Dear Friends,
We’re just a few days away from All Hallows’ Eve, more commonly known as Halloween. Did you know: the Episcopal Church actually has a service for All Hallows’ Eve in The Book of Occasional Services.
This first bold heading in the service is “The Witch of Endor,” which sure makes it sound like it’s going to be a real banger of a church service. But you’d be mistaken. From there it’s Psalm, Collect, then another reading, another Psalm, another Collect, and so on and so forth until everyone is asleep.
You may have a lot of questions at this point:
(1) Is Fr. Andrew bringing this up because St. Andrew’s is having an All Hallows’ Eve service this year and he wants us to do that instead of trick-or-treating?
Answer: No, I like church an above average amount, but I’m not insane.
(2) What’s this about a witch?
Answer: She’s in the Bible, 1 Samuel 28:3-25.
(3) Wait, there’s a witch in the Bible?
Yes. Though she’s really more of a medium or necromancer. She speaks to the dead.
(4) Seriously?
Answer: Yes.
(5) Is that bad?
Answer: Very. Don’t mess with that stuff. 0 stars. Do not recommend.
(6) I thought Endor was the forested moon on which the Empire built a shield generator complex to protect the incomplete second Death Star in the Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
Answer: Correct. Though you buried the lead. It was the home of those adorable Ewoks. But also, Endor is a place in the Bible where the witch lived. George Lucas stole the name from the Bible.
(7) Is this email over now?
Answer: Not quite.
As I’ve written about before, Halloween does have deep Christian roots. It’s part of a larger complex of Christian remembrance and celebration that the dead are not truly dead. Life in God after death is a key part of our Christian faith. Saturday night (i.e. Halloween) is tied to Sunday morning (i.e. All Saints’ Day). Halloween isn’t just pretend: death, and life after death, are totally real.
I’ll see you for All Saints’ Day – less candy, but more light and life!
In Christ,
Fr. Andrew
