Everybody is in such a hurry.

But Lent is all about slowing down, contemplating and waiting for the Resurrection.

So the Rev. Robert M. Lescallette wrote a drama for the Palm Sunday service at St. John's Lutheran Church, North Queen Street, Maytown, that will put worshippers "in touch with the waiting."

Church members Cliff and Sheri Hafer, Bob Frank and Jamey Shirk will perform in "At the Inn of the Rising Son" in the 10:30 a.m. service.

Lescallette used the story of the Road to Emmaus, from the Gospel of Luke, to help tell the Easter story in a 15-minute drama with costumes and sets.

"It's a beautiful story," he said. "My favorite of the season."

The Scripture tells the story of two disciples, who had witnessed Christ's death and were discussing the events as they walked to Emmaus when the resurrected Christ began to walk alongside them. They do not realize until they later share bread and wine with him that he is the risen Christ.

But Lescallette's play imagines what would have happened before the news of Christ's Resurrection began to spread.

His play tells the story of Samuel, an innkeeper, and his wife Esther. The innkeeper has witnessed the Crucifixion and has just told his wife about it.

He had high hopes for Jesus "in the kingdom of the world," Lescallette said, and is sad and cynical, believing "nothing new ever will happen and that good people always die like everyone else." His wife, who can't think of Jesus as anything but a man, encourages her husband to "move on."

"Her attitude is: 'Nothing ever changes. Good people get crushed all the time. You've got to move on,' " Lescallette said.

But both "still harbor a small shred of hope that somehow, someway, a better world might come into being," Lescallette said.

They set the table with bread and a cup in case late visitors arrive, then sit on the porch to watch the sun set.

As the sun goes down, a light comes up on the bread and cup.

Little do they know what is about to happen in their little inn, "...that soon the whole world will be different," Lescallette said.

In addition to the original drama, palm branches from Central American will be blessed and distributed at the service.

Breakfast will be served by donation at 8 a.m. Adult Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. will feature a screening of the video about Mary Magdalene.

Details follow on dozens of other Palm Sunday services scheduled across Lancaster County.

• The Rev. Carl E. Schroeder will preach on "The Mind of Christ" in an 8:30 a.m. Holy Communion service, which includes the Blessing and Distribution of Palms and the reading of the Passion according to the Gospel of St. Matthew, at ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CHURCH, meeting at St. John Lutheran Church, 223 W. Orange St.

A parish breakfast will follow at the Moveable Feast Restaurant in Mountville.

• ASCENSION LUTHERAN CHURCH, 600 E. Penn Grant Road, Willow Street, will begin Holy Week with Palm Sunday services at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. Sunday.

The Holy Communion services will include the Distribution and Blessing of Palms, a congregational procession and a reading of the Passion story.

• Members of the congregation at BERGSTRASSE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, 9 Hahnstown Road, Ephrata, will read the Passion story in a Holy Communion service with a Procession of the Palms at 10:30 a.m. Palm Sunday.

• Choirs of CHRIST CHURCH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 247 S. Market St., Elizabethtown, will perform in services at 9 and 10:30 a.m. Palm Sunday.

Both services will begin with a Procession of Palms in celebration of Christ's entry into Jerusalem, and palms will be distributed as a reminder of the upcoming events of Holy Week.

• The Rev. Larry Leister will preach on "In Which Parade Are You Marching?" &tstr; talking the parades of victory and of suffering during that first Holy Week &tstr; in three Palm Sunday services at COVENANT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, Orange and Mulberry streets

At the 8:15 a.m. service, the Spirit Singers, directed by Cindy McGary, will sing, and Tony Seyfert, trumpet, and Dolly Kepner, organ, will perform. At 9:30 a.m., the Praise Band, led by Sue Kresge, will lead the contemporary service. At 10:50 a.m., the Chancel Choir, directed by Bill Kepner, will sing, and Seyfert and Kepner will also perform.

In each service, worshippers will each receive African palms, small palms in the shape of a cross. Children will be given long palm branches to wave.

• The Bravura Brass, a quintet based in Lancaster, will perform at EVANGELICAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 276 W. Main St., New Holland, in a service with the blessing of the palms at 10:30 a.m. Palm Sunday.

• FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 7 Marietta Ave., Mount Joy, will distribute palms in remembrance of Christ entering Jerusalem in an 11 a.m. Palm Sunday service.

• FIRST REFORMED UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 40 E. Orange St., will celebrate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem with a dramatic reading of the Passion according to the Gospel of Matthew in a 10:30 a.m. service led by the Rev. William Worley. Children will hand out palms to worshippers as the congregation sings "The Palms" by Jean-Baptiste Faure.

• The Rev. William N. Jackson will preach on "Where There is a Way, There is a Will" in three Palm Sunday services at HIGHLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 1801 Oregon Pike.

The 8 a.m. "MorningSon" worship service will take place in the church lounge.

The 9:30 and 11 a.m. services, in the sanctuary, will feature the chancel choir and choristers, with the children and youth choirs singing. Child care will be available to children age 2 and younger during these two services.

• The Rev. Wil Martin, senior pastor, will preach on "We Believe" (from Romans 10:1-11) in Holy Communion services at GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH OF WILLOW STREET, 212 Peach Bottom Road, at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Palm Sunday.

Refreshments will be served before each service. Nursery care will be available, with Sunday school for students during the late service.

• Shouts of Hosanna will begin the 8 and 10:30 a.m. Palm Sunday services at HOLY TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH, 167 E. Main St. Ephrata.

• HOPE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 3474 Rothsville Road, Ephrata, will begin Holy Week with services at 9 and 11:11 a.m. Palm Sunday.

Palms will be distributed at both services, and the senior and bell choirs will perform at the 9 a.m. service.

• LITITZ UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 201 E. Market St., Lititz, will worship on Palm Sunday in traditional services featuring Lenten season music performed by choirs, bells and an orchestra at 8 and 10:50 a.m. and in a contemporary service with a praise and worship band at 9:30 a.m.

• The Rev. Mark L. Russell, senior pastor, will preach at THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, 750 Greenfield Road, in Holy Communion services at 6 o'clock tonight and 8:15 and 11 a.m. Palm Sunday. Palms will be blessed and distributed and the passion narrative will be read from the Gospel of Matthew.

• The chancel choir of OTTERBEIN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 20 E. Clay St., will present the Easter cantata "The Crucifixion," by John Stainer, with soloists Robert Hahn, Philip Enterline and Robert Zimmerman in a Palm Sunday service at 9:30 a.m.

At the conclusion of the service, children will present palm crosses to all in attendance.

Church youths will serve a pancake breakfast at 8 a.m.

• The Rev. T. Armando Iraheta will preach at PEARL STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, Second and Pearl streets, in a 10 a.m. Palm Sunday service.

Palms will be distributed, the chancel choir will sing, and trombonist Keith Schueing will perform a solo.

• The Rev. Thomas E. Nicholas will preach on "The Wondrous Cross" in a 9:30 a.m. Palm Sunday service at REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 21 E. Locust St., Ephrata. Sunday school and adult electives will be offered at 11 am. Nursery care will be provided.

• A service of the Blessing of the Palms and Holy Eucharist will mark Palm Sunday at ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 209 S. Market St., Mount Joy, in a service at 9 a.m.

The congregation will walk in a procession outside the church, weather permitting, to commemorate Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Several members will read the Passion for St. Luke, and the Rev. Elizabeth Mollard will preach.

• A readers' theater with choral responses will recount Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem at ST. LUKE'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 222 N. Broad Street, Lititz, in a 10:30 a.m. Palm Sunday service.

• ST. PETER'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, Lititz Pike and Delp Road, will worship on Palm Sunday in Holy Communion services at 8 and 10:45 a.m. with children's palm processions and the distribution and blessing of palms at both services, as well as the congregational reading of the Passion according to the Gospel of St. Matthew.

In the 8 a.m. service, the bell choir will perform, and Ivan Wittel and Della Limbert will sing "The Palms." At the 10:45 a.m. service, choirs will perform "Hosanna" by Roberta Bitgood.

A buffet breakfast will be served between services, from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. The Mane Men from Albright College will sing, and a freewill offering will be received.

Sunday school and children's church will not be held.

• Elder Mouse the puppet will struggle with the joy and sadness of Palm Sunday during "family time" in a 10:45 a.m. service at ST. PETER'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 816 Buchanan Ave., on Sunday.

The congregation will wave palms in remembrance of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. The Rev. Bonnie Hollinger, church pastor, will offer reflections, culminating with the Passion story. The choir will sing, "Take Up Your Cross," by Anthony Giamaco.

• SALEM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 140 N. Penn St., Manheim, will worship on Palm Sunday in services at 9 and 11:45 a.m. with the distribution of palms and the reading of the Passion by the Rev. Richard Conner, lead pastor, and the Rev. Jacque Sheely, associate pastor.

• TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH, 47 W. Main St., Mount Joy, will celebrate Palm Sunday in three services, featuring the handbell choir. Service times are 8:30 and 11 a.m., contemporary, and 9:45 a.m., traditional.

• The Rev. Nancy Dahlberg, pastor, will preach in a 10:30 a.m. Palm Sunday service at TRINITY REFORMED UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 450 W. Main St., Mountville.

Trinity's annual Easter Egg Hunt for children in fourth grade and under will follow on the church lawn, or in the fellowship hall in the event of bad weather.

• The choir at WESTGATE BAPTIST CHURCH, 2235 Old Harrisburg Pike, will present the cantata "One Sacrifice" in a 10:15 a.m. Palm Sunday service.

• ZION LUTHERAN EVANGELICAL CHURCH, 1290 River Road, Marietta, will begin worship at 10:45 a.m. on Palm Sunday with the Blessing and Procession of the Palms in the prayer garden, weather permitting.

The service will include Holy Communion, J. Peterson's choral arrangement of "Hosanna" and a participatory reading of the Passion according to St. Matthew.