More Than Music
Serena Haneline
Copyright 1998 by Release MagazineHome is the place we long for, our ultimate destination. If we have accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord, Heaven is our home. It eases the shock of losing poet and songwriter Rich Mullins to know that he's reached his home. He left behind not only a legacy, but a challenge: to live for Christ alone.
Rich Mullins: Home is a full-color limited edition book full of memories, both in words and pictures. Included are nearly six years' worth of columns Rich had written for Release Magazine. He used the outlet, outside of his songwriting, to further express his musings on faith and life.
"Rich had a way with words," writes Jim Dunning, Rich's manager, in the book's introduction. "A collection of writings seems an appropriate tribute."
The columns, originally published between Spring 1991 and December 1996, included his deep thoughts, provoking spiritual questions, and timely spiritual advice. Rich spoke of our God and His blessed Son with the same gravity, passion, and directness as he did through his music.
A brief biography is included in Rich Mullins: Home, giving readers a glimpse of how Rich lived, and how through his 10 albums we can watch his growth as an artist and songwriter. The scrapbook section includes candid photos and assorted quotations that reveal Rich's soul and casual wit. Readers will also discover such interesting facts as Rich's "hidden talent," the word or phrase he most overused, and the worst part of staying in hotel rooms.
In an article reprinted from Release, friend and longtime producer Reed Arvin shares how Rich "broke all the rules" to tell the Truth: "If Rich Mullins were better adjusted and better behaved," he writes, "a lot of art would not exist in this world, and a lot of truth would still be unspoken."
The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with the intimate photography of Ben Pearson, a friend of Rich for many years. The photos display Rich at different points of his life and career - a touching glance of the simple yet impassioned life Rich lived.
Rich Mullins: Home is a tribute to the art and to the man. But, more importantly, it's also a challenge for believers to take the stand of faith and live for Christ alone.