SonRise Services

Sun rise services and Cemeteries

By: Dr. Jeff Fuller

 

Sunrise comes too early for me.  Our service this past Sunday started around 6:00 A.M.  Some are already scoffing at me, because you are “early risers” (I have one deacon that is up at 4 every morning), but there are others in our congregation that are not so (I will not name any names, but I know of a few who do not roll over for coffee until around 9 each morning).  I am caught in the middle, so to speak. 

My mornings start around seven, as I jump out of bed and take Savannah to school.  Then I take the next hour to prepare for the day, as I sip coffee and attempt to shake the cobwebs out of me head.  One morning each week I start at five, with clean clothes and a forced smile for coffee with the men at Meme’s.  Yet, later in the day I will be dragging, as the early morning hits me like a NuWay truck loaded with gravel.

Once each year, Sunday morning comes and I attempt to drag myself out of bed to celebrate the risen Savior.  It is a chore and one that others in our congregation attend to as well.  With blurry eyes and deep voices we come together to sing, share from God’s Holy Word and watch the Creator paint the sky with His creation.  All the while thanking God for the Son Jesus Christ who rose on Easter Sunday to make a way for us to have eternal life.

Therefore, suffice it say that early mornings are not something I enjoy and for those of you who make it to Sunrise services on Easter Sunday-even those who are like me-thank you.  Those who attend such services are truly the faithful and much appreciated in my book.

With March and Easter behind us, the month of April will begin a journey for some, in the Northern section of our state that lasts from late April to early June.  After announcing the new life found in Christ, the hope of eternity for those who “die in the Lord,” and thanking God for a risen Savior many congregations which have cemeteries will hold “Decoration” or Homecoming Services and Dinner on the Grounds.

Having served as a pastor or staff member in churches in North Alabama ten of my twenty eight years, I have some first-hand knowledge of this peculiar and regional event that will shut a church down.  Yes, I said shut a church down, and that is what it does in some cases.

A few, not many, will actually not hold services in their facility for the entire month of May, giving members the opportunity of “guilt free visitation” at the cemetery of the week.  Other churches which continue weekly events will not see members for four or five Sunday’s, as these otherwise faithful souls find their way to some relative, closely related or distantly related, in order to “fellowship” with the saints, both living and dead.

Oh, my, what a time they have on these green and pristine clean grounds of the “dearly departed!”  They will sit up tables under the oak trees and laden those tables with roasts and carrots, casseroles, fried chicken, salads and desserts.  As they enjoy the fare the talk will be about those who have one before, pointing to the headstones and meeting relatives and friends from days-gone-by.  It is more like a family reunion than anything else.

On Sunday, when decoration rolls around, the church will invite a well-known, local quartet or singing group and a former pastor in attempt to draw a crowd.  Then after the service, the fellowship hall of the church will be teeming with hungry visitors ready to devour the meal which has been brought from kitchens within the community and beyond.

The funny thing is that some of these who gather in the fellowship hall were not in the service.  It seems that some churches have those who attend to cemetery duty during the worship service and then stay to eat the grub, but forsake the spiritual food offered by that congregation.

One pastor friend always commented that there were more people in the cemetery than in the sanctuary on decoration Sunday.  Therefore, he was inclined to place a speaker from the sound system in the sanctuary out in the cemetery so all those folks in the cemetery could heard the service. 

When the entourage of faithful followers came to the grave to properly prepare the body of Jesus, they found the stone rolled away and the body of Jesus gone.  Two men were outside the tomb as these faithful followers emerged both puzzled and afraid.  The men said, “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen…” (Luke 24:4-6 KJV)

What joyous news!  What a grand proclamation!  Jesus is not dead, He is not in the cemetery, He is alive and goes ahead of them, “He [goes] before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him: lo, I have told you.” (Matthew 28:7 KJV)  He goes ahead of us and we are to follow Him.

The old hymn, arranged by William J. Reynolds and actually an old Indian Folk Song, says it best:

“I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.”

Follow Him this week, as He leads us from death to life.  Until then…