Vol. 43, No. 37 October 31, 2016

(Continued on page 2 - FATHFULNESS)

Recently we had our Full Commu-nity Retreat. On Saturday, I sat in my car during the time of personal prayer creating a private space by hanging a large scarf in front of the passenger window and blocking the windshield with one of those screens you use to block out the sun. Sitting there, I put my hands over my face and said to the Lord, “What in the world!” This retreat was not what I was expecting; the talks were not what I was hoping for. I wasn’t exactly upset, just disap-pointed.

Like many people, I had to get a sitter (for my 91-year-old mom). I had geared myself up for a full day of prayer, praise and talks. This was our first Full Covenant and Underway Retreat together. I remembered last year’s Full Covenant Retreat and the impact it had on me, and was hoping

Faithfulness

By Joanne Paulos

this year would be as great. But here I sat, alone in my car crying out to the Lord because my personal expecta-tions were not met. I’m not saying the retreat wasn’t good, but it certain-ly was a surprise. I got it. I’ve been married. I wasn’t hearing anything I didn’t know. It felt like I was at a mar-riage retreat.

I said, “Lord, what are you say-ing to me through all of this?” I kept thinking that the speaker would draw everything together in a way that would make all the sitting and listen-ing worth waiting for, but here I sat wondering where the Lord was going with it. What is the nugget of person-al truth I can take away with me? As I sat there waiting, the Lord spoke to me, “How faithful can you be in an unfaithful time or situation?”

In an instant I saw the circum-stances of my life and the many situ-ations I had experienced over the past week or so. I didn’t exactly feel convicted, but enlightened. Yet, even this wasn’t a new thought for me, but when the Holy Spirit speaks He is able to deepen an already existing reality.

I know the story of Hosea is an

analogy of the relationship between Israel and God—the unfaithful wife and the just and merciful husband. The book of Hosea shows the per-sonal pain of unfaithfulness. Unfaith-fulness is devastating, but somehow we don’t think that God can be devas-tated by our betrayal. He is, after all...God! We know that not being true to our vows or commitments makes us feel bad, feel guilty—but that hurts us, and those to whom we have been unfaithful. We might not even think of skipping our prayer time or com-munity commitments as betrayal. Betrayal is cheating on your spouse, not deliberately skipping out on our prayer time, Right? No.

As I sat in my car thinking of the unfaithfulness in my own life, I had a change of heart about the retreat. I asked forgiveness for my own unfaith-fulness. Sin is sin. Being unfaithful to our commitments, or our marriage, or any number of large or small things weakens our resolve to be holy. It is a lack of love towards God. God wants our undivided loyalty, not because it

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(Continued from page 1 - FATHFULNESS)

makes Him feel good or happy, but because it makes us more like Him. Being faithful is a spiritual exercise. As we practice faithfulness in the ev-eryday things, it prepares us for the times we are called to walk on water. We live in dark and troubled days. Our personal faithfulness now will help us as time goes on.

The Lord knows we are weak. On our own, we could not live the life we have been called to. The Holy Spirit is our strength and comfort, but He will let us have our way even if that means we are unfaithful to Him. When we choose to be unfaithful in any way, large or small, we pave the way to a

divided heart. Being whole hearted means having both feet planted in the Kingdom of God.

God wants us to be true to His word, and His plan for our lives, and the life we have freely chosen. He is counting on us to fulfill the mission that we were individually designed to accomplish. He needs to be able to rely on us. We are His voice, His hands, His feet. We are the Body of Christ.

March For Jesus

Saturday, October 22, dawned crisp and clear for the March for Jesus held in Augusta. Starting at 9:00 a.m. at 13th and Broad Streets near Curtis Baptist Church, shofars were blown signaling the beginning of the March. Motorcycles helped lead the March down Broad Street for about nine blocks to the Augusta Commons area.

Participants sang and praised the Lord as they walked, singing “Every Praise” from Hezekiah Walker as the March theme.

Following the March, there was a time of music, community worship, prayer, ministry, and celebration for all. Food vendors, a prayer tent, and a Kids Zone were available. This year, music and activities continued into the afternoon at the Commons, with Arthur Blessit giving the main address and Consumed by Fire and V. Rose leading praise and worship, along with other participating church

choirs.The purpose of the March for

Jesus Augusta, of bringing the Body of Christ together in unity to praise Jesus Christ and declare his Lord-ship over the CSRA, was definitely achieved. So many Christians from a diversity of denominations united as a community of faith, despite their many differences.

It was a statement of Christians

in unity in a world rampant with self-centeredness, corruption and greed. Amazing! There were people accept-ing Jesus for the first time, as well as groups of people coming together praying for each other all over the Commons. What a beautiful sight!

Praise and thanksgiving to Jesus Christ that we have the freedom to publicly assemble and sing praises to our Lord and God. May it ever be so.

Marchers for Jesus praising the Lord at the Augusta Commons

By Barbara Harshman

Joanne Paulos is an Alleluia Handmaid, one of twenty-one women who provide overall insight to the Community Elders from a womanly perspective, and has been serving in pastoral care for about 30 years. She currently serves on the Pastoral Team. Joanne and her late husband, Jimmy, have been members of Alleluia since 1976. They have seven children, 21 grandchildren and attend St. Joseph Catholic Church in Augusta, Georgia.

Barbara Harshman is editor of publica-tions for the Alleluia Community and serves on the P&R Team. She and her husband, Fred, have been members of Alleluia since 1983. They have eight adult children, 22 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and attend St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in Grovetown, Georgia.

Faithfulness

Gary Garner after the March for Jesus at Augusta Commons

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Do ‘Harmless’ Halloween Customs Honor Our Savior?By Patty Spencer

NOTE: This article is an adaptation of an edited article in the Lutheran Church 1983 publication Reporter. Original ar-ticle was written by Patty Spencer of Libby, Montana.

It is well known that Halloween traditions were started by the Druids, a religious order among the pre-Chris-tian Celts of Britain, Ireland and Gaul. The festival was an end of summer rite to appease the Lord of the Dead.

During this era, people were in-structed by Druid sorcerers to keep evil spirits away from their festivals, lest their harvest be cursed.

Among Druid methods of warding off evil spirits was to hollow a pump-kin or squash, carve a scarey face in the rind and place a candle inside. They were placed on windowsills and stoops of homes.

They also disguised themselves in hopes that evil spirits would not recognize them as they went door to door exchanging harvest foods.

Superstition was a way of life for the people of this era They were afraid of witches and of angering the spirits. They believed witches could take different forms, so symbols such as black cats, bats, ghosts and mon-sters became part of the tradition.

As time passed, despite the preva-lence of Christianity, this pagan rite continued and even grew. Parades were held to honor one of their gods and participants went about asking for food to help celebrate the October 31 festival, punishing farmers who re-

fused to cooperate.To counter this growing pagan

rite, in the year 834, Pope Boniface IV moved the church feast of All Saints’ Day (also known as All Hallows Day) from May to November 1. October 31 naturally was called All Hallows’ Eve-ning—eventually abbreviated to Hal-loween.

In medieval times, satanic witch-es took Halloween as an opportunity to mock the saints of the church com-memorated on All Saints Day. Hallow-een colors were significant to the pa-gan practices. Orange symbolized the harvest; black the mysteries of the supernatural.

However, Halloween traditions as started by the Druids are in direct conflict with Biblical teachings. In 1 John 4:1 we’re asked to test the spir-its to see if they are of God; 1 John 5:17 warns that all unrighteousness (RSV and International versions call it wrongdoing) is sin.

The Druids and their practices of witchcraft and soothsaying conflict with Christianity. The Bible speaks plainly here; please refer to 1 Sam. 15:23; Micah 5:12-13; Nahum 3:4-6; Acts 8:8-11, 13:8-10; and Rev. 9:20-21 and 16:14.

As to witchcraft, it is real. It’s alive in every community of our coun-try today. Witches aren’t cute as we may be led to believe from television and comic strips. They are, in fact, evil messengers of Satan and are to be rebuked by putting on the whole ar-

mor of God. (Eph. 6:11-13) The Druids sought to pacify the Lord of the Dead as do witches.

We know from Christian teach-ings that Jesus Christ is the Lord of the living. Halloween traditions in-clude frightening things and pranks that break the law. Jesus, as the Prince of Peace, certainly wouldn’t deign that our children be frightened or harmed or that our property be vandalized.

When God walked on earth as Je-sus Christ, man’s need for supersti-tion was replaced. We have the prom-ise of salvation through Jesus Christ and the assurance of God’s abiding love.

The real issue is in the question, “Where does this practice or this tra-dition leave Jesus Christ?” We are called by our Christian teachings to decide the answer and to apply it in our Christian homes, schools and churches.

Our observances of most holi-days stem from pre-Christian pagan traditions. However, they have been converted to Christian practices and include a great deal of Christian sym-bolism.

Be encouraged to think and dis-cuss with your family, friends and God in prayer the meaning of the sin-ister symbolism surrounding Hallow-een versus the Christian symbolism of All Hallow’s Eve. All Saints Day is a time to stress goodness. The night (Halloween) is over; the Light is in the world (see John 3:19-21).

Happy All Hallow’s Eve

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© 2016 Alleluia Community, adm. by Alleluia Christian Service Center, Inc. P.O. Box 6805, Augusta, GA 30916-6805, (706) 798-1882. All rights reserved.

In 1983 I was a college sophomore living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Anne, my roommate and cousin, was dat-ing Mark, then a captain in the Army, soon to be her husband. On a lark, Anne registered for a class in Military Science, better known as ROTC. She wanted a closer look at the life she would eventually marry into, and she convinced me to take the class along with her.

We enjoyed the course, full as it was of rappelling, target practice, ori-enteering, and canoeing. At the end of the semester, the Army made me an offer I couldn’t refuse – a full ROTC scholarship – and suddenly I was on my way to becoming a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army.

Do What You’re Asked to Do Faithfully and Well

By Kelly Dolin

While I fully intended to serve four years on active duty and then return to civilian life, I ended up spending twelve years in the Army Reserves. My Dad lamented my deci-sion to join the Army rather than the Navy, pointing out – correctly – that naval bases were on the water and, in his experience, army posts were in less optimal locations. He had some bad memories of a frigid winter spent in Fort Riley, Kansas. I was blessed to complete my training in two of the loveliest cities in America – Seattle, Washington, and San Antonio, Texas. Army training offers adventure, and I remember helicopter rides to the base of Mount Rainier, zip lining through a Texas gorge, lots of nights out on the

Riverwalk in San Antonio.Basic training, in particular, of-

fered a few experiences I would rather forget. Marching in formation when you’re five foot two is no fun at all. Then there was a four-day field train-ing exercise under the command of a hapless platoon leader who couldn’t read a map to save his soul. We hiked hour after hour after hour, clamber-ing through dense forest and climb-ing over fallen timber (and perhaps I muttered a prayer or two that I would break a minor bone and be medeva-ced out of my misery).

Intense experiences bring about quick friendships. On little sleep and lousy food, you quickly come to rec-ognize the people with fortitude, the guys who whine, the platoon mem-bers who inspire, those who make you laugh. I went through training with a Cadet Patton and a Lieutenant Rommel who were, in very different ways, two of the funniest people I have ever known.

My kids find it funny that their mother did, in fact, wear army boots. They’re mildly impressed that I (once) threw a live hand grenade and (once) fired a live round from a howitzer. John’s disappointed that I never saw combat and that, when mobilized dur-ing Desert Storm, I spent my tour of duty counselling pregnant soldiers on their maternity benefits and trying to convince young enlisted soldiers to take advantage of the GI Bill. My unit discovered I was an English teacher, and I spent an awful lot of time proof-reading reports.

One of the lessons I took away from my Army days is that we do what we’re asked to do faithfully and well. On Veterans’ Day, it is altogeth-er fitting that we salute our combat heroes in a special way. So, too, we should honor and thank those who supported those in harm’s way and did so with diligence and fortitude.

Upcoming Events

4TH Annual Fall FareSaturday, NOVEMBER 5th from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Friday, November 11th, 8:30 a.m.