We love to carve pumpkins every fall at our house. On Halloween, we dress up, pass out the good candy to neighbors and give out a printable like this. I’ll just say it: I have a beef with Christians who don’t take advantage of being a LIGHT on this night every year. I said it. My controversy of the week. (I’ve written about it before).
Updated: I think my “beef” comment was pretty judgmental. I’m sorry for doing the same thing I don’t like people doing to me. It’s a personal choice, so whatever you choose, I want to be respectful. Please forgive me.
This year, we helped our youngest carve her pumpkin to match this prayer.
Dear God,
As I carve my pumpkin help me say this prayer:Open my mind so I can learn about You;
(Cut the top of the pumpkin)Take away all my sin and forgive me for the wrong things I do.
(Clean out the inside)
Open my eyes so Your love I will see;
(Cut the eyes out in heart shapes)I’m so sorry for turning up my nose to all you’ve given me.
(Cut a nose in the shape of a cross)Open my ears so your word I will hear.
(Cut the ears shaped like the Bible)-we did rectanglesOpen my mouth so I can tell others You’re near
(cut the mouth in the shape of a fish)Let Your light shine in all I say and do! Amen.
(Place a candle inside and light it)
We found the prayer on this fun pumpkin bookmark.
Have a safe weekend and go light up the night with Him!
I struggle with the idea of handing out Gospel tracts on Halloween. Halloween is one of the only times of year when people literally open their doors to the neighborhood. I believe people will receive Christ’s message of love in a more meaningful way with a genuine smile and a piece of candy – without an agenda that could turn people away. A warm welcome could open the door, figuratively, to a meaningful conversation down the road.
I love the pumpkin prayer and have used it with my Sunday school class for a few years. I think it was last year I decided not to touch on halloween and the kids were so sad we were not carving the happy pumpkin. I have my pumpkin ready for class this year. I focus on being the light & shining for others to see. I found some neat glow in the dark cross necklaces at our dollar store. Halloween is what you make of it. It doesn’t need to be scary.
LOVE this post and the one you referenced as well. I have to disagree with the above comment. I think this is the perfect opportunity to pass out a tract.
People are going to be turned away by the gospel no matter what you say or do. That’s why it isn’t easy.
You either take the risk that right then, that’s what someone needed to see or hear…or now they know where you stand. Or you bypass it completely because you are worried of “turning people away”
I think we should take our chances. You aren’t standing on the front door preaching at the kids…
That being said….maybe instead of a tract (which in some cases are pretty darn cheesy) attatch just a simple Bible verse to each candy. 🙂
Great idea!
Agreed! Recently on KLOVE’s Scott the dj’s post about his pumpkin carving, he got a LOT of flack. Even Christians calling into question his faithfulness and even his salvation. It was unreal. Anyway, thanks for this — I had not heard it before. I have, however, heard of the one that correlates pumpkin carving with salvation…that being a Christian is like a Jack-o-Lantern; God opens us up, scoops out all the icky stuff, and puts His light inside so we can shine for all to see. (roughly translated) Thanks for sharing this and have a great Halloween. 🙂
I agree…this year I wasn’t going to but when my oldest asked to, it made me
happy!
Kristen,
I am a fairly new christian, only been saved about a year now. I stumbled upon your blog a couple of months ago, and I just wanted to share with you that your posts really inspire me that there are mothers and wives in the faith out there who are not conforming to the culture of the world with things like TV and so on! I love reading about how God is working in your life and that of your family, it gives me ideas and motivation for when I have kids of my own. I love your take on Halloween, and the tract idea / bible verse (as the lady previously also mentioned) is like the cherry on top. I hope God’s light works through your family this weekend to reach those that are still in the dark. God Bless you.
Of course this is an area where we really should not judge one another.
Many people have very valid reasons for not participating. You’re welcome to have a beef, but this is an area of liberty isn’t it? If you DO or I don’t is between God and myself (or my husband!).
It doesn’t mean we don’t strive to be a light.
Yes, you are 100% right. I think I should have worded this differently! Thank you for being honest
Thanks for your gracious reply;) This is why we love you of course.
I do also believe that those who choose to NOT do Halloween must not judge those who do too–goes both ways;)
Thank you for this post – and the one you linked to from a previous year! I shared on facebook. 🙂 I feel like the lack of grace in this area is what really is a turn off. I really want to show my kids that we can participate AND be a light. I never felt good about pretending we weren’t home. The Pumpkin Patch Parable is a great book that goes along with this as well!! It has lots of verses that correspond with a pumpkin and being a light!!
Cute pumpkin!!
Our church does an outreach in a couple of neighborhoods in our town on Halloween night. We serve free coffee and hot chocolate, pass out candy, have puppet shows, worship songs, and show Veggie Tale movies. It certainly draws the kids in and gives us a chance to witness to the adults that bring the kids by. As a family, we don’t embrace what Halloween has become, but we want to be a light to those who are obsessed with the darkness of this day.
I’m one of the people you’ve had been with. I hate this holiday. But I still love ya and you better still love me, even without knowing me. 🙂
Kristen,
Thanks for sharing these ideas! We have struggled for years with the Halloween thing. We don’t trick or treat even though our three youngest would love to, we do have treats as a family and go back and forth about handing out candy. I LOVE the tract you shared. It is simple and non offensive (if light in the midst of darkness can be non offensive) and gives my family light to focus on. Don’t know that we will carve a pumpkin-at $1.79 per pound even the smallest pumpkin is quickly out of the reach of our budget 🙂 – but if we do, we will have fun relating one of the stories shared here.
Thanks again!
Shelly
I love your perspective. I’ll post it in my comments on my blog. Thanks for responding.
Here’s an alternative way to shine the Light:
Go door-to-door and hand out candy to the homeowner with a tract or a few words of blessing (in the “It is more blessed to give than receive” category.)
We’ve never done this, but I have heard of it being done.
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