In the Spirit of Rich Mullins

Posted September 18th, 2007 by Jen in music, religion

September 19, 2007 marks the 10 year anniversary of the death of Rich Mullins. As you can see, the only other music review I’ve done is on Mullins, in my first month of blogging. You can read more about his life there, and how I first met his music.

People remember where they were during monumental events. Like when JFK or MLK were shot. I wasn’t born yet for those events, but I do remember exactly where I was when I heard Rich Mullins had died. He was already my favorite musician. I was standing in my classroom full of 3rd graders at Bailey Hill Elementary in Eugene, and my husband was just arriving to pick me up at the end of the day. These were the times of our tiny duplex and one car. It was a Monday, and the news had just come over the Christian radio that over the weekend, Rich Mullins was killed in an automobile accident.

He and I were both shaken and saddened. It was eerie to think that Rich had sung “When I leave I want to go out like Elijah.”

The Jordan is waiting for me to cross through
My heart is aging I can tell
So Lord, I’m begging
For one last favor from You
Here’s my heart take it where You will
………
But when I leave I want to go out like Elijah
With a whirlwind to fuel my chariot of fire
And when I look back on the stars
Well, It’ll be like a candlelight in Central Park
And it won’t break my heart to say goodbye

With this ten year anniversary upon us, it’s good to give honor and remembrance to a man I think of as a poet, a prophet, and a friend. When my husband hears a really great worship leader, he’ll say, “He has the spirit of Rich Mullins.” There have been very few he’s said that about, because it’s a rare quality. How to capture the essence of that spirit in words is difficult. It’s a humility-authenticity-passion-straight out of the heart of God kind of quality.

To carry on the “Spirit of Rich Mullins,” we can practice authentic worship and heart-felt serving. He was the kind of guy to stay up all night to talk to a friend in need. The kind of guy to not just talk about caring for the orphan and the widow, but actually doing it. The person who could easily have gathered worldly riches for himself but gave it all away. What an amazing example of Love.

14 Responses

  1. Andriah September 18th, 2007 at 8:08 pm

    Thanks, I enjoyed hearing your comments about Rich. He has made an impact on my life, as well.

  2. Jen September 18th, 2007 at 8:18 pm

    Andriah, thanks for stopping by. I wish I had time to write more about Rich, but I only had a moment for a short post . Really, his music has impacted me more than I could share, and I’d start to feel *silly* going on and on about him! But my heart just reverberates with his music and voice - when I said “straight from the heart of God” I really meant it!

  3. Jane September 18th, 2007 at 11:10 pm

    I am glad you got the whole You Tube thing figured out. If it is the song I am thinking of, I love this one. I will come back tomorrow to listen. I should have been in bed a while ago as I have my boot camp in the early morning. I was breaking up a dog fight instead of sleeping peacefully, but that is a long story…

  4. mrs darling September 19th, 2007 at 5:12 am

    I dont know how it’s even possible we live in the same state ore ven the same country! LOL I have never heard of any of these people you speak of. I dont think I live under a rock or anything! :) Oh well, I’ll just have to hear about them through you. You’re never too old to learn they say!

  5. Jen September 19th, 2007 at 7:52 am

    Jane, thanks for coming to make sure I figured it out! I had left messages for a few blogger friends, but then my husband finally arrived home and set me straight in about 10 seconds. He said, “c’mon, honey, all you have to do is…” He so takes for granted that he’s a computer genius. But does one really want to ask the computer genius any computer-ish questions when he’s been busy doing that all day?

    I hope you like the song!

    Mrs. Darling, I must say I feel extremely honored if I am the one to first introduce you to Rich Mullins. Um, you really must live under a rock. :-) I hope you listen to the song I posted here, “Creed,” it’s a great one. He’s just singing the basics of our Christian faith in a really unique way. Go to YouTube and also listen to “Hold Me Jesus” and “The Color Green,” I saw those there, and both are some of my favorites and will give you a good flavor of Rich Mullins. Also, if you can find the book An Arrow Pointing to Heaven, it’s a sort of devotional biography of Mullins’ life, a powerful book that gives a lot of insight into who he was. I’d let you borrow mine if you lived a little closer!

  6. Renae September 19th, 2007 at 1:03 pm

    I can’t tell you how many times in my life words to a Rich Mullins song have played through my mind. Now I am introducing his music to my children as they follow me around the house singing, “Step by step you lead me. I will follow you all of my days.”

    One of my favorite lines is, “We are not as strong as we think we are.” It might actually be the ending of my post tonight. If I do a proper tribute later, I will link to yours.

  7. Dillo September 19th, 2007 at 10:51 pm

    Thanks for this post. I did not realize it’s been ten years! A heart-felt ‘AMEN” to the thoughts and feelings you voice hear. I think he truly knew God’s heart….and lived in it.

  8. Brian September 20th, 2007 at 12:41 pm

    I’ve said before(only half kidding) that the only test of fellowship I need is to know if you like Rich Mullins’ music or not.

    So, glad to make your acquaintance, sister. :)

  9. Rena September 20th, 2007 at 2:34 pm

    I was in college when he died. He was supposed to come to our Christian college that October for our revival-like thing that we had for a week every October, and then he was going to do a free concert that Friday. We were all sad that he died, but we couldn’t help be disappointed that we were going to miss out on him coming to campus that week too.

  10. Jen September 20th, 2007 at 8:56 pm

    Renae, Step by Step is such a great song, and such a good one for children…and us adults. Verse 2 I especially love…

    Sometimes I think of Abraham
    How one star he saw had been lit for me
    He was a stranger in this land
    And I am that, no less than he
    And on this road to righteousness
    Sometimes the climb can be so steep
    I may falter in my steps
    But never beyond Your reach

    Dillo, time does fly - a whole decade and a thousand diapers later, for me. Thank you for joining my little remembrance here.

    Brian, hey, that’s a great test for friendship-worthiness! And you get to be an extra-special friend if you can quote lyrics, and enjoy the highest level of fellowship if you can play the cup game to Screendoor.

    Rena, what a disappointment - and I don’t think there’s any irreverance in being disappointed that Rich couldn’t make his appearance at your campus. I wish he could have been there, but who knows the mysteries of God. Thanks for sharing this.

  11. Brian September 21st, 2007 at 4:49 pm

    Hah! I think I’d fail the “Screendoor” test but might be able to pass muster on the others. :)

  12. Lisa September 26th, 2007 at 8:27 am

    I too love Rich Mullins. I was in college when he died and I remember hearing it on the Christian radio. As I pray peace over my daughter as I try to teach her to take a nap, I keep hearing “may peace rain down from heaven, like little pieces of the sky…” in my head.
    Have you read the book “Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven” by James Bryan Smith? It’s a devotional biography of Rich’s life and very good.

  13. Jen September 27th, 2007 at 10:34 pm

    Brian, I doubt I could pass my own test on Screendoor, either!

    Lisa, what a great song, and what great lyrics to pray over your daughter. I have the Arrow Pointing to Heaven book, it’s fabulous!

  14. Mac March 31st, 2008 at 8:36 am

    Here in America is one of my favorite Rich Mullins songs. His memory will live on in the minds of Christian music fans.

    The last verse is particulary endearing:

    “And if you listen to my songs I hope you hear the water falling I hope you feel the oceans crashing on the coast of north New England I wish I could be there just to see them, two summers past I was
    And the Holy King of Israel loves me here in America”

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