The Last Few Blog Entries

This blog is coming to a close. I will add a few additional entries this week and next, but once the Reunion occurs, the Blog is finished. I realize I've been off my game with this blog during April. I'll have to pull the Easter card. As the Lead Pastor of this church, the weeks building up to Easter were busy and occupied. The time since Easter has been recovery!

So speaking of Easter, I'm reminded of a tradition we followed for a few years, showing The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe around Easter. No, not the most recent Walden Media version and not the BBC version from the late 80's early 90's. No this was the animated version produced by the Episcopal Church and originally broadcast on television. It was not a great version but was much more impressive when projected on the "big screen" at the Jesus House. Fortunately the movie was produced on film, not video tape, so we were able to rent a copy and project it using Tom Rocklin's 16 mm projector.

The first year, our friends from the Logos Bookstore in College Hill (Remember that place? It was the best Christian book store that has ever existed!) brought a display of C.S. Lewis material. We sold lots of books, gave away copies of LWW and even gave away a Chronicles set. We also supplied free popcorn all during the movie. It was a reverse offering. Popcorn was circulated in large bowls. The point was, grab a hand full and pass it on!

We had such a great time we decided to do it again the following year. Yes, the Jesus House had traditions!

This Week In History: Artists Who Performed the First Week of April (Yes, I told you, I'm behind. I'll catch up, I promise)

1972 - The Easter Bunny! (Yes, the Easter Bunny made an appearance) Also the Jesus House Singers & Players with soloist Teri Senters.
1973 - Larry Pennington
1974 - Dick Mott
1975 - Dead Rat Road Band (Some of these guys were at Rick Marksberry's last Sunday night recording additional vocals for a song on the Jesus House Recording Project. See below for more details.)
1976 - Ric Roberts (Ric just sent a note for us to read to everyone at the Reunion. Want to know what's in the note? Come to the Reunion!)
1977 - Rich Mullins
1978 - Odor Clarke & Burns (They have a couple of songs on the JHRP!) Also, Jason Nightingale, an actor, performed the first three chapters of Revelation.
1979 - Marc O'Hara (He has a couple of songs on the JHRP plus sang harmonies on several other cuts!)
1980 - The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (See above)
1981 - Prodigal (Lloyd Boldman and Rick Fields each have cuts on the JHRP)
1982 - John Gould (Yes, John recorded Slow Me Down for the JHRP)
1983 - Jon Owens

Further Adventures in Recording
One of the songs, Magnify, written by Mike Wilshire, recorded by Kent Odor & Marc O'Hara needed a multitude to sing on the last chorus. This was because Mike used to invite an audience to sing with him on the song. So a multitude gathered at the Marksberry's house. Specifically Ric & Barb Hine, Marc O'Hara, Deny Brigance and Terry Fisher (me). Alright, it doesn't sound like a multitude when you read the list of names, but after we recorded our parts on three tracks then put them together, it sounded just like a multitude!

After finishing the recording we had a spontaneous listening party. We heard about a dozen of the 40 songs from the project. I assure you, there is some incredible, beautiful music awaiting your listening ear. Deny Brigance (producer) and Rick Marksberry (engineer), have done incredible work. Also, Marc O'Hara, Andy Danzel, Diane Marksberry as well as Deny & Rick have added vocal harmonies, guitar, mandolin, percussion, violin and other sounds that have enhanced many of the songs. I recorded Immanuel for the project with my voice, guitar and Christopher Adams' bass. I asked Rick to add violin because since I wrote that song, I've always heard a violin on it. Finally, on Sunday night I heard for real the violin I always heard in my mind. Many of the songs will finally be heard the way we always imagined them.

Of course, some of the songs needed nothing additional so they did not tweak everything.

I look forward to seeing all of you starting at 3:00 pm on May 2.
You'll hear the music live, then go home with your own copy of the recording project, now titled "It's About Time." Because it is about time these songs were recorded for posterity.