Easter

Easter - what a lovely morning! We got up e.a.r.l.y. to go to the sunrise service at 7:00.

It was a pleasant, but slightly cool morning with a bit of fog. The first Easter we were here we had snow so this was a wonderful day.

The service was held in the church's cemetary. We had responsive reading of scripture in Luke 24:1-9.

It was really neat to think about that the Resurrection is the only reason that we can sing in a cemetery!!! Here we were in a cemetery, of all places, worshipping God! Our religion is the only one whose God is alive! So we have nothing to fear in a cemetery.

We sang:

How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him,

Who brings good news, good news;

Announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness.

Our God reigns! Our God reigns!

Chorus:

Our God reigns! Our God reigns!

Our God reigns! Our God reigns!

He had no stately form; He had no majesty

That we should be drawn to Him.

He was despised and we took no account of Him.

Yet now He reigns, with the Most High.

It was our sin and guilt that bruised and wounded Him.

It was our sin that brought Him down.

When we like sheep had gone astray our Shepherd came

And on His shoulders He bore our shame.

Meek as a lamb, that's led out to the slaughterhouse,

Dumb as a sheep, before it's shearer;

His life ran down upon the ground like pouring rain,

That we might be born-again!

Out from the tomb He came with grace and majesty;

He is alive, He is alive!

God loves us so, see here His hands, His feet, His side;

Yet, we know, He is alive!

Words and music Leonard E. Smith, Jr. 1974

You can listen to this song on YouTube.

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Last, we sang this song written by Robert Lowry - 1874.

Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus our Savior,
Waiting the coming day,
Jesus my Lord!

Chorus:
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty truimph o'er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saint to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Vainly they watch His bed,
Jesus my Savior;
Vainly they seal the dead,
Jesus my Lord!

Death cannot keep its Prey,
Jesus my Savior;
He tore the bars away,
Jesus my Lord!

We didn't realize the church was also having their regular services at the same time, and they persuaded us to stay. And why not? With such a good start for this resurrection morning?

Friends invited us to their places for breakfast and to relax, but we opted to enjoy this scenery instead.  

While we parents rested or rather, TRIED to rest amidst all the talking and fussing, the children were bored so to pass the time, Allison and Braden worked on the puzzles on the back of the Honeycomb box.

 

Photo time was a joke because of the lighting and mostly because I still don't know how to use the camera in the manual mode. But these pics are certainly better than none.

 

The children were so excited and not very cooperative. They don't always like photo shoots. The stop sign in the background really portrayed how I felt about their wiggles and goofiness. Yet it was pleasant to know they love each other very much. ☺

 

We headed back to church and experienced another lovely service.
We didn't have a sermon, but enjoyed hearing and singing a lot of songs played with piano, guitar, and/or trumpets and stories shared by several from the congregation.

"The Story of Jesus"

1. "Tell Me the Story of Jesus" congregational song
2. A Vignette of Christ's birth and life.
3. Special song
4. A Vignette of Christ's life and death.
5. "Via Delorosa"
6. A Vignette of Resurrection morning.
7. Special song
8. "Ascension" Vignette
9. "One Day" congregational song
10. "What Can I Give Him?"
11. "When I Survey?"
12. "Return" Vignette
13. "The King is Coming" - Stanley Rice Instrumental
14. "How Great Thou Are" Verses 3 and 4 - congregational song

The boys were delighted with their basket of candy from Sunday School class.

 

And their Daddy had fun going through the basket, thoroughly looking at every piece, and giving them lots of laughs while they waited for their lunch.

Zach was holding his new water gun and dreaming when the next warm day would be here when he could put the toy to use.