Just in time for the Holidays

… and by "holidays" I mean Halloween and Reformation Day, which happen to coincide on the 31st of October. This year, my wife is throwing a costume party/open house so friends from church can drop in, have a nice warm cup of their favorite seasonal beverage, and have a safe place for their kids to play and show of their *adorable* (insert highly marketed children's television charachter here) costume.

It just so happens that I will be throwing a party of my own at the same time and in the same place, ¹ in honor of Reformation Day. True, it may not be as festive and sugar-laden as my wife's party promises to be, but it is also free of any association with death, evil, and all things Satanic. ² So, I've got that going for me, which is nice.

If you're planning on attending the costume party, but aren't sure what you should dress up as, the folks over at The Sacred Sandwich have a couple of ideas for you.

The list includes "The Grumpy Deacon," who "doesn't like people messin' with HIS church," and "The Mega-Church Youth Pastor," which comes with a realistic looking copy of The Message Bible, but bodily function jokes are not included!

The costumes are produced by Stereotypes Costume Company, which offers "a full line of Christian gear for Pagan holidays."

Now THAT'S funny.

For something a little more serious, check out this thought-provoking article by Chad Degenhart on the appropriateness of having youth pastors in our churches. I'm *not* saying that I agree with him necessarily. All I'm saying is that it might make you think about something that you haven't thought about before, which is typically a profitable exercise.