On September 10, 1997, Rich Mullins sat alone in an old abandoned church and played nine of the ten songs that were released as The Jesus Record.
Nine days later, 15 years ago today, he was killed in a car accident.
"Rich Mullins, a popular Christian musician, died this past Saturday morning in a car accident in Illinois. According to the AP, he was thrown from a sports utility vehicle after the car lost control and flipped over. He was then struck by a tractor-trailer as the trucker swerved to avoid the overturned vehicle. Mullins, 41, and Mitch McVicker, 24, who as of Sunday was in critical condition, were on their way to a benefit concert in his hometown of Wichita Kansas when the accident occurred near Peoria Illinois."
I didn't get into his music until a year after he died, after I moved to Mississippi. I wondered how I would have handled it had I been into his music before he died. Still.
I saw Rich Mullins in concert when I was 17 in Ohio when he was with Zion Ministries. I bought the album and t shirt which I still have. He made a huge impact on my life. What stood out most about him was that I could see God in his eyes. Don't know if that makes sense to you, but it was clear to me he was different in that way. Beth
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