"Hello, new church members", greeted pastor Chuck Denbringer (55), the three youngest church members, Paul William, Peter Warner and Mercedes Cargill, "after you reached the age 20 this year, you have to visit the sermons of our true and only church this year." Chuck looks happily at the newly saved souls. "You visit the easter sermon next week. As new members you have to help me. In the first five minutes you help to distribute the traditional Easter eggs in the church. Yes, I know actually this is a pagan tradition, but all of our church members loves them. You know, Jesus himself was a person likes to have a good meal and he often had a funny time with the people. We will explain the funny idea of the rabbit and his eggs, while eating them and then I slowly explain the true meaning of Easter."
Chuck looks at three beautifully manufactured ivory crosses lying on the floor of the church. "Paul, tell your father how thankfully we all are for the nice crosses he made for us. We position them behind the altar on the backside wall of the church, the holes for the screws I already made could you help me to finish the job?"
The four fix the crosses on the wall, which was quite easy. The patibulum was at the heigh of 4 m about the ground and the cross looks quite stylish, considering the dark wood on the white wall. After doing the work the four sit together eating each one an Easter egg, while Chuck brought four bottles of coke.
'After, you distributed the eggs, you will stand in front of the altar. I will introduce you, with names, family connections and your school or work position, now", explains pastor Denbringer looking at the three pages he got from the new church members.
'After that, you have to sit on the three cubicles behind the altar', continues Chuck: 'yes could be annoying, but the church members should keep you in mind. We are very proud of the personal and friendly relations. After all, we are family, actually, we are all the brothers of Jesus....'
'If we, could move the cubicles a little, we could stand on them, spreading the arm and could impersonate the crucifixion', suggested an enthusiastically Mercedes.
'Hmm, I do not know', answers Chuck, 'a little overdone, and we are a protestant denomination. It is also very hard toi keep up the arms nearly an hour. But lets try, how it looks.'
Obviously the coke and the eggs brought the four in adventure mode and they pushed the cubicles in front of the crosses. Mercedes climbs on one, turns around, lift her arms and can really reach the patibulum.
'Looks like the size is exactly right for this, we should do it as Mercedes suggested', states Paul.
After some discussion all agree finally. Mercedes will be Jesus in the middle, Paul the good thief right and Peter on the left cross.
'You will have to wear a decent long dress, Mercedes', orders Chuck, 'since you stand at a higher place.'
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Then the Easter sermon comes, the three new church members in beautiful Sunday clothes arrive at church and yes the dress of Mercedes really reaches her feet. The sermon progresses. After the introduction of the three newbies, Chuck thanks the Warner inc for the crosses and explains:
'Our new members had the idea to stand before the crosses with spread arms. You will see how painful this is after short time and we understand a little better the pain our Lord and Saviour went through. I made some loops at the patibulum, that is the horizontal bar, so they can relax a little.'
The people applaud for that idea and they saw the three newbies standing about half an hour till the sermon finally ended. Chuck had to speed up his pastoring a little as he saw that his new church member reaching their limits.