Under the dim light of dawn, 47-year-old Tesha Johnson smiled with relatives and waited in a folding chair for the start of a family tradition: Easter service on the banks of the Arkansas River.
"It's just a beautiful service," she said as attendees filtered into the First Security Amphitheatre in downtown Little Rock. Some attendees donned their Sunday best. Others, reflecting the early hour, arrived with blankets, tennis shoes and cups of coffee.
The crowd filled amphitheater seats and sat on the grass for the annual Community Easter Sunrise Service, sponsored by Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church. The service celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ and featured Scripture readings, hymns and performances by community choirs.
The Rev. Britt Skarda of Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church addressed the crowd during the service, preaching that a wrong turn can sometimes point a person in the right direction.
"God has a way of taking our wrong turns and redirecting us to new and infinitely wonderful possibilities," he said.
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Photos by Thomas Metthe
Photos by Thomas Metthe
He also preached that silence can speak volumes, referring to the moment of silence from Emma Gonzalez -- who gained national attention after a mass shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school -- at a "March for Our Lives" event last month.
"Think of all those silent moments when you heard God speak to you, and you found clarity [for] your life," Skarda said.
Mandy Davis, executive director of Jericho Way, also spoke during the service and said the organization provides the homeless with a hot breakfast, lunch and a respite from the elements. Gifts given to the organization would assist in continuing its local work, she told the crowd.
"Too often those we serve did not lose their home first. They lost community, family, jobs, friends and so forth," she said. "Therefore, making our space welcoming is a top priority."
The organization provides transportation, often one of the biggest barriers to getting out of homelessness, and allows them to clean up with shower and laundry facilities. Jericho Way also acts as a physical address for those who don't have one to send and receive mail from.
In this quarter, Davis reported, the organization permanently housed 21 individuals who had before been in camps, in shelters or on the street. She said permanently housing 20 individuals was the goal for the year.
In the early parts of the Sunday service, Valarie Foster's 7-year-old son remained wrapped in a multicolored, checkered blanket and seated between family members.
After the service, with her son by her side, Foster said she enjoyed Skarda's message and that the Hallelujah Chorus at the end of the service was always a highlight. In the past, Foster said, she sang with a choir at the ceremony.
This year, she was able to watch her 16-year-old son from the amphitheater seats as he performed with the Parkview High School Youth Chorale.
Metro on 04/02/2018