ of the 70’s & 80’s popular TV paedophile ring. Very sad and disturbing.  

What was also sad and disturbing in October was a community hall in our town deciding to have a séance for the kiddies on Halloween! Genius!

The last week in November was so busy for me with something on every night, that I had to pop this post into December, I know you won’t be picky about that, but if you really want a November entry, I’ll give you the review of the Derren Brown show and one of my favourite radio shows, Unbelievable.

My goodness, hasn't December come around quickly? I decided long ago not to think a year was a long time, because we all know only too well it is a very short time. 

We have a very short time to live out our lives; I think almost every year someone predicts the end of the world – Harold Camping last year, the Mayans this year, but the Bible tells us in Matthew 24:36 we will not know or be able to predict the return of Jesus. Peter tells us in his 2nd letter that time is irrelevant to God, but he definitely will return, for all who have trusted in him and believed in him, one day.

I enjoy wittering away in this little corner of the blogosphere, and I pray, that maybe sometimes I can encourage you, and make you smile; but above all, I hope I am showing you a God who loves you, and wants you to know him as a God who is your Saviour, as a God who is not happy with how the world is, but has a plan for it to be perfect and for you to be in it with him for eternity. I hope you've had a good year and here’s to a truly blessed and fun 2013.


Monday, 29 October 2012

Would You Let Your Child Attend A Seance?

It's that time of year again, the nights are darker, the temperature cooler, the leaves orangerer......and everyone turns American and goes mad for Pumpkin Pie! Harmless fun? A bit of dressing up and apple bobbing probably never hurt anyone, but a séance aimed at primary school children?!!!

This is what is planned to happen in our town on Wednesday at our local community centre, a quote from our local paper says 

"The community centre will be transformed into a haunted house for Hallowe'en, complete with poltergeists and other-worldly creatures.  The bravest visitors will even get to conjure up spirits at a séance. The haunted house is aimed at primary school children."

Excuse me? Have you taken leave of your senses Mr/Mrs Community organiser person? At what point is it appropriate for 4-11 year olds to be offered the option of taking part in a séance? They may well miss Flopsy bunny who didn't quite make it through last Winter or wish they had just one more chance to tell Great Granny how lovely her kisses were, but no, you do not put on a séance at Hallowe'en for kids!

You may well be thinking, 'it's not real, it's all a load of rubbish anyway, it'll just be special effects to give the kids a spooky night'. That may well be the case and maybe I am unable to review the situation objectively.  As a Christian I believe in a good God and I am aware for me personally to take part in such activities would be wrong and dangerous, for if there is a God, there is surely a Devil, who likes nothing more than for us to believe he does not exist and is harmless.

Our town has been visited by the Devil already this year; back in February when our vicar was murdered. As the details are emerging in the same paper that has advertised the Halloween night, it becomes clearer to me that evil forces are prevalent in the world - even our town. John 8:44 tells us how Satan has been a murderer from the beginning and is the father of lies. Here is a quote from the Gazette about Stephen Farrow who is accused of the murder of our vicar John Suddards and retired teacher Betty Yates. 

"His mother had 'understood there to be something wrong with him as a child'. When he was ten, he set fire to a church altar and stood and watched as it burned.  He was expelled on his first day of school, shot dead a male swan with an air gun and killed other people's pets when they 'did his head in'."

Dr Rogers a consultant forensic psychiatrist says "it was not possible to be sure when Farrow was telling the truth and when he was lying."

Still not convinced the Devil exists? How about the JS case that surely everyone is disgusted with at the moment? 2 Corinthians 11:14 tells us Satan disguises himself as an angel of light! That is almost a perfect description of JS, almost untouchable because of the fear he spread and at the same time a national treasure for his massive contributions to charity and children's entertainment!

So, if anyone in Thornbury is brave enough to take their children to the community centre séance, let's just pray they don't conjure up Jimmy Saville...........

Thursday, 27 October 2011

Trick or Treat. Really?

I don't celebrate Halloween, why?  Because I'm a Christian? Partly.  Because I'm British and can't stand over consumerised nonsense? Definitely.

I haven't really got any big high and mighty ideas about the evils and witchcraft etc.  I just think it's daft to dress up as something horrendous and go out and beg.

I don't 'get' the celebration.  Sure it was pinched from the pagans etc.  But then so was Christmas......don't get me started on Santa!

What confuses me more though are the churches that provide an alternative party or celebration.  I'm not really sure why? Doesn't this only indicate, that Halloween is such an amazing event that usually Christians don't celebrate and we feel so awful about our convictions that we are going to offer you an alternative? Yay.

We have never taken part in Halloween, simply by not answering the door and fortunately we have been spared the unsociable behaviour.  But I have also never been pestered by my kids for a pumpkin or to go 'trick or treating'.  Because we've never been involved they've never asked or felt they've missed out.

For the few Christian parents I have heard agonising over what to tell their little sweetheart that has asked to go 'trick or treating' for the first time this year, here's my advice.  If you're bothered by it because of your faith, tell them that.  And if you feel allowing them to go to an alternative Church party is the answer, you're only fueling the idea that Halloween is worth celebrating.

Halloween, do you or don't you?

And remember everybody......it's spooky out there........