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The Schulmerich Carillon Bells For 61 years, since 1947, The Schulmerich Carillon Bells in the Tyrone Presbyterian Church tower have proclaimed Christ’s gospel, celebrated America’s freedom, and called citizens to prayer every day at 11:45 and 6:30. This Sunday, on Easter morn, the tower bells once again will sound Robert Lowry’s 1874 resurrection hymn – “He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!” |
At 10:30 a.m. this Easter Sunday, March 23, Tyrone Presbyterians will celebrate resurrection morn with the music of bells, voice, trumpet, choir, and congregation, as well as with the spoken word by preaching pastor Mark Liller.
The bells from the church tower first will proclaim the resurrection with Robert Lowry’s 1874 Easter carol “Christ Arose!” Since 1947, the Schulmerich Carillon Bells from the Tyrone Presbyterian Church have pealed out the good news of the gospel, and have called people to prayer, from all corners of this community every Sunday morning, as well as every weekday at 11:45 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
As the bells fade on the Easter horizon, Mrs. Deborah Huff Estright will open Easter worship with a soprano solo by Joyce Freud and Tom Fetke entitled “He is Risen! Hallelujah!” Her sister Susan Huff Daly will accompany Estright on the church’s 1930 Baldwin grand piano.
Triumphantly, the festival balcony trumpet from the church’s 10-year-old Allen Digital Computer Organ will sound in a fanfare, as it calls the congregation to echo the carol of the tower bells with this joyous refrain – “He Arose, He Arose/Hallelujah! Christ Arose!”
The Westminster Choir, now in its 77th season of singing (having begun in 1931) will take up the resurrection refrain, as they sing Donald Fishel’s 1973 Easter anthem entitled, “Alleluia! Alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord!”
On a profound level, this Easter anthem will offer thanks to the risen Lord for overcoming the terror of death. On a practical level, this same anthem will offer thanks to the Growth and Spiritual Enrichment Committee for their faithful efforts to enhance Presbyterian worship in all the seasons of the church year – and especially at Christmas and Easter.
Those committee members include: Jessie Anders, Elaine Conrad, Norma Getz, Deb Hiller, Joan Holdren, Roselyn Laird, Cummins McNitt, Peg McNitt, Sally Miller, Betty Rodgers, and Betty Woomer.
Even as both instruments and voices will announce the Easter message in music, so Epworth Manor chaplain and preaching pastor Mark Liller will proclaim Christ’s resurrection from God’s word. Using the lectionary gospel from Matthew 28 as the bible basis for his Easter message, Reverend Liller will deliver a homily entitled “Do not look for bones.”
In his sermon, Reverend Liller will remind the Easter congregation that “normally, people do not feel comfortable with mysteries that they cannot solve with their five senses. Yet, folks must remember that the resurrection is a faith event. The resurrection is not a matter of believing the impossible, but rather trusting the invisible.”
Throughout this Easter service, the audience will respond to the resurrection with Easter carols from different countries and different centuries. Among these carols, the people will sing Charles Wesley’s exuberant 1740 Easter masterpiece – “Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!”
As a contrast, Presbyterians also will lift their voices for Bill and Gloria Gaither’s 1971 southern gospel Easter carol entitled “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.”
In the end, when Easter worship concludes at Tyrone Presbyterian Church in this year 2008, church members hope that it will be the message from the Gaither Easter carol that folks will carry with them on their journey through life: “Because he lives, we can face tomorrow/Because he lives all fear is gone/ Because we know he holds the future/And life is worth the living – just because he lives!”
Why not better equip yourself for the journey of life by joining Tyrone Presbyterians at 10:30 a.m. this Easter Sunday, March 23? There, you will hear a message unlike what you will hear on any news broadcast – “Because he lives, I can face the future!”
