Churches around the world conduct sunrise services to symbolize, say Christian scholars, that the resurrection occurred at daybreak. It also depicts the return of light after darkness, Jesus resurrecting from the tomb.
Among the Temple churches conducting such services are Christ Episcopal Church and First Lutheran Church.
The Rev. David Alwine at Christ Episcopal said Easter sunrise service would be at 7 a.m. in the church parish hall because of its eastern exposure.
On that wall three stained glass windows depict the resurrection appearance of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 24, Alwine said.
“You will notice that the left window portrays Jesus explaining the scriptures to the disciples,” Alwine said. “The middle window is the breaking of bread. And the right window is the commission where Jesus sends his disciples to go out and ‘be my witnesses.’
“So generally on Easter morning it is very special to see the sun coming through and illuminating that story for us at the time we are celebrating that again,” Alwine said.
Alwine said that was only one reason for placing the three scenes there.
“Also, it was probably the most casual resurrection appearance,” Alwine said.
“There are no angels. He was merely having dinner with the disciples. So often I think it reminds us here in this parish hall what a special time it is when Christians gather for the breaking of bread under any circumstances.”
He said the sunrise service will be casual. Hymns will be accompanied by a piano.
“There will be some renewal of the baptismal vows and we will sing ‘Jesus Christ is Risen Today,’” he said. “There is something gripping and new about the sunrise service.”
The Rev. Pat Dietrich at First Lutheran Church said their sunrise service is planned for 6:30 a.m. outdoors in the courtyard - weather permitting.
“We planned it outdoors last year and, as you remember, it snowed,” the Rev. Dietrich said with a soft laugh. “We had a very small group, but we still met out there in the snow. It was memorable.”
She said this year the service would begin in the dark to give a feel for the Easter vigil. Some churches still have the Saturday vigil that lasts all night.
“We won’t be here all night,” the Rev. Dietrich said. “We will pray and remember the ancient story the church teaches about the resurrection. I’m going to use some of the Easter vigil and scripture readings.”
She said she would take the Christ candle out of the chapel to the courtyard where it will be used to light smaller candles held by the church members and then returned to the chapel.
“It’s marked at the top with the sign of the cross, then (the Greek symbol) alpha for the beginning and the (Greek) omega for the ending,” she said. “In between the alpha and omega is written the year - 2008.”
The Rev. Dietrich said she will use the text from Matthew, Chapter 28.
“It begins after the Sabbath had past,” she said. “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb in the dark.”
They have been waiting through a long Sabbath day, she said.
“There were centurion guards watching outside the tomb.”
The gospel according to Matthew describes an angel of the Lord descending from heaven and rolling back the stone that sealed the tomb - then sitting on it.
“When the stone was rolled away the guards were so frightened they trembled and fainted dead away,” said Rev. Dietrich. “The women, however, wanted to know more. And why.”
She said different gospels tell the story in shades of variation.
“How you might see it might be a little different from how I might see it,” she said.
Alwine agreed. He said one gospel records that the centurion guards fell down, another that they were in fear and trembling and ran off to report the event to the head priest who sent them to the elders of the Israelites who bribed them into saying that the disciples had stolen the body.
“It’s an eyewitness account,” Alwine said. “Like any eyewitness account there are variances. It reminds you it is a story of people bearing witness to an event that is very remarkable.”
Alwine said a retired judge once told him, “If they (were to) collude on every detail you know it was a lie.”
“The time of sunrise holds significance,” Alwine said.
“There was the historical event,” he said. “It occurred at sunrise.”
But there is more. Alwine said in the early years of the church, baptisms for converts were held on Easter Day.
“They would gather before dawn and read scripture lessons from the Old Testament that tell the story of salvation and then they would move to the baptismal vows and the communion service,” Alwine said. “It was a big event. It was the first time the newly baptized were even allowed to see the Holy Communion - the Lord’s Supper.”
Alwine said Easter remains the symbol of transformation so the connection between baptism and Easter is important today.
The Rev. Dietrich said sunrise service at First Lutheran will be followed by Easter services at 8 and 10 a.m.
Alwine said sunrise service at Christ Church will be followed by Easter services at 8:30 and 11 a.m. accompanied by choir, organ, trumpet and trombone.
hclark@temple-telegram.com
