Mary Kay's Cary Days

March 15, 2007

Dear Friends,

I am sitting here in my freshly painted mint green office (courtesy of Joel with paint color chosen by his Sunday School class) in the early morning, marveling at the light coming into my window in this wonderful climate! My daughters are still viewing snow in upstate New York. Beauty surrounds us in so many ways.

We were treated last week to a terrific service led by our great youth here at the Kirk. A very special thanks goes to the musicians of the morning, Bobby Cassell, Lauren Porter, Eva Godwin, Emily Milks, Julia Pogue, Tiffany Clark, Amanda Decker, Katie Cole, Helen Anthony, Abby Bell, Whitney Bell, Jennifer MacLean, Lauren MacLean, Rachel Mazzara, Anna Roach-Howell and Katherine Snow. Your work ethic and sincerity is appreciated. Bravo!

At Sunday worship this week, Psalm 150 will share their gift for contemporary music at our 9:00 a.m. service. They will lead us in a new hymn and offer their unique arrangement of “The Ninety and Nine.”. Grace Ringers led by Katherine Brekke, continues to grow in expertise and spirit and will play at both services this week. Both ensembles are new this year and compliment our existing music ministry programs. Yes, we really do have a little something for everyone! At the 11:00 a.m. service Chancel Choir is singing one of my favorite spirituals, “Give Me Jesus.” As Jody is preaching on the story of the Prodigal Son, the Hope Choir (our middle school ensemble) has prepared a special anthem for 11:00 a.m. worship to tell of the parables of the son, the lost coin and the lost sheep.

Come and enjoy a time of reflection at our Wednesday noontime music and meditations for Lent, “Sounds of the Spirit.” Lunch this week is Santa Fe soup with orange cake prepared by Elizabeth Luttrell and served with Allison Connor’s assistance. Once again our pastoral staff will share thoughts and prayers. Last Wednesday I played an arrangement of Londonderry Aire (better known as “Danny Boy”) with a new text by Dottie Rambo. Hope you will reflect on this tune and text as you wear the green this weekend!

“Amazing grace shall always be my song of praise,
For it was grace that bought my liberty;
I do not know just why Christ came to love me so,
He looked beyond my faults and saw my need.

I shall forever lift mine eyes to Calvary
To view the cross where Jesus died for me;
How marvelous the grace that caught my falling soul,
He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.”

Peace,
Mary Kay