Spooky Songs

Many Octobers ago, Amy and I went on a mission trip to a church in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Day of the Dead celebration was around the corner, and I met a young mom in the church that was worried about participating in any way. She had recently come to know Jesus and she newly recognized the mythology as dangerous and blasphemous. However, she had a very loving and tight-knit family, and they were heartbroken to think of missing her at their traditional gatherings, games and rituals. 

Of course, in the U.S., Halloween presents Christians with similar questions. 

So, when a Slugs & Bugs fan and mother of two asked me to write a silly song for their kids to sing on Halloween, you might say it gave me paws :-).

 I don’t know about you, but it is a constant, daily struggle for me to remember and follow Jesus. Even though I have ordered my daily schedule (and my life’s work!) around keeping Jesus and the truth of his Gospel right in front of my face, I still forget to pray and submit and trust all the time. So, Halloween doesn’t get much worry from me. It’s hard enough to remember his Word, love the people in front of me, be a good steward of his gifts, and shepherd my family through all the materialism, nihilism, idolatry, tribalism, and false witness that litters our modern path like freshly strewn garbage. So, we dress up, we give out candy, we go to parties, and we don’t judge families who handle it differently, a la Romans 14:5-6. We participate in the culture the same way we do Valentine's Day, or the College Football Playoff, or our church’s annual karaoke night. Jesus is at the center of who we are as a family, regardless. 

 One thing that does get my attention, though, is anything that helps me remember I’m a child, because Jesus says that’s the only way I can come to him. Singing helps me remember. Singing something silly - even more so. And that’s why I wrote "Spooky Songs” (a spooky song about spooky songs!): to help kids and families share in our seasonal, cultural tradition in a way that concedes our child-like absurdity, while celebrating our freedom to have fun anyway. And, it’s our first ever Slugs & Bugs “single,” which is also fun. 

That young mother in Guadalajara? We prayed with her and encouraged her to follow the Lord’s conviction as He leads. But we also had a great time singing songs together. I think she would like this one…

Randall Goodgame