Morning has broken: Sunrise services part of Easter tradition
s dawn breaks on Easter Sunday morning, many local residents will be in worship as they celebrate the Resurrection with sunrise services.
“I think it’s that connection with the Easter story. It places us in that hour of time,” the Rev. Rebecca Dittenhafer, pastor of Jacobs Lutheran Church in German Township, said of the significance of the sunrise service.
“It’s remembering the Scriptures said Jesus rose from the dead very early on the first day of the week,” remarked the Rev. Keith Lohr, pastor of Calvary United Methodist Church in Uniontown. “It has a lot to do with remembering that particular morning and our faith and what we believe in.”
Jacobs Lutheran will host a community outdoor sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. in the cemetery located adjacent to the church. The service has been sponsored by the Klondike Clergy Association for many years, followed by a breakfast at the church.
Lohr is one of the pastors participating in a community outdoor sunrise service at 7 a.m. at Jumonville, a Christian camp and retreat center in North Union Township. This service is sponsored by the Uniontown United Methodist Shared Ministry, which began organizing the service about six years ago after a lapse of several years in the services that were originally sponsored by the Connellsville District United Methodist Men.
About 100 people on average attend each of these services. They attract members of many churches who often also attend later worship services at their individual churches.
But Mary Meeder, office manager for Jumonville, who helps organize the sunrise service, noted for some people, “This could be their only service for the day.”
Sunrise services have long been a tradition for many Christians, who consider Easter the most important day of the year and the foundation of their faith. While many worship inside churches, the tradition includes outdoor services that can people for their uniqueness. The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., is the site of a sunrise service that attracts thousands each year.
Locally, Jacobs Lutheran’s service takes place in the cemetery near a wooden cross,
Dittenhafer noted, “That is the original setting of the story of the empty tomb — it was outside and in a cemetery.”
The Rev. Homer Marshall, president of the clergy association and pastor of Fairview Church of the Brethren in Masontown, said, “It’s a beautiful place to have it, and we’re standing near the cross.”
The service at Jumonville, a Christian camp and retreat center, takes place on the lawn near Wesley Hall with a view of the Great Cross of Christ, a 60-foot-tall steel cross that sands on the mountaintop and can be seen for miles.
“It’s very inspirational to be up here and see that cross,” said Meeder. “It’s a special time for people to come to the mountain.”
Larry Beatty, president of Jumonville since the early 1980s, said, “For people in this area and the surrounding area, Jumonville is a special place. To have the cross there, and look up and see it as you are starting Easter is a really special thing for a lot of folks.”
Weather is always a factor in the outdoor services with participants often required to dress for cold temperatures. Attendees at Jacobs Lutheran can go into the church and at Jumonville into Wesley Hall in the case of inclement weather.
But participants try hard to keep it outside.
“I remember a couple of years ago, there was snow on the ground and the guys plowed the ground,” said Beatty. “People want to have it outside if possible.”
Bert Sesler, director of music and organist at Asbury United Methodist Church in Uniontown who plays music at the Jumonville service, said, “I think it’s more alive to celebrate the sunrise service outside. I’ve played up there when it was in the 20s and come home with a smile across my face.”
The rewards in being outdoors for many far outweigh any hardships.
“It’s beautiful to be out there,” said Marshall. “I’ll never forget the first year I was there. I got to preach the sermon and you could hear turkeys and gees coming off their roosts. It was great.”
Sesler said, “I like the idea of starting Easter Sunday morning that way, looking at the cross, looking at the sun coming over the mountain and celebrating Christ’s resurrection with other believers.”
He added, “I think it’s a significant way to celebrate Easter morning. We’re probably there 30 to 40 minutes and we’re on our way, but its the most wonderful 30 to 40 minutes to celebrate Easter.”