Sunrise service is a worshipservice specifically onEaster Sunday practiced by someChristian denominations, such as theMoravian Church.[1] The sunrise service may take place in the church or outdoors, sometimes in a park, and the attendees are seated on outdoor chairs or benches, or else they stand throughout.
Certain congregations of theMethodist,Reformed, andUnited Protestant traditions observe Easter sunrise services, while others may hold anEaster Vigil service.[2][3] In theRoman Catholic,Eastern Orthodox,Lutheran, andAnglican churches, this ordinarily takes the form of the Easter Vigil, which can begin in the late evening ofHoly Saturday or the early morning of Easter Sunday.[4]
The first Easter Sunrise Service recorded took place in 1732 in theMoravian congregation atHerrnhut in theUpper Lusatian hills ofSaxony.[5] After an all-night prayer vigil, the Single Brethren—the unmarried men of the community—went to the town graveyard,God's Acre, on the hill above the town to sing hymns of praise to the Risen Saviour.[5] The following year, the whole Congregation joined in the service.[6] Thereafter the "Easter Morning" or "Sunrise Service" spread around the world with the Moravian missionaries.[5] The procession to the graveyard is accompanied by the antiphonal playing of chorales by brass choirs.[7]
Many churches in the American South still hold traditional sunrise services in cemeteries as a sign of recognition thatJesus no longer lay in the tomb on Easter morning. The service starts early in the morning and is timed so that the attendants can see the sun rise when the service is going.[7] Services usually loosely follow the format of the church's normal service and can include music (hymns orpraise band), dramatic scenes and the Eastermessage. After the service, the church may serve abreakfast for the attendees.[8]
A famous Moravian sunrise service in the United States is that of the Salem Congregation in what is nowWinston-Salem, NC, held annually since 1772.[7] More than six thousand worshipers gather before dawn in front of the church to proclaim the Resurrection.[9] The worshipers then move in procession to the historic graveyard, or "God's Acre".[7] Brass choirs from twelve congregations, totaling over five hundred members,[7] play hymns antiphonally during the procession. The service concludes with a proclamation of faith and hymns of hope.
In 2012, inWashington D.C., thousands of individuals gathered at theLincoln Memorial for theecumenical 34th “Sunrise Celebration”Easterservice, a Washington tradition for Christians of all denominations.[10] The tradition goes back for more than three decades.[10]
Another long-running sunrise service dates back to 1944 atopStone Mountain nearAtlanta. The park opens extremely early at 4am, and theskylift operates early as well to carry worshipers to the top and back down again.[citation needed]
The Easter Vigil, also referred to as the Paschal Vigil or the First Service of Easter, is held either on the Saturday evening before Easter or very early Easter morning.
Thousands of people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial at sunrise Sunday for the 34th "Sunrise Celebration" Easter service, a Washington tradition for Christians of all denominations. Christian faithful gather for Easter service at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Sunday, a tradition that goes back more than three decades.