The music of the late Rich Mullins is filling my kitchen. Rich will rule our soundwaves today. Friends are coming over. I am making a wicked roast port. The sun is shining. Its a good Sunday. And Rich Mullins is playing.
Rich Mullins, in my opinion, was the Keith Green of the early 90’s. He had a strong stance against materialism – lived on a Native American reservation, and limited his income to a small salary, so that he could help the poor. His music is powerful, but not superb. I never liked how the mainstream Christian publishing machine cleaned him up for a suburban audience. But once you get passed his mainstream hits (that i never really warmed to) and get into his many albums, you will find some fantastic prophetic music with Native American instruments and celtic vibes and Appalachian spirituality.
I never met Rich, although i did meet his brother David a few times. Doug Pagitt met him – Rich was having a quick smoke before he went onstage to play at a large church.
Links – Wiki, KidBrothers
Sunday with Rich Mullins
Rich Mullins was truly a man ahead of his time! The world lost and heaven gained something wonderful when Rich died.
Rich, The Pope, Johnny Cochran & Terry Schiavo dancing together in heaven! Now there is a picture beyond description that makes me smile.
Peace
Geo
i met Rich at one of his concerts. He was an authentic man who did not “play” Christianaity. He embodied it it his frail humanity. Thanx for making mention of him. He truly was a postmodern pilgrim! Pax, Adele
Rich Mullins
I was browsing through the various blogs I read and happened up a post about Rich Mullins by Tall Skini Kiwi. He had a couple of links that I followed and found a few quotes from Rich. I thought they were worth sharing.
Rich was amazing. I especially like the ‘Jesus Demos’. They’re so raw and emotional.
Rich Mullins holds a special place in my heart. Although I had heard his songs many times, I had never seen a photograph of him. When I did, I was totally “blown away”…his face was so familiar. In doing some research, I discovered that, as children, we had, for one year, attended the same elementary school…that is where I remembered his face from…a little boy I had seen on the playground at school.
I am glad I will see him again…I will enjoy our conversation.
Be Blessed,
Mike
I heard that when RM visited a Restorationist/Campbellite college in Grayson Kentucky in the early 90’s, he made the crack that a Christian should definately go to the “Churches of Christ” to learn to sing (as they shun instruments), but anywhere else to “get their doctrine straight.”
That one no doubt played to ah, mixed reviews.
What I appreciated early on in my discipleship was his complete disregard for and impatience with the emerging culture wars.
Thanks for the reminder.
. . . yes, he was a great guy, living not for himself. I love his very moving song “Halleluja”. It just gets you up and dancing, halleluja . . .
Sorry, thats the original title of the song! “How can I keep myself from singing” from the CD “winds of heaven, stuff of earth.”