Decoration Day

The third Sunday in May has always been known as Decoration Day at my church, Harmony Missionary Baptist. And yesterday just happened to be the third Sunday of this May. It is one of three Sundays during the year that I wear a tie to church (the other two being Easter and Christmas). It is a day that is set aside to remember the old saints of the church that have passed away. Family members of the dead will decorate the headstones with the prettiest of flower arrangements. I have many family members and friends that are buried in the cemetary, and it is a day to celebrate their lives.

As a kid growing up, I hated Decoration Day. Mainly, because it lasted so long. Sunday School starts at 10, which is followed by the preaching service at 11. The ladies of the church prepare food for a potluck dinner (or a pitch-in for the northern folks). After dinner, there is a singing service. There are several family singing groups scattered around Southern Kentucky and Northern Tennessee, and every year the church will invite one of the groups to perform for the church. The singing service would go for another hour or longer, so you typically don't leave church until 3. So as a kid, 5 hours of church in a neck-tie was misery, especially when it's usually only 2 hours without a tie.

Decoration Day also brings in a large congregation. The average Sunday service will have 20-30 people. We are a very small church, made up of a few close-knit families. But the Decoration Day service will have 50-60 people. Most of the extra people are from out of town, who have family members buried in the cemetary. The other visitors come from neighbor churches in the community and come for the fellowship.

As I've gotten older, I am starting to appreciate the meaning of Decoration Day more than I did as a child. My grandfather that I was so close to, died just over two years ago, and it is a great time to think back over all of my memories of him. And I enjoy sitting and talking with family members that I only get to see once a year on this special day. And the worship service is always a great one. This year was no exception.