A Tribute to musician Rich Mullins, songwriter of
"Awesome God"
gone but not forgotten.
"In addition to his music, Rich Mullins is remembered for his sincere devotion to the Christian faith. An example of this can be seen in the liner notes of any of his albums. He always referenced each song with a scripture verse that apparently was its inspiration. Mullins often called St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) his hero. He modeled his life after St. Francis by showing great compassion towards the poor and adhering to a vow of poverty. In 1997, he composed a musical about the life of St. Francis set in the Old West called Canticle of the Plains.
Mullins was seen as an enigma to the Christian music industry. Often barefoot, unshaven, and badly in need of a haircut, Mullins did not look like the average American Gospel music writer. He was very much at home among the non-Christians, and unafraid to name his own sin and inadequacies in public. This baffled some in the American Christian culture where he seemed an odd member.
His lifestyle was unquestionably marked by devotion and discipline, yet his simultaneous refusal to subscribe to contemporary Christian "niceties" made him a bit of an uncomfortable presence in the Christian music culture. Although he achieved a significant amount of success on Christian radio, he never received a Dove Award until after his death.
Unlike most artists in Contemporary Christian music, Mullins did not consider his music his primary ministry, but rather a means to pay his bills. Instead, his ministry was the way he treated his neighbors, family, enemies, and those outside the church. Taking a vow of poverty, he accepted a small church salary and spent the last years of his life on a Navajo reservation teaching music to children.
Excerpt about Rich Mullins found in Wikipedia. For the full text go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Mullins or go to one of Rich Mullins official tribute website. http://www.kidbrothers.net/ag.html to hear a midi of Awesome God and find music lyrics to that and more of his songs.