Pastor Scott's Message

Last week my family went on vacation to Orlando, Florida for Faith’s graduation celebration. We also went there two year’s ago at Grace’s choosing. We went to amusement parks for seven days straight. In the morning we’d get to the park when it opened. We’d take a break in the middle and return until closing, walking 20,000 steps a day. You may think we’re crazy but we love it.

It’s not the thrill rides. We could go to Six Flags for that. The real reason the Jonas’ love Disney and Universal parks is because we get to enter into our fictional worlds. Universal is our favorite because it has Harry Potter World. The girls dress up in Hogwart’s robes, bring their wands and we drink butterbeer and eat at the Leaky Cauldron. The story of Harry Potter is near and dear to us. Ann and I started reading them when they came out just before the girls were born. We knew that some Christians hated the books but the stories were so good and taught such great lessons about friendship, goodness, loyalty and bravery. When Grace was in third grade and Faith was in first grade we started reading them a chapter a night. I actually had to trick them by not telling them that first night what we were reading because they thought Harry potter was too scary. By the end of the first chapter they were hooked. We read Harry Potter every night for years.

By the end of the series I realized that the books weren’t just exciting stories for kids but actually carefully crafted literature that promotes Christian images. Harry thinks he is a worthless orphan who lives under his Aunt’s stairs but he discovers that he is a famous wizard and gets to live at Hogwarts school. It is a place of love, adventure and family. Over the course of seven books he realizes that he is the chosen one who has to sacrifice himself to save the world from evil. He must die so that his friends may live. He dies and a “resurrection stone” is involved in bringing him back to life. Harry kills the devil character and a new era of peace and happiness is ushered in.

I make references to Harry Potter all the time, sometimes in sermons. It is because JK Rowling has created a story that compliments my family’s faith. It’s also given us countless hours of joy and time spent together. If you haven’t read the books, I encourage you to do so. If your kids or grandkids are curious, I hope you will read it to them. By the end of the first chapter they will be hooked.