AT St. Catherine’s church, the Easter Sunday Sunrise Service is held under the huge oak tree just in front of the church, facing the sun that is rising behind the surrounding neighborhood trees. I’m quite positive that ALL of the birds in a wide area around the church gather to participate of the great celebration at that time each year.
Ushers are there well before dawn to set up chairs and welcome the worshippers. As people arrive, greetings are cheerful all around – lots of pleasant sounds for the birds to hear. By the time the service begins, the many birds in that great old oak tree are enthusiastic to join in the celebration!
Father Jim starts with gusto, “ Christ is risen!”
The birds and all of us respond in kind, “He is risen indeed!”
As the greetings, singings, prayings, readings, preachings celebratings and blessings progress through the service, those birds do what they do best! They tell us what we should already know – the sun (and Son) are about to rise with the promise of life everlasting!
Those wonderful sounding birds give me exactly the same messages as the rest of the service. It is as if they are following the bulletin, too. Their message reminds me that ALL of God’s creations are in relationship with one another. It is up to us to decide what that relationship will be. God loves us all. His risen Son showed us that!
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