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Holidays are about tradition and family and kids. Easter is a holiday that I can't spend with my family, so I've spent the last few years creating my own traditions.
Easter is about rebirth, renewal, and hope. I start the day with the early sunrise service that my church puts on. We call it the SonRise Service.
Easter is about rebirth, renewal, and hope. I start the day with the early sunrise service that my church puts on. We call it the SonRise Service.
It's outside at 6:30 am. We gather at the gazebo at a local park. The praise band is there playing unplugged. There are always familiar faces and new faces. Our pastor leads the service as the morning breaks. It's breathtaking. I cry.
The power of being outside while a new day begins and hearing the message of hope and love...it's overwhelming.
The singing brings me such joy on top of all of that. I couldn't imagine a better way to begin the holiday.
As that ends, I go home and spend some quiet time alone. Holidays can be busy and chaotic. I value a bit of quiet time in the middle of it. This year, a friend from church invited me to join her and her family and our friends for Easter brunch. I helped to hide Easter eggs for the big kids. We ate delicious food! We visited and talked for hours.
Time spent with loved ones is a perfect recipe for a holiday. Easter was lovely this year.
I'm so glad you enjoyed your Easter. Your morning service sounds lovely. What is better than an early morning filled with song?
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to begin ANY day, especially Easter! Your pictures certainly are breathtaking. It's almost like I am there. Have a good day back, friend!
ReplyDeleteJen
A wonderful Easter. I am Orthodox , so we still have a month to go before we celebrate Easter on May 1st. We meet at midnight, turn out all the lights, then a priest comes out with a single candle and we pass the flame. It takes my breath away every year.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful morning start, and glad you spent part of the day relaxing then with friends. Sounds like a perfect day, Michelle. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThe perfect way to begin Easter - beautiful pictures!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful pictures for a beautiful moment in time. That quiet time can be just as refreshing to our spirits too. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteMaking your own traditions - the way to go!
ReplyDeleteThe sun rise service sounds lovely. I went running on Easter and saw a magnificent sunrise. The group I was with all stopped to take in the morning. I agree that it is the perfect way to begin the day. Thank you for sharing your photos.
ReplyDeleteClare
What a lovely way to begin the day. Holiday expectations often come up short. Leaving space to create your own traditions is a wonderful way of avoiding disappointment. Glad you had a great day.
ReplyDeleteThis was a beautiful way to begin Easter morn! I love that it's sonrise!
ReplyDeleteYour Easter sounded wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing those pictures from your SonRise service. They were absolutely beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like it was a beautiful Easter. You post reminds me of years earlier when we went to sunrise service every Easter. (I don't know any churches around here that still have that tradition.) My favorite sunrise service was in Greece, at the Acropolis, or rather a little west on Mars Hill. That is where Paul was supposed to have given his sermon after seeing the altar of the unknown god. (Recorded in Acts 17: 16-34) It was very moving. Happy Easter.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed walking through your Easter morning with you. The combination of images and snippets of text captures the morning. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid we went to sunrise service (loved your "sonrise") at our church. Our service was outside at about the same time your service begins, and was held under the crosses that are permanently placed outside our church. I remember many an Easter morning freezing outside in a new Easter dress. Brrrr! I don't know if it's the memories of the cold, or my love of slow mornings, that have pushed my attendance back to the later service at 10:30.
Thanks for sharing your morning with us,
Cathy
Beautiful! Church outside?!?!? Yes.Please. I love hearing traditions. Thank you for sharing some of yours with us.
ReplyDeleteWow, the pictures and your description made me wish I was there for that SonRise Service too! What a beautiful tradition you have begun! Time to yourself as well as time for visiting with friends sounds like the perfect day!
ReplyDeleteWow, the pictures and your description made me wish I was there for that SonRise Service too! What a beautiful tradition you have begun! Time to yourself as well as time for visiting with friends sounds like the perfect day!
ReplyDelete