Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-22
Growth of Easter Spirit.

In this country the growth of the Easter
spirit began in the cities and from them
spread to the towns and country Among
the cities New York was the first to expert
erce the effects of the change of heart To-
ward Easter on the part of the Protestant
bodies.
Thirty-ffve years ago the great majority
of the churches of the metropolis refuse to
have anything to do with Easter. Many
pastors even went so far as TO avoid any
reference to the doctrine of the reSurrec-
ton on Easter Sunday. though they felt
themselves a liberty to proclaim it on the
ffty-one other Sundays of the year. AS tor
flowers and special music. they were the
inventions of the devil which he was using
tC win the nations back to heatheniSm.
Two or three years later the change
came
On the Easter before the one which saw
a scattering of churches abandon the old
way for the new their pastors had been
mortified to find a the morning services
that the younger members of the Congre-
cations had deserted bodily and gone to
see the flowers and to hear the music in
the churches which observed Easier with
special services. These preachers were CT
the younger generation themselves and had
not that abiding intolerance for Easier
which possessed their older colleagues.
Therefore, they determined to try the eX-
pertinent of observing Easter, let come
what may.
The experience of one pastor was renre-
sentative of the trials and tribulatious Of
these bold pioneers.
This minister. who is now one Of New
York's leading orators, took a trusted few
of his congregation into his confidence a
short time before the next Easter season,
and they saw to 1t that the church was
tastefully, though simply. decorated with
flowers the blossoms being maSsed about
the pulpit Besides lilies and palms and
other ported plants, there We're a few
wreaths sent by some of the pastors con-
fdants in honor of the memory Of friends
and relatives recently dead.
Let the Flowers Remain
The night before Easter Sunday the pastor
did not sleep a wink for thinking what
would be the effect of the flowers and his
sermon on his flock The next morning he
was up bright and early and on his way to
the church to tear down the decorations.
But when he got there and beheld the bios
SONS and caught their fragrance filling the
church he resolved to let them stay and
take whatever might be the consequences.
With the ringing of the first bell for serv-
ice he took his seat behind the pulpit. He
has always been a militant shepherd, and
he wished to let his congregation know by
his presence that he approved of the flowers
and that he proposed to break away from
the old ways Of the church.
To his dying day he will never forget the
faces of his church members as they en-
tered the church and suddenly beheld the
flowers before their eyes. Some, literally
overcome with establishment, sank into the
pews nearest them and gazed, awestricken,
at the decorated pulpit. Others, HVid with
anger, as soon as the full significance Of the
flowers came over them. abruptly turned
their backs on their pastor and strobe
wrathfuIy out of the church Men
and women alike showed their dis
approval Of the Easter spirit in this UNI
mistakabIe fashion. and whole families re-
fused to take their seats in a church which
had been so outrag eoUsly desecrated. Many
of these reVolters were among the church's
most influential members, and one family in
particular was noted for its participation IN
all of the church work and for the money 1t
contributed for the various charitable I'M
dertakings of the church.
That Easter Sunday a trying one for
the pastor. On all sides he heard the inno-