Goodbye, “Guitar” Mark

Friday was a day of loss for my local CR ministry. We said goodbye to a person who has blessed us wit his guitar talent for years.

I first met “Guitar” Mark in the early aughts when we played on the Saturday night worship team at a church that I attended. I didn’t know who this guy was because he wasn’t a regular attender at my church, but there he was playing guitar at our Saturday night “contemporary” service. As we played music each week we developed a friendly relationship. We shared a love of music as well as an affinity for coffee. Eventually he invited me to play bass at his home church on Sunday mornings then I invited him to join our Friday night team at CR. I had no idea we would be connected for the next 15+ years!

When our church closed our CR ministry we spent some time searching for a new place to host the ministry. As soon as we landed on a church that said “yes” my first call was to my friend “Guitar” Mark. Without hesitation he accepted. That’s the kind of guy he is.

Now, the calendar has done to Mark what it does to everyone. Somewhere along the line he got “old” and decided that it was time to retire and is now moving out of state to be closer to grand kids…the nerve!

I don’t know how we will fill his spot in the band, but then, I never know how that will happen. Yet somehow, God shows us the way. The band will never be the same as it was without his touch. We will certainly miss his “shimmer”. We are going to have a moment of “stumble”, but I know that with the help of God, we will eventually…

–Rise Up!!