Those musical sounds coming from the sanctuary on Sunday mornings are the direct result of Divine Order. Mark Bryan joined us on August 6, 2000 to become our new Music Director of Unity Center. What a joy - both the music and the person.

Mark was born in Washington state and moved to Oklahoma when he was 16, having lived in Stillwater and Muskogee prior to Tulsa. What is so amazing about this talented guy is that he has never had a music lesson in his life. He is self-taught on both the piano and guitar. He discovered his gift for music when he got a little mini piano/organ at the age of 4 for his birthday. He sat down immediately and amazed his family by playing Silent Night and other Christmas carols he had recently heard during the holidays.

Mark writes music too; in fact he prefers to write his own compositions. During the last seven years he has had his own recording studio in his home. Mark has been married for ten years to Audrey, whom he laughingly says, "talked him into that marriage deal."

He says he is surprised to be playing in a church. He has written a great number of spirituals, but feels he is very unchurched. He is also surprised to have found Unity, which seems to fit closely with his own beliefs. He defines his spiritual life as honest - given to times of great turbulence and times of rich joy. He parallels his life with God to the action of a volcano erupting at times but then fertilizing the earth. In his honest, straightforward way, he says that the most important thing in any of our spiritual lives is to always go to God, and that means even if we are angry. He himself goes to God in periods of intense anger and also in periods of intense thankfulness. He is always ready to admit he is wrong and to change his beliefs when Spirit prompts him.

Mark currently plays at the Celebrity Club on Friday and Saturday nights from 7:00 until 10:30 p.m. You might want join him there. And we are SURE you will want to join him on Sundays at Unity Center.