{"id":6520,"date":"2015-04-05T21:18:05","date_gmt":"2015-04-06T01:18:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=6520"},"modified":"2015-05-21T12:44:16","modified_gmt":"2015-05-21T16:44:16","slug":"pumc-celebrates-the-resurrection-with-the-hallelujah-chorus-4515","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=6520","title":{"rendered":"PUMC Celebrates the Resurrection with the Hallelujah Chorus (4\/5\/15)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Banner<\/a>Starting with Ash Wednesday, we’ve been preparing to\u00a0 celebrate this special day that we call Easter.\u00a0 No, it’s not about bunnies, ham and eggs.\u00a0 It’s about our God who planned from eternity past to eternity future to restore and build a relationship with His people through His Son, Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

During Lent, through Pastor Jim’s sermons<\/a><\/span> we looked at the Seven Last Words of Christ from the cross.\u00a0 We learned that you can’t experience the resurrection without coming to grips with the cross.<\/p>\n

Today, we experienced the power of the Resurrection!<\/p>\n

The day started just as it did for those first witnesses of the resurrection; at the rising of the sun.\u00a0 At 6:30 AM several churches from Pitman held a Sunrise Service at Alcyon Lake Park.\u00a0 As the full moon gave way to sunshine, we experienced a special time of prayer, music, and poetry as we celebrated the resurrection\u00a0 of our Lord…<\/p>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\"\" <\/span><\/div><\/p>\n\n\t\t
\"\" <\/span><\/div>\n

\n\t\t

\"\" <\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\n

 <\/p>\n

After that, we returned with our individual church families to worship in our own churches. The cross, which had been draped in black during the Good Friday service,\u00a0 was now dressed in the white.\u00a0 At PUMC, we held our usual two services (9:30 and 11:00).\u00a0 Pastor Jim preached his sermon (“God’s\u00a0Forwarded\u00a0Email<\/a><\/span><\/strong>“) during both services.<\/p>\n

Everything in the sanctuary (even the big eggs given to Pastor Jim!)\u00a0 proclaimed that “Christ Our Lord Is Risen Today!”…<\/p>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\"\" <\/span><\/div><\/p>\n\n\t\t
\"\" <\/span><\/div>\n\n\t\t
\"\" <\/span><\/div>\n\n\t\t
\"\" <\/span><\/div>\n

\n\t\t

\"\" <\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\n

And- at both services, we ended our time together by singing the Hallelujah Chorus.\u00a0 It is a long held tradition at PUMC that we invite anyone to join the choir in the loft to sing Handel’s masterpiece of inspiration at the end of each Easter service.\u00a0 Below is our choir’s rendition during the 11:00 service…<\/p>\n