There’s some good reading in the Daily Evangel section, Evangelical News & Views, today about the passing of the Father of Christian Rock, Larry Norman. There is also some great reading about it by Steve Camp at his blog, where he shares a few memories from the days when he spent time with this music ministry mentor of his. But you gotta read, “Larry Norman, Coffee Shop Evangelist” by one of Larry’s more fruitful converts–she went on from her coffee shop conversation with Larry about Jesus to found Jews for Jesus (Wikipedia on J4J)
You know, they always say that you never know what will become of the people with whom you share Christ, the message may go on and on and on. And apparently it did in her case.
I’m not old enough to remember Larry’s music and impact back in the day, but, his legacy in contemporary Christian music played a role in my growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, as I laid on my floor in front of my stereo, listening to Christian rock and reading the lyrics sheets and looking up the Scripture references that were often printed along with the words. I wonder if they still do that on lyrics sheets nowadays . . .
Here’s a nice song that seemed appropriate to feature in light of the passing of the effectively evangelistic Father of Christian Rock, Larry Norman. I’ll post another in the sidebar VODPOD.
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The Misadventures of Captain Headknowledge 
You know speaking of influence and impact that evangelism can have, I thought it was a great story- the lady who started Jews for Jesus… Anyway one day at the Christian Bookstore I worked at- Geoff Moore and the Distance signe autographs for about 2 hours. We were closing and Geoff Moore stuck around. He had been waiting to meet a friend. We talked about theoloy and books and about 5 minutes before I was going to lock the door a man came in and went over to the Bible section. I was counting money, in a hurry to go on a date…Anyway Geoff Moore went over to the section and started talking w/ this guy who was shopping for a Bible. The customer said he was buying one for his Mom’s birthday. Geoff started talking to him, and 1.5 hours later, the customer had prayed to receive Christ. I couldn’t do anything but pray. I was very late for my date, but seeing a divine appointment is something that I’ll never forget.
Gage Browning
Post Tenebras Lux
Wow! Geoff Moore! I’m so jealous! All this reading about Larry’s evangelistic fervor is daring to thaw out this proud member of the frozen chosen and possibly bring me out of my moratorium on personal evangelism I’ve been functioning under pending a more biblical presentation than the bare bones “Romans Road.” You know, one that starts with God and his glory, rather than man and his need and actually calls the sinner to not only believe but also repent. True confessions! Captain Headknowledge perpetuates the Calvinist stereotype!
But back to celebrity name-dropping:
Kellye Huffe (remember her?) came in our store once, but no one got saved. : )
But it was a funny story, and an occaision for further name-dropping.
If you recall her first album cover featuring the big, puffy 80’s do, you won’t be surprised that I didn’t recognize her when she walked in the store. This thin young lady with long, strait hair and glasses walks up to the counter and says, “Uh, I really hate doing this, but my dad (David Huff of Dave and the Giants) says I’m supposed to introduce myself whenever I go into a Christian bookstore–I’m Kellye Huff.” We had a nice chat, but again, no one got saved.
Speaking of Dave and the Giants, I’m sure I told you (though not my readers) that the original drummer for Dave and the Giants is a third cousin of mine? Keith Thibodeaux had been a drummer since his early childhood, which back in the fifties enabled him to be selected to play the part of “Little Ricky” on I Love Lucy. I kid you not. His mother’s name was Maryann Chitty, and my dad said once that he was at the hospital when Keith was born (I guess my dad was ten or younger then). Anyway, my dad recognized Keith on the cover of a Dave and the Giants tape I had laying around the house and when they played at Footloose a few months later, my dad jotted down all of their mutual relatives on the back of a business card so I could go introduce myself to my cousin. That was pretty exciting. Keith and I prayed together about some things, I even considered raising my hands when David Huff told us to (I chickened out!) during the concert, but there again . . . no one got saved.
Guess I should stop advocating Reformation and Revival until I start doing something about the latter, huh?
Speaking of “God and his glory” and music, and evangelism and all, I was thinking along those lines once, trying to think of an outline on which I could hang some Scripture references to present a more satisfactory gospel presentation, but I got fixated on the outline itself (systematic freak that I am!) and wound up turning it into a cute little ditty (at least it doesn’t offend me, although it’s pretty high! Definitely a tenor part). It goes:
God in his glory
who made man
who fell in shame
needing Christ and his cross
by the Spirit and his grace
to justify through faith
and sanctify by truth
for persevering to the end
till we join
God in his glory
who made man
who fell in shame
needing Christ and his cross
by the Spirit and his grace
to justify through faith
and sanctify by Truth
for persevering to the end!
Kind of like “The Song That Never Ends.” It’ll be on my next album (as if!)
You keep saying no one got saved…well…some of us know how to hang out w/ winners…(; – Moratorium on soul winning? Hmmm… please explain.
Gage Browning
Post Tenebras Lux
I repeated “no one got saved” because the stories of celebrity evangelists started with Larry Norman and Geoff Moore (stories which actually involved evangelism), and then I tacked on a couple of stories about famous people I’ve met which don’t involve evangelism. The no one got saved tag is just my feebl attempt at humor.
As for the reference to a moratorium on evangelism, I’m talking about how, having lost faith in the true effectiveness of the reductionistic and revivalistic model of evangelism which I learned in fundamentalism, I’ve yet to really replace that old habit with a Reformed habit. Not that I’ve avoided all evangelism whatsoever, I’ve witnessed to folks here and there over the past several years. Weekly, if you count my Sunday School and AWANA classes, in which an attempt is regularly made to center the lessons on redemption in Christ by grace through faith. Indeed, a few kids have even come to faith in these environments. I just feel a void of a nice little evangelism package like I used to have in my fundamentalist past.
Cap’n,
I got your humor,you didn’t get mine…ie…the comment on winners…
When you find that nice little package…let me know – I’ll evaluate it against my EE package.
Gage Browning
Post Tenebras Lux
I got yours too, couldn’t you tell? I was smiling when I read your comment!
: )
Good stuff..I’m still laughing…:0