Hi Rich Fans,
Today's the day. Those of us who pre-ordered their copies of The Jesus Record and the video, and were only one UPS day from the Better Book Room, most likely came home to find it waiting for us on the doorstep. Even though, I've had the opportunity to listen to the music for a while now, another favorite part of a new CD is reading the liner notes, and now I can dive in.
I stopped by the Better Book Room on the way home today to find out what kind of day they had. Of course they were busy today, but the last couple days leading up to today, especially yesterday, were even busier. The reason? There were well over 700 CD's sold, including those sold today, but the largest majority having been pre-ordered. With only one day left in the month, The Jesus Record shot to number one on in-store charts (and that doesn't include cassette or video sales). Because of the great number of pre-orders, they were not able to ship quite all the pre-orders yesterday, but made a pretty big dent. They actually started preparing shipments last week. Even though it's not about numbers and sales figures, those numbers certainly reflect the kind of impact Rich has made on us.
The main reason I had stopped by was to pick a copy of the songbook, which I had not pre-ordered. I guess that wasn't a good idea, cause the few they got in were gone very early in the morning, most being pre-ordered. They will get more, and I'm signed up now, but I'm guessing that will be a hard-to-get item.
Some have written asking about what happened to the national radio program on The Jesus Record, hosted by Jon Rivers, that was supposed to have aired last weekend on Light 99. It has been postponed by Myrrh. We do not have dates available currently, but will notify as soon as it is rescheduled. As always, check with your local Christian radio station for air times in your area.
TWO SIMPLE HANDS...stroking the tune of "It Is Well With My Soul" on the hammered dulcimer is how the video tribute to Rich Mullins starts. As you watch, there seems to be no better way to begin this special tribute to a unique servant of Christ. "Homeless Man - The Restless Heart of Rich Mullins" will take you into Rich's world. Yet, while you make short visits to his public world that Christian music lovers knew about, the majority of this 45- minute retrospective look into this minstrel will take you into his private world that few had the opportunity to visit - until Tuesday when it arrives in your local store. Director Ben Pearson, whose cinematography skills excel throughout this video, creates a vehicle for this special ride into Rich's existence. While there are a few comments from close well-known musicians (Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Phil Keaggy, Ashley Cleveland, etc.), the story is truly told through people you have never heard of or from. Co-produced by Pearson along with Steve Taylor and Jimmy Abegg, the intimate intertwining of various stories of Rich's life and ministry will have you laughing, crying and taking a closer look at your own walk with the Lord. Pearson takes us on a quick trip around the globe in telling this story. From venues across the United States to foreign destinations like Northern Ireland, Scotland, Columbia and elsewhere, the viewer sees lives that Rich touched in different ways. A unique touch is the roughly-taped clips from a Lufkin, Texas concert. Taped four weeks before his tragic death on that Illinois highway, you will hear bits of Rich's final music which became The Jesus Record (which also will be in stores on Tuesday). "Christianity is not for building a perfect niche in life," Rich told the crowd at that concert. This video demonstrates how unperfect his niche in life truly was. Yet, while unperfect in an earthly view, it shows how Rich's treasures were being stored in Heaven. The unique stories traverse such a horizon from the reflections of friends hearing about his tragic death to the impact on their friends and family in his life. The innocent tribute of children directly impacted also shine brightly in the story. The story of Madeline Smith is one that truly can't be reflected in print but one that you must see through the video - in the closing credits, you will notice that this 25-month young life also ended between the time of Rich's death and the conclusion of the video. You will hear of a french horn player in London who asked about Rich's life and dedication to Christ as a result of playing his music in the studio, Rich's ignoring a friend's advice and making a rough recording of his new songs (which turned into Rich's recorded portion of The Jesus Record) and so much more about this man. With perhaps the most difficult task of taking Rich's final cassette and cleaning it up for public listening and producing the Ragamuffins' half of the project, Rick Elias also takes part in the video in sharing stories about the music and the man. Rick shared with me during GMA Week that this was the toughest project he has ever faced in life - to maintain the integrity to Rich's music while bringing the delicate dynamic of the music to the listener. The video ends with the closing strains of the opening hymn and, as the closing credits scroll up your screen, Elias' "Man of No Reputation" pays a true tribute to his close friend. It's hard to say which to buy if you had to choose between The Jesus Record and Homeless Man, yet my gut feeling is that the video impacted me more. As you sit and learn so much about a person we though we knew, we realize that we know little beside the public stage persona of those artists who share the love of Christ in music. Behind the scenes, they are human just as we are and face the same trials and turmoils despite our human attempts to sometimes put them up on a pedestal. This $16.98 video is one that you should see. I've watched it multiple times since receiving it and learn something more about Rich and see something new in each viewing. I truly know that his desire is that each listener of his songs will draw closer to Jesus Christ through them. These are two must-have projects rather you were a fan of Rich's before his death or not. The video tribute to Rich brings you a step closer to Rich's Lord. The Jesus Record takes you even closer as Rich's lyrics and music put you into a spot to closely examine your relationship with the Christ.