MANSFIELD – As the sun rose on Easter Sunday, the Mansfield community celebrated the rising of Jesus Christ at the city’s traditional sunrise service.
“The sun is reflecting off your faces, and we are reflecting on God’s son right here in downtown Mansfield,” said Pastor Kent Joy.
In a previous Richland Source article, Joy said the sunrise service is special and symbolic of welcoming a new day with new life. The service was attended by a modest group of people bundled up against the cold.
Pastor Joy was joined by Pastor Paul Lintern on Sunday morning, who has been involved with the annual service for 15 years. Though the sunrise service has been a tradition for 60 years, this is the first year at the Brickyard after the service’s normal hosting spot at Kingwood Center Garden was unavailable.
Lintern made note of the service’s setting at the Brickyard, pointing out the Phoenix Brewing Company just next door. Similar to Christ rising from the dead, Lintern said, the company’s symbolic phoenix also rose from the ashes.
“Out of the image of death comes life…and beer,” Lintern said with a laugh.
The sunrise service is held regardless of weather conditions, and Lintern said previously audience members often consider it a badge of honor to weather the storm.
“I know some of you are disappointed it’s not snowing,” Lintern joked on Sunday morning. “God has blessed us with an incredible day.”
The morning’s hymns were performed by the Main Street Band, with members including Paul Blubaugh, Susan Hitchman Evans, Jodie Titus, Dean Kastran and Jerry Bandy. The band’s sound was assisted by the Performing Arts program at Pioneer Career and Technology Center, located just across the Brickyard.
In addition, the service also incorporated playful bits, including a short opening skit and “Easter carols” with audience participation.
Lintern reminded those present on Sunday morning that Easter calls for people to remember their faith. He noted that just as Jesus rolled the stone away from the tomb, many people have stones in their own lives.
“The stone was rolled so that we could see the tomb was empty. Jesus conquered death, and the open tomb is our testimony that we worship a risen Lord,” Lintern said. “There are stones of our own that keep us from seeing the open tomb. While we may think it’s up to us to move the stone and look inside, it is God who will roll the stone away.”
