Heart2Heart SHARING

Too many times in our busy world, we forget that we need to take the time to listen to music. Every single morning for the past year I have taken 45 minutes upon first rising to listen to an instrumental CD simply called “Holy” by Terry MacAlmon. Before this CD came out a year ago, I would listen to various instrumental worship music first thing after waking up, but this particular CD has transformed my early morning devotions as none other.

Every evening directly before going to bed I listen to anywhere from 10-30 minutes of violin music by Ruth Fazal. Again, I settled upon this music about a year ago and it continues to allow me time to reflect on the day and give it to God before going to bed. I feel that it is absolutely essential to spend the first and last waking minutes of each day in prayer and meditation with God. I cannot imagine not doing this, for it is so engrained in me.

In October of 2006 I arranged my schedule to be in Seattle, Washington for a concert. This was no ordinary concert for it was the first and only time my top two living Christian musicians ever did a concert together. The two artists were Steve Green and Dallas Holm. Looking back, I am so very thankful to God for allowing me to be there and to enjoy an evening of pure musical bliss.

So many believers who are under the age of 30 have no idea who Steve Green and Dallas Holm are. These two great Christians artists were among the pioneers of what is now called Contemporary Christian music. Although their styles are as different as night and day, they have both endured years of great turmoil in the Christian music recording industry and remain faithful to their callings. For any Christian who has never heard the music of these two men; I would urge you to do so.

Dallas Holm has a country/blues type of style while Steve Green, especially his newer material, is more of a “Tony Bennett” style. One must remember these two guys are in their 50’s so they are not going to have styles appealing to teenagers.

I was in Texas a couple of years ago at the headquarters of Praise Ministries (Dallas Holm’s ministry) talking to the man who handles his concert bookings. He expressed to me how with each passing year, it is getting harder and harder to find any churches willing to book a Dallas Holm concert due to lack of name recognition among younger people. It would truly be a shame if the musical, comical and evangelical genius of Dallas Holm ever were allowed to fade away.

A Dallas Holm concert comes complete with Dallas Holm, a couple of guitars and, as he calls it, “his band in a box”. He is a one man show and he has an amazing way of pulling an audience into his living room and then ministering to their hearts. He is not just a musician, he is an excellent “preacher” and evangelist. At the end of the Seattle concert, I was ready to get born again again.

Steve Green is a more “polished” performer whose concerts are a much bigger production. He travels with his wife, piano player and violin player. They too have a “band (or more appropriately an orchestra) in a box” and produce a multi-media presentation complete with videos in the background and special lighting. His concerts are usually huge events and very well attended.

I have had the joy of attending five Steve Green concerts during the past few years. If you love Steve’s music, you really should go to one of his concerts. The audience is older and more “laid back” and the atmosphere is somewhat like being in church, but not “stuffy”. By the time the evening is done, your heart is tenderized and re-energized in a quiet but forceful way.

Another great Christian musician I greatly admire and respect is John Michael Talbot. Whereas Dallas Holm and Steve Green are 100% Protestant performers; John Michael Talbot is a Protestant who converted to Catholicism and has produced 50 albums of “cross-over” music that is a blend of Contemporary Christian and Catholic music. He is the head of a hermitage in Arkansas and he along with those who live there has taken the vow of poverty. His entire wardrobe is made up of robes.

John Michael Talbot has to be one of the greatest acoustic guitar players in the world. Most of his earlier music was strictly him playing his guitar and singing with perhaps a small orchestra in the background. The reason I have always loved his music is because he predominantly writes his own songs and they are most of the time taken directly from the Bible. It is indeed an art to be able to take the words of a Psalm and turn it into a beautiful song, yet he has done this many times over.

I have been to my fair share of John Michael Talbot concerts and they are usually just him and his guitar in a hushed church. Although I do not share his Catholic faith, I stand in awe at how the vast majority of his songs can be totally enjoyed by Catholics as well as Protestants. I think that is an amazing accomplishment in our time. By the way, John Michael is also in his 50’s.

I present this article to you for the sole purpose of introducing you to some of my oldest friends. Although I have met all these men, what is important is how well they know my heart. Over the years, they have succeeded in ministering to me countless times. Their music has comforted me in my sorrow, exhorted me to keep moving ahead, soothed me when I’m stressed out and inspired me to do more for my Lord each day. To this day, when I take a long trip, I will simply take these men along as my personal ministering angels. I will never tire of their music and more importantly, their incredible heart as presented in their songs.

Long ago I quit keeping up with the current batch of Contemporary Christian musicians. Far too expensive and takes too long. I will keep listening to and being ministered to by Dallas, Steve, John Michael, Terry along with Ray Boltz, Michael Card and Keith Green as long as I have ears to hear. I pray that whoever blesses you musically and ministers to your heart spiritually you fight to make time for in your busy lives. God forbid the day ever comes “the music dies”.