Author: Higher Things

This week we are highlighting an article from October 2011 to supplement Pr. Borghardt’s video short from yesterday,
Can Lutherans Celebrate Halloween? In this article Pr. Buetow encourages us to live on October 31st
the same way we live every other day – as baptized children of God.

Rev. Mark Buetow

Witches, wizards, skeletons, devils, and superheroes? Never mind that. Let’s get to the candy! As Halloween approaches, many calling themselves Christians will get all worked up about this supposedly satanic holiday. With emphases on witches and devils and violent horror, these folks get upset and say that Christians have no business observing this holiday and ought to do something better, something more godly and pious. Thus all over “Halloween” celebrations are replaced with “Fall Festivals.” There’s even a group who invented a new holiday on October 31 called “Jesus Ween.” (Does anyone else think that just sounds odd and creepy all at once?) So can you be a Christian and celebrate Halloween? Can you dress up and go to a party? Go trick-or-treating? Have fun? The fact is, a Christian CAN celebrate and enjoy Halloween. Read on to find out why.

First, a little bit of history. Halloween is taken from the old English “All Hallows Eve.” “All Hallows” refers to “All Saints” which is the festival on November 1 on which the church remembers all her baptized saints and especially those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. Since Christian festivals begin at sundown on the day before, October 31 is the Eve of All Saints (just like December 24 is Christmas Eve) or All Hallows Eve, shortened and smushed together over time to “Halloween.” So, at its root, Halloween was just the Eve of the day when all Christian saints were remembered. And when we’re talking about saints, we’re talking baptism! And how can a day which reminds us of our baptism be bad?

On Good Friday, Jesus destroyed the power of the devil. He died for the sins of the world. He died for your sins. St. Paul writes that on the cross, Jesus disarmed the powers of hell (Colossians 2:15). That means when Halloween rolls around and little ghosts and goblins are running around they’re nothing more than jokes and mockeries of the devil. He has no power. He can’t harm you. The devil has no claim on those who have been buried and raised with Jesus and clothed with Christ in their baptism. Those upon whom the blood of the Lamb of God has been sprinkled cannot be snatched out of their Father’s hand! That means when we go out on Halloween, costume or not, we look like Jesus. That’s what your heavenly Father sees when He looks at you. You may be a ghoul or a superhero for trick-or-treating or a party but to your Father in heaven you’ll always look like His Son, dearly beloved and precious.

But isn’t October 31st also a traditional time for pagans to do their thing? Sure. That’s because whenever the church has a holy day, the devil tries to copy it and mock it and lead others astray. So the end of October has long been a time when pagan religions carried on rituals and other weird practices. But let’s face it. Halloween in America has become nothing more than a day to have some fun. Go and get loads of candy. Go to a party and bob for apples. Dress up and act a bit silly. As Christians, we’re so free, having been rescued by Christ from sin and death, that we can laugh at inflatable tombstones and dress like zombies. Perhaps, in some small way, Halloween is the world’s way of trying to pretend death is something to laugh at. But for those who are in Christ, we know that’s all death is. Something to be laughed at. Mocked. Because death has been defeated by Jesus. Your death has been overcome. We know we don’t come back as vampires or zombies. Rather on the Last Day, Jesus will come again and raise us up and there will be no more death.

So live on Halloween the way you live every other day. Make the sign of the cross in the morning to remember that you are a child of God, marked by the Lord has His own child. Go and enjoy your day and eat your candy with a clean conscience, knowing that your robe of righteousness is no dress-up but true clothing whereby you have been covered in Jesus. Serve your neighbor and avoid anything that will harm or be a bother to them. (Not EVERY Halloween activity is a good idea!) And at the end of the day, make the sign of the cross again and know that you are still the Lord’s because of Jesus. And dare to be Lutheran too, remembering that October 31 is also the day that the Reformation began, the time when Martin Luther reminded the church that Christ was the big deal and that superstitions, even if they’re in the church, are still silly and useless. And who needs to be afraid of such things when we have such a Savior who has redeemed us, purchased and won us from all sin, death and the power of the devil? So Happy Halloween! Happy because you are a baptized saint in Jesus.

Rev. Mark Buetow is pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in Du Quoin, IL. He is also the Media Services Executive for Higher Things and creator of the Bible 101 video series.

Rev. Ryan J. Ogrodowicz

It can turn the world upside down for the Christian to hear a family member admit to a same-sex relationship. Suddenly, a once peaceful bond is now complex and strained. Your conscience might be conflicted, but now begins the burdensome task of dealing with a person you care deeply about but who practices sin, violating the faith. It is not always easy to find the answers on how to engage such a person. As society continues to grapple over sexual ethics, it may appear as if there are only two options for the Christian: Embrace homosexuality for fear of being labeled an unloving bigot, or condemn all homosexuals to hell for 
practicing the “unforgiveable sin.“

You might be wondering where God’s Word stands in all of this. And you might be thinking it’s a little more complicated than either always condemning or always embracing, and you’re right—it is. The reason is that not every sinner 
is the same.

Now your Lutheran alarm might be sounding. What does he mean “not every sinner is the same?” Doesn’t Scripture say “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3: 23)? Doesn’t the Psalmist tell us that “no one living is righteous before you” (Psalm 143: 2)? Of course, this is true. Everyone is corrupted by the sickness of sin, with no exception. Sin has desperately polluted the heart, mind and flesh of every person on earth. No one can escape this without God’s deliverance and help through the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When I say sinners are different, what I mean is that some sinners are very comfortable in their sin, while others have been called to faith through the Gospel and now actively seek God’s forgiveness and refuge. The Word of God is clear. Homosexuality is one of a host of other sins excluded from the kingdom of God when the sinner remains unrepentant (1 Corinthians 6: 9-11). We see this in those advocating the same-sex lifestyle, claiming it to be God-ordained while having neither convicted consciences nor the desire to change. For such people the law needs to be preached in order to give them knowledge of their sin and the realization that sin condemns us before our holy and just God. Approving sin is the exact opposite of this, and is anything but acting out of Christian love, and does no favors to the one dead in his or her trespasses.

That being said, there are some homosexuals who are perfectly aware they are fighting a force outside their control—a fight hard enough to cause physical ramifications and even suicide. People have killed themselves because they found no way to cope with a same-sex desire. What anyone tormented by sin needs to hear is that all of his or her sins have been richly paid for by the blood of Jesus at Calvary’s cross. This message, the message of Christ crucified for our justification, is what needs to be heard by the tormented sinner. The Law will only continue to accuse. It is the Gospel that brings healing and forgiveness to the sinner in the depths of woe and despair.

So when do you attempt to gently but firmly show someone their sinful behavior and when do you console them with the sweetness of the Gospel? If already you’re finding this difficult to do, you are not alone. Even the most seasoned pastor can wrestle with how to apply God’s Word. It’s difficult. Better yet, it’s impossible without the aid of the Holy Spirit, who alone is the teacher of this art. C.F.W. Walther once said, “Only the Holy Spirit, in the school of experience, can teach people how to deal with this doctrine…the proper distinction between Law and Gospel is the greatest skill that any person can learn.”

As with any correspondence, having an open chain of communication is important. Being a friend genuinely concerned about a friend or loved one’s spiritual well-being may, by God’s grace, provide an opportunity to help. By all means, invite them to church. They, as do all sinners, need to be in the presence of Christ on Sunday morning confessing their sins and receiving God’s forgiveness. Also, when speaking the law to somebody, it does not have to come across in anger or self-righteousness. On the contrary, the Christian can be firm in his or her conviction and faith while being gentle and compassionate. As the Word says, “Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3: 15). You can gently, lovingly and compassionately proclaim God’s Law to a sinner in need just as much as you can declare the Gospel.

Finally, know that we never get all of this right. We never treat our neighbor perfectly. Sometimes we say too much; other times we say too little. Sometimes we’re bold to the point of being downright scary. Other times we hide in the shadows. Whenever you’re struggling with what to do and how to do it, pray for God’s guidance; ask for His wisdom. Be patient, repent, and receive His forgiveness in Christ. The great thing in all this is that our assurance comes not from our work towards others, but rather by being baptized into the One who has died to free us from the condemnation of every sin, vice and affliction—
our Savior Jesus.

And this is good news for all of us.

Rev. Ryan Ogrodowicz is the pastor at Victory in Christ Lutheran Church located in Newark, Texas. He can be reached at pastoro@viccla.org.

Rev. George F. Borghardt

You know what that is! Don’t make me say it. Don’t make me spell it.

Have you noticed that people think and talk about that way too much? That is everywhere! You learned about that in “that ed.” It fills your televisions, computers, and your text messages. We even make thatual-innuendos. There’s that-ography and homo-that-uality. Too much that!

I’m not saying to be prudes about that. That, where the Lord intended for it to be, is good. That in marriage is pure, it’s holy, and it’s sanctified. Marriage is the place for your God-given that-drive. It’s where true love has its free expression.

God gave that. It comes to us as good. He created the heavens and the earth through the Word. He spoke. It all happened through Jesus. Everything was good. Each day: good, good, good, good, good. Five days, five goods.

On day six, when man was created, your Lord Jesus breathed the breath of life into man and man became a living being. You’d have thought that everything would have been good. But it wasn’t good. It’s not good for man to be alone. So God made a helper suitable for Him.

You know the rest of the story. God puts Adam down for a nap. He makes a woman “from his side.” Adam sees woman. Woman sees Adam. It’s a magic moment! Love at first sight! And God looked all that He had made and said it was “very good!”

A man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife and the two become one flesh. That’s marriage. That’s where God gives that to happen. That is the two becoming one flesh. The unity between husband 
and wife isn’t the sentimental stuff of unity candles or ooshy-gooshy feelings. It’s fleshy. It’s honeymoony. It’s all that!

But then along comes sin. The Fall. Hiding from God. Covering everything up with fig leaves. Sin really wrecked that for everyone! Sinning by doing that outside of marriage is called “fornication.” That may just sound like a fancy, four-syllable naughty word, but it’s the word that God calls that between two people who aren’t married. And when people who are married but not married to each other do that, it is called “adultery.” Adultery isn’t a good word either: there’s even a commandment about that one (and yes it includes forbidding fornication). And St. Paul calls that between people of the same gender an ”unspeakable” sin. And that by yourself? Definitely not helpful.

The Second Adam is born to save His bride, to save you from all your sins, all your “that” sins, with His holy life and bitter sufferings and death. He lived a chaste and decent life in all that He said and did. He loves and honors His bride. His life counts for yours. The One who breathed life into Adam breathed His last breath to save you from your sins.

Jesus cleanses her with the washing of water with the Word, and His Church is forgiven. She is perfect. She is holy. She is spotless. She is sinless. She is pure. She is His Bride.

Christ has set you free from that-ing outside of the place where the Lord Jesus gave you for the doing of that. You are free to honor Him, not only with your words, but with your body as well. Your living for others, respecting them, and keeping that in marriage, where it was given, is a holy and acceptable sacrifice of praise to Him.

But what if you’ve already done that and you weren’t supposed to? You thought it was okay because you were in love. Or maybe things got out of hand and the next thing you knew, that just happened. You think you can’t resist doing that again.

Remember: You were bought with a price—the price of the Son of God. Like Eve, you are His bride born out of His side—His spear-pierced side. ”That” sin is forgiven. You are forgiven.

You know what that is. You know where that belongs! It belongs in marriage. There is no need to be constantly thinking and dwelling on that. That only leads to more that. You are in Christ. You are forgiven…and that’s that.