The Misfit Lounge

Where are the other 9?  (Luke 17:17)

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.  (1 Cor 3:6) 

I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly.  (John 10:10)

When a person becomes a Christian, he becomes a whole new creation inside.  The old life is gone.  A whole new life has begun.  (2 Cor 5:17)

Remember … and return to your first love.  (Revelation 2:4-5)

Recently I’ve been studying the story of the Exodus and thinking about the meaning of the Passover meal.  This meal was a time for remembering and rehearsing the story of the salvation God provided to His people.  I’ve been thinking a lot lately also, about the early days of my Christian walk and remembering all the sights, sounds, experiences and relationships that were, and still are a major part of my core.  Recently, at a ministry celebration for Bob and Jeanne Arnold, I heard Jeff Gorman (Jim Gorman’s son) perform some music, and later in the night I conversed with him about how his uncle (Tom) played a role in my coming to Christ.  That same night I spoke with Phyllis Miller about her late husband’s (H. Franklyn Miller) role in my conversion.

I thought I should rehearse some of my experiences here and write down some of my thoughts and feelings as a way to document what the Lord did for me* (so that I can tell my children the story of salvation that God worked for me) at that time, and that I should communicate this to those involved as a way of saying thanks.  (Elsewhere, I have begun to write a more introspective piece about the music that played a role in my life.  Here, I want to focus more on the people.)

* Many people came to know Christ through the ministry that took place at St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church in the early 1970’s.  Those people then went out, and God worked through them to bring others to Himself.  For those who are the fruit of ministry that flowed through those who were converted at St. James, this documentation is a part of your spiritual lineage and legacy.  I hope it will inspire you.

Let me begin my story here.  When my brother passed away several years ago, I was trying to remember the name of the band of which he was a part, but I couldn’t remember it.  When I saw the bulletin for his funeral service, the front title was, “A Celebration of Life.”  I don’t think the connection between the bulletin title and the band was intentional, but at that moment, in the strongest way, the name of the band flooded back into my memory – Celebration of Life.

I became a Christian in a cultural context of the East Coast version of the Jesus Movement (the Christian equivalent of the counterculture youth movement) that swept over the West Coast (the Son Worshippers), then came East in the late sixties and early seventies.  So for me, the initial and defining moments of my Christian experience were countercultural.  This fact has shaped my life in the 40-plus years since, and I am happy and feel richer for it.  I lament that my children have never experienced the relevance and excitement of a countercultural movement.  (I shall write more about this in another piece.)

The youth group leader (Dennis) at our church decided to start a coffeehouse that would run on a regular basis on weekend nights and to which kids could invite their friends.  A name was chosen – The Dungeon – and for a couple of years at least, the coffeehouse and a youth worship service the following morning at 8:15 ensued.  

My brother Allan, who was 3 years older than me, along with a friend from St. James (Mike Plank), some other guys whom they knew about through school and their attendance at The Dungeon (Larry Ruckman and Gordon Carpenter), and Campus Life (Tom Gorman), decided to form a band.  They chose the name Celebration of Life for the band, at least partially based on the passages from John 10:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:17 cited above.  Tom (at least in my opinion as an impressionable 13-year-old) was an incredibly gifted guitarist, performer, and storyteller, and he became the band’s lead guitarist. Mike, too, played guitar and served as the rhythm guitarist with occasional leads.  Allan, who had never played an instrument other than the trumpet, quickly took to the bass.  Larry was the drummer, and Gordon sang and played the harmonica (although all the guys shared the vocals).

Celebration of Life became the de facto house band for The Dungeon coffeehouse.  They also took their act on the road locally every so often.  I remember especially attending a gig they did outdoors at Mt. Paran and another performance at an inner city church where Lucille Pahl was involved in ministry – St. Augustine’s.

The band’s playlist, reflective of the cultural conditions of the time, included mostly popular rock songs, although some of the lyrics were reworked or interpreted with distinctly Christian meaning.  (Remember, at this time, there was no such thing as contemporary Christian music.  It was still in the process of being born through the work of artists such as Larry Norman and Randy Stonehill, a by-product of the Jesus Movement.)

Ohio (CSN&Y)

I’m So Glad (Cream)

Presence of the Lord (Blind Faith)

Fire and Rain (James Taylor)

Red House (Jimi Hendrix)

Sweet Leaf (Black Sabbath)*

Find the Cost of Freedom (CSN&Y)

Let It Rain (Eric Clapton)

*  The band changed the words from “I love you, sweet leaf” to “I love you, Jesus.”

The band also created some original songs.  Somewhere I still have a handwritten copy of one of the lyrics that Allan wrote entitled, “Jesus Is The Answer.”

I can close my eyes and still experience like it was yesterday the band performing these songs at The Dungeon in the St. James fellowship hall.  I remember the blue sparkle vinyl-covered Kustom speakers (that were tall and very difficult to transport in a Toyota Corolla).  I remember Allan singing the song Fire and Rain, which I think was especially meaningful to him since his girlfriend and future wife’s name was Susan.  I can still see Mike’s guitar as he broke into the instrumental lead in the middle of Presence of the Lord.  And I can hear them singing Ohio.

I also have distinct memories of the band performing at the St. James 8:15 worship service in all their electric and amplified glory, rocking out on the altar in a way that delighted some and offended others.   (I have one of the bulletins from a contemporary service.  Include a copy of it here).

I also remember them presenting a ½ hour version of Hendrix’s Red House at the St. Augustine mission to the bewildered delight of those in attendance.  (You have to understand that back in the day there wasn’t a musical racial divide.  Everyone enjoyed rock along with Motown).

As I mentioned earlier, Tom was a unique performer, and I still recall his solo sets where he performed acoustic songs such as Needle and the Damage Done, The Motorcycle Song, The Frog Hollow Homecoming Dance, Heart of Gold, and Sugar Mountain.  His musical presentation sounded like Neil Young and his storytelling reminded me of Tommy Smothers.  All in all, he was quite compelling and entertaining.

The Dungeon … the 8:15 youth service … the prayer time around the altar rail in the church sanctuary after the coffeehouse … people giving their lives to Christ … the whole living room floor at my house covered with teens who slept the night there after the coffeehouse so they could go back to church early the next morning … Celebration of Life.  God used these events, experiences, and people to bring me to the decision point, and in the summer of 1972, at the age of fourteen,  I committed my life to Christ.  So to Dennis, Allan, Mike, Tom, Larry, Gordon, Bill, Lois, Pam, Franklyn, Jerry, Susan, the Sons of Thunder (Free Ride), my parents, the MMYFC staff,  and many others through whom God worked – I say, “Thank you.”

For those who lived through these times with me and can shed light / correct my recollections / fill in more details / add your perspectives / have any photos, posters, or other artifacts, please respond.  Hope to hear from some of you.

For those whose lives were touched by those who came to Christ at St. James, appreciate a small part of your spiritual legacy.

Maybe this document can become the beginning of a documentation of The Jesus Movement in the Randallstown area.  Let me know your thoughts.

Here’s to a fresh countercultural movement of God’s Spirit in this time.

Some options for response to this article:

Remember those who played a role in your conversion and pray for / thank them;

Remember those for whom you have played a role and pray for / contact them;

Fill in details / correct the information in this narrative;

Get in touch with me  – I’d love to hear from you.