I grew up in the '50s, when the only things open on Sundays in addition to churches were restaurants and movies. I was an active member of a Lutheran church, going to Sunday school, singing in two choirs, and participating in Luther League (a youth group).

The church held three services on Sundays: Matins at 8:00, The Service at 10:30, and Vespers in the evening. We often had a movie during the Vespers service. Choir rehearsals were held on Wednesday and Friday evenings. As you can see, I spent a lot of time at the church.

When Lent began, an additional service was added midweek. And when Holy Week began, my mother would say, "Why don't you just move your bed to the church?" My parents were not active members. They worshiped only on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday. In fact, my dad worked on Sundays, so he didn't even attend Easter worship.

I loved the Lenten season. I still do today, as I am moved by the beauty of the Lenten hymns, the choir music in its minor keys leading up to Good Friday, then climaxed by the Alleluias of Easter morning with full organ and brass.

When I entered the work force following my high school graduation, Good Friday was not a paid holiday for me. I worked within one block of Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown Reading, so I would leave work at noon to attend the three-hour service there. When the service ended, I would eat downtown, go home, shower, and take a bus to Hope Lutheran Church for another Good Friday Service.

Later in life, when I changed jobs, Good Friday was a paid holiday for me. I still kept up the same routine, and my wife joined me. I would get very annoyed when fellow employees would anticipate the coming Good Friday holiday. The women would say, "I'm going to take down curtains, wash them, and clean the house." The men would talk about golf outings or make plans to clean the garage. I was happy when it rained on Good Friday!

On Easter Monday I would ask my fellow employees what they did over the weekend. The Catholics said they did attend church. If I asked others about attending church, some would say they didn't have time. Even though they had 72 hours off, they could not find an hour or two to attend a worship service. They, and so many others, paid no attention to the procession of Christ's entry into Jerusalem, his praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Last Supper, Christ's suffering as he carried his cross, and his painful death as he was nailed to the cross on Good Friday.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

I still feel that the church should be just as full on Good Friday as it is on Easter. He died for us. What can we do? Worship him!