8/22/2005

Mulling Rich

Someone reminded me of Rich Mullins today. He made some good hits. Was a great songwriter. Had a lot of depth. I was actually suprised, however, at some of his concerts to see his lack of respect for other people, their interpretations, their ideas. He seemed a bit full of himselg. He was very real and he knew God. Glad to see how God just rewards those who seek Him, period.

Rich would come out on the stage unshaven with a wrinkled t-shirt and shorts, sandles or no shoes, hair greasy. This was before it was popular to dress "grunge". I guess he was pre-grunge. We thought he was a stage hand. He'd walk over with no introduction, sit down at a people, slam Amy Grant for "messing up the song he gave her", then start, "Sing Your Praise to the Lord".

I don't know, I just wasn't anywhere close to listening to that kind of intro as worship. Maybe it was a bad day. I love the guy's music, and there were other concerts I saw him at where I really worshipped--had most of his CDs for lack of better options in those days. But, you had to definately get past his lack of grace. He liked making political statements and anti-culture sentiments. Okay to not be a slave to culture, but people like Michael Card of the same time period got away with it without offending you doing it.

Yet, I remember one concert where he left the room at the end of the concert. People kept singing "Awesome God" for so long that he and the band took a break, came back, and joined in again.

I loved the refrain of "Everywhere I Go I See You".

Some of his songs made no sense to me at all. Something about a motorcyle in one that I just never really got.

Rich Mullins. An artist who shaped "soul" into Christian music taking it from "rock" and "performance" to songs of worship where you could enter in--neither excluding the other.

Here's a link to an interview with Rich Mullins and details about his untimely death at the bottom. http://www.tollbooth.org/features/mullins.html Any other Mullins fans out there?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As far as your comments about Rich Mullins(may his name always be spoken of in reverence), I am not sure our children can play together anymore. Seriously, I think you would have to know his heart in regard to his actions. Even if he offended people, did he speak truth? Some Christians have the uncomfortable job of speaking hard truth(See Keith Green, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, …) As for his appearance, see John the Baptist. I have often wondered how really popular preachers must worry about whether congregations are following him, or the Lord. I wonder how much Rich Mullins wanted the emphasis to be on the Lord, not him. So maybe he went out of his way not to seek the crowd’s approval. I think I would have been offended at the concert you described(not so much his appearance, but his attitude of being inconvenienced by the concert.) When God calls us to something, we serve Him, not people. And we do our best, as unto the Lord. I wonder if he got irritated at the “hero worship” pop stars deal with—I do not know. I am sure the Lord has clarified and purified his attitude.