HALLELUJAH CHRIST AROSE

Today is Sunday, April 4th. More importantly today is Easter Sunday. I pulled myself out of bed at 6:04AM and when I went out on my back porch to pick up my paper I experienced the most wonderful of events. The Spring Hill Cemetery, which is located close to my house, was having their Sunrise Service and voices were singing "He Arose, He Arose, Hallelujah Christ Arose". What a chill that sent across my heart and I confess that I stood on that porch looking up at the sky and cried. I do believe that my day has started the most precious way that it could. After the excitement of that song that seemingly seemed to come out of the heavens I was taken back to a Sunrise Service when I was probably about 11 years old. Normally my family did not attend these services because in the olden days the Church of Christ, not knowing the exact date, time and place that Christ died and rose from the dead, did not celebrate any particular Sunday. Their thought on the subject was that we celebrated every Sunday. However, Aunt Ree, Uncle Pat, Daddy Russell and his family all were of other denominations and did celebrate Easter so we all climbed into one car and rode to Spring Hill Cemetery for the Sunrise Service. I was sleepy but happy to be gong to something that I assumed would be a great experience. Well, it was chilly and I had to wear a coat but they did let me wear my new patent leather shoes. My hair had been freshly shampooed and curled. I really did think that I looked very pretty and, being a bit spoiled by these people, I was told over and over how pretty I looked. I think that every item of clothing that I had on except for shoes and socks were made by Aunt Ree and Auntie but that was of no consequence to me. I loved my new pink suit, handmade blouse with lace and my white gloves and pink hat. We went to the service and it was cold and crowded and we had to stand up and the damp air made all of the curl come out of my hair and, therefore, I wished a million times that I had stayed at home in the comfortable bed and had eaten my little white donuts that I always had on Sunday morning. Be that as it may, at that Sunrise Service we sang that same song they were singing this morning and thinking back on that Sunday morning many years ago I looked up in the heavens and sang in a very croaky, morning voice "Hallelujah Christ Arose". Thankfully, the Church of Christ has now joined the world in recognizing that it doesn't matter the exact time or place that Christ died for us. The thing that matters is that he did die on the cross for our sins and he rose from that tomb and went to Heaven to wait for me to come and join all of the people that were in that crowded car that Easter morning, plus Billy and other loved ones, so while I am here on earth waiting for my time I will sing out today with all my heart "Hallelujah Christ Arose". Do I hear an Amen?