Was it a morning like this?

Easter Sunday – 2015

It was a beautiful morning in Winston-Salem, NC. We were on our way from Atlanta, GA to Washington, DC where our son Stephen’s high school band was invited to march in the annual Cherry Blossom Parade. We arrived at our hotel late the night before, so when our alarm began to chime at 5:00 AM it was hard to jump out of bed. However, we had chosen to stay in Winston-Salem for a very specific purpose.

Almost 300 years ago, a group of Christians known as the Moravians had made their way to America to seek a place where they could worship God without the fear and threat of the religious persecution that had plagued them in Europe. Eventually, they made their way to Winston-Salem, NC and established a settlement dedicated to God where they could freely worship.

Two hundred and forty-three years ago today, they held their very first Easter celebration. This morning, my family and I ignored our desire for sleep and headed to Old Salem to participate in this historic celebration. The morning was cool and crisp, but beautiful. The trees were sprouting new leaves and the birds were singing. Hundreds gathered to celebrate our risen Lord.

The crowds began to gather at Home Moravian Church in Old Salem. The service was liturgical with responsive readings, prayers and hymns. Half-way through the service, the congregation begins a procession to the cemetery called Gottesacker (“God’s Acre”) where thousands of the Moravian faithful have been interred over the past 243 years.

God’s Acre is probably unlike any cemetery that you’ve ever visited. First of all, all of the grave markers are identical. While not totally unique, the reason for this is not aesthetical. The Moravians believe that in death, we are all equal. Second, the Moravians use a “choir” system in their burial where people are buried chronically and by their age, sex and marital status. This mirrored the way the Moravians worshipped. Therefore, they are united in death just as they are united in worship.

As the sun began to rise and the worship continued I began to imagine what it would be like to be here when the Lord returns. I can think of no greater sight for believers who are alive at Jesus’ return to see graves open and the dead in Christ arise. This was not the first time that I’ve had this thought. I often contemplate this when I visit the graves of loved ones.

Inspired by Sandi Patti’s song with the same name, I wondered if it was it a morning like this when Mary found the empty tomb where Jesus had been laid. This also reminded me how crucial and essential Easter is to the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul stated that without the resurrection of Jesus, Christianity is meaningless and we are not only without hope, but to be pitied (see 1 Corinthians 15). I wonder sometimes if we have forgotten this truth.

On our drive up to Winston-Salem, I began searching my collection of music for songs that spoke of the resurrection. Until that time, I had never noticed how few songs there are in contemporary Christian music that speak of this central event. Never underestimate the power of music. It shapes culture and in Christian communities our ideas about God. Have we “advanced” so much in our modern worship that we have forgotten the Object of our worship and the reasons for why we worship? Two thousand years ago on a hill called Golgotha our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed His life on a cruel Roman cross – a death that we can hardly comprehend the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual torture. However, not only Jesus’ death, but also His glorious resurrection. Our hope is found in nothing less than this. Let us never forget this in our worship, in our teaching or in our everyday life.

To God be the glory!

Blessings,

David

Note: For more information on the Moravians, see http://www.salemcongregation.org/

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