Community Sunrise Service in Borrego Celebrates Easter 2024

There are numerous religious festivals that punctuate the calendar. The one central to Christians is the celebration of the rising of Jesus from the dead. In English, we call it Easter, likely derived from the name of a deity of the springtime. In most other languages however, the feast comes from the Jewish Pesach, in Greek and Latin, Pascha, meaning a Passover—from slavery to freedom for the people of Israel, from death to life for Jesus. In Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Greek and other languages one can hear Pascha.

Easter this year is Sunday, March 31. The Borrego Ministers Association (BMA) is again sponsoring a Community Easter Sunrise Service behind the Community United Methodist Church, on Church Lane. Sunrise should be at 6:34am, and the service starts promptly at sunrise. So arrive before then, and bring chairs, blankets and come to the natural amphitheatre there. The service will consist of hymns, a cantata by a volunteer choir directed by Jinny Perrin, along with prayers and readings done by members of the BMA.

This year the short sermon will be by by Fr. Tony Stanonnik, the new pastor of St. Richard's Catholic Church. Fr. David Madsen, the new rector of St. Barnabas will also give the final blessing. Others participating will be clergy and laity from the Methodist, Episcopal, Catholic and Latter Day Saints churches in town. There will be a basket for a free will offering for the outreach assistance to neighbors in need by the BMA at the end of the service, which should last about a half hour. Please come celebrate Easter with your neighbors. 

• St. Barnabas Episcopal
• Community United Methodist
• St. Richard’s Catholic
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

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The Rev. Michael Plekon, PhD
Professor Emeritus: Sociology, Religion & Culture The City University of New York - Baruch College