Sophomore Mia Cross’s alarm blared at 5 a.m. She stumbled out of bed, flicked on her lamp and began getting ready for church. It was Easter morning, and under her breath she quietly rehearsed the lines of the sermon she wrote. She would soon deliver part of the sermon at Asbury United Methodist Church.
This year marked her fourth time participating in the youth-led tradition, where students take charge of almost every aspect of the service.
After the opening words, and as the first light of morning filters through the stained glass windows, the congregation joins together in a unified call: “Christ is risen!” For sophomore Libby Morris, that moment never gets old.
Events like the Easter Sunrise Service are part of a larger effort to involve students in leadership roles within the church, according to Morris.
Music plays a central role in the service, with Morris playing an original piano composition in E-flat major. The piece came from afternoons spent "fiddling around on the piano for hours," Morris said.
Cross also shared her musical talents, performing “Bel Canto" on the clarinet during the service. Both students love the tradition, and will lead service again next year, according to Morris and Cross.
Through consistent participation in an organization called Leadership Lab, youth group members can earn service badges that may eventually lead to opportunities like a pilgrimage abroad.
This year, the group is preparing for a trip to Turkey, with students working to get the 10 leadership badges required to attend. To get a badge, someone has to design a leadership project and learn, lead and live.
As the hour-long service came to a close and daylight fully broke, the congregation moved from the sanctuary into the Hager Hall for their annual Easter potluck breakfast. Plates filled quickly, pastries piled high, fruit spooned into paper bowls, casseroles passed from plate to plate.
At the beginning of the service, a singer walks down the aisle singing “I Raise a Hallelujah” all alone, then during the second verse, all of the youth walk down the side aisles and when they hit the chorus, they raise the shades to let the sun in. It illuminates the sanctuary as it comes over the horizon. That is Morris' favorite part, and a moment she won't forget.
By 9 a.m., the sanctuary was empty, the sun was up and the last plates were being cleared. Another Easter Sunrise Service complete.
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