The Heart

Heart issues?

Halloween?

?

Some readers may find the free "Light Party" resource from Scripture Union UK valuable.

The resource is copyright, or I would reproduce some of it here (see below).

https://content.scriptureunion.org.uk/halloween

The SU (UK) resource has a particular purpose and intended audience. That is made plain at the outset.

The cover tells me:

• Your questions about Halloween answered
• How to run a light party
• Games and activities
• Light experiments
• Creative prayer ideas

From the contents I noticed:

Page 8 "Halloween and the 95" has discussion of the origin and meaning.

Page 10 "Talking about darkness"

Page 12 "Questions about halloween"

Page 14 "Engaging with the Bible"

There are many practical activity ideas, which are, of course, geared towards the interest(s) of children.

Disclaimer: I have never myself used this resource (nor any other on Halloween) and have nil actual background in the topic.

These days it might not be possible for people with young children to fail to notice what is going on in the community. I see the attempt by SU (and others) to address the matter as commendable and useful.

My own grumpy inclination has been to ignore this modern Halloween phenomenon. I see the observance as a (another) failed attempt to legislate "Christianity" on to more ancient religious ideas. 

According to SBS News, commerce was anticipating a 2024 spend of $450,000,000 in Australia, so I think the event is here to stay.

What do you think? 

May God bless you
and especially any young people who look to you
Allen Hampton

Jesus and Common Sense

Jesus and Common Sense

Alternative title: Was Jesus Risk Averse?

Jesus drew the crowds

Not far from the end of the Jesus account we read:

David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with delight (Mark 12:37 NIV). But - why were the crowd delighted? Apart from the members of the elite whom Jesus questioned, was it true of everyone else there?

Not so long before that, there was a (different) crowd that was far from delighted, in fact it was dangerously disturbed:

CHRISTMAS ??

Reproduced from earlier post

CHRISTMAS

Coming

The Bible does not contain the word "Christmas". (That is also true for some of the traditional "seasonal" representations, including the dating.) So, why this post? I examine New Testament (NT) statements that actually do relate to Jesus coming into our world the first time.

The Augustus Connection (Edn 2)

Original edition posted 2016

The Augustus (AVGVSTVS) Connection

with Jesus

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. (Luke 2:1, NRSV).

This line about events relating to the Lucan account of the birth of Jesus refers to the “princeps” of Rome, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian. He was born 23 September 63 BC (BCE) as Gaius Octavianus, otherwise known as Octavian (and, from January, 27 BC, as Augustus). Jesus’ birth, on any reckoning, came long after the Senate had granted the honour (Augustus) to Octavian.

The Prayer(s) Jesus Gave (edited 5)

The prayer, or prayers, Jesus gave his friends. They could pray the one, or use the other as a model for prayer. Then they knew how to do it!

The source: