Church was a big part of my childhood in Gallatin, Missouri. That included Sunday School and church, of course. But this also included the monthly church suppers where the food was GREAT and Sunday evening Methodist Youth Fellowship (yes, sometimes Mom had to “encourage” my attendance there). But my favorite (no nudging needed) was the annual Easter sunrise service for junior high and high school students from churches throughout the community.

Bluff Overlooking the River

We headed out in the pre-dawn hours, meeting at the various churches, then carpooling to the location. We would bring blankets and sit on the ground on a bluff overlooking the Grand River, with a rough-hewn cross placed at just the right spot. When I was younger we rode with designated parents. Later teens would carpool out together. A thoughtful Gallatin couple let us use their picturesque locale for this service. We convened on a bluff just down the hill from their home that had large picture windows at the back overlooking the river.

A few teens would read parts of the Easter story and we would sing a few hymns. Then just as the sun rose over the river with beams shining onto the cross, the service would end. The view was truly incredible.

Back for Breakfast

Then we’d head back to one of the church basements (this rotated year to year) where energetic  moms had eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits and hash browns waiting for us. The food was glorious. The junior high students would then head home, while the older teens would take a spin around town and the countryside.

Sand Mountain

For a couple of years, there was a mountain of dredged sand along the river’s edge, probably part of a construction or road project. But what fun we had climbing up there and shouting down to one another. We then enjoyed sliding down that mountain, getting all kinds of dirty in the process. Later we’d head to the First Christian Church, where my friend Barbara Holcomb (now Wilson) would go to the organ and play the church bells, something I’m sure townspeople loved at about 7 a.m.

Our Entitlement

I suppose we felt if we’d gotten up early on Easter morning, so might everyone else! A few years this service was rained out and had to be moved to a church, but that didn’t stop our early morning drives through the countryside or the playing of those church bells!

Other Church Memories

My father sang in the church choir so my mother was in charge of my sister and I during the church services, and she really deserves credit for that. Eventually my sister and I convinced her to let us attend church every other Sunday, though we always attended Sunday School. My mother tried to ensure we listened, but my sister and I would bring things to draw to church. We would poke one another, squirm and giggle.

Too Many Easter Eggs!

One Sunday I dropped a granite paperweight in the middle of the service and just didn’t look at my mother for the rest of that hour. I heard about my transgression, though. Then there was the Easter Sunday when my 9-year-old classmate, Terry Lapp, threw up his Easter candy all over my new suit. The dry cleaner never could remove the odor.

Time for Tag

The fondest memories I have are of my classmates and the fun we had running up and down the front and back inside staircases during church suppers. A strange curved hallway also led from the kitchen to the back stairs which provided some intrigue for us kids.

But They Tried

While I enjoyed the activities in the church of my youth, I’m afraid I wandered away in college. I knew that faith was important, but not until my mid-adult years did I find a religious path in which I was comfortable. My husband, daughter and grandson are also happy on that particular religious path.