Thousands Greet the Dawning of Easter

Easter came late this year.

It’s not that Easter wasn’t on time; it’s just that the astronomical/liturgical computation used to determine the particular Sunday for the Easter celebration put it into the last 10 days of April this year. This could have meant that the Easter sunrise service at the beach on Marco Island would be lightly attended, with many winter residents already heading north.

Didn’t happen. A multitudinous throng packed the beach behind the Madeira condominium, just north of the JW Marriott, rising before dawn to make their way to the shore of the Gulf, to commune with like-minded believers and start the day out right, on this holiest of Christian holidays. Over 100 boats anchored in the calm waters just offshore in a spectator fleet.

Attendees heard from a succession of five pastors representing three island churches. Marco Presbyterian Church, which provided three of the speakers, took the lead in organizing the celebration. Rev. Ed Brandt of the United Church of Marco Island gave the call to worship, following a greeting from Marco Island City Manager Mike McNees. The manager got into the preaching a little bit himself, quoting the gospel of Matthew. After the prayer of confession and assurance, led by Rev. Casey Nowlin of the Family Church, Anthony Politi, Pastoral Resident at Marco (Presbyterian) Church, offered scripture reading and prayer.

Matt Papa and his band provided the instrumental prelude, as well as songs of worship. The five-piece ensemble played hymns, from the classics, such as “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” to new compositions, including “His Mercy Is More” penned by Papa. Other members of the Papa family got into the act, as well, as Stella and Sofi Papa and Sienna Arvig came onstage to assist with “In Christ Alone.”

For the principal Easter message, Rev. Scott Kerens of Marco Presbyterian took the theme “Tragedy to Triumph,” how the humiliation and despair of Jesus’ crucifixion gave way to the supreme high of the resurrection.

“Easter is in fact the New Year’s Day of the soul. Our salvation day is our soul’s rebirth day, the day of the new beginning, the first day of the rest of our lives. Will you make this Easter your soul’s birthday?” he asked the thousands listening. “Echoes of God’s love can be seen everywhere, in an unexpected smile, a first kiss, in a baby’s laugh…Echoes of God’s love wash over all humanity, even in suffering.”

He also noted that the three churches who collaborate for the sunrise service “put down our ego and our logo for the sake of Christ.”

Some worshippers showed up early in the darkness, illuminated only by the half-moon floating in the southern sky, to snag seats in the front row. Some found themselves a little more room, down by the water’s edge, where Stephanie Webb wrapped herself up on one of the Marriott’s chaise longues. Lance and Alicia Graffam stood embracing, letting the words of the sermon and the cool Gulf breeze wash over them.

Two young ladies, barefoot but wearing pretty Easter dresses, hunted seashells instead of Easter eggs, building a stash along the tide line.

Pastor Thomas McCulley of New Life Community Church “batted cleanup,” offering the closing prayer and some reminisces of his childhood as the son of missionaries in West Africa. The family parrot, he said, could quote scripture at length, but without understanding.

“We can repeat key phrases, accurately even. But are they just sounds and syllables? Do we believe?” he asked. “Do we believe enough to act on these holy words?” As part of the housekeeping, he urged his listeners to “leave only sand behind, (leave) the beach cleaner than before we came,” and finished with a ringing “He is risen!”

As always, the crowd created a traffic jam as everyone went home, but it was the politest, most considerate traffic jam imaginable, as the good fellowship flowed among the thousands heading along Collier Blvd.