THE LIGHTHOUSE  SEPTEMBER 1993  VOL. 2 #8

On the Cover: Margaret Becker

THE PRAYER CHAIN        3
This young band, based in California, is creating a big stir in the
Christian alternative scene. Attempting to reach a segment of
today's youth that is not necessarily attracted to more mainstream
music, they are learning how to combine each member's ideas to
produce music that is fresh, exciting, and something they should
be proud of.
MARGARET BECKER 4
On her latest album, Soul, Margaret Becker has taken an
interesting lyrical turn. Expressing some of her newly found
ability to integrate her intellectual and emotional relationship with
the Lord, she has also taken a stylistic turn, musically. Becker
shares some of her goals for her music and for her message as she
begins her "The World I See In You" Tour.
JULIE MILLER    6
There is no one in Christian music quite like Julie Miller. She
freely admits that she is a bit scatter-brained and, despite recently
releasing her third album, she still gets compared to Cindy
Lauper. Appearances may be deceptive, since among her silly,
offhand remarks, there is always some interesting insight into her
personality and her relationship with the Lord, both things that
she is very open and honest about. This honesty has made her
someone that many people feel comfortable talking with.
Unfortunately, this is putting quite a burden on her. Miller talks
about her latest album, Orphans and Angels, and how she is
coping with her struggles.
JERRY WILLIAMS & HARVEST        9
If the last fifteen years, Harvest has gone through numerous
personnel changes. To most bands, that would be a struggle.  For
Harvest, however, this is actually part of the plan for the group.
Due to the inconsistency of the group's members, they are now
changing the group name to include the name of the founder and
heart of the group, Jerry Williams. Williams spent some time
talking with THE LIGHTHOUSE to discuss the mission of this
unique group.
REVIEWS 12
Reviews of the latest projects by Geoff Moore & the Distance,
Michelle Wagner, Lost Dogs, Code of Ethics, Tamplin, Annie
Herring, Dig Hay Zoose, The Gaither Vocal Band, and Charlotte
Madeliene.
INFORMATION CENTER      16
Get up-to date with new and upcoming release lists, the Top
Album list, and find out what back issues of THE
LIGHTHOUSE are available.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR/PUBLISHER:
J. WARNER SODITUS
COPY EDITOR/EDITORIAL ASSISTANT:
BETH BLINN
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER:
PATTY MASTEN
CONTRIBUTORS:
ROGER APPELINSKI, BETH BLINN, SCOTT & MICHELLE DEERING, ANN
HATHCOCK, DANIEL RUSSELL, STEVEN C. TIMM
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:
$1.00 PER ISSUE   $10.00 PER YEAR
MAILING ADDRESS:
THE LIGHTHOUSE
256 EAST COLLEGE AVENUE
SUITE 302
STATE COLLEGE, PA 16801
THE LIGHTHOUSE (ISSN 1070-6690) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY AND IS NOT
INTENDED FOR PROFIT.
COPYRIGHT: THE LIGHTHOUSE (c)1993 BY POLARIZED PUBLICATIONS,
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
WRITER'S GUIDELINES AND ADVERTISING RATES ARE AVAILABLE UPON
REQUEST.
THE LIGHTHOUSE WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY PRODUCTS OR
SERVICES OFFERED IN ADVERTISEMENTS.
MEMBER:



OUR MISSION: TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IN A DEEPER
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST
USING THE MODERN MEDIUM OF CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC.
CHRISTIAN MUSIC, IN ITS VARIOUS CONTEMPORARY FORMS, CAN BE
USED AS A TOOL FOR ENCOURAGEMENT, CHALLENGE, CHRISTIAN
OUTREACH, AND CREATING A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON MODERN
CULTURE. THE LIGHTHOUSE SEEKS TO SHARE THE MINISTRY OF
SUCH MUSIC THROUGH IN-DEPTH FEATURES ON THE MUSICAL ARTISTS
AND REVIEWS OF CURRENT RELEASES, TO SHOW THE MINISTRY
AVAILABLE FOR CHRISTIANS AND NON-CHRISTIANS ALIKE.


UPCOMING FEATURES:
TWO HEARTS, SCOTT BLACKWELL, WHITE HEART, THE STAND, JI
LIM, AND TAMI GUNDEN

From the Editor
Howdy! I hope that things are well. Things seem to be going well here,
just busy. If things continue as planned, you'll see some more changes
here in the next few months. We plan to expand the size and improve the
appearance of the publication. I thank you for the support you've given
and ask that you continue your prayers for us and all people involved in
Christian music ministry.
There is one idea that has been on my mind lately. To illustrate, I
remember a story that a friend told me a while back.
A pastor was going on a trip. On his way out of town, he realized that he
had forgotten something important at home. He pulled into the first
parking lot he could find, turned around, and went back home to get the
item. No big deal, right? Well, the parking lot the pastor innocently
stumbled upon happened to be part of a restaurant that was also a bar. The
following Sunday, he had a number of people express their concern that he
"frequented such a facility." Apparently, someone had seen him pulling
out of the parking lot and spread a rumor that the pastor had apparently
been drinking in the bar.
That story bothered me. I've seen things like that happen to people, and
even myself. I wonder what people would say if the pastor had actually
gone into that bar to pick up a church member who needed help? What if
he was there just to eat? Or, even more interesting, what if he was there to
witness to someone? The problem with any of those scenarios is that his
intent would not be readily apparent. But, should that be something that
really damages his reputation? Is it anyone's business? Why do we, as
humans, feel the need to point fingers to catch people that might be
something wrong, even when we don't know the whole story?
These are things that I've been really pondering lately. I hope that you
will take a second to think about how gossip affects our lives.
Thanks for reading, I would really appreciate it if you would drop me a
note to know what you think about this and the magazine in general.
God Bless!
--Warner

The Prayer Chain
The Prayer Chain, a four-man band from Southern California, has been
creating quite a stir in the alternative music scene. Formed about three
years ago, the band was signed to Reunion Records last year. The record
company took The Prayer Chain's 1991 independent release, The
Neverland Sessions, and edited and remixed it into an EP entitled
Whirlpool. The EP broke the band onto a national level, and has gained
them critical praise and fans across the country.
In June, the release of their second Reunion release, Shawl, furthered
their reputation as one of the more innovative groups in the Christian
music industry, and is being released to the mainstream market on Geffen
Records. Raw, honest, and impassioned, it has drawn comparisons to the
work of such groups as Jane's Addiction and The Doors.
Made up of Tim Taber (vocals), Wayne Everett (drums), Andy Prickett
(guitar), and Eric Campuzano (bass), the group is fairly young. All are in
the range of 22-24 years old, and have a common goal of sharing Christ
with their generation, through their music.
Citing C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther, youth leaders, friends, and "of course,
Jesus Christ" as spiritual influences, the group draws its musical
references from more secular sources. Having grown up listening to such
alternative bands as Mission U.K., Jane's Addiction, and Smashing
Pumpkins, the members of The Prayer Chain are attempting to take that
style of music and interpret it in their own way.
On Shawl, the band poses some basic questions that most humans deal
with, but don't always provide the answers, in an effort to get the listener
to think for themselves. In a recent promotional release, Prickett
commented "When Eric and I got together to talk about this record, we
would share our fears with each other. We would talk about songs [such
as] 'Like I Was' or 'Psychoflange,' and wonder if we would injure
people's senses because they [the songs] would never resolve--they didn't
finalize themselves in any way that was pretty or cute or clever, even.
They just went through some intensity, and then that was it, and we were
like, 'Is this right or is this wrong? What's wrong with these senses? Is
there anything wrong?' We came to the conclusion that that is exactly the
way it's supposed to be, so let's just keep it that way."
Each member is involved in the creation of the music. At a press
conference at Creation '93, Everett explained, "It depends--sometimes it
will start with a lyrical idea, sometimes it will start with a musical idea.
Andy will usually come up with a musical idea, Eric will usually come up
with a lyrical idea. And then, once some sort of basic structure has been
created, we all work on it together from there, as to arrangement."
"It goes through a four person evaluation," continued Prickett, "every
step of the way. Seriously, every song is scrutinized to the minutest detail.
For us to play it, it has to be voted [by] at least three out of four."
While the lyrics are penned by Campuzano, he need not always speak
for the whole band. "I think that most of the lyrics hit each of us in the
band as much as the writer," stated Taber, "and that's a good thing. When
Eric is asked a question about a lyric, and he says that anyone can answer
that, it's because it's true."
In the recording of Shawl, the group felt very comfortable with having
Steve Hindalong of The Choir handling the producing chores. "He's got a
really good sense of seeing the whole big picture of a song," said Everett.
"That's his whole thing, and he kind of taught us to try and think that way.
I don't know if we really arrived at that, but that's kind of where we need
to be at. Look at the song, not in terms of, 'Is the guitar part the best?'
Look at the whole thing, 'Are all of the pieces there?' He's really good at
being able to mold the song--fine-tune it into something that's really
coherent and concise."
"He suggests to us ideas that will help us keep the song so that every
part is important. Does that part have to be there, is it necessary, does it
serve the song, or is it just a glorifying solo section? I mean, seriously, he
just teaches us, he doesn't force anything on us. He works through
suggestions and implication. That's the best thing for us, because we like
to have a lot of say in what it comes out like, and he's totally willing to co-
produce it with us, and work with us on it," Prickett further explained.
As far as ministry, the band feels that they are reaching a segment of
youth in the world that aren't necessarily being touched in any other way.
"I think that our 'ministry' is evolving as we find out different things,
week to week and month to month," commented Taber. "Locally, it's kind
of a thing where, we've played so often that unsaved kids will come, and
maybe it won't be until they've seen us five times that they're comfortable
to talk about Christ, even with their friends, or decide to go to church. And
I just feel that our music kind of fits a niche that not a whole lot of bands
that are talking about Christ have been able to hit. Hopefully, there's a
certain honesty to the music... We find that different people are identifying
with the lyrics, identifying with the music, and it's not really like a quick
evangelistic thing like an altar call. It's more like they're identifying with
the same struggles that we're going through, or they're having questions
about their faith, or about Christ, and it's at least spurring them to think
about who Jesus Christ is. And what we usually say from the stage is stuff
from our hearts; what Jesus means to us, why we believe in Him, and not
so much, like, pushing him on people, but hopefully showing them that,
for us, it's the only way to live."
"I think a lot of our ministry is just directly from the music and the
lyrics," Prickett continued. "I mean, that's our intention, anyway. The
lyrics represent an honest spiritual status, so it's like, if you want to know
how we're doing spiritually, just read the lyrics, and you'll know. And a
lot of people, just from that, will say 'I read your lyrics, they totally meant
a lot to me,' or, 'They convicted me,' or whatever. That's where it comes
from, it's not based on our ability to look appealing to people and draw
them, because we're such good evangelizers, but rather appeal to people
because of the honesty. We think that one of the things that people who
aren't Christians, who look at it from the outside, find in a lot of
Christianity [is] hypocrisy. We are just hoping we can present ourselves
honestly, so that we don't fall into the same thing."
Taber delved further into the subject, as he said, "I think there's room
for a lot of different ministries. I mean,you see The Newsboys, or DC
Talk do one style of thing, and I think we do one that hits a totally
different segment of the population--one [segment] of people that might
not respond to a lot of the cheerleading type of messages, that, in the
concerts, might respond to the subtlety that we have, and it's kind of neat.
We got the chance to go to Russia a couple of months ago, and we almost
found the same thing there. It was the people that are kind of on the fringe
of society, kind of the outcasts that would come, and kind of stare at us for
a few songs, and check it out, and maybe at the end, get something out of
it, and hear what we have to say. They might not necessarily come to a
normal church event, or ever listen to a preacher, but somehow, through
the music, they are able to at least break down a wall and say, 'I can think
about this, I'm not going to cast it out, I am at least going to give this a
thought.' That's a step in itself."
The Prayer Chain is looking over several fall tours, perhaps playing
some clubs as they attempt to bring their brand of the Good News to
people who need to hear it, as well as hoping for some exposure through
their album's release to the mainstream market. They recently filmed their
first video, for the tune "Dig, Dug," and hope that it will see airplay on
some of the national video shows and networks.
--Beth Blinn


Margaret Becker
Margaret Becker's music has always been intense, musically and lyrically.
It has given her audience a lot of deep personal insight into the heart of
this devoted Christian artist as she publicly explored her faith. This has
created tight bonds with listeners who share the same struggles and
challenges as they daily pursue their faith.
However, on her latest release, Soul, Becker has pulled a surprise for fans
of her past work. What was the surprise? "The new album is peaceful and
happy," she tells, 'the happiest and simplest one I've ever written. That's
just how my life's been in the last couple of years--simple and
contented."
"For me, at this point in my life, my introspection led me to a lightness, a
lightness that I'd really never experienced as a Christian. It was such a
welcomed change for me that to write about it seemed very natural. I have
always made it a point, especially when I'm doing work for myself, to
always write out of first-hand experience. This, thankfully, has been my
experience for the past couple year, no complaints."
This has permitted Becker to "knit together" her intellectual and emotional
approach to God for perhaps the first time. This could be the reason for a
completely "vertical" album. "Someone pointed out to me that every song
on Soul is a prayer, that there aren't any songs about issues or horizontal
relationships; it's all vertical, between me and God. That's just where I've
been the last couple of years, and wonderfully so--concentrating on that
relationship rather than any other, focusing more on issues or doctrine or
theology. It's been about who He is to me, who I am to Him, and how we
connect."
In addition to the spiritual and lyrical changes on Soul, the musical setting
shows another big step. A distinctly more R&B/Soul influenced album,
Soul showed a natural flow from such songs as "I Will Not Lay Down"
and "Talk About Love" from Simple House and "This Love" from Steps of
Faith. It continues a process she began on her second album, The
Reckoning.
She explains, "Songs like 'Find Me,' 'Innocence,' things that are more
textural, began to appeal to me more, and with each succeeding album we
have attempted to incorporate more different texturalized sounds that are
available to us through the keyboard. So, with each album I've increased
that influence, up until Soul, which I think is probably the first album I've
written entirely on keyboards. That's probably the completion of that
exploration on my part."
As far as her musical "exploration," Soul seems to be a logical conclusion
to the process. "I think this album was really the pinnacle for me in that
respect," Becker explains. "Musically, I've been striving to get to this
point. I'm glad to be here. It's going to be a fun album to tour because
there are so many different things going on in each song that will be very
interesting."
"I've always admired people who took chances, people who are willing to
step out and apply their particular comments to new genres and that's what
I've attempted to do," she begins in pondering her future musical
expressions. "It'll probably be more of the same but with a twist on it."
In the past few years, one of the topics creating a polarization of opinions
is the "cross-over" of Christian artists into the mainstream. Many people
have emphatically stated their opinion, as if it were the only way to
believe. Once prompted, Becker humbly and softly shares, "I'm real proud
of people in our industry that have made an impact outside our industry. I
think it's a wonderful platform. I've had an opportunity to meet and spend
some time with a lot of those people and I can tell you honestly that I feel
like they're doing a very good job at representing what it's like to be a
Christian in a fallen world. I'm completely behind them. I think they're
doing a good work out there and just their presence within mainstream
music is really phenomenal and been a wonderful perk for Christianity as
a whole."
While a "cross-over" into the mainstream is not a high priority on her list,
it's an option that wouldn't be discouraged. "If the opportunity arose, I
wouldn't push it away. It's definitely not my all-consuming goal at this
point in my life."
A large part of the goal from her upcoming "The World I See In You"
Tour will be to share the ministry of World Vision and to encourage
support for their "30 Hour Famine." Becker explains, "It is 30 hours on
February 25 and 26 [1994] where we are encouraging people around the
United States to gather together for 30 hours and abstain from food, and
forward the donations from people who sponsor them hourly or for the
whole time. That money in turn will be given to World Vision and will be
distributed to hot starvation areas at this point. 25% of it will go back into
the world global ministry in each person's area."
Becker, who worked closely with Habitat For Humanity on her last tour,
obviously does not randomly choose ministries to be a part of her concerts.
She continues, "What I like about it is the whole principle being the
impact in a one-time event. It has an impact on world hunger, and
especially with young kids, a lot of times they don't have enough money
to support a child or to really do anything of a consistent nature. So this is
an opportunity where they can go in and do something one time and
impact someone's life forever."
As she prepares for her fall tour, she promises a musical "stretching"
through a "seamless approach," with several new players and some "things
that differ from every concert that [she has] ever performed before."
"I think the big message we try to put forth is the message of hope,"
Becker continues in discussing the goals of the tour in terms of message.
"The fact that nothing is beyond the grasp of God and that He is able to be
potent in all situations. He can show himself strong through all sorts of
hardships and discouragement. More than anything, I believe that that
hope is the element that draws most of us to His side and that is the
message that I've tried to bring in my music and that's what we'll be
talking about in concert. Encouraging people to trust and to realize that
there is a great deal of hope and help when you're trusting in God."
Almost every Christian band that routinely tours can express their
concerns about the emotional drain imposed by life on the road. This, very
often, stems from a lack of "quiet time" spent alone with God. For Becker,
she has one unique advantage in combating this problem--she's the only
woman in her touring cast. She tells, "I'm the only girl out there, so I'm by
myself a lot. I get to take a shower in a room by myself and get to sleep in
a room by myself. I think it's more tough on the guys because they're
constantly thrust into this communal situation."
"Even though it's the most busy time in my life, it's probably the most
spiritual time in my life because I'm forced into being more diligent about
my walk and  getting time alone. There's no way that I can't because it's
so demanding. If I don't, I'm in a bad place."
Knowing a little bit about the Margaret Becker from her first four albums,
it seems only natural that she would continue to challenge herself to grow
and mature as a Christian. In the past year, that has lead to her attempt,
"To learn what Christ's perspective is on love and acceptance and to
practice that in my life towards other people. That has been a huge
challenge for me. It's been an uphill battle because I know what I believe
and I know why I believe what I believe, but to leave a door open for God
still to speak and not to be so married to certain dogmatic principles that I
can't change my mind--that's a challenge to me."
A belief like that could create some challenges for some conservative
Christians if one were to share that openly. How does she explain the
significance to them? "That's a tough one. [Some] people are very safe
where they are and are safe in what they believe to be God's final word to
them without any sort of changing. I've tried to challenge people like that
by reminding them that almost every one of our heroes in the Bible,
almost all of the people we look at and say they were godly men and
women, they were all people who changed. If you look at anyone who was
of any consequence in the Bible, anyone who had any impact, Peter,
David, Moses, they all changed."
"I think it's dangerous not to allow God to be a living, breathing, speaking
god in your life. He's not a dead god that said one thing once and that was
all. If there wasn't an interactive relationship going on, I don't think we
would be Christians. That's the whole beauty of Christianity--it's
interactive. For people like that, I try to point out that being attentive to
God's voice is not hedonistic or 'of the devil.' It's actually the way we're
supposed to be. We're supposed to be open enough that if God lays down
a rule, 'Do not eat on the Sabbath day,' and then Jesus breaks the rule, we
shouldn't be like the Pharisees and say, 'Wait a second, I've already got
my rule.' That's a very dangerous place to be, from my perspective."
Margaret Becker's ability to share the newfound joy in her relationship
with God has been met with great enthusiasm of her fans and music critics
alike. "I think a lot of times people have chronicled me in their own life in
a strange sort of way. They have followed what I have done while they've
been simultaneously experiencing similar things in their own lives. It
seems to be getting a lot more acceptance, perhaps. It seems to have been
breaking down a few more doors that I haven't been able to break before."
No doubt this has brought some encouragement to these fans--I know it
has to this one.
--J. Warner Soditus
For information on World Vision's 30 Hour Famine, you may call 1-800-
7-FAMINE, or in Canada 1-800-387-8080. For a reprint of the Margaret
Becker Spotlight in the first issue of THE LIGHTHOUSE, send a SASE to
Becker Reprint, c/o THE LIGHTHOUSE.

Julie Miller
If you have read anything about Julie Miller, you will know that she has
earned many nicknames, from "munchkin" to "space-cadet." Miller freely
admits to being spacy and qualifies, perhaps, as a "munchkin" for her high
voice, child-like mannerisms and shyness. But, for me, none of that is
important once she really gets talking, because she is always bound to
make some kind of profound, deeply personal statement buried amongst
the silliness. These serious bits of wisdom are usually so out of place;
that's why I call her a "paradox."
Several months ago, she released her third album, Orphans and Angels.
With openly introspective lyrics set in intimate, at times, folk-like music,
it is a continuation of the work she began on Meet Julie Miller and He
Walks Through Walls. I was able to spend some time talking with her a
few weeks ago about some of the differences on her latest album and some
of the things going on in her personal life. It proved to be such a delightful
experience. I think the conversation will give you some insight into the
heart of Julie Miller, and I decided to show you the whole thing, except for
a few "changes" at Julie's request... you'll see why.
Is there anything you wanted to say before we get started, and is it
okay to record this so I can quote you?
Just don't misquote me. [Laughter]
That's why I'm taping this.
Actually, I never read anything, except once. I did read something that was
supposed to be things I said that some very intellectual writer had written
and I thought, "I wish I said that, but I don't know what those words
mean!" [Laughter]
Well, I won't change anything except taking the "ums" and "uhs" out.
[Laughter]
[Laughter] Anything you want to change to make me sound more
intellectual, just feel free.
Well, I wouldn't want to shatter your image. [Laughter] I'll really get
this started with an easy question. How is Winkie [her cat] doing?
Winkie is sitting here next to me.
Making sure you don't say anything wrong, right?
Yeah. I think she's interceding for me. You sure know how to get on my
good side.
Have you made any plans for a brother or sister for Winkie yet?
A little orphan came to our door almost two years ago--a little fluffy
orphan. So we now have not only a Winkie, but a Tinkie.
I'm not going to ask what you'll do if you get a third cat. [Laughter] I
know you've said you are practicing parenting on Winkie, are there
plans for other family?
We've been arguing about a monkey for ten years. Buddy [her husband,
Buddy Miller] is just not into it. No, that's all for now.
I think my favorite song on the new album was the duet with Buddy,
'Jesus in Your Eyes.' Where did that song come from?
I started writing that song a little over ten years ago--I started. Buddy and
another friend added some music on here and there. Basically, it was after
Buddy and I became engaged. Buddy and I had been living together years
before that and played in bands together even more years than that. Then, I
came to the Lord and moved out. About six months later, Buddy came to
the Lord too. We had just seen a lot of "lostness" together and to both be
following the Lord, was just so beyond comprehension. It still blows my
mind. God made me put Buddy in His hands. I used to pray, 'God, please
save Buddy. You don't ever have to tell me, even in heaven and all of
eternity, just save Buddy.' Then, six months later, He did a miracle. That
was our wedding song.
You sang it at the wedding?
We sang it to each other.
What made you decide to record it now?
I think it was in honor of our tenth anniversary. That, and I had always
wanted to do it. Also, it had been on my heart. So many of my friends and
other people that I know that claim to be Christians but their commitment
in marriage seems to be kind of 'up-for-grabs.' I always look at it as Jesus
said not to get divorced unless they're unfaithful to you. I feel like, I'd no
sooner divorce you than shoot you. [Laughter]
[Sarcastically] Well, that's good to know. There's another one of those
great quotes that I won't alter.
[Laughter] Of course it's kind of rationalized when it comes to that, people
don't get it. This [divorce] isn't an option everybody!
I told Buddy that if I ever get married I'll definitely want that
included in the wedding--maybe you can come and perform it.
That'd be great. [Laughter]
Moving onto a song on the different end of the spectrum, when you
were working on He Walks Trough Walls, you wanted to do "S.O.S."
Your record company said no. The thing that surprised me is that the
ad promoting your latest album was based on that song. I thought that
it was the oddest thing that two years ago, they wouldn't let it on the
album, and now they're promoting the album with it. What changed
there?
[Laughter] It's pretty hilarious. When we were doing He Walks Through
Walls and we had it for that record, we had the record mastered and
everything with it on there and we had to remaster the record to take it off.
They said, "I don't think they're quite ready for this. I don't think they
know Julie quite well enough yet--wait until the next album." I did it for
the next record, and they don't keep up with me sometimes. In the
meantime, I had gone on to be on Sheila Walsh's talk show and I met this
guy who did videos. He picked me up at the airport and I said, "Let's do a
video." He said okay. At that point, the only song I had for the next album
was "S.O.S." So we did the video, we had the song on the record, ready to
come out, and the "powers that be" heard that we were putting it on this
album, they were like, "Do you think you better do that?" We said, "You
just gave us thousands of dollars and we did a video on it..." [Laughter]
So, they probably said, "Well, if we can't get her to not do it, we'll just
make a really big deal out of it." [Laughter] That's all I can think. I
thought it was funny. I didn't see that ad, but I heard Madonna's album
was on it, and I heard it was pretty good.
I did have to laugh since they shot down the song before. I did see the
video. Have you done other video work before?
We did one on "How Could You Say No to This Man."
Did you like it?
I hate being in front of cameras. It's something you have to do.
You seemed a little uncomfortable in it.
Oh yeah.
On the latest album, you recorded in three locations: New York,
Nashville, and California. You did that to get some other people
involved, but, did that present any challenges or problems in doing
that?
We were already going to those places, so we just took the tape with us.
We also went to Seattle, just to have friends sing on it. It worked out real
well.
That was just your idea to get everyone involved?
I love having people sing and play on our record, it means so much to me.
I think that's where the most joy comes from.
I know some people don't listen to their own album when it comes out.
Do you listen to your album when it comes out?
No, I am one of those that doesn't listen. I certainly heard it when we were
making it. I heard it a lot of times. Once it's out and it's too late to change
anything, I don't want to hear it. I'll still be wanting [to change it.]
Down in Austin [Texas, where she grew up] there was such a musical
diversity, what do you listen to in Nashville, now. You just moved to
Nashville, right?
We just moved here a few weeks ago. I don't listen to all that much music.
I listen to friends, actually. My husband plays with a guy named Jim
Waterdale, a countryish R&B singer/songwriter. I like Jim a lot. My
friend Victoria Williams, I like to listen to her. You know what I love? I
love that new Soul Asylum song "Runaway Train," and that video just
broke my heart. I like a lot of Celtic stuff. Mark Heard, I put him on to
listen to.
I was so pleased with the version you did of "Treasure of the Broken
Land." Was that hard to record that?
It was, it really was.
I figured the emotional aspect of it would be tough.
My husband's been working on different things for the Mark project, so I
hear Mark's songs playing in the house periodically. They're so
incredible, but it is just too much.
You were involved in the benefit for his family, correct?
In the LA one. It was not nearly the big event that the Nashville one was.
What is your impression of Nashville? What do you miss about L.A.?
LA's kind of nice; there's so much there, but Nashville's got okra.
And... How do you prefer your okra?
Fried.
I don't eat it any other way, myself. That's your whole reason for
moving to Nashville?
And cheaper real-estate. We bought a little house here. We were just
throwing our money up each month. We finally thought, "the party's
over--it's time to do something reasonable." We thought, "Where can we
play music and afford to buy a house." We kind of narrowed it down to
here for the time being.
Are you right in Nashville?
Right in Nashville. I wanted to live downtown. I wanted to live in a
storefront--like an old brick building. We didn't quite get that funky.
What were some of the personal changes in your life that went into the
album, and how did those come out in the songs?
I think that since I started doing these records these last few years, it's also
been a time that God has taken me, in a way, sort of backwards as far as
being able to be small when I feel like a child, God saying, "That's okay."
And really becoming a child before God. It's gotten more so and more so
that way over the last three albums. This last album, one song in particular
was a release for me, "Precious to God." I don't think I could have said
that song before. I don't know what I can say about it other than that. At
the beginning and ending of the album are a couple, you might call, praise
and worship songs, which came in prayer, actually. As I look back at the
record now, there were no real intentions on it at all. It was kind of like, "I
like this, I like that."
[Sarcastically] The record company must love that.
[Laughter] We do it at home, so they don't know what's going on.
Although I never realized it until now, it's kind of neat that the wedding
song, "Precious to God," "Love and Affection," and "S.O.S." are all
different angles on the same subject--in a way. I think I'm glad they all
ended up on the same record. I guess the record is a lot about relationships
in the Lord.
Any major changes going on since the album, or lessons you've been
learning?
I'm kind of stuck here on this one lesson. It must be one I really needed to
learn, because, I keep thinking, "Are we done with this one yet?" It's just
the Lord setting me free to be myself and letting me feel His affection for
me and His delight in me like a parent for a child. My first seven or eight
years of Christian life were so performance-oriented, which was
influenced by a very legalistic ministry I was in. It takes a while,
apparently, for some of us to really learn that God's not up there with a
scoreboard, and to not feel disgusting. Somewhere in myself, I always felt
so disgusting. Whenever I'd say the blessing over the food, this voice in
my mind would go, "You are such a hypocrite, you don't even know what
it's like to be grateful." All these condemning voices. I can say the
blessing now and it's like I turn into a little kid. Just learning to let God be
God and it's okay however small I may feel inside at any time. I respond
differently to things now than I did even a year or six months ago.
The only times I have seen you have been at the Creation festival.
That's a different kind of event. What is a Julie Miller concert like?
[Jokingly] Not real professional [laughter.] It's kind of that living room
experience, I think. Just a bunch of folks in the same room. I don't know
how to act like a show-person, I just say what comes to me and what's on
my heart.
Do you talk a lot during the show?
Sometimes I start thinking, "I think I'm supposed to be singing," because
I've been talking so long.
I can see you doing that. [Laughter] Do you hang out and talk with
people afterwards?
That's the general procedure. Although, I must say, I may have to limit
that to some extent sometimes, because it gets to me. Sometime it gets to
be too emotionally stressful because it's so intense and it's one person
after the other. Because my songs get so specific about really serious,
painful issues that people don't have the opportunity to talk about, I open
these doors and I can't contain all the response that come forth,
sometimes. I've been thinking lately that I may have to back off a little bit
because it would be completely overwhelming--you wouldn't imagine. I
sing for 45 minutes and then talk with people for three or four hours. If I
were a counselor, that would be one thing, but I'm a regular person.
Sometimes that's what people need the most.
Counselors, I think, are more trained to deal with not taking on the burden
of it. I get so overwhelmed that it sort of becomes paralyzing. I think one
thing that it is showing me is that there need to be a lot more people in the
church that everyone can talk to about these things. People don't have
anyone to talk to and suddenly there's somebody there they think
understands. There needs to be more people that people feel they can talk
to.
How do you keep that from getting you down?
I try to put them all in God's hands, but I think the only solution that I'm
coming up with is maybe not be there at the end for so much, for a while
until I feel stronger. I just can't; it's pretty indescribable.
You don't want to save the world and lose your own soul.
I'm not God. I can't pick up that many people on my shoulders and carry
them, even though I've tried. I'm dealing with my own things. I just can't
take it in. People tell me things and I can't possibly take in that much. I
don't think too many people could. Because it's one after the other makes
it harder. It's a weird situation. Maybe if it was just one a day for a long
time, that would be different. When it's one intense thing after the other,
that makes it harder.
What do you find the most encouraging out of interacting with people
like that? What makes you keep doing it?
The preciousness of people's hearts. Part of what makes it hard is I'm
realizing these people are giving this precious gift of a glimpse of their
heart and I think that needs to be honored fully. When I'm not able to do
that, I think, is when I feel the weight. It's also wonderful to see, there's
such brokenness in people's hearts that have been broken, that are touched
by the Lord, that receive a hug from the Lord, somehow, from their heart.
[There was] a guy a couple years ago that had deep problems and I talked
with him and prayed for him. It's the power of God, but this prayer
changed this guy's life. He's in Europe and he faxes, me and calls me
from time to time to tell me he's going into the ministry. I guess that
would be definitely part of the encouragement. God's doing things with us
little broken clay pots that we don't even feel or can't tell.
I don't know if you realize how big your impact is, but I got a letter
from someone in prison about how much of an impact you had made
for him and his wife and he was trying to find you to solve the rest of
his problems. I hope that it's encouraging to you that you have had an
impact like that.
It's very humbling and I can't comprehend any of it at all; it is a precious
gift to affect even one person's life for the Lord.
I wanted to let you know that you are having a wide-reaching affect.
What do you have planned besides organizing the house?
I'm going to Greenbelt which is in England, and we're playing somewhere
in Ireland.
Have you thought about another album?
Yeah, we better get started on it--I take forever. I can't do it unless I'm in
the mood. [Laughter] So it takes a long time. I've been thinking a lot about
what to put on the next record, seeing what songs come out.
Any change? More of what strikes you at the time?
I don't know if I'm able to do anything but accidents, but I think when I
was listening to Soul Asylum, I got all inspired--I want to do a real rock
album. Buddy gets these very tasteful records; I'm getting garage band
kind-of-records. Maybe I'll do something like that. I just like a lot of
things, so I'm not sure. The record company may have some suggestions.
I'm sure they will.
I had a three record option, so it's up now. I don't know if anyone's going
to want me or not. The Lord will be in control of it whatever happens.
Anything you want to share that's on your mind?
I think I yakked away on most of the things that are on my heart.
Buddy's doing well, I assume?
He's doing great.
He says hit sits at the computer a lot. I can't picture that. What does
he do with it?
I'm going to put lips on it so he can kiss it. He loves the computer. He's an
interesting combination of left-brain and right-brain person. He's very
computery, left-brained, and then very creative, right-brained. You know,
the combination of those two things is what a genius is.
Where would you classify yourself on the left-brained right-brained
scale?
I'd tend toward the right-brain there. The left-brain doesn't like to get up
and go very well.
Bordering on the scatter-brained?
Probably over the border.
Do you still get comparisons to Cindy Lauper?
You want to know something? I thought, the less famous she got, the less
people would say I reminded them of her. What's funny is one of the guys
who used to be in our band before we were Christians who was a really
good friend was playing in Cindy Lauper's band. I just had dinner with
him and his wife a couple weeks ago, they both looked at me and said,
"Do you think you're like Cindy Lauper?" When my friends who played
in her band started talking about it, you know... I think as far as
personality-wise I don't relate to her, but there's an intersecting point
where I can understand her. You can just call me the "Christian Cindy
Lauper."
I think you have better hair than her--I won't say anything else.
[Laughter] Well, I thank you for the time. I'll send you a copy when
this gets printed.
Buddy will want to read it. I'll get disoriented. I don't like to see myself or
hear myself or even hear anybody say anything about me.
Well, I'll just print the whole conversation, word-for-word, and we'll
make you read it.
[Well, here it is. Now it's up to Buddy to make her read it.]
--J. Warner Soditus
Ed. Note: An Artist Spotlight on Julie Miller appeared in THE
LIGHTHOUSE in August, 1992. For a reprint, send a SASE to: Miller
Reprint, c/o THE LIGHTHOUSE.

Harvest
Harvest was born "accidentally" in 1977 after a retreat where Ed Kerr and
Paul Wilbur gave their lives to the Lord under the ministry of Jerry
Williams. Reformed in 1981 as a duo of Ed Kerr and Jerry Williams, and
more recently as a five-player band in 1991, there are only two things that
have remained constant in this seemingly inconsistent group: Jerry
Williams and his vision. Despite a long list of top-ten hits, this was a
group I had little interest in--until I read their biography and spoke with
Jerry Williams about his vision for the group.
Harvest Ministries, Inc. has a rather unique plan that is actually very
simple. Williams took some time to explain their goals and the steps they
are taking to achieve them. He also made some bold and pointed
statements that reminded me of how easy it can be to overlook a calling
into Christian music ministry. I wouldn't call our conversation an
interview by any stretch of the word. He took the conversation to the
things on his mind, and didn't waste any time doing that. Since he was so
direct and intent to address these topics, I decided to leave everything here
for you to see, so you can receive the same look into a very strong,
dedicated person intent on fulfilling a mission for the Lord.
I was reading the bio and it seems that you've just gone through a
big change. How have those changes come about and lead to the new
ministry aspects?
What a lot of people don't understand, a lot of the people that have
followed us for years know the vision of Harvest. Harvest is a corny name
for a singing group. Let's be honest, a lot of people think we're farmers.
But if you look at the name and try and catch a glimpse of the vision, it'll
all fall in place. We have a vision to be a part of the harvest of souls in our
lifetime. We also believe the biggest revival the world has ever known is
about to take place within our lifetime and we want to be a part of that.
This is a vision I've had for many, many years. As I began searching the
Lord as a young believer, the Lord clearly showed me that the way we
were going to impact this whole thing was if we followed Him--the
example in Jesus. That example is in the Word of God and I looked at that
and He goes out and gets twelve guys and they go out and they entrust to
others and you have a multiplication process that takes place and the world
is impacted and changed by the message of Jesus.
I had a choice in the beginning, when God allowed us to begin this
ministry, about sixteen years ago, I could do what everybody else is doing,
which is put together a group where we hope we stay together until
Kingdom comes and reach as many people as that one group can reach, or
I can go into a discipleship type of ministry, bring in guys and disciple
them. As a result, some guys have stayed with me for a few years, others
have been with me for just a year or two. Then, the concept is to send
them back out into the fields in different areas, trained, motivated, and
ready for what might come into their experience. The end result is we will
see a multiplication of the Gospel, and you have a harvest--therefore is
our name. The whole mission and vision of this ministry, since the onset,
has been to disciple guys and funnel them back out into the industry and
try to make a change that way. That's what I've been doing for years, but
the common record buyer or disc-jockey doesn't know that because we
haven't chosen to perpetuate our name. What we tried to perpetuate is the
name of Jesus. The final part of our multi-phased vision is a thing called a
"youth army." We're trying to raise 100,000 kids in this decade. We've
gotten over 33,000 kids in the last four years that have given their lives to
the Lord. What we've been doing is going into little towns that have never
had anybody like us come in, and there's thousands of those towns across
the country. So we go in, free of charge. We usually go into the high
school and we'll go in with the local churches involved and we've seen
literally thousands of lives changed and the seeds of revival planted; the
problem is we're only there one night. So, studying the scriptures and
going through a lot of weeks of studies and trying to find patterns and
examples, clearly the pattern is that there were very few "one-night
stands" in the Word of God. What we're doing is changing and shifting
and we're going into what is contemporarily called a "Crusade Ministry"
format and we're going to start going back into these little towns and
communities, but saying for several days--discipling, evangelizing,
witnessing, praying, doing everything we can during that time period to
see the power of God fall and to see a harvest come forth in that format.
So that's what we're doing.
How many people has that not made sense to?
We get that all the time, because if you just look at it at face value, it
looks like this group is changing members every two or three years except
for the main guy, the question would be, "What's going on with Harvest?"
Well, that's what's going on with Harvest. We have guys now in different
parts of the world that the Lord has allowed us to be part of His discipling
process in their lives and they're out winning people for the Lord. God's
used us during a six-year stretch to be the catalyst in seeing support raised
for over 2,000 full-time missionaries in ten nations of Asia. They're on the
field, today, and have won literally tens of thousands of people to Christ.
The exciting part about that to me is most of those 2,000 missionaries
don't even know that Harvest exists. We just simply were God's voice to
the people and put the need out there. We were the catalyst and ended up
raising the support and funneling that directly into missions and we never
kept a dime of it. Unless people ask, they don't know.
The Word of God says to let another man's lips praise you and not your
own. I think in the whole marketing scheme of things in the past decade,
people are praising themselves an awful lot trying to promote themselves.
Just pick up a copy of [other Christian music magazine] and read it. I dare
you. It'll make you vomit if you've been in the presence of the Lord, and
you can print that. I just want to lift up Jesus Christ. I don't want to lift up
Harvest, I don't want to lift up Jerry Williams, I want to lift up Jesus. If
somebody wants to write about that vision and write about the fact that
here's a group that wants to multiply, wants to put as many people as they
can because that's what they see in the Word of God, and wants to reach
as many people as they can for the Glory of God so that when they fall on
their face before the Lord on that final day, the Lord will look at them and
say, "You did a good job, come on in"--that's what I want. I don't want
any praise here.
I think it's interesting that in contrast to other groups, you look
forward to personnel changes.
Not only do I look forward to them, we expect them. Everybody that we
bring into the ministry, we bring in with the understanding that they are
here for a season. That season may be ten years, it may be ten months, and
it may be ten days. We have a standing rule in our ministry, and that's
everyone is free to go any day. If they sense God telling them to move on,
then we're going to hug their neck and do whatever we can to move them
on in the name of the Lord. Our purpose for them being in this ministry is
to train them up, to disciple them so that they can, in fact, move on and be
a part of the harvest. That's what we do. That is the vision of our lives.
The new name on the album is "Jerry Williams and Harvest." What
prompted that change?
We've had quite a flow of guys over the last six years and were having
such a problem with people wondering what was going on. We felt like
that will give it some consistency because Jerry Williams is not going to
change, because he's the guy with the vision, he's "Mr. Harvest" so to
speak. By putting that in there, that will cause a consistency to be there, no
matter what faces may show up on the album covers from year to year.
That was the only reason for that.
You were involved in the Mesa project. I talked with Dana Key
about that a little, how did you get involved with that, and what was
that like?
Dana and Dallas [Holm] are both dear friends of mine. Dallas just lives
down the street from me and Dana is a dear, close friend of mine. I've
been asked virtually every year to be a part of different projects and I've
turned 99% of those projects down because I'm not in this business to put
as many projects out there as I can. I'm in this business to proclaim Jesus
Christ. I simply will not do things that are good marketing ideas, and boy,
they have a jillion of them. Just watch at Christmas time how many
specialty albums come out. They may have a place, but if my heart is not
committed to it, then it's just a bunch of room noise, as far as I'm
concerned. So, when they called me on this project, because of the
integrity of Dallas and Dana as friends and as men of God, that I know
personally as friends of mine, I respect them. I believe in the call of God in
their lives. In our initial meeting when they showed up, I told them, "I
don't think I should be a part of this--I don't know what's going on."
They laughed at me and said, "We don't know what's going on either." It
ended up being the three of us. It was a wonderful experience. There was
actually a fourth guy that was involved, that we ended up trying to
minister to, who was not walking with the Lord at the time, and we
removed him from the project. I talked to Dallas and Dana and they both
said that their motivation was that it could possibly be a tool to reach more
people. When I heard that, I said I would be a part of it. It was a blast. We
had such a good time doing it and it's a really good album.
I enjoyed it. I thought I'd see more songwriting together.
We just sang a lot together. We did the thing live, which was a blast.
They don't do albums like that anymore. We just sat down in a room. We
didn't use click-tracks or computers or anything. As a matter of fact, one
of my scratch vocals, just singing as the song was going down, we ended
up keeping it. That was a lot of fun.
Who is on staff with Harvest ministries?
There's two different groups of people behind the band. First, we have a
full-time staff. These are people like me, committed to the overall vision
and are here for the long-term. We have a young lady that's been with us
seven years, a gal and her husband that are in the ministry that were
originally elders of the ministry. We have an elder board in this ministry
as the second group. They are people from around the country, about a
dozen couples that we meet together several times a year, we all converge
on Dallas [Texas] and meet there for a long weekend and spend two days
in prayer and examining and testing the Spirit and the vision. These are
people that are involved in every walk of life, but are deeply involved in
their local communities and ministry and things like that. It's good to have
that check and balance system, that someone can come to me and can tell
me it's a little off. It's real wise to do that--many counselors--there's a
lot of wisdom to that. So that's what we have. Those two things are the
constant of this ministry.
Thirdly, we have a whole army of supporters that are deeply involved in
this ministry as well--they're not just computer numbers. They write us,
they're involved in the concerts in their local areas and a lot of those
people are vocal and up front with us about things that they see and sense
in the ministry. We love that.
I was going to ask about the accountability.
This is what we've been from the beginning. Sad to say, and before we
go any further, I want to take a side step. Understand that I'm not saying
that Harvest is the group that everyone should imitate. We are simply a
ministry that is using the platform of contemporary Christian music. We
are not artists first, we are ministers that happen to be Christian artists
during this season of this ministry. When we get to the place where we are
not affecting in the platform of Christian music anymore, we will shift and
do whatever can be more effective. It will not change the focus or intent of
our vision. When I talk about other groups and other artists, it's from that
vantage point. My concern about the Christian music industry is that I've
never seen it in a worse state than it is today. It's making more money than
it's ever made, there's more people out there doing it than have ever done
it and I've never seen it more shallow, more ineffective, and more
unproductive than it is today. It's a self-centered, self-magnifying industry
with very few of the artists out there really with a heart to magnify Jesus.
I've had two Christian artists in the last week, one of them sold millions
of records in the last 20 years, the other is fairly new on the scene, but
both of them came to me in the past week, sharing that they've never seen
the industry more distracted and more impotent--that would be a good
word. I agree with them. God's got a great place for a mission field, it's
called the contemporary Christian music industry. I'm excited that God
has placed us in this industry because it's a great opportunity for us to see
what we're all about--a harvest. What we're trying to do is have an
impact in the industry by discipling other artists, placing other guys in the
same industry. I guarantee it may take a lot of years, but it will have an
impact.
What would you say to a new artist that didn't necessarily join up
with Harvest? What would you recommend to them to keep them
straight in the industry?
Learn how to keep your time with the Lord consistently. Most artists that
I have spent any time with these days don't. The Lord spoke to me last
week about five o'clock in the morning, I'd gotten over to the office to
spend some time with Him. I was praying about this and just concentrating
on it and I was actually rewriting our vision--six pages. Just praying
through that, and the Lord spoke to me that the intent of the heart of the
majority of the people is good. They have good intentions, but the content
is not there to bring about the intent. If there's no content, I don't care how
strong your intent is--it's not going to be fulfilled. What I would say to a
young artist today is find a place where you can sit by the river and just sit
there and hear the voice of God. Otherwise, you're going to be distracted
on a continual basis. If there's ever a season of distraction, it is now. I
wish we didn't have to bring in artists and train them up, but God has
commissioned us to do that, so that's what we're going to do. You know
what we teach them? The primary thing we try to teach them is how to be
consistent. We don't teach them how to write songs, we don't try to teach
them musical principles, we try to teach them spiritual things. We're there
to try to make them men and women of God who are consistent in their
walk, and then let the Holy Spirit breathe life into their musical abilities.
What do you want to say about the latest album? What kind of
things were on your mind?
Just what I said to you. It's called Mighty River. It says, "Mighty river,
flow over me/take me to the deepest part/of the crystal sea/there cleanse
and break/everything unclean in me/Mighty river, flow over me." I just
completed a week-long study of the vision of Ezekiel. I'm studying that
vision and Daniel's vision and the vision of John the Revelator right now,
because I'm trying to write a song called "The Vision." I've never paid
any attention, but it blew me away to realize in Ezekiel 1:1, it says "While
I was by the river, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God."
The Lord had been speaking to me to make sure that I do not get distracted
to where I don't take time to sit by the river of God and allow the Lord to
open my eyes to see what God would have for me today. So, I ended up
sitting by the river, that's just a little term I use. I wrote all the music for
that album in less than three weeks. It was exciting and the Lord had really
directed me. I prayed about what to write and He told me that and gave me
the word joy. I thought, "Why joy?" We looked around in the thousands of
letters that we get from the people we minister to, and realized the Body of
Christ is a sourpuss right now. When you're in the presence of the Lord, if
you spend any time there at all, it says, "in Thy presence, there's fullness
of joy"--that's Psalms 16:11. We found that if we would try to lead the
people to the river and get them to a place where they could get in the
presence of God and let the joy of the Lord come back in--that would do
more than all of the deep spiritual thoughts we could do right now--so
that's what we did. It's a fun album, it's real joyful.
The whole point is to get people to just draw near to the Lord and raise
their arms and rejoice in His presence. If you get a chance, come see us in
concert. By the time we get to the song "Leaving," it says we're to
encourage one another with the words and thoughts that someday we're
going to be going away from this place, to encourage one another with
those words, people literally jump to their feet and get to shouting. It's so
exciting because their focus has changed and it turns away from this
world, this political regime, these hassles, and the state of the Church and
it gets them on the Lord and it's so exciting to watch it happen.
What kind of things would you want people to know about you and
your family? What's important for people to know about you?
I'm a normal everyday Joe. I have problems just like everybody else.
The only difference between me and a lot of other people that we run into
is I have learned through the "school of hard knocks"--to use an old
colloquialism--I have learned the only way I'm going to find any
deliverance, freedom, peace, joy, anything, no matter what my
circumstances, good bad or indifferent, I run to the Lord every day. I know
that in my own life there's nothing but garbage, apart from Jesus. The
difference between me, and there's a lot of other people like me, and the
bulk of the Body of Christ and the bulk of Christian artists right now, is
that I have a consistent ongoing daily relationship in the presence of the
Lord which is only by His grace that I have that. He's the one that's given
me the heart to seek Him and He's the one that shows up when I do it.
He's the one that speaks to me. He's the one that gives me the songs. He's
the one who gives us the places to go and sing. He's the one that gives me
opportunities to do interviews like this. That is an amazing thing that you
would want to write anything about me. It blows me away. He's the one
that's allowed us to see over 40,000 decisions over the last four years, God
has done it all. That's the key to Jerry Williams. You think I'm bad, you
should meet my wife.
How many children do you and your wife Carla have?
We've got three kids. Delane is 18, Christopher, my son, is 15, Jeri, my
youngest daughter, is 12.
I always want to check on that to see if you're human.
I'm a real human being, I've got teenagers.
Well, thank you very much for talking.
I have appreciated talking with you, what else do you need to know from
this old man?
I wouldn't call yourself an old man. That new press photo makes
you look pretty young.
I'm not young any more but I'm in better shape than I've ever been in
my life and I'm singing better than I've ever sung and I've got more
energy and I'm ready to go.

Williams took some additional time to relate a story about someone in a
position similar to mine several years ago, and how he had advised this
person about remaining true to God's calling--to no avail. Williams was
very encouraging and supportive. It was an enjoyable conversation, and I
hope you enjoy it too.
--J. Warner Soditus
Harvest Discography
It's Alright Now        1982    Holy Fire       1988
Send Us to the World    1983    Carry On        1989
Voices  1984    The Early Works 1991
Only the Overcomers     1985    Let's Fight     1991
The Best of Harvest     1986    Mighty River    1993
Give Them Back  1987

REVIEWS

GEOFF MOORE & THE DISTANCE EVOLUTION (FOREFRONT)
Geoff Moore & the Distance's latest album took me by surprise. I knew
it was going to be completed soon, but I still haven't tired of A Friend Like
U, probably the biggest step in to the pop arena the guys had taken up to
that point, a direction where I expected the new release, Evolution, to
continue. Even after hearing the first song, I was still prepared for some
more quick-paced, sample-rich pop music--this was not to be. While
some pop style is still there, more noticeable are the rock sounds from
earlier days of The Distance mixed with some obvious blues influences,
possibly due to a production switch to Phil Naish and Joe Hogue, resulting
in a hard-edged pop/rock flavor.
The album begins with a satire of a high school teacher explaining the
"scientific" view on evolution, with satire courtesy of Mark Lowry (what
else would you expect) that leads into a pop tune with a great hook,
"Evolution...redefined." This is a unique and fun twist on the idea of
evolution, that God is the one that causes us to evolve, since "you could
wait a million years, hope that nature does its part, but it only takes a
moment for God to change your heart. That's why I believe in evolution, a
changing of the heart, renewing of the mind. It's the only true solution,
God is always working, changing lives, it's evolution redefined."
Quickly following, without much of a breath between, they kick in with
a cover of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now." With some heavy
bass, some neat guitar riffs, and a ton of organ, it's another killer track.
"Life Together" comes in next with warm, bass driven verses leading into
subtly anthematic rock choruses, and a slick guitar solo, reminiscing of
childhood days with "the gang."
Beginning to slow things down to a mid-tempo, "Live to Tell" is one of
three songs Moore co-wrote with Steven Curtis Chapman. This one is a
reminder of the commitment we need to make to have our lives reflect
God. Next, moving to a soft and tender ballad, Geoff sings the beautiful
love song, "If You Could See What I See."
Following an attention-grabbing introduction, "Godgottaholdonme"
moves in with some more heavy bass rhythm in an up-tempo rocker. The
excellent background vocals turn the chorus into a great hook, "Then it hit
me, that's where it started, I let go and Godgottaholdonme."
"That's When I'll Know I'm Home" and "Heart to God, Hand to Man"
are pair of lovely ballads with catchy choruses. The former expresses a
longing for the perfectness of heaven, while the latter is a tribute to the
Salvation Army. Theyinterestingly contrast the ideality of heaven with an
imperfect world, where people have physical needs in addition to the
spiritual needs.
Recharging the pace, the next tune will please everyone who's seen the
band in concert--a live recording of Larry Norman's "Why Should the
Devil Have All the Good Music." Energetic, with full crowd participation,
this is a true pleaser, heavily relying on some smooth guitar riffs and
organ.
Closing out the project is a simple piano accompaniment (with a few
intermittent strings) to Moore's honest self-evaluation in "When All is
Said and Done." My personal favorite, it sparks a serious note about how
we need to focus on what the Lord would have us do so that people will
"remember the truth of Jesus' love when all is said and done."
A pleasant surprise to me, Evolution is one that I've had a hard time
getting out of my stereo. Geoff Moore, Roscoe Meek (guitars), Geof
Barkley (keyboards), Greg Harrington (drums), Gary Mullett (bass), and a
few of their friends have put together a hard edged pop/rock album that is
one of the best of the year.
--Roger Appelinski
MICHELLE WAGNER HEART OF THE JOURNEY (BENSON)
One of the phrases that best describes Michelle Wagner's music is
"down-to-earth." While there remain some things within the halls of
Christendom that are so heavenly that they serve no earthly good,
Michelle Wagner's new album, Heart of the Journey is an exception. Over
the years, her music has continued to encourage her listener's towards
childlike faith in God. Here, she continues in that vein... but in a different
way.
The album is more cohesive in its arrangement of songs; this is an album
whose underlying theme is hope. And this hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been shed abroad in the heart (and life) of
Michelle Wagner. The reality of this hope unfolds as Wagner's lyrics
reveal a level of introspection in relation to God's commitment to His
children.
The album opens with "Heart of the Journey," which describes life as an
"open road" and her desire for her Father to "show me which way I should
go" focussing "on the One I serve..." "Something Wonderful" aptly
happens as an encouraging melody that sticks as food to one's spiritual
ribs for the long journey. The most metaphorical song, "Life is a String of
Pearls," tells us that each pearl is "held together by a string of hope." This
song contrasts the process of singular difficult life events (grains of sand)
with the beauty that God brings about as those sand grains are left in His
"faithful hands." Wagner openly admits it "took me turning [things] over
to find what trust...truly means." Her poignant poetic pen points to the key
of what makes hope not disappoint in the midst of life's circumstances--
an abiding trust in the love that God has for you.
This point is driven home by a wrenching gut-honest song depicting a
conversation between a Christian who knows this love of God and one
whose Christian experience has not resulted in that restful state of trust.
"You've heard it all before, it sounds so easy...the truth is black and white,
but in a world of compromises we find it hard to practice what we preach."
She makes no attempt to excuse observations about inconsistencies that
can be seen and experienced in one's Christian walk. The lyrics simply
conclude by stating, "I don't know what to say, I don't know what to do
for you. What I can do is pray that you see the truth."
Though a statement of commitment to love is expressed in "When it
Comes to Love," the sincere plea for God's presence is echoed in "Come
by Here" as the song's lyrics depict the heart cry of one coming to terms
with the shortcomings of her own human nature. The music in this song
goes South-of-the-Mason-Dixon-line with a rich organ, piano, and fiddle
arrangement that will make you feel like you've been to church and back.
The theme continues with a rhythmically pulsating tune called "Vision
of Holiness." Hope is kept alive as its lyrics declare, "You are the promise
of my transformation, casting all my doubts in glorious light. Lord, be the
object of my affection...so I hold on with a whole heart to a vision of
holiness," knowing that God will continue the work begun in those who
"Just Believe."
While "Do You Know His Heart" reminds the listener that God's heart
towards them is one of love, Wagner is careful to mention that
experiencing such a relationship is not found in religiosity. By looking to
the "Morning Star" one is promised the direction will be found in a dark
world as one focuses on Him in whom there is no darkness.
The album concludes with a simple piano-accompanied rendition of an
old hymn of the Church--"My Redeemer Lives." The string of hope
which runs throughout a Christian's life is brought to life as Wagner sings,
"though every earthly hope no comfort gives, I know that my Redeemer
lives." In the music of this album and in the expressed heart of the
musician, the eyes of the listener are encouraged to see the truth of pearls
in their own heart's journey.
--Michelle Deering
LOST DOGS LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD (BRAINSTORM ARTISTS
INTERNATIONAL)
On Little Red Riding Hood, the second collaboration by the Lost Dogs
on Brainstorm Artists International, these guys have succeeded in
surpassing any expectations that might come with the territory of being
considered some of Christian music's more respected members. This time
out, Terry Taylor, Gene Eugene, Derri Daugherty, and Mike Roe have
forged a more cohesive work, without losing any of the elements that
made Scenic Routes a fresh and interesting recording.
While their music still has notes of country and bluegrass, those musical
references are less prevalent on this album. The Dogs have succeeded in
blending the strains of blues, country, rock, and folk even better this time,
creating a sound that can truly be termed "American."
Once again, each members contributed several songs, while they
collaborated on several songs and performed two covers. The album leads
off with "(Together) No Ship Coming In" by Taylor. The song is a good
example of how the group has melded the different musical influences
they have. Taylor also contributed "Rocky Mountain Mines," "Eleanor,
It's Raining Now," "Red, White And Blue," "Bad Indigestion," and "No
Room For Us." The two standouts are "Red, White and Blue," and "No
Room For Us." The former is a rocker, with a memorable hook. The latter
is a slow, dreamy piece, that is especially suited to Daugherty's voice.
Mike Roe's two songs, "You Satisfy" and "Jesus Loves You, Brian
Wilson" are very different. "You Satisfy" is a bluesy rocker, similar in
vein to "You Gotta Move" from the first disc, but harder. "Jesus Loves
You, Brian Wilson" is a bittersweet tribute to one of the Beach Boys'
founders. Both amusing and sad, the Dogs effectively recreate the sunny
vocals of that famous group.
The most "country" of the cuts are "Precious Memories," an old
standard, and "Jimmy," written by Gene Eugene. "Imagine That," penned
by Daugherty and Taylor, is an up-tempo tune that also has a good hook.
The Dogs do a cover of the Lennon-McCartney song "I'm A Loser,"
remaining pretty faithful to the original, while still sounding like
themselves.
The three tunes that the entire group collaborated on, "Free At Last,"
"Dunce Cap," and "Pray Where You Are," exhibited best how these four
guys are becoming stronger at writing together. "Free At Last" is a
grooving, bluesy tune that has a hilarious intro, and "Pray Where You
Are," closing out the project, is reminiscent of "Breathe Deep," the song
that closed out Scenic Routes.
The album is filled with studio outakes, which illustrate the wackiness of
this group, and also explain the loose feeling of the songs. Overall, another
very enjoyable trip with the Dogs, and a promise that any future get-
togethers should just get better.
--Beth Blinn
Ed. Note: The cover artwork was not available for this album, sorry.
CODE OF ETHICS CODE OF ETHICS (FOREFRONT)
I think there might be some misconceptions about Code of Ethics. Their
latest release is being pushed as a Pop album, but this categorization
misses the mark. Code's ForeFront debut album falls more in the
alternative spectrum, drawing most notably from the slower, more
alternative sounds of Depeche Mode. On the more upbeat side, influences
can be noticed from Erasure and New Order--a real European feel. It is
keyboard/program intensive with a few samples, a few house beats,
excellent lead and (not so common in the more alternative music)
background vocals, and a hip-hop interlude in one spot. It should not
stretch your imagination to picture any number of the tunes blasting in a
local nightclub. For fans of Code's earlier Visual Paradox, be ready for a
more evenly distributed album, which actually may lean a little more
towards the downbeat. Interestingly, Barry has changed the spelling of his
last name from Blazs to Blaze--go figure.
Lyrically, while not a particularly dark album, it certainly doesn't beat
any Christian ideas into your head. All the songs are clearly written from a
Christian viewpoint and address a part of that personal relationship with
the Lord, with the exception of "True Love" which appears to be a love
song. Nothing on the album is particularly direct in focusing the listener
towards God. Most Christians should instantly understand the statements
and realize that they are being directed towards the Lord, but this may not
be so for the non-Christian.
Songs like "World Machine," "Satellite Babies," and "Sands of Time"
make statements such as "From God down to man, you've been given
information, so turn the page and decide what you believe," "Death is not
the end for my satellite babies, if you put your trust in me," and "I've
taken your hand, I know who I am... You've given me hope." It all sparks
thoughts of God for someone that knows the Lord, but for someone
unfamiliar with Christianity, it does not lead them to the Lord. Even more
common are the statements such as "Can't you help me, me at all," "Is
there someone who can set me free," and "Show me something more, give
me faith without reason. I know there must be more to change my life like
the seasons turning," which raise questions that aren't in any way
answered on the project. Even songs that seem to be sung from God's
perspective, "Waiting," "Satellite Babies," and "Pain," don't state that this
is the case. The curiosity engaged in the lyrics is not channeled in a way
for the listener to engage in a relationship with the Lord.
Perhaps it is more a part of the musical style, remembering some of the
work of Depeche Mode and Erasure that was less than easily
comprehensible. The ambiguity is also somewhat engaging, requiring
more than a casual listen to hear what is being said.
This is an album that truly moves me, physically and mentally. The
music is probably some of the best European style, easily outrating any
secular artists today. Lyrically, it made me think. This should definitely
help Code of Ethics carve a niche that few Christian bands have pursued.
--Roger Appelinski
TAMPLIN TAMPLIN (BENSON)
Ken Tamplin has been producing quality rock and roll in the Christian
arena for a number of years now--with the group Shout, as a duo with
Lanny Cordola under the name Magdallan, and as a solo act.
Well, he has now put together another band. Going by the name of
Tamplin, the combination of Ken Tamplin on vocals and guitar, Robert
Kent on bass, Scott Van Zen on guitar and David Raven on drums, the
group was signed to Benson Records. Their self-titled debut is about to be
released, and since Ken Tamplin wrote, produced and mixed the product,
it carries many of the hallmarks that fans have come to expect from any
project that he is involved in.
Layered vocals and cutting guitar work are common threads that are
usually found in Tamplin's work, and this album is no different. It is
straight-ahead, in-your face rock, that usually has a good hook that runs
around in your head for a while. Tamplin possesses one of the strongest,
richest rock voices in the business, and puts it to good use.
Lyrically, many of the songs dwell on the continuing deterioration of our
world, and the moral decay that it is suffering from. Similar to some of the
topics on Magdallan's release, Big Bang, Tamplin points the way to the
final days when God will reclaim his handiwork on cuts like "When The
Clock Runs Down" and "Mystery Train."
Tamplin also digs into history a little to illustrate points about the
fleetingness of this life, and how people need to use their time wisely
while they are here. On "In The Lap Of Legends," he lists many of the
musical heroes from the past few decades whose lives were cut short for
various reasons, and points out how their fame didn't do them any good
after they were gone. "In the Lap of Legends, monuments of man/It's the
state of the arts/With a tainted vision, get it while you can/On that
crossway to the stars."
My only real complaint about this album is that some of the songs
sounded similar--the tempo didn't vary too much. I also would have liked
the sound to be a little bit more raw--but that's a personal preference.
A pretty solid release--especially if you like to rock.
--Beth Blinn
ANNIE HERRING ALL THAT I AM (SPARROW)
The most recent work by Annie Herring, formerly of Second Chapter
of Acts, is very soothing. It is a quieter album, at times somewhat
mysterious sounding.
Musically, this album is quite pleasing to listen to. The melodies are
very attractive and the harmonies are pleasing to the ear. The instrumental
background effectively compliments the mood and meaning of the lyrics.
The lyrics themselves are uplifting, full of praise to the Lord. This is a
worshipful album, but without the "Maranatha" or "Praise Strings"
feeling. This album is refreshing both musically and lyrically.
The chorus of the first song, "Stay True," has a haunting melody,
somewhat reminiscent of Enya. "Miracles" is a song of thanks to God for
the miracles He brings into our lives. "Get the Picture" speaks of the
frustration one feels when waiting for God to answer prayer. Yet, there is a
feeling of joy knowing that He will answer, and we can wait for Him.
"Without Love" is a duet with Matthew Ward, that summarizes the ideas
of 1 Cor. 13. "Your Name" praises the name of God, and the fact that
anyone can, at any time, call out to God in prayer. The music, background
vocals, and harmonies of "On Angel's Wings" are very similar to those in
older Second Chapter of Acts songs. "All That I Am" is a duet with Perry
Coleman and sums up rather completely the mood of the album: "All that I
am/All that I need/All that I ever hope to be/All that I dream/All that I
love/All that I hold so dear to me/Is in Your hand."
I liked this album the first time I listened to it, and it has been growing
on me as I have continued listening to it. If you like worshipful lyrics with
enjoyable music then this might be a good album to check out.
--Daniel Russell
DIG HAY ZOOSE MAGENTAMANTALOVETREE (BRAINSTORM ARTISTS
INTERNATIONAL)
The quartet known as Dig Hay Zoose came to the attention of alternative
music fans two years ago, when their debut album, Strugglefish, was
released by Brainstorm Artists International.
Hailing from Kansas City, Dave Anderson (guitar), Jimmi Florenz
(Drums), Bil Brown (bass) and Phil (first name only--vocals) have drawn
comparisons to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, and a host
of other groups. With Strugglefish, they garnered a good amount of
positive critical feedback.
Well, they are back with their second release entitled
MagentaMantaLoveTree. (And no, I didn't forget where the space bar on
the computer is.) Clocking in at over an hour, with no less than 21 tracks
(although, some of them are only soundbites or brief clips), the album is a
fairly ambitious project. Dig Hay Zoose has managed to incorporate a
wide variety of styles in their music, without having a disjointed end
result.
The inclusion of some jazz touches and some great vocal harmonizing
has kept this project from sounding as discordant and grating as some of
the newer bands can be. Generally, the music leans toward funk/metal, but
frequently inserts strains of other styles, including punk and grunge.
Lyrically, the group deals with such topics as child abuse, racism, doubt,
and personal relationships. In the liner notes, they credit such diverse
individuals as Willy Wonka, Jim Morrison, William Burroughs, and
King Solomon for inspiring some of the lyrics. This is not a light-weight
record. On such cuts as "Doubt" and "Circle of Pain," the group is
decidedly down-beat.
If you are up for a challenge, and want to experience some of the more
original music being produced in the "Christian" industry today, check this
release out. But, it's not something to be taken lightly.
--Beth Blinn
GAITHER VOCAL BAND SOUTHERN CLASSICS (BENSON)
Who does a contemporary and a traditional gospel album in the same
year? The Gaither Vocal Band now has. This talented foursome has
released a traditional southern gospel album called Southern Classics.
Most of these songs you will recognize as traditional favorites but the
arrangements are different.
The album begins with "Satisfied," which holds true to the "laid back
quartet style." The next tune, "Little Is Much, When God Is In It," features
the newest member, Terry Franklin, reminding us of the importance of
each deed that a Christian does, no matter how small. "Give Up" is a
soulful tune featuring Michael English, with the Band adding back up.
One of the old time favorites from years ago, "There Is A River," tells of
the true water of Life--Jesus Christ. "Sometimes My Feet Wanna Dance"
is a surprise golden-oldie that I have never heard before. It has a get-up-
and-go country rhythm that keeps your feet tapping and your hands
slapping. One of my all time favorites, written by Squire Parsons, is
"Sweet Beulah Land." It tells us of our forever home and our longing to go
there. "Sign Me Up" has a modern theme of getting away for a cruise with
an eternal message: Sign up for that heavenly cruise! "I Bowed On My
Knees" has been recorded for years by many people, but Michael English
does it as well as anyone. English recorded it several years back with The
Singing Americans, a southern gospel group, and also The Brooklyn
Tabernacle Choir.
The next song, "Jesus On The Mainline," is a spiritual about the
nearness of Christ, if we would just call. It features Bill Gaither singing
bass. The last cut on the album is a true classic, written by Bill and Gloria
Gaither, "The King Is Coming." Each verse tells of what it will be like
when the trumpet sounds. As the chorus proclaims, "The King Is Coming,
Praise God He's Coming For Me." What assurance!
This album was an enjoyment for me because I like to hear classics that
are performed with quality. I would recommend this album to anyone who
likes old songs or likes to hear the Gaither Vocal Band's (or any other
group's) great four-part harmony.
--Ann Hathcock
CHARLOTTE MADELIENE BACK TO LIFE (STORYVILLE)
This album is one of the first releases on the new Storyville label. The
whole label is devoted to religious folk music of various sorts. Charlotte
Madeliene Mesimore (her full name) lives in Lisle, IL, and the album was
recorded and produced locally, by David Bunker.
She lists Bob Bennett as one of her primary inspirations and, in fact
there are many lyrical similarities; his album does much more reflecting
than preaching. Writing most of the lyrics and music herself, the songs
center around her experiences and recollections of her family and friends.
"Irma" and "Charlie" tell about her mother and her late father,
respectively. Both incorporate the Hungarian folk tunes of her heritage
(her maiden name is Csakai.) The Hungarian touches add a delightful lift
to the album--it's unfortunate there are not more of them. She writes
"Dear One" for her grandmother, while "The Dresser" and "To My
Friend" are dedicated to childhood friends.
The album is rounded out with "Treasure," talking about how God is the
treasure in her heart. "He Took My Little" employs a chorus of children to
sing about the story of Jesus blessing the loaves and fishes, and how he
has done a similar thing for her. It's easily the catchiest tune on the album.
"Back To Life," the title cut, calls us all to recognize the power of God to
call us back to life. The album ends with an instrumental, "4:15 am,"
which is well-conceived and executed.
Musically, her voice is quite pleasing to listen to. She is backed up by a
competent but intentionally subdued studio band. Rich Mullins makes a
guest appearance on the hammered dulcimer. One should not expect to be
able to get down in the groove to this music, nor should one expect to get
hit with anointing from the first chord. But the artists and producers have
created a competent and enjoyable folk album, which is what they set out
to do. And in sharing the message of Christ through stories, Charlotte is
following in a tradition as old as Christ himself.
--Steven C. Timm


Lighthouse Classifieds:
- LIGHTSHINE MAGAZINE-  P. O. Box 456 Paradise, PA 17562 (717)
397-7217.
The Sacrifice Magazine: c/o Scott Hileman, Rte. 1 Box 596, Jonesboro,
IL 62952 (bi-monthly $11.00 U.S.).
"Funky News Letter from Heaven" write to: F.N.L.F.H., 1752 N.
Atherton St., Lot 149, State College, PA 16803.

NEW RELEASES
Helen Baylor  Start All Over
Betrayal  The Passing
Michael Card  Come to the Cradle
Jim Cole  Merciful God
Dig Hay Zoose  MagentaMantaLoveTree
Fear Not  Fear Not
Annie Herring  All That I Am
Dallas Holm  Completely Taken In
Karthi  Karthi
Betty Griffin Keller  Betty Griffin Keller
Andy Landis  Stranger
Cindy Morgan  A Reason to Live
Shack of Peasants  Classic Gospel Blues Vol. 2
Prodigal Sons Return
Richard Smallwood Singers  Live
Soul Mission  Soul Mission
Scott Springer  Hello Forever
The Winans  All Out
SEPTEMBER RELEASES
4Him  Season of Love
Angelica  Greatest Hits
Debby Boone  Home For Christmas
Carman  The Standard
Steven Curtis Chapman  The Live Adventure
Eric Darken  A Drummer Boy's Christmas
Deliverance  Learn
Cynthia Wilson Felder  New Songs of Zion
Kathy Lee Gifford  Christmas Carols
Global Wave System  Life Equals Death
Frank & Betsy Hernandez  Silent Night
Kurt Kaiser  Christmas Favorites
Patrick Kavanaugh  A Taste for the Classics
Lost Dogs  Little Red Riding Hood
Geoff Moore & the Distance  Evolution
Reggae Worship  Reggae Worship
Michael W. Smith  Best Of, the First Decade
Straight Company  So Excited A Capella
Tamplin  Tamplin
various  A Myx'ed Trip to a Gospel House 2
various  Songs From the Loft
various  The New Young Messiah
Angie & Debbie Winans  Angie & Debbie
Michelle Wagner  Heart of the Journey
Scott Wenzel  Heart Like Thunder
X Propagation  Conflict
OCTOBER RELEASES
Angelo & Veronica  A & V
Susan Ashton  Susan Ashton
Bruce Carroll  Walk On
Andrae Crouch  untitled
Deitophobia  Clean
Al Denson  Reasons
Glad  Acapella Hymns
Ian Eskelin  Brand New Language
Don Francisco  Promise and Covenant
Two Hearts  Give'em The Word
Crystal Lewis  The Bride
Rich Mullins  A Liturgy, A Legacy and a Ragamuffin Band
Poor Old Lu  Mind Size
Prodigal Sons  Return
Wayne Watson  A Beautiful Place
White Heart  Highlands
Brett Williams & In Reach  Power & Promise
BeBe & CeCe Winans  First Christmas
NOVEMBER RELEASES
Gospel Gangster  Gang Affiliated
Steve Taylor  untitled
Mortification  Live Planetarium
P.I.D.  untitled
DECEMBER RELEASES
Brian Barrett  untitled
Allison Durham  Walk Into Freedom
Twila Paris  Beyond a Dream
PFR  (Pray For Rain)  Goldy's Last Day
Phillips, Craig & Dean  untitled


WANT TO BE INVOLVED?
THE LIGHTHOUSE IS IN NEED OF WRITERS.  MUSIC REVIEWS ARE
ESPECIALLY NEEDED, AS WELL AS ARTIST SPOTLIGHTS AND ARTICLES
FOCUSING ON HOW CHRISTIAN MUSIC IS BEING USED IN MINISTRY. IF
YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A WRITER, PLEASE WRITE FOR A
COPY OF THE WRITER'S GUIDELINES. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE ALSO
APPRECIATED!


BACK ISSUES
June '92  Heather & Kirsten, JAG, Lisa Bevill, Jon Gibson, Rick Elias,
Vireo Records
July '92  Mike-E, Newsboys, Steven Curtis Chapman, D.C. Talk, Wes
King, Pakaderm Records
September '92  Rick Cua, E.T.W., Rhythm House, David and the
Giants, Why a Lighthouse?
November '92  Larry Howard, Peter Shambrook, Lust Control, Susan
Ashton, Fighter
December '92  Bryan Duncan, Mark Farner, Tom McCain, White
Heart on Tales of Wonder
January '93  Phil Keaggy, D.O.C., Updates on hoi Polloi and The
Newsboys, Twila Paris on A Heart That Knows You and "Destiny"
February '93  Whitecross, Halo, Sardonyx, Urgent Music Group
March '93  Geoff Moore and the Distance, Phillips, Craig & Dean,
AVB, Mid South, A Look at the First Year of THE LIGHTHOUSE
April '93  Kaiser/Mansfield, Steve Camp, Roc-T, Karyn List
May '93  Rachel Rachel, Code of Ethics, S.O.H.L.4UR Tribe, Ron
David Moore
June '93  Out of the Grey, A Look at Quest for Freedom, Keith Brown,
Michael Anderson, Glad, Terri Lynn
July/August '93  Cindy Morgan, First Call, Lost Dogs, Dakoda Motor
Co., 65 dBA, Maia Amada, Audio Adrenaline, PFR (Pray For Rain)
Prices are as Follows:
       1:      $.75    2:      $1.50   3:      $2.00   4:      $2.50
       5:      $3.00   6:      $3.50   7:      $3.75   8:      $4.00
Please allow 2 weeks for processing.


Top Albums (July 1993)
       1.      Le Voyage, Sandi Patti, Word
       2.      Free At Last, D.C. Talk, ForeFront
       3.      Hope, Michael English, Warner Alliance
       4.      Change Your World, Michael W. Smith, Reunion
       5.      The Great Adventure, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sparrow
       6.      Nu Thang, D.C. Talk, Yo! ForeFront
       7.      The Absolute Best, Carman, Sparrow
       8.      The Basics of Life, 4Him, Benson
       9.      A Heart That Know You, Twila Paris, Star Song
       10.     Once in a Lifetime, David Meece, Star Song
       11.     Soul, Margaret Becker, Sparrow
       12.     Taking Heaven by Storm, Steve Camp, Warner Alliance
       13.     Michael English, Michael English, Warner Alliance
       14.     Not Ashamed, The Newsboys, Star Song
       15.     Set Me Free, Acappella, Word
       16.     Heat it Up, DeGarmo & Key, Benson
       17.     America's 25 Praise and Worship Choruses, various, Brentwood
       18.     Petraphonics, Petra, Star Song
       19.     Moments for the Heart, Ray Boltz, Diadem
       20.     Face the Nation, 4Him, Benson

You are viewing proxied material from infinitelyremote.com. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.