Summary

Halloween Word on the Week 31st October 2026.
In my youth Halloween was looked upon as an opportunity for fun. We were not encouraged to explore its origins. Our village was happy to leave it to the children to visit their neighbours with their trick or treat. It was a low budget event!
Dressing-up, usually as an adult, with a hollowed out turnip which had eyes, nose and mouth carefully etched to let the light of the candle inside the head shine through. The top of the turnip had to be cut off and a hole made in the centre of the lid to let the smoke out. Lighting the candle without burning your fingers was a near impossibility! Occasionally a kind adult would produce a taper and complete the job for us.
The party-pieces we performed were quite dreadful. Singing was not our strength. I had a piece of doggerel which, translated from the Doric was – My feet are cold, My shoes are thin; Give me a piece And let me run!
There were games associated with Halloween. Most prominent of them were around apples. A basin half full of water would have a few apples floating in it. We took turns to attempt picking one out with our teeth. A less wetting variation was to have the apples hanging by a string. Again it was teeth only! The best chance was to mount a joint operation with another boy when you were assured of at least one mouthful!
Immigrants to the USA carried the Halloween customs with them. These have been expanded upon in the most lurid manner with the front garden turned into a graveyard with assorted skeletons dancing around it. The tradition seems to be that the dead have this one chance during the year to come alive and settle old scores. Hence the crazy dressing up to disguise who you really are!
None of this neo-pagan stuff should phase the believer whose heart is set upon the Lord Jesus. The Apostle John in his 1st letter Chapter 4 verses 2 and 3 teaches how we are to recognise the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but very spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus: is not from God.
Great assurance is found in verse 4 - Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. The words of the old chorus are of some comfort:
Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me! Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me.
Break me, melt me, mould me, fill me! Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me.
May you enjoy the presence of the risen Jesus in these turbulent times.