Rich Mullins

My favorite musician; if you haven’t listened to this man, definitely find him. Deeply poetic and thought provoking, Rich Mullins’ music is a spiritual experience. You can feel in every note that he is fully focused on Jesus and absolutely authentic.

Most know “Awesome God,” which is a lot like (I think) “Sing Your Praise to the Lord,” which he wrote for Amy Grant before we ever heard Mullins sing it. I saw Rich in concert in Eugene, Oregon, in about 1992. He came on stage in his bare feet and t-shirt and jeans, and walked right out into the audience to be near us. I think he was altogether uncomfortable with being up front and everyone else being out there.

Rich didn’t quite fit into the traditional Christian music industry. He did some pretty non-mainstream things like take a vow of poverty and spent the last part of his life on an Indian Reservation teaching music to the children.

I was first introduced to Rich’s music by a college roommate, Julie. One evening, Julie put this tape in the player (I had no CDs then), and got out two cups for us to play with. She taught me the “cup game” to “Screendoor” - It’s about as useless as/A screen door on a submarine /Faith without works baby /It just ain’t happenin’/…which, by the way, is also a great song and a great musical rendition of the heart of James (the apostle).

Julie, where are you? Somewhere in Texas. Those were some *very* fun days, and I even remember you writing a fan letter to Rich. :-)

Forgot to mention, but some readers may not have heard of Rich Mulllins, so wouldn’t know that he died in a tragic car accident in 1997. So you won’t find any current music… If you don’t have any of his music, I’d begin with “A Liturgy, A Legacy, & A Ragamuffin Band.” Be prepared to spend a lot of time thinking about the complex metaphors and listening to some unusual and beautiful instrumentation. And then read “A Ragamuffin Gospel” by Brennan Manning, from which book Rich borrowed the name of his band. But don’t read it if you don’t want your life to be changed, as Michael W. Smith says in the foreword.

The Color Green, from A Liturgy, A Legacy, & A Ragamuffin Band

And the moon is a sliver of silver
Like a shaving that fell on the floor of a Carpenter’s shop
And every house must have it’s builder
And I awoke in the house of God
Where the windows are mornings and evenings
Stretched from the sun
Across the sky north to south
And on my way to early meeting
I heard the rocks crying out
I heard the rocks crying out

Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands
Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land
Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made
Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise

And the wrens have returned and they’re nesting
In the hollow of that oak where his heart once had been
And he lifts up his arms in a blessing for being born again
And the streams are all swollen with winter
Winter unfrozen and free to run away now
And I’m amazed when I remember
Who it was that built this house
And with the rocks I cry out

Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands
Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land
Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made
Blue for the sky and the color green

Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands
Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land
Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made
Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise