Rochester, MN UCC - Trunk or Treat Tradition

THIS SUNDAY, October 26 is one of my favorite Sundays of the year: it’s our annual Trunk or Treat Halloween celebration! As a Pastor I’m sometimes asked why we celebrate Halloween. It isn’t really a Christian Holiday, so some people wonder if it's really appropriate for us to celebrate this secular, spooky, and silly holiday. I’ve heard all kinds of answers to this question- it comes from All Hallows Eve- the night before All Souls Day, it is a mocking of death that is defeated in Christ, etc… But I’ve decided that the primary reason we celebrate Halloween as a church is because we value joy. 

 Joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit, it is part and parcel of the Christian life. We are not only called to a life of service and faith, we are also called to a life of joy. A life where we gratefully relish in all the good gifts of God. And joy is all over the place at our Trunk or Treat Celebrations. Kids with huge smiles of pride in their costumes, overwhelmed with excitement by the kiddie train ride, and beaming as they bite into chocolate bars. Parents and Grandparents dressed up, laughing, and having a ball. Church members serving hot dogs to strangers and complimenting their costumes. Joy is all around! 

 So decorate your trunk, find a costume, or just come hang out after worship. Come be a part of sharing joy with our community, because that’s exactly what God is calling us to do.

 Pastor Andrew Greenhaw