I didn’t have my camera with me that day, but ooooh how i wish i had!
This painting is as close to what happened as i can find.
Easter Sunday, Boss and i decided to attend Sunrise Service at his church.
God has been good to us both, we wanted to honor Him by going.
We were up very late the night before, so it was a bit painful and hard to get up at 5 a.m. that morning.
We arrived at the church just before 7 a.m. and it was still pitch black out,
except for the full moon over the church roof.
Deliciously anticipating worship and loving fellowship with Jesus,
we hurried inside and sat at the end of a long pew,
so Boss’s oxygen tank could sit in the aisle beside him.
The service started.
We sang, we listened, we prayed, we sang some more.
All the while i’m discreetly looking around at all the people there.
After some time i wondered when we’d be going outside for the sunrise.
After all, this WAS sunrise service.
In years past we’d sit outside on folding chairs waiting for the sun
to rise as the service was being held.
Last year, we went outside and stood around for a while, then came back inside.
This church is brand new with massive windows on the
north/south sides to our left and right.
We sat facing west.
As the darkness outside lightened up to
a gloomy gray, i couldn’t help wondering
why in the world we were sitting facing WEST,
for a sunrise service,
when we all know the sun rises in the EAST! Behind us!
I was beginning to feel ripped off, thinking if this is it,
then we could have waited for the 11 o’clock service
and slept for a few more hours!
I could tell the sun was coming up by the gray lightness
outside the massive windows.
Time for Communion.
I watched as dozens of people went and came
walking back holding their hands clasped together waisthigh.
Each and every one of them.
The only ones who didn’t were either walking with a cane in
one hand or holding the hand of a small child.
I was amazed to see person after person all come walking back
with their hands clasped this way, and with the sweetest expression
on their faces.
It really touched me softly.
As everyone was seated, i looked up at the pulpit.
There’s a long life-size wooden cross with Jesus on it just
behind the clergy. There was a faint amber-gold glow in the pulpit.
I watched as it grew somewhat brighter.
I nudged Boss and pointed to it. His eyes got huge and his jaw dropped.
We watched it as it grew brighter and brighter.
It was only shining on the cross with the glow all around it
just inside the pulpit.
I craned my neck every way i could trying to figure out what it was,
to see if maybe it was the sun shining in one of the windows,
but it was still gray outside.
It continued to grow beautifully brighter and brighter, as i thought
oh surely the clergy had rigged up some light to shine on the cross
for dramatic effect for Easter.
I almost felt like shouting to everyone else to LOOK!
But i thought surely they all saw it too.
We sang one last long song that had a steady refrain of "He has Risen" in it.
Every time we came to that part, the shadow of the cross kept moving
upwards on the wall behind it!
As we sang the last verse, the shadow moved right up into the top of the wall
and disappeared, yet the brilliant golden glow was still just as radiant around the cross.
Boss and i couldn’t believe what we were seeing.
It was beautiful beyond words and we were totally awestruck by it.
As we finished singing and everyone started to leave,
i rushed in front of the pulpit,
turned around and saw a fairly large window in the east wall that had
pure warm golden sunshine pouring in thru it, straight to the cross!
The joyfilled feeling it gave me is indescribable.
Suddenly i didn’t feel ripped off by being denied my sunrise service,
for there it was in more beautiful glory than anything i’d ever seen
and would have missed if we’d been outside merely watching the sunrise.
Walking out to our truck, we spoke with a lady walking beside us,
and when we mentioned the glow on the cross,
she said she didn’t notice it!!
Boss and i wondered how in the world could
anyone MISS it??!!
Was that magestic glow just the rays of the
morning sun rising...
or the rays of the Son’s spirit rising to
lovingly greet us?
I guess only Heaven knows for sure...
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