Comments on: A Halloween – all souls – all saints liturgy

By: timvictor

timvictor — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:49:49 +0000

Nic,

I’m looking forward to the Halloween Liturgy.

Roger,

That’s so wrong but somehow I just can’t disapprove. Have you got any thoughts on how to explore the notion of “death dealing” and “life giving”?

By: Roger Saner

Roger Saner — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:18:55 +0000

I think the Death Dealers in Harry Potter are those scary servants of Voldemort dressed in black who think nothing of toasting the nearest human. One of the Cranberries albums was called "To the faithful departed" (although it doesn't appear on iTunes for some strange reason). Zombie is a good Halloween track (although not off that album). Also "Salvation" might work well...if not as a focal point then just as background music. Some of their stuff is dark and celtic. Nice. Warcraft is one of the best RTS (Real Time Strategy) games ever made - and Warcraft 2, although old, is one of my favourites. Ogres, wizards, spells, light against darkness, orcs, humans - all the ingredients for a good halloween party! If you could find a Warcraft gaming clan in Cape Town... Also see the cool halloween motif on the front of World of Warcraft.com

By: connetta

connetta — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 23:36:08 +0000

I think Halloween is a fun day for Kids, they get to dress up and have fun..It’s been awhile since my kids was small..but i remember thinking the idea of going house to house was silly even back in the 80’s..when things wasn’t so freaky out in the world..i think parents should have parties and towns should have events instead of the door to door thing..especially now since moneys tight for a lot of people. and many don’t give out treats any more.

By: Nic Paton

Nic Paton — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 16:10:16 +0000

Roger – Nauseating, but brilliant!
Yes to the thin places, yes to remembering. We are on the same page.
What Cranberries tune? I looked at them in iTunes this very morning but am not au fait enough.
Death Dealers – I plead ignorence to truths you hold as self evident. Pray tell those amonsgt us who have had their heads in ECM, knitting or technology for too long – what is Warcraft and why should she be invited? As for light and dark – after YHWH and maybe Lucifer (although he has identified himself with Light), Roger Saner is second in command of Darkness.

By: Roger Saner

Roger Saner — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:16:20 +0000

You have to serve disgusting-looking luminous green drinks. I remember doing a halloween thing at a youth group (quite) a few years ago where we served them some delicious green dessert. Once everyone had eaten it we showed them the video of the “making of”…where we’d all taken off our shoes and squidged our toes in the pudding. Hehe.

Luckily no-one sued us, or we’d have to confess we didn’t actually add toe jam to the mix. *sigh*

I like the concept of Halloween as a “thin place” where the curtain between the spiritual and the material is drawn back for a time. There’s also something about remembering those who are no longer with us…honouring their lives and our memories of them. To the faithful departed…

If it’s not too dated, the Cranberries would be a great reference point.

————x————-
“Death-dealers”: where is that from? Harry Potter? It would be interesting to explore how we hold the power of life and death in our hands: how we can be life-bringers or death-dealers (and get some Warcraft fans along!). Maybe even in a literal sense: making a set of playing cards + dealing them out during the night. And again playing with light and darkness. “In the beginning the Word became flesh and started a subversive rebellion against Voldemort.”