I started writing for Hollywood Jesus back in the beginning because I strongly believed in the vision and concept of building bridges as opposed to putting up walls. I have tried to live that in all aspects of my life, sometimes, I succeed. It was through this effort and the help of David Bruce, HJ's founder and others that I started The Virtual Pew, an online community of faith helping build bridges, a concept that has extended into all areas of my life.
When I first started doing reviews all those years ago at Tabor College it was for music not movies. I always loved movies but music has always been my first love. Over the last 30 years I've been playing music. Prior to that starting in 1978 I did band management and concert promotion. Through all of those efforts I was inducted in 2018 into the International Blues Hall of Fame and with the death of my wife, she encouraged me to do my own project, so I did. It was the self titled project Pastor Mike and the Demon Slayer Blues Band, released in 2021.
It was back at the start of Covid that we scheduled our CD release party. To be short, it was a nightmare, literally. You see, we aren't a "Christian" band. We are a blues band. Although I am a Christiana and much of what I write is from a Christian world-view not everyone in the band is a Christian and I don't pretend that we are. Just like in real life, as a follower of Jesus, I work with people of varying faiths. For this show though, it was the Perfect Storm of all that could go wrong. First a keyboard player who was living with me, robbed me and moved out of the house, he was critical in getting the songs started. We as a band showed up but were not in the place to perform. Then there was the rush to fill band spots resulting in only one practice for the performing band. Then I was in an incredible amount of pain where I had taken 5 Oxys for pain. I later found out I had had a heart attack on stage. Two weeks later I had quadruple bypass surgery for 4 arteries blocked 100%. After being on a ventilator for a couple of days and in ICU for several days, I begin the long road to recovery. That was around 5 months ago, and that horrible night musically needed the opportunity for redemption.
Redemption is a strange concept. It not only applies to issues related to faith but also life. With redemption sometimes comes the concept of one doing their part, be it a confession regarding mistakes, for example having the band play when I should have canceled, then that I was making mistakes in the decisions and leadership I was providing. I realized though, I needed to do something to correct the mistakes and failures in regards to the band.
So it was, about 3 weeks after my heart surgery I and the guys in the band made some hard decisions We decided to seek redemption. We begin practicing 3 - 4 times each week for as long as I could practice My lung capacity was not up to par and it will take upwards of a year to get to where it should be. It took work, effort and a willingness of others to give us a chance. I am sure word got out, without explanation as to why we were so bad in that first go around as a band. Sure we had had good outings but people would remember the one bad one.
After serious practice and effort we found people willing to give us a chance, first at a music festival where we did 3, 1 and 1/2 hour sets, and then this last week at the place where the heart attack happened and we had had such a miserable outing. The Elbow Room in Wichita Kansas.
After so much effort not quitting, sticking it out, working through differences, the 4 of us sought redemption. We had learned to come together, me a Christian deeply devoted to my faith, yet, not judgmental and realizing I live in a world of brokenness, working alongside an agnostic who has serious issues with Christianity, and another who has also had issues with Christians. One of us a political conservative, one a moderate and another extremely to the left politically, together through music, realizing that the message of music, the concept of coming together as a band was far more important than the differences many choose to focus on. So these four ragamuffins, (yes I use that term with intent) came together to play for redemption It first begin with each other, then as an outward symbol to those who would witness our example.
The first one to give us a chance was the one who had first given the opportunity of where we failed so miserably. Thankfully, he, like God will give a second chance, it is only with second chances that any of us can correct the past, that's one reason it's so important to give others that second chance when we need to offer, an opportunity for redemption.
Sure, there were mistakes when we played. There was the occasional off key vocal, a missed chord or a dropped drum stick, but those mistakes were corrected. In the end, after the hard work where we appreciated the opportunity to correct our previous fiasco, we worked for redemption. In the end, we were appreciative that the crowd stuck around. Every song was applauded, something we hadn't heard before. Then there was the compliments. Things like, we were the best band in our area they had heard, or being amazed at our musicianship, being so tight as a band and much more. Compliments that went far and beyond what we expected, yet, were good to hear.
Did we obtain redemption? Yes, I think so, but it came with effort. Does God require effort on our part? I don't know the answer to that, I do know the Bible uses words like repentance which requires a change, it talks about loving people, it talks about realizing the benefits and gifts of others. It speaks of the body and importance of people using their individual gifts and coming together. I love that about bands in particular, it isn't really about one person, it is about a group of people, with different talents and abilities coming together to make something beautiful. It is as we do that, be it in music or in life, that we build bridges. We can show the world the beauty of working through mistakes and yes, maybe, just maybe, that in life, redemption is possible.
The following is the video for Pastor Mike and the Demon Slayer Blues Band first video release of On My Knees, so far on all formats, receiving over one million views.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9g74sirsHQ
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