Monroe Walker, Lakeview’s CAO, shares a very special Easter memory at Lakeview….

Even as a member of a Christian faith community my entire life, many of my most vivid memories surround the Christmas season.  It always seems to be the superbowl of the Christian year, and yet we all know the real victory happens at Easter.  You would think this would be our biggest hoorah.

Despite the myriad of Christmas-time remembrances, one Easter event does pierce the vale of my memory.  We Methodists love our Easter Sunday Services, especially sunrise services.  If you know me at all you probably can figure out I probably would not a big fan of anything with the word “sunrise” in it.  Early morning and I do not get along very well.  Yet, I usually would always make the effort and try to attend the sunrise service – probably mostly out of obligation.

Such was the case about 20 years ago when the Palestine District decided to have a community sunrise service at Lakeview for Easter Sunday.  Rain threatened to make the service messy and cold so it was decided to have the service in the Great Hall with the participants facing the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the lake.  The gathering was meager with a few dedicated souls coming out to participate in the service.  There was someone playing the guitar to accompany the hymns and a local pastor gave the message. At first it seemed like a rather uneventful, typical Easter sunrise service.  But in the midst of what seemed plain and ordinary, the true meaning of Easter arrived. God’s great love through Jesus was crucified but now raised!  How could that be plain and ordinary?  How could that be mundane and typical?  It isn’t.  It is extraordinary and amazing as only God’s love can be. Whether it is at an early morning sunrise service or the 11am “big” service, or any given regular Sunday service, remember God’s great love this Easter and celebrate that which is neither plain nor typical.

Happy EXTRAORDINARY Easter!