Easter Sunrise Service
Easter started out among the pagans in worship to their goddess of Spring, Eostre. In A.D. 325 at the Council of Nicea, it was decided to adopt Easter as a "Christian Holiday" to commemorate the resurrection of Christ. In our time "Easter worship" has been made popular by the Roman Catholic Church and the commercial-minded public. But today the so-called Protestant churches join with the Catholics in keeping Easter along with the other "holy days." Since we do not know which first day of the week Christ was raised (Mk. 16:9), churches of Christ have always remembered Christ's death and resurrection EVERY first day of the week. Rev. 1:10; Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Heb. 10:25. Furthermore the Bible plainly condemns such pagan practices as Easter in the following: "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." (Gal. 4:1011.) Also we have shied away from any type of "union meeting" with the denominations for the simple reason we are commanded to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." (Eph. 5:11.) We have refused to join in any kind of sectarian worship for fear of giving false teachers Godspeed. "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds." (2 John 9-11.)
As Christians we are separate from the rest of the world. The very first challenge to a new-born babe in Christ is: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." (2 Cor. 6:17.) Jesus said, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (John 15:19.) Then again, we are told: "Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4.) Christians are separated from the ways and fellowship of the world. This automatically separates them from denominationalism and sectarianism; for all such is of the world.
In spite of this plain Bible teaching, we have brethren today who will join with the denominations in such programs as Easter Sunrise services. The denominational churches in White County, Arkansas joined together and formed a Union Easter Men's Bible Class. This sunrise service over the years has become quite a prominent event for the Easter worshippers in this section of Arkansas. In 1958 a gospel preacher, working with one of the largest churches in this county, acted as master of ceremony for the Sunrise service. One of the elders' wives of the same church of Christ acted as secretary for the organization. This year one of the elders, one of the deacons, and a number of other members from that same church participated with the denominations in the Easter Sunrise program. The elder acted as master of ceremony, and has been appointed "Permanent Chairman" of the denominational organization. Not only did that church participate, but another large church in White County also furnished an elder and several other members for the Easter Program. Keep in mind that these two churches under consideration are "Churches of Christ."
The greater part of the members in those congregations and in the other churches of Christ in White County vigorously protested such outlandish and compromising action on the part of our brethren. The Noon Bible Study Program, conducted over the Searcy radio station, spent a whole week before Easter Sunday exposing Easter worship and begging the brethren to reconsider before joining with the denominations in such an act. Hard things were said against the radio program and against all who opposed the easter worship. Instead of repenting, some of the brethren involved in this denominational service, actually tried to get the Noon Bible Study Program put off the air. And yet those are some of the brethren who go all over the country fighting against Communism and claiming that all should have freedom of speech!
This report is written in love, in hopes that its contents will wake up the brethren everywhere to the fact that WE ARE DRIFTING. We must return to the Bible now!
(Editor's note: Brother O. B. Williams is an elder in the Church of Christ at Judsonia. The Gospel Guardian has previously carried comments on this ungodly and compromising practice of the College Church and the Downtown Church in Searcy, Arkansas, in joining in with the denominational churches in the "Sunrise raster Services". It is but another step in the downward path being so rapidly traveled by a group of compromising. popularity-seeking, worldly-minded dilettantes under the influence of Harding College.)