On a Glorious Day, 4,000 Gather to Celebrate Easter

Like many people, Janet Mitchell doesn’t attend church every Sunday.

But, she decided to go on Sunday. After all, it was Easter.

Mitchell was among the more than 4,000 people gathered for a nondenominational Easter service sponsored by Shepherd of the Hills Church and held on the Cal State Northridge football field Sunday morning.

“I haven’t been to church in a while, but I enjoyed it,” said Mitchell. “It thought it was wonderful and very uplifting.”

The clouds and dreary weather that dominated much of last week cleared out for the midmorning Easter service. The sun shone on the congregation as a brisk breeze accompanied the message.

“This is the closest thing to heaven as we’re going to get in the Valley,” Pastor Tim Winters said at the start of the service. “This is a glorious day.”

A big-screen TV at the northwest end of the stadium allowed people to see projected images of the speakers and singers. A sign language interpreter was on hand for the congregation’s deaf members.

The choir sang upbeat songs accompanied by a band that included a saxophone, drum and electric guitar. Communion was distributed to the crowd from small, plastic containers.

Singing performances by two professional entertainers who attend Shepherd of the Hills--gospel music Grammy-winner Deniece Williams and child actor Blake Ewing--drew the audience to its feet.

“It was a great service and I’m glad I spent the day here with my family,” said Penny Braswell of Northridge.

Pastor Dudley Rutherford started his sermon with the provocative question, “Why are you here today?”

He asked the crowd: “Was it because you thought it would be a good idea? Was it because your wife told you to? Or is it because Jesus rose from the dead?”

Rutherford also prayed for peace in Kosovo and mentioned the names of several famous people who have died so far this year, including King Hussein of Jordan, movie critic Gene Siskel and baseball legend Joe DiMaggio.

He also told the crowd about writings outside of the Bible that mention the resurrection of Jesus.

“Easter means so much to me,” said worshiper Virginia Bentley of North Hills. “To know that one man died for the world is something to celebrate.”