The Washington herald., 1915-05-02


day Of the Christian year. Yet its re-
!ligious~ significance still lives. and
while the strenuous money seekers OF
the twentieth century seem to have
Host sight of any save its worldly in
lterest. the spirit of worship is by no
means thing Of the past. and no.
where Is it more actively alive than in
1.-THE up-to-date institutional church OF
IA great city.
To take part in the round of Easter
lday services in one of these wonderful
ORGANIZATIONS is experience which
can never be forgotten. and to mind
fresh from the simplicities of country
life and worship. it opens up new
world of ma gnificence and thrilling in
spiration. 1t is. in fact. the highest
depression of the spiritual feelings OF
a vast number of people. all of whom
are striving to be and to do the best
they know how. And it impresses the
newcomer with the utmost awe.
In the first place the foundation OF
the institutional church is the working
together of great and small alike. Mil
lIionaires rub elbows with the poorest
tenants in the humblest tenemcnts
lBrainy men and women are friends
with the Iowliest plodders in the city s
daily grind. Families who travel the
world over when their fancy pleases.
meet constantly with other families
who know only a single weeks outing
at some nearby fresh-air farm from
year end to year end. And here the
most devout follower of the Christian
faith stands face to face with the con-
| fessed atheist who is still cropping for
some way out of his dark belief.
| All classes come together in this
great church home and with the dawn
of Easter morning all rise as one man
to welcome the festival of new life and
hope. This is at the sunrise service.
which begins promptly at o'clock.
Five minutes before the immense or
gan peals out the rising chord of the
professional hymn the huge stone edi-
fce is filled to overlooking, and of the
$500 or 1000 people who make up this
| congregation. never more than ten en-
ter the church after the service has
| begun.
Promptness is rule Of the organi-
cation, and its Importance is never
moro appreciated than at this time.
When the choir marches to their re-
spective seats in the chancel. the en-
| tire assembly is In place and joins the
strength of $500 voices to the lead of
| fifty trained singers. 1t is an anthem
of exultant praise of which only those
who have heard can possibly imagine
the soul-stirring grandeur.
The outburst is superb and to the
| onlooker the sight is one never to be
forgotten. for not only do the voices
ring out with the joyouI spirit of the
day. but every person present is in
gala attire. Spring hats. spring frocks
and spring suits all blossom out at
this early service. The shop girl wears
the smart new toque which she has
trimmed herself. and the oil kings
wife beside her has on a Partisan ere
alton which was tagged few weeks
since with a mark that would equal
the sum Of the working girls salary
for ten weeks. To the unprScticed
eye both look the same, and the best
of all is that both women are happy
and both looking their prettiest.
! Alongside these two women is
youth in a new silk cravat or a fancy
vest and gay handkerchief tucked in
his outer pocket. He, too, has to have
his share of the Easter finery. Isn't
his brother an usher on the aisle with
their employers son. and isn't his Sum
day school teacher the mayors wife?
The mingling of the rich and poor. the
influential and the humble has its ef-
feet on both classes of society. Here
is where 1t Is evidenced. They are
both self-respecting.
The service is not a long one. The
man who stands at the head of these
many people makes the prayers short
and full of meaning. His sermon. too,
strikes right to the heart of what he
wishes to say. He wastes no rhetoric.
He is speaking to the souls of grow
ing fnen and women. who need his
help. and he makes them know that
it is they themselves that he wants
and not their adulation.
He appeals emphatically. too. be-
i
the first communion. Over half OF the
audience are girls and boys between
the ages of fourteen and twentyone.
and most of these young people have
been under his direct care during the
weeks of Lent. learning the canons of
right living. Now that they nave ac-
cepted the doctrines. he eXhorts them
to seal the bond. and not one. but each
of these first communicates. as we'll
as every other person in the vast con-
greGation. go to the altar rail at the
conclusion of the brief sermon.
With the occasional. the two never
to- be forgotten hours spent in praise
and worship with the very soul and
fiber of this powerful church. come to
a close. and the spiritually fed multi
tude pass out with uplifted hearts into
the spring sunshine.
To the lover Of show and beauty. the
who are fairest and luckiest in a city's
wide population. The seats in the
church are granted by ticket only. and
then not unless the applicant has had
some former connection either as
member or worker with the organiza-
ton. This is to protect the old and
new friends OF the church, SO that all
may have seats. But somehow. though
this latter class would more than
twice Nil the edifice were all to at
tend, hundreds of strangers and curl
Gus gazers find their way within the
door. and what might otherwise be an
assembly of splendidly but quietly
dressed men and women. becomes a
motley crowd. the most marked fea-
ture of which is the magnificent sar-
torial display. In fact, this midday
audience includes q striking part of
the Easter parade before 1t reaches
the promenade.
withal. however. the IL o'clock serv-
ice does not doff its spiritual glory to
material elegance. Easter lilies bloom
in every nook. at every window and
on every pillar OF the church. The
chancel is massed with lilies rising
from luxuriant palms, and the COM
munion table Is a mass of lily white
linen In the midst of which stand vases
of these same lovely Easter flowers
They seem to breathe the spirit Of pur-