January 25, 2021
Dear Kirk family,
This Sunday was Angela’s turn to offer some pulpit perspective on this “In Between” time. Inspired by the story of the boy Jesus in the temple, she reflected on the importance of home - as we have stayed at home and been away from our “physical” church home.
She offered,
“Just like Jesus, perhaps our spiritual home is the connections we make and the journeys we take.
Home is the questions we ask and the scriptures we read.
Home is stories we tell and the calling we embrace.
Home is worshiping God in spirit and truth.
As St. Augustine had said, “our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
When was the last time your heart rested in God?
Home is a refuge for our restless hearts.”
If you would like to give more attention to this idea, please join Pastor Angela tonight at the sermon “talk back” over Zoom at 7 p.m. Join here.
Note: If you are prompted to enter a passcode, it’s “Kirk” with capital K.
This year the Kirk offered this kind of “home” - a refuge for restless hearts - in a variety of ways. I took a thorough look at this work in my State of the Kirk Address that went live on website on Sunday. You won’t want to miss all of the exciting news, highlights, and pictures that offer illustration of a church with a deep desire to offer “home” for restless hearts in a year away from our church home. Click here.
And we keep at it as we move in to 2021, just this week the Kirk offered “home” - a refuge for restless hearts - in a variety of ways.
On Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., our carillon, the largest in the world, joined with many bell towers throughout the country in offering a chiming to remember all of those lost to Covid. Dennis Curry tolled only the great Bourdon bell for 4 minutes in memory of the 400,000 lost lives.
Our youth came home to church this week - online and in person. The middle school youth had a game night over zoom and the high schoolers had a covid-safe fellowship in Heritage Hall. Finally, the Boys’ and Girls’ Choir program is resuming its weekly rehearsal schedule. For details regarding specific times contact Glenn Miller at or Nicole Joseph at
We know that the idea of “home” is a distant reality for some and, so, Glenda Herb, her granddaughter Ainsley Howe, Lucy Resetar, Lynda Wilds and Barbara Littleton combined efforts in making 230 sandwiches for the homeless and more vulnerable members of our community who depend on food given out at the Baldwin Center in Pontiac.
Glenda is championing this effort for the Kirk and invites anyone who is willing to buy the supplies and make sandwiches to call her at 248-535-5196. She'll give you all the details and arrange a time to collect them to take them over to Baldwin. After dropping off sandwiches, Glenda also dropped off the last of our remaining November Service Challenge fleece blankets to the Hope Warming Shelter who is currently housing 45 homeless folks. Each one of them were able to get a new blanket! Thanks again to everyone who made those blankets!
Next week, we will offer a home to Accent Pontiac students as the Kirk begins hosting the students four days per week for small-group music instruction, homework help and a meal! We need your help to provide dinner for up to 10 students each day. Sign up to volunteer at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090a4ca8aa2ba2fd0-accent or contact Tina Rowan,
for more information.
Then, this Sunday, our “physical” church home opened up again and we shared in worship together online and in person. There is something about hearing live voices in that sanctuary. It is like sun on the skin. If you are looking to come to in person services this weekend, please remember to register here.
The Musical Moments Series continues this Sunday at 7:00 p.m. with Music for Euphonium and Piano, presented by Todd Galloway, euphonium, and Glenn Miller, piano. The program will be available on the Kirk website throughout the following week.
At the end of her sermon, Angela suggested, “May you know that God is waiting for you to come home.” I hope that for you too - and I hope that the Kirk is offering you many roads to your spiritual home in this in between time.
Stay warm,
Pastor Nate
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