October 1, 2021
“Trick or Treat”
“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
It’s that time of year when children and young people (and some youthful adults!) dress up in costume and go door to door (or trunk to trunk!), threatening untold pranks if they don’t receive some sort of tasty treat as “protection.” The pranks used to be hanging toilet paper rolls in trees and bushes, soaping car windows, or throwing handfuls of dried corn at doors and windows. The more mischievous spirits would “egg” your car or house, upset garbage cans, or worse.
It was fun to try to guess who was behind the mask and to see all the different outfits. Mostly, costumes mimicked popular cartoon or storybook characters and superheroes. Although for a time, it seemed like every horror film villain was coming to our door – and they were small children wearing gory costumes that portrayed violent characters! I confess I am relieved to see the return of princesses and Spiderman, dinosaurs and dogs; and appreciate the rise of creativity in homemade costumes. When you go to the door, you never know what kind of treat you will get. It could be a small chocolate bar or a lollipop; a small bag of pretzels or an apple. If you go to the right house, you might even receive a full-sized candy bar! However, if your name is Charlie Brown, you will probably just get a rock.
When we knock on God’s door, we don’t have to yell, “Trick or treat!” We already know that we will receive a treat even greater than the holy grail of Halloween treats - the full-sized chocolate bar. We know that God can see who is hiding behind the mask we show the rest of the world and still welcomes us with a smile and a promise, a promise for a future filled with hope - no trick, just unconditional, steadfast love. What a treat we are in for!
God’s Blessings,
Pastor Laura
PS. Did you know that Jesus’ first miracle could be considered a “trick” that turned into a “treat”? At a typical wedding feast the “good” wine was served first so that when it ran out, the guests were too drunk to notice the substitution. Read John 2:1-11 for the full story!