None more significant than Rich Mullins, who became a Christian mentor to me through his music in the late 1990s. Unfortunately, Rich died in an auto accident in 1997, and it was only after that time that I discovered the power of his music. Our transition into the ministry of ChristWalk and Jubilee House, Bread of Life Church and the Clarke County Jail around 2000 was undergirded in large part by the music of Rich Mullins, serving as an example of the transparent love of God and people, fearless and radical obedience, and brutal honesty with the challenges of life and faith. The opening line to the song That Where I Am, from The Jesus Record, helped inspire me to open the Jubilee House for men in recovery by renovating a large 100 year old home. "In my Father's house there are many, many rooms," quoting Jesus from John 14.
Rich Mullins - Awesome God (live)
Rich Mullins - Calling Out Your Name - The World As Best As I Remember It
I urge you to give a listen to The World As Best As I Remember It, volumes 1 & 2, where Rich offered some of his best lyrical work and backed it up with beautiful musicianship featuring Rich's work on the hammered dulcimer as well as string orchestration, all creating some of the best sound I have heard. The poetry of the above song, Calling Out Your Name ... very moving ...
"I can feel the earth tremble beneath the rumbling of the buffalo hooves ...And the fury in the pheasant's wings...And it tells me the Lord is in His temple And there is still a faith that can make the mountains move ...And a love that can make the heavens ring ... And I've seen love make heaven ring ...Rich Mullins - I See You
Nine days before his death, Rich went into an abandoned church and recorded on portable cassette tape the songs of the project Jesus Record, which was produced after his death as a double album including Rich's demo versions as well as studio recordings made by his band The Ragamuffins. I cannot begin to convey the breadth and depth of Rich's work, but I close with the lyrics to the first song on the Jesus Record, which, as much as any of his work, conveys the authenticity of honest struggle.
"You who live in heaven hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
and who get hardened by the hurt
Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did You forget about us
after You had flown away
well I memorized every word You said
Still I'm so scared I'm holding my breath
while You're up there just playing hard to get
You who live in radiance
hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was Still we do love now and then
Did You ever know loneliness, Did You ever know need
Do You remember just how long a night can get? When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?
And I know you bore our sorrows And I know you feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less Even if it could be explained
And I know that I am only lashing out At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this somehow
All I really need to know
Is if You who live in eternity hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can't see what's ahead and we cannot get free from what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
I can't see how You're leading me, unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess,
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get."