Wayward worshipers flock back for Easter
They will pack the pews of New Jersey churches today. Some are there reluctantly, dragged to the festivities by a more devout spouse, or putting on a cheerful face to satisfy Mom. Some seek a bit of nostalgia, a whiff of childhood's simple faith, or perhaps a chance to show that they haven't totally given up on God. Some aren't sure why they are there, except that—after all—it is Easter.
Attendance nearly doubles at most services on Easter, then drops to normal until the end of the year when the same people usually crowd the pews again on Christmas Eve, area pastors say. Even 12 percent of the people who consider themselves atheists or agnostics are likely to be hearing Easter sermons, says the Barna Research Organization in Ventura, Calif.
Elizabeth Moore is among those who want to honor the traditions of her Roman Catholic upbringing, even though she finds herself at odds with many aspects of the church's doctrine and practice. "I enjoy the holiday celebrations of the Mass," the 36-year-old West Caldwell woman said. "There is some comfort and fun in the singing and holding hands. I believe in the creed I recite at Mass, and still consider myself a Catholic."
Moore has been to Protestant churches and is impressed by their community service programs. But it is the ritual of the Mass that brings her back to a Catholic church on holidays. She has heard priests muse about the unusually crowded church, "but I don't take it personally," she said.
"I think the Catholic Church is hurting and they should be glad for whatever members they have coming," she said.
The clergy know they have an unusual audience on Easter. Some might make a sly reference to the increased size of the congregation, a tactic that can make the Christmas and Easter crowds squirm.
But most are pleased to see the infrequent worshipers. "Thank God for Easter and Christmas Christians," said the Rev. Frederick Schoenfeld of St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bergenfield. "Since today it seems 'legitimate' by society's standards not to go at all, even on Easter or Christmas, I'm just happy they are there."
The Rev. Thomas Pinnel of South Presbyterian Church in Bergenfield will see his congregation more than double on Easter, with 250 people expected in a church usually occupied by about 120 worshipers. "I'm not cynical about those who attend on Christmas and Easter," he said. "The message is for everyone, and this is an opportunity to proclaim it."
The Rev. Timothy Harris of Englewood's Assembly of God Church says he keeps the Easter and Christmas people in mind while writing his sermon. "I'm hoping to bless them," he said, "and if they're blessed, maybe they'll come back some other time of the year."
Jean, a Ho-Ho-Kus woman who did not want to give her last name, was somewhat wistful when asked about her attendance at church on Easter. Calling herself a born-again Christian, she said, "I just can't find a church I'm comfortable in." But on Easter, she said, "I want to acknowledge the resurrection of Christ."
Steve DeVries of Montclair and his wife are avowed agnostics, but if he spends Easter with his family in Michigan, they will attend the Christian Reformed Church where his father is an elder and his brothers are active.
"The family knows we don't go to church," he said, "and I'm the only one in the family who is not religious." He said he and his wife feel a bit mischievous during services, as they hear doctrines proclaimed that they cannot accept. "Sometimes we pass notes to each other like kids in school," he said.
On one occasion, he said, DeVries and his wife walked out on a sermon that attacked other religions. He accepts the family tension that his views create, and says that for the sake of peace with his parents, "we just don't talk about it much."
One man interviewed outside a Hackensack store was downright glum about the approaching holiday. "I go [on Easter] because my wife goes," he said. "I grew up a Methodist and she goes to a Presbyterian church." The man, who would not give his name, said bluntly, "It doesn't mean a lot to me anymore. I sort of feel good when I go, but the rest of the year, I just don't think about it."
For Charlotte Eulette, Easter won't arrive until May 5, when the Greek Orthodox Church—which follows a calendar different from the one that Western denominations use—celebrates the holiday. Eulette's mother visits from Chicago, she said, "partly to make sure I go to church on Easter."
Though she no longer claims the Greek Orthodox faith of her childhood, the Montclair woman speaks glowingly of the sensuous nature of Orthodox liturgies, filled with flickering candles, the smells of incense, and priests in ornate vestments singing ancient Byzantine chants. "I have a lot of memories," she said, "and some sense of the tradition is important to me." But spiritually and doctrinally, she said, "it's not for me."
Although the presence of the Easter and Christmas worshipers generally pleases the regular churchgoers, some may need to arrive early in order to sit in their favorite pew, said Barbara Steitz, who arranges Easter flowers for South Presbyterian Church in Bergenfield. Latecomers may end up in the less desirable balcony pews, she said. "But that's OK; we regulars have all the rest of the year to go to church."
Staff Writer Charles Austin's e-mail address is austin@northjersey.com.
Copyright © 2002 North Jersey Media Group Inc.
[ HOME ] [LINKS] [SITE MAP]
