Pumpkin Theology

Fall break has come and gone, which means Halloween is knocking at the proverbial door. This weekend, my family took the time to pick out and carve pumpkins. As we were cleaning out the gooey insides, my daughter Grace said, "Daddy, this is so gross." I immediately thought about God, and wondered if He says the same thing when He goes through the cleansing process with me? That got me to thinking deeper about our relationship with Him, and how closely a few minutes with this orange squash resembled our relationship with Christ.

So, we used the whole process as a teaching moment. I invite you to try it with your kids this week if you are pumpkin carvers...

We didn't choose God, he chose us. Just like the pumpkins didn't choose us. God told Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart...."

We scoop out the seeds and pulp. In the same way, once we decide to follow Jesus, he cleans out the nasty stuff from inside us. The Psalm says, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." Micah says God, "hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea." I just put the pulp on some newspaper, but still.

Then, we put the new face on the pumpkin. Just like we become new in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Finally, we insert a candle and light it, so everyone can see our great new Jack O'lanterns. After all, we want everyone to see what's happened to them, right? In the same way, we are called to shine our light so people see the difference in our lives. "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light." -Luke 8:16

So, we get quality time with the family, fall decorations, and a memorable bible lesson all for around $10. Pretty good investment, I'd say.