"There's more that rises on the prairie than the wind." These words still rise in my heart when the majesty of the natural world lifts it. They're from "If I Stand," a 1988 release by Rich Mullins and Steve Cudworth. Jars of Clay covered "If I Stand" a decade later on a tribute album released a … Continue reading Rich Mullins’ Musical Legacy May Include Drawing Catholics and Protestants a Little Closer
I once heard a song on the radio that moved me so much I called the station to find out who the artist was. The song, it turned out, was "Boy Like Me/Man Like You." The heartbreakingly vulnerable voice that had moved me belonged to Rich Mullins. "Boy Like Me/Man Like You" is the second … Continue reading Grant Me the Grace to Hurt Like Rich Mullins
"Mary's silence is admirable," notes the Navarre Bible's commentary on Matthew 1:19, in which Joseph, distressed and perplexed at the pregnancy of his betrothed, is told in a dream not to be afraid to marry her, "for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." Apparently Mary's trust that God would take … Continue reading Pondering Silence and Exuberant Praise: The Example of Mary, Mother of God
The sparkling Christmas season ends and we gently pack away the creche. The ritual becomes more tender every year. It is a moment to contemplate each witness to the Nativity, to ponder the soul of each shepherd, each of the three Magi, of the silent Saint Joseph and Holy Mary. Then, the Babe. Who are … Continue reading The Creche, the Font and a Happy New Year
