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It seemed like it was all over my Facebook feed this year.. "Trunk or Treat” events in church parking lots all across Southern California. I’d heard of them before, but had no idea how prevalent they had become in churches. Here's how they work: Churches with parking lots (right here, they’ve already lost me!) open them up on Halloween for trick or treating. Church members then decorate their cars with themes and bright colors and park them in the lot so that kids can trick or treat from car to car, rather than going door-to-door in their neighborhood. Most “trunk or treat” events are advertised as being “safe” for the kids, because they are only talking to and taking candy from church members.While I happen to know some of the people who are involved in these events, and they are great people with wonderful hearts, I can’t help but think that these “trunk or treat” events are a bad idea...
“Trunk or Treat”
It seemed like it was all over my Facebook feed this year, the “Trunk or Treat” events in church parking lots all across Southern California. I’d heard of them before, but had no idea how prevalent they had become in churches. Here is how they work: Churches with parking lots (right here they’ve already lost me!) open them up on Halloween for trick or treating. Church members then decorate their cars with themes and bright colors and park them in the lot so that kids can trick or treat from car to car, rather than going door-to-door in their neighborhood. Most “trunk or treat” events are then advertised as being “safe” for the kids, because they are only talking to and taking candy from church members.
While I happen to know some of the people who are involved in these events and they are great people with wonderful hearts, I can’t help but think that these “trunk or treat” events are a bad idea. It seems to be a part of this general trend of people of faith retreating from the world, our culture and our neighborhoods. Why are we offering even more ways for people to retreat from the neighborhoods and neighbors? Are we not a part of our neighborhoods anymore? Are our neighbors really so dangerous to necessitate that even the one night of the year that we go to their houses for free candy has been deemed too much? How might we ever build bridges in the neighborhood and communities in which we live if we keep withdrawing? A church and people of faith that retreats from the neighbors it should care for and the world it is called to love is destined to disappear.
But in contrast to these dynamics, our Scripture this week reminds us that often the altars made by the people of God were not hidden away or protected, but were instead approachable and available to all who might pass by. In the passage, Samuel recognizes that God has delivered the people and so he builds an altar there in that place. He piles rocks and thanks God…and then leaves it there. He goes away and leaves the altar there where anyone might approach it and see it. This is a faith in and thanking of God that is visible, open and vulnerable. The altar is approachable…as the witness was as well.
This Sunday we will talk about “approachable altars.” What are the ways and places where you are leaving approachable altars in life? What are the conversations with neighbors where you offer thanks to God? What are the events in your week where you could say “God was here…God helped me.” This week we will talk about how to build approachable altars in our weeks and lives. And if you’d like to read the Scripture before Sunday, you can find it here:http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=211193818.
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 7:10-12 While Samuel was offering the sacrifice, the Philistines came within range to fight Israel. Just then God thundered, a huge thunderclap exploding among the Philistines. They panicked—mass confusion!—and ran helter-skelter from Israel. Israel poured out of Mizpah and gave chase, killing Philistines right and left, to a point just beyond Beth Car. Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it “Ebenezer” (Rock of Help), saying, “This marks the place where God helped us.”
13-14 The Philistines learned their lesson and stayed home—no more border crossings. God was hard on the Philistines all through Samuel’s lifetime. All the cities from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored. Israel also freed the surrounding countryside from Philistine control. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for 1 Samuel 7:12-14:
Verse 12
[12] Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.
A stone — A rude unpolished stone, which was not prohibited by that law, Leviticus 26:1, there being no danger of worshipping such a stone, and this being set up only as a monument of the victory.
Eben-ezer — That is, the stone of help. And this victory was gained in the very same place where the Israelites received their former fatal loss.
Helped us — He hath begun to help us, though not compleatly to deliver us. By which wary expression, he exciteth both their thankfulness for their mercy received, and their holy fear and care to please and serve the Lord, that he might help and deliver them effectually.
Verse 13
[13] So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
Came no more — That is, with a great host, but only with straggling parties, or garrisons.
All the days, … — All the days of Samuel that is, while Samuel was their sole judge, or ruler; for in Saul's time they did come.
Verse 14
[14] And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
Peace — An agreement for the cessation of all acts of hostility.
Amorites — That is, the Canaanites, often called Amorites, because these were formerly the most valiant of all those nations, and the first Enemies which the Israelites met with, when they went to take possession of their land. They made this peace with the Canaanites, that they might he more at leisure to oppose the Philistines, now their most potent enemies.
Sermon Story "Approachable" by Gary Lee Parker
When Samuel was judge over all Israel, one of the enemies was the Philistines. At one time, the Israelites were fearful because they were outnumbered and thought the Philistines were going to defeat and maybe even destroy all of them. What happened was that God made a loud thunderclap that scared the Phlistines to the poing where they were scattered and ran away. The Israelites chased after them and destroyed and became the victors. Samuel was so pleased with God's action to save Israel that he took a rock that was shiny and set it up as an altar. A rock(s) that did not go against God's law that he called Ebenezer (God's help). He sacrificed on these rock a sacrifice to the Lord God than left leaving the rocks as an altar for anyone to use in thansgiving to God. The altar was approachable for anyone just as God is approachable for anyone, not just a few. The requirements are to obey His laws and lived the holy way He calls us to live. This message remains me of the Hymn "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" by Robert Robinson, 1735-1790:
1. Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
mount of thy redeeming love.
2. Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I'm come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.
3. O to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.
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Our next movie night is this Saturday, and we'll be featuring Disney & Pixar's "Brave"! We meet every 2nd Saturday at 4650 Mansfield Street in the Church Social Hall. Bring food (for potluck or just your family) and a blanket/beanbag/pillow or mat, and we'll have chairs if needed!
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Our free pancake breakfast is this Sunday at 8:30am! Come to serve, talk and eat! Start your Sunday stress-free, by letting us feed your family. Stick around and check out ourSunday School & Worship Service afterwards. If you’d like to help out with these breakfasts during any month, just email Nancy at nancy@nhunited.org!
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Join us on 2nd Thursdays in East County to hang out in a local backyard, where we participate in casual theological discussions over a pint of local beers and munchies. This is a great way to meet people in the community and church in a very comfortable, casual venue. If you're interested, please email Alisa at sugie1980@gmail.com. Everyone is welcome at this event!
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Mark your calendars for our Advent Party! Sunday, November 23rd, plan to stay after church for a potluck, and make your own Advent wreath to prepare for December and decorating the sanctuary! We will stay after church and eat, talk, and enjoy the time with each other from 11:30am -1:00pm. Look for the potluck sign-up sheet at the Giving Prayer Station on Sunday!
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