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Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Day 328- Easter Sunrise Service at Lauderdale By the Sea- Peaceful Reflection and Renewal




Spring and Easter are reminders that something new is happening. Spring revitalizes our northern surroundings with sprouts  of green and the season’s first  daffodils and hyacinths, as Easter for many is a holiday that brings  personal revitalization.  


A few years ago, I stumbled upon Lauderdale by the Sea,  a beach town sandwiched between Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale. It  is a  place that welcomes you and invites you to relax. I joined about 500 others at the town’s  annual  sunrise service on the beach for a few moments of peaceful refection and personal renewal.



Refection

LBTS has that small town feel that invites you to a place like Cheers where ”everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came”.  Smiling faces populated the town square used for the service. Local  volunteers and local EMS started at 4 am setting up the chairs for this non- denominational  6:30 am sunrise service officiated by the joyful pastor from the Community Church. Even  the Mayor  attended welcoming all with quotes from  Martin Luther and  Robert Flatt- “This is a day of celebration…the Lord’s resurrection also gives our life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over”.


The sun slowly rose over the pavilion gradually birthing yellow beams on the patrons and the sun’s orange glow outlined the clouds. The rhythmic crashing of waves filled the silent spaces of the  spoken message of God’s love  and the  challenge  for all  to pass it on in the world.  LBTS welcomed locals and travelers to their sunrise service -a marriage between  natural  beauty  and   encouraging words producing a peaceful platform for reflection and the hope for personal renewal.

Happy Easter- Happy Spring- Happy new beginnings!
Mayor  Chris Vincent, LBTS

Spiritual Reflection

The steadfast the love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations  3:22-23)

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus (Luke 24:2-3)