The "Longest Church Day of the Year" Story

It was an ordinary day. Almost! It's Easter!! Always one of my favorite holidays, espsecially when I was a child singing in the church choir at St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster, PA. On Easter we always had an Easter Sunrise Service that started at 7:00 AM. I always hoped that the weather would be nice so I could just wear my suit and didn't need to wear an overcoat with it. That was a big thing to not have to wear a winter coat on Easter. The church smelled soooooo good with all the lilies, geraniums and begonias spread all around the church and on all the window sills of the stained glass windows. By the altar were really big lilies that were beautiful. Loved the purple colors of the altar and the neat thing that Rev. Batchelder, our minister, would wear around his neck. The service would begin and the boys choir would lead the way down the aisle following the crucifer who carried a large cross with lilies attached to it. Always sang "He is Risen" as we walked down the aisle to choir stalls by the altar. Church was always packed with the women wearing big hats and carrying colorful pocketbooks. Communion on Easter always drew a big crowd. Saw people that I hadn't seen since Christmas Eve. And everyone had to walk past the choir on their way to communion at the altar rail so I got to see all the young girls as they passed by. After the service the choir went to the church Parish House for a breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast and my favorite, long johns (pastries). Mom was always one of the cooks and they made the best scrambled eggs on Easter. Kind of gooey and moist. Just loved them. After gobbling down the food, my parents would take me to my Nannan's house on Pine Street to find my Easter baskets. Then ...... back to church again at 11:00 AM for another service. Same songs, same wine at communion, and even the same sermon. How boring. Easter dinner would follow with again ..... a 4:00 PM service. Now, I didn't mind this one, since the girl's choir joined us for the service. We did have to sit across from them and not next to them. This service was where they handed out the flowers that were placed around the church for the morning services and had the contest results from those that entered flowers from past years. You could bring back the flowers you got on Easter's past to show how much they had grown. Some were huge and some of my friends in the choir agreed that the people probably just went out and bought them so they could come to the front of the church and get a prize. The prizes were always the lilies that they had. Well, Easter at LDubs was always a spiritual event and one you never forgot. How could you with three services to help remind you!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.