Step by Step…

This morning it was my turn to play some electric guitar, so I packed up the ole Tele and headed down to church to for 8am rehearsal. (Which was more like 7am because the whole “spring forward” thing…) But today was something special, since our worship team leader Chuck decided to put together a Rich Mullins set.

I have to admit the music of Rich Mullins has always been something special to me, and tunes like “Sometimes by Step,” “Creed,” “I See You,” and “Awesome God,” are just a few wonderful expressions of divine worship.

“Sing Your Praise to the Lord,” popularized by Amy Grant, which is certainly one of those exception to the rule of "10 years later ½ as good” tunes that really presents something of preeminent quality from the world of Contemporary Christian music. (I think the whole “Bach Fugue #2 in C minor” intro was for piano players in my younger years practically the equivalent the signature licks a guitarist’s learns like “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Purple Haze,” “Smoke on the Water,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “Eruption,” or “Sweet Child of Mine; yeah, it was just that good.) But of course, the song is all Mullins.

What is one of the best things about Mullins’ music is it reflected the life of a soul seep deep in God’s Word, with eyes focused upon the things above. A great example of this—and this is something Chuck pointed out—is a simple vocal piece he did entitled “I will Sing” reflects images of Christ’s Beatitudes. He sings:

I will sing for the meek
For those who pray with their
very lives for peace
Though they’re in chains for a higher call
Their mourning will change into laughter
when the nations fall


In spirit poor
In mercy rich
They hunger for Your righteousness
Their hearts refined in the purity
Lord let me shine for them
Lord let me sing
Lord let me shine for them
Lord let me sing
Since the Lord had taken him home in 1997, we have only just a small handful of this artist’s works. To be sure—as certain as there is a resurrection—the music continues…

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