Sunrise Services

I grew up going to sunrise services on Easter Sunday. So I naturally inflict the same torture on my kids. Roll them out of bed in the dark and off to church by about 6 AM. I figure we have to do this to offset the fact that I make them go to Midnight Services on Christmas Eve. Actually these are twice a year lessons on why it's not so bad to have to go to 8 AM church on regular Sundays.

Sunrise service is held outdoors on the church patio. At the start of the service we sing praises and hold a small parade towards the sunrise. However two years ago home depot built a store about one half mile east of the church. So now we stand in the church parking lot and sing praises as the sun rises over the Home Depot.

Living in Ridgecrest gives us the opportunity to have Sunrise Easter Service outside. This morning it was only 50 degrees. While this is a little cool to be sitting on a metal chair on the Church patio. It's tolerable. Growing up in South Dakota we never had Easter Services outside. Heck most years we were thrilled if there was no snow on the ground on Easter Sunday. This morning temperatures in South Dakota are trending around 35 degrees. A tad to chilly to be hold services outside.

Easter is not always a nice spring morning here. The first outdoor sunrise service we had about several years ago it was beautiful on Saturday, temps in the 70s. Sunday morning the temperature was about 37 degrees and the wind was blowing about 20 mph. We toughed it out, but didn't try outdoor services again for a few years.