Sunrise on the east coast beaches is a beautiful and very tranquil scene for those who can manage to drag themselves out of bed early enough to witness it. You must try at least once. If you happen to be in the Jacksonville area on Easter, here’s some incentive. Why not check out the sunrise services at the Beaches? The morning temperature in Northeast Florida during April is perfect, with just a slight chill in the air. Where to go? I’ve only been to the Sunrise service on Neptune/Atlantic Beach, but I know of two others: one on Ponte Vedra Beach near the Inn and Country Club and the other on Jacksonville Beach off Beach Boulevard.
It doesn’t matter what faith you practice or not. It’s a very peaceful experience to sit on the beach as the sun is rising sharing quite moments, folk music and humbling sermons with those around you. The service doesn’t last very long and then you can go have breakfast somewhere. The churches hosting the service typically offer free breakfast back at their location.
Hats off to the people who set these up every year. They must get to the beaches before sunrise, haul in their equipment (e.g., generator, amplifier, musical instruments) and set up everything in the dark. The service typically starts around 6:30 am.
You never know what you are going to see at the beaches. This year we witnessed an Ocean Baptism. I believe this was a separate activity and not related to the Church conducting the service. I had never seen or given much thought about an Ocean Baptism, nor was I familiar with the special white Baptismal robes. So, now I was curious. Which religion? Which church? A quick search on the internet revealed that Baptists, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Latter-Day Saints all believe total immersion is the only way to go for Baptism. I found other pictures of Baptisms in white robes in the Jacksonville area associated with Southern Baptists. They conduct a group Baptism at Hanna Park. So, perhaps it was them. Please comment if you know.
