Nathalie Jeter

This Halloween, Give Grace a Chance

With a hammer in one hand and a large scroll under his arm, Martin Luther approached the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. He paused to take a couple of nails from a pouch hidden in the folds of his dark woolen habit then began pounding his 95 theses to the church’s heavy wooden doors.

The date was October 31, 1517 and the event changed the course of human history.

Luther’s protest was not against ghosts and goblins or children dressing up to trick-or-treat. He chose All Hallow’s Eve because it was the night before All Saints’ Day, a day when most of Wittenberg’s inhabitants would be in church. It was good advertising.

This was not the United States of America where freedom of speech is protected as a Constitutional right. The Catholic Church was the supreme authority in the land: those who went against the Church did so at the peril of their lives.

What prompted this act of courage and defiance on Luther’s part?

As Luther studied Scripture, his eyes were opened to a new concept: the concept of God’s grace. Passion burned inside him as he read verses like

OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)

:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (NIV)

The established Church in Luther’s day misled people into thinking they could be saved by their own works through pilgrimages, confessions and by purchasing indulgences, which were basically “get out of hell free” cards. It became clear to Luther that men could not purchase God’s grace: it was freely given. This conviction led him to write out 95 main points of contention with the Catholic Church, his “theses,” which he ended up nailing to the door of the church in Wittenberg.

Today many Christians debate the proper stance to take toward Halloween. Some believe that the holiday glorifies witchcraft and evil, while others see it simply as innocent fun. One of Satan’s most successful tactics is to incite Christians to fight each other on matters of doctrine. Perhaps we would do better this October 31 to focus on what is most important to God, just like Martin Luther did on that fateful day in history.

Luther was determined. He was passionate. He was willing to sacrifice his credentials, social status, even his life for the sake of sharing the news about God’s saving grace. The words of

struck him at the core:

“... And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (NIV)

Are you willing to make similar sacrifices to bring people from darkness to light?

Taking It to the Streets

Here are some ideas for taking God’s grace to the streets this Halloween.

Organize a prayerwalk around your neighborhood. Before the night falls and costumed children begin their quest for candy and fun, walk around your neighborhood alone or with friends, praying that the children will be protected from physical and emotional harm inside and outside their homes. Pray that the people in your neighborhood might be brought from darkness to light.
Be a Witness. How will they hear unless they are told? Halloween provides a great chance to plant seeds for the Gospel. It’s like door-to-door witnessing in reverse: the lost come to you! Try slipping in a kid-friendly tract along with any candy you distribute. And be friendly: these are likely to be kids from your neighborhood. You may not recognize them out of costume tomorrow but they’ll sure recognize you!
Organize a Neighborhood Party. Provide a “holy” alternative celebration for children and adults in your neighborhood. Consider hosting a “Reformation Day Celebration” in commemoration of Martin Luther’s brave act or a “Harvest Party” that celebrates the things we love most about fall.
Lend a Hand. Many churches organize Halloween alternatives but need help from volunteers to decorate, bring candy, or to help out at the event. Join in their efforts to provide good, clean fun.

Luther’s brave act was like a bolt of lightning rending the midnight sky. Now it’s your turn to do something revolutionary: give someone the gift of God’s grace this Halloween.

Tired of Feeling Down?

Sweeping the Places No One Sees

I must admit I’m not a very thorough housekeeper. As long as things are reasonably organized and superficially clean, I’m satisfied. Though I have a horror of clutter, I tend to neglect ceiling fans and baseboards and the rather out-of-the-way areas that a more conscientious cleaner might maintain well-dusted and well-scrubbed.

But I’m indebted to an elderly woman in England for reminding me of the importance of sweeping the places no one sees.

Early in the morning on a recent trip to England, I looked down from my bedroom window and spotted a small gray-haired woman slowly and meticulously sweeping the concrete slab in front of her home. The street was lined with row houses and this particular woman had basement rooms, just below street level, so that you would actually have to lean over the railing to see her front porch.

Why, I wondered, would anyone wake up so early in the morning to sweep a place so inconspicuous, so out of the way … a place that no one ever really sees?

Perhaps she was expecting a special guest. Perhaps she was obsessive-compulsive and couldn’t rest knowing that the porch remained unswept. Whatever her reasons, it struck me as I watched her that I, too, have unswept places that no one sees. Often I’m so busy fixing and cleaning the more obvious places that I don’t take time for the places that only God and I can see. I know deep inside that it should be the other way around: if I start by allowing God to sweep out the secret places of my heart, then some of the more visible places will take care of themselves.

King David understood and demonstrated the importance of coming clean before God when he prayed such transparent prayers as, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10, NIV) and “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

Do you desire to keep your heart continually cleansed before God? Praying without ceasing, as Paul commanded in I Thessalonians 5:17, is a good place to start. Here are ten easy ways to incorporate prayer into your day:

1. Pray in the morning when you first open your eyes. Thank God for making it through the night and for the day ahead.

2. Pray in the shower. Thank God for his many attributes, like his goodness, faithfulness and grace.

3. Pray over breakfast. Thank God for the food he has blessed you with and that you don’t have to go to school or to work hungry.

4. Pray during your daily quiet time. Pray for your family, your friends, your neighbors.

5. Pray during your morning commute. Pray for the people on either side of you. Pray over the work day and ask the Lord for wisdom, guidance, and divine appointments.

6. Pray over lunch. Thank God for food to nourish your body and give you strength for the day.

7. Pray during the mid-afternoon slump. Pray that the Lord will help you finish the day strong. Pray for your colleagues and bosses.

8. Pray during your commute home. Pray for the people on either side of you in traffic, that God will reveal Himself to them in a special way. Pray over their homes and their lives.

9. Pray over dinner. Thank the Lord for a productive day and a chance to unwind.

10. Pray before going to sleep. Pray that God will give you and yours the peaceful rest that you need. Thank him for the day and for his many blessings.

Remember the elderly lady in England to whom I’m much indebted? There’s a little more to her story. Later that day, I glanced out of my window and saw an elderly gentleman arrive at the woman’s doorstep, flowers in hand. Mystery solved! Love is a powerful motivator. And love, too, should motivate us to rise early in the morning, to sweep out the inmost places through communion with God, getting everything straightened out before the “day-to-day” has a chance to introduce its dust and grime into our lives.

This spiritual housekeeping is our most important task of the day.

~

Nathalie

Jeter

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