For the 10th year, Anchor offered a maze to trick-or-treaters. We used to create the maze in the basement. But the past two years, we cleared out the sanctuary and put the maze there. This year’s edition featured a huge black spider sprayed with neon colors that Terry Leatherman dropped on unsuspecting maze-goers. Not that it necessarily frightened them. I watched as a few people came through. One said, “That’s cool.” Not exactly what Shelob, with fangs gleaming, wants to hear. Terry told me one guy just said, “That’s lame.”

Pastor Tim stood outside the church, passing out candy and inviting people inside for the maze. As one middle school girl approached the church, Tim asked, “Are you Hannah Montana?”

She said, “No, I’m a pimp, and these”–pointing to two guys dressed as girls following behind her–“are my ho’s.” Yes, it takes me back to my own innocent days of…junior high?

I took a picture of all three in front of the church.

Downstairs, we had hotdogs and lots of crockpots filled with soup, plus various desserts. This is always quite popular, and it’s a good opportunity to get acquainted with neighborhood people.

My brother Rick says both of his kids won prizes at school for their creative attire. Cameron wanted to go as Jesus carrying the cross. “So we dressed him accordingly, complete with cross, blood, and crown of thorns.” How cool is that?

Then there’s the eight-grader in New Jersey who dressed like Jesus, and was sent home from school because it was causing a disruption. The kid wasn’t doing it as a religious statement, but because classmates had told him his long hair made him look like Jesus. So he decided to dress the part.