Easter Morning Service
We were in a barnyard Easter morning, April 1. We had drawn one Red Cross box for each three men. We were feeling good over the boxes. Since it was Easter morning, we were going to stay all day in this one barn.
Chaplains Koskamp and Curtis were elected to take the Worship service. Stonesifer and I conducted the Communion service immediately following.
We represented the following faiths: Dutch Reformed, Disciples of Christ, Lutheran, and Nazarene.
This was quite a combination but we worked together beautifully. We never had any trouble about services.
Stonesifer and I took a harrow and plow and put them beside the bam and placed a wagon sideboard on them to form a Communion table. We put two Red Cross boxes on it to make a high center. Then we spread a blanket, which Chaplain Koskamp had brought, over the boxes. Koskamp took two pieces of stove wood and made a cross to go in the center of the table. Stoney and I found two short, round logs and stood them on end. We took the other sideboard from the wagon for the communion altar. We covered it with two blankets. We put the wine in front of the cross on the communion table and announced to the men to bring their own bread. It was black bread but it served the purpose. The spirit of the service was a blessing to all. German children, who had never seen anything like this came. They were all Catholics in this section of Germany. They gathered to see what was going to take place. The German colonel, Loutia, was the son of a Lutheran minister and he came along with several other guards. I had several English speaking guards tell me they enjoyed the service and they came often. They said they came to worship and not to censor. In the camp they came to censor, but as the war drew to a close and they knew it was going to end in our favor, their attitudes were different. Chaplain Curtis led the singing and Chaplain Koskamp brought a helpful message to the interested audience standing in the open barnyard. Immediately, Stonesifer and I served communion to about one hundred men. They came forward in groups of fifteen and knelt at the altar and after being served one of them prayed, they returned to their places and another group came. It was the last service for a number of those men and as I think back on it, I am happy that we offered them the Communion for strength and grace.
Chaplains Koskamp and Curtis were elected to take the Worship service. Stonesifer and I conducted the Communion service immediately following.
We represented the following faiths: Dutch Reformed, Disciples of Christ, Lutheran, and Nazarene.
This was quite a combination but we worked together beautifully. We never had any trouble about services.
Stonesifer and I took a harrow and plow and put them beside the bam and placed a wagon sideboard on them to form a Communion table. We put two Red Cross boxes on it to make a high center. Then we spread a blanket, which Chaplain Koskamp had brought, over the boxes. Koskamp took two pieces of stove wood and made a cross to go in the center of the table. Stoney and I found two short, round logs and stood them on end. We took the other sideboard from the wagon for the communion altar. We covered it with two blankets. We put the wine in front of the cross on the communion table and announced to the men to bring their own bread. It was black bread but it served the purpose. The spirit of the service was a blessing to all. German children, who had never seen anything like this came. They were all Catholics in this section of Germany. They gathered to see what was going to take place. The German colonel, Loutia, was the son of a Lutheran minister and he came along with several other guards. I had several English speaking guards tell me they enjoyed the service and they came often. They said they came to worship and not to censor. In the camp they came to censor, but as the war drew to a close and they knew it was going to end in our favor, their attitudes were different. Chaplain Curtis led the singing and Chaplain Koskamp brought a helpful message to the interested audience standing in the open barnyard. Immediately, Stonesifer and I served communion to about one hundred men. They came forward in groups of fifteen and knelt at the altar and after being served one of them prayed, they returned to their places and another group came. It was the last service for a number of those men and as I think back on it, I am happy that we offered them the Communion for strength and grace.
posted by News at 9:33 AM
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