Reflections
The First Annual Water Valley Mardi Gras celebration and Krewe of Crappie parade was a rousing success! Thanks to all who so wonderfully participated in the craziness of the moment. Special thanks to Eddie Wood who brought his snare drums after our brass band had to cancel and James McCormick who brought wonderful noise-makers that filled downtown with sounds that could not be ignored! Thank you, Becca Finley, for giving the parade a destination point at TIN and for the marvelous gumbo, red beans and rice and sensational music that awaited us at the end of the parade!
For those who see them on a regular basis, please give a personal shout out to Chief Mangrum and the Water Valley police department for their blue light escort down Main Street. We could not have made this all happen without them!
And the climax of the night was the election of our own Tommy Reynolds as the new Mayor of Water Valley. Congratulations, Tommy! (We’ll assume the gris-gris of the Mardi Gras spirit was helpful!) We so look forward to your leadership.
After the craziness of Fat Tuesday, the church moves quickly into the penitential season of Lent. The “Alleluia” banner that was carried in the parade is now buried in the church grounds where it will stay until dug up on Easter morning! Our Ash Wednesday worship begins at 5:30pm with the Penitential Order, the Imposition of Ashes and the Holy Eucharist.
The service will be simple and stark-no music, no flowers. For some it will seem like whip lash, or a stripping of our emotional and liturgical gears. However, the movement into the Lenten season after the craziness of Mardi Gras reflects the natural movement of our lives that so often goes from great heights to dark valleys, seemingly in a matter of moments. But the poignancy of Ash Wednesday is a reminder that in all things, through all things and beyond all things, God’s love abides.
“I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” (Book of Common Prayer, Ash Wednesday liturgy, p. 265.)
Other Matters of Importance
Annual Congregation Meeting-Results, Thank You’s and Spin-offs
Congratulations to Eddie Wood and Mary Beth Pulsifer for their election to a three year term on the Mission Committee. Thank you to Juawice McCormick for co-ordinating the luncheon following our meeting and providing King Cakes for dessert; and to Joe York for smoking and serving the Boston butts. The Salt and Light building seem to handle the large numbers of us beautifully.
It was a wonderful feel good moment in so many ways!
In the midst of the very positive feelings associated with the events two new proposals were suggested:
1) The initiation of a regular “coffee hour” on Sundays in the Salt and Light building following the 10:30 worship service. Our first coffee hour will be February 25. Katelynn Dillard has offered to coordinate a trial run during Lent to see if there is sufficient interest to make it a permanent part of our common life. Coffee and light refreshments will be offered as an occasion for conversation and fellowship.
2) Regular week night dinners in the Salt and Light building during the Great Fifty Days of Easter. Coordinated by Juawice McCormick, these will be multi- generational gatherings to celebrate and nurture our common life. They will include a combination of pot luck and catered events. Exact dates and full details have not yet been decided upon, but if you are interested in helping with this project, please contact Juawice.
Mission Committee Meeting- February 27 @ 6:00pm
The newly constituted Mission Committee will gather in the Salt and Light building at a twice- rescheduled Mission Committee meeting on February 27.
See you Sunday, if not before!
Blessings and Peace,
Duncan
(601)260-1937
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