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"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.  Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives".
Colossians 3: 16a

 

"To look at something as though we have never seen it before requires great courage"
Henri Matisse

          

Life  

 Larry Norman     

It was with great sadness that I learned of Larry Norman's passing.  I knew he had been seriously ill for some time but the news of his death still came as a shock. 

Larry's music had been part of the soundtrack of my life.  Growing up in the sixties I had a soundtrack of the Beatles, Stones, Who and Dylan amongst many others.  This was no background muzak but influenced and shaped my young life.  On becoming a Christian in 1971 there didn't seem to be anyone equivalent in the 'Christian world' until Larry Norman came along.

I went to a concert in March 1972.  I had only been a Christian a few months.  Larry came on stage and people seemed genuinely shocked.  Here was someone with real long hair, dressed in denims, with a guitar.  At that time being a Christian and looking like a hippie just didn't equate.  He stood on stage for a while - the audience, bemused, whistled, cat called and applauded, but with humour, charm and of course lots of talent he soon won everyone over.

That would mark the beginning of a lifetime of listening to Larry Norman, on record, in concert and even a few rare TV appearances.

I saw him at the Royal Albert Hall, a venue he sold out twice in one day, at Greenbelt a few times and in many other places around the country.  The last time was in 2001 in West Bromwich. 

A Larry Norman concert was a unique experience, usually begun by asking for the mike to be turned up, some funny stories and of course lots of songs.  He was articulate, intelligent, witty and gifted.  Many people have been influenced by his music, from other rock artists to many ordinary people who have attended concerts, listened to his music or met him in person.  Many have come to faith in Jesus because of him.  However, being a Larry Norman fan was also deeply frustrating.  He had problems with record companies, eventually producing his own records.  It meant that at times it was hard to get hold of his stuff but the advent of the internet helped to solve that problem. 

It would be true to say that he was at times somewhat eccentric and in recent years released a number of albums, mainly of old songs rehashed or alternative versions.  It became almost impossible to keep up.  When you longed for one decent new album it didn't appear.  Well there were some classics along the way though.  'Only Visiting This Planet' was voted the best 'Christian' album of all time.  Then there was 'So Long Ago the Garden' and 'In Another Land' which completed a trilogy of classic Norman music.  In addition 'Something New under the Son', released late, because the record company thought it was too bluesy and different from his previous records.  'Stranded in Babylon' and 'Tourniquet' completed probably his 'best of'' works but there are many others, some of them real gems including some 'live' albums worth seeking out. 

Larry Norman 'appeared' at the right time - the Jesus People Movement was happening in the late sixties, early seventies.  Many thousands of young people including hippies were beginning to follow Jesus.  We needed those who could articulate faith in Jesus in a way understood by the culture of the day.  Larry was perhaps the most talented singer to emerge in that context.  His voice and his music became a soundtrack for many of us. 

Thank you Larry for the music and for being faithful and may you now rest in peace - HOME AT LAST.

 Colin Marriott                                                              09.03.2008 

You can  access Larry Norman's web site by clicking on the link below:

Larry Norman

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 4 Themes                     

Earlier this year I was at a conference in connection with my work and, as in many professions, great changes are taking place.  The conference was exploring some new possibilities and during one session 4 themes were highlighted.  These themes struck me as being relevant for today's church, so they got my attention in more ways than one.  In reading these themes you might bear in mind the story of Cornelius and Peter in Acts 10.  Peter had to undergo a radical rethink in his worldview and faith in order to understand what God was doing.  Changing our perspectives is never easy but I think these themes may help us.

1

Unlearn the history of what we've inherited

 

Unlearning stuff is a painful part of the process but necessary once we realise how deeply church has been affected by modernity and Christendom.

2

Citizenship

 

Stop withdrawing from the world.  Get involved.  Make a difference.  Be salt and light.

3

Stay small, grow new

 

Try new things - new and different expressions of church.  Develop a 'go' mentality rather than a 'come to us' attitude.

4

Move from the Extraordinary to the Ordinary

  See God in the ordinary, everyday world we live in.  The Kingdom on God is here and now.  Let's just live each day under His rule and reign.

 Colin Marriott                         13.11.2007  

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 Tall Skinny Kiwi         

I got to hear Andrew Jones, probably best known for his Tall Skinny Kiwi blog, at Greenbelt this year.  He spoke on 'set free to be the church'.  He talked about losing church in order to find it and he articulated a journey many of us have gone on or are going through.

I particularly found helpful his view about church being modular not singular and leaving simplicity for complexity.  This means that the Sunday service is no longer the dominant or only part of our spiritual experience, as we may have a variety of resources and connections in our spiritual lives.  He invited a couple of people to share their stories which illustrated these points.  One of them, Mark Berry shared about developing Rhythms to sustain his Christian community.

Andrew helped me to gain a clearer understanding of our journey and gave expression to stuff that I'd felt or sensed, so many thanks to the Tall Skinny Kiwi.

 Colin Marriott                         05.09.2007  

You can  access Andrew Jones' web site by clicking on the link below:

Tall Skinny Kiwi

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