Easter Sunrise Service

By Karissa Martin

            The cool morning air chilled a small group of people gathering on Oak Street Beach just before 6 a.m. Easter morning. The sound of the seagulls overhead, the nearby ocean waves, and the faint pink skyline peeking out behind the water set the stage for this sunrise service.

Thirteen voices blended together singing “Give Me Jesus” a cappella with their backs turned to the quiet city, the buildings and people sleeping in the distance.

“We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen,” said Kristian Chelstrom, 31, leader of this Easter morning worship, as he finished the opening prayer for the morning’s service Sunday, Apr. 8.

The Easter sunrise service included prayer, some scripture, and almost an hour of singing songs of worship and praise while sitting on blankets in the sand.

Jeff Pan, a graduate student at Moody Theological Seminary, started this particular sunrise service group in 2010. He said that he hadn’t been to a sunrise service of any kind since his undergraduate years in college, so that sparked the idea of starting his own.

“I guess Easter for me, in being a Christian, is kind of the holiday,” said Pan. “So, I think for me it was just kind of to be more intentional about experiencing it and more intentional about meditating upon and celebrating Christ’s resurrection.”

He said that he wanted a special celebration to signify this very important Christian holiday. He also said that it wasn’t difficult to get fellow Christians together to join him on the beach.

“I just kind of told people I was going to do it, and they just kind of came along, too,” said Pan.

Many of those who came along said that they were not disappointed.

“It wasn't exactly your typical service but it was enjoyable to sing songs and celebrate the holiday with friends,” said Stephen McElhiney, 26, a graduate student at Moody Theological Seminary. “We weren't looking to put together a big service; just being able to set aside time in the morning to do some worship and remember what Jesus did for us.”

They may not have been trying to put together a big service, but they still managed to attract visitors on the beach.

Michael Mazur, resident of Kentucky and self-proclaimed “lost soul,” was visiting his parents in Chicago and happened upon the group with his son and daughter. They decided to join the group for a time after stowing their bikes in the sand.

“We felt very welcome,” said Mazur. “People opened up their hearts and their smiles and kind of gave us a compass point.”

At 6:20 a.m., the tip of the sun could be seen in the orange glow over the water. The group continued singing “How Great is Our God” with guitar accompaniment by Kristian Chelstrom and Stephen McElhiney as the sun continued to rise until it could be seen fully from the beach.

“What makes a sunrise service special is that watching the sunrise represents Jesus Christ rising from the dead,” said McElhiney. “Which, in Christianity the resurrection is critical because if Jesus didn't raise from the dead then our faith would be pointless.”

He stressed the importance of this holiday and how the sunrise service makes people sacrifice their morning in a way that readies their hearts for the celebration. He said that it really sets the tone for such an important holiday.

Rebekka Jacobs, a nurse in the Chicago area, agreed with McElhiney and said that she was glad she decided to come.

 “I think it’s nice to get up early and pray and worship sometimes; it’s a good experience,” said Jacobs. “I’m not a morning person so I drug myself out of bed,” she laughed.

Pan shared similar sentiments with McElhiney and Jacobs and pointed out its significance in the Bible.

“I think just because it’s different it helps you kind of think about what you’re doing a little bit more, so it breaks you out of the routine of stuff,” said Pan. “I think it helps identify on that morning, the Bible says early in the morning the women rose up and went to the grave and saw the tomb empty.”

As 7 a.m. rolled around, the tired eyes and calm faces began to perk up. The group discussed plans for breakfast as they gathered up their blankets, Bibles and guitars as the Easter sunrise service on the beach came to a close. As they shuffled through the sand in the direction of the awakening city, the sun shone brightly, illuminating their departing silhouettes.