Easter Sunrise

This past Easter, as is our tradition at Community Church, we had a sunrise service down a couple minutes away from the church, along the ocean at Bass Rocks. We have our service with another local church, the Gloucester Assembly of God, and it's always freezing cold. March and even April are not the really into spring yet, and along the ocean the winds can be strong and frigid. But the view, almost without fail, is absolutely beautiful.

This year it was again cold. But though it was windy all weekend, it was calm on Easter. Calm and clear. It was one of the best views of the sunrise we've had in recent years. I had my back to it, as I was "leading" the service, but I could see the light growing on the faces of the gathered crowd and I turned around just in time to see the sun come over the horizon.

It was hopeful and celebratory, as it seems always to be. The great truth of that first morning, remembered and celebrated early, on the rocky shore in the cold and in the growing light, is hard to beat. As is the view.