Several years ago a friend of mine turned me onto an awesome singer/songwriter and mandolin player named Mark Heard. Mark was one of those radical Christians who lived his life to the fullest. I don't know a whole lot about his life other than the fact that he died too young.

He was a "musician's" musician and well known in that circle but never achieved mainstream popularity. After his death a lot of musicians got together and made a tribute album for his wife because Mark had no insurance when he died. It was called "Strong Hand Of Love" and features various popular artists recording his songs.



I think the thing that initially intrigued me about Mark was that even though he was a Christian, and many of his lyrics reflect this, pushing every song through a "popular plastic" Christian singer/songwriter mode was not his style. Many people at that time had become very legalistic in their listening habits and everything that didn't have the name of the Lord in every verse was suspect. This, even though many of those popular Christian artists were doing drugs, getting divorced and in reality could never live up to the hype surrounding them.

I didn't know it at the time but I came into contact with Mark Heard after discovering another singer-songwriter named Pirece Pettis. I saw him at a club in Asheville, North Carolina in the early nineties at the recommendation of a friend who listened to a lot of "semi-Christian" music.

Pirece sang a song that evening I later learned was a Mark Heard song called "Nod Over Coffee". If you want to listen to it click the link below.

Nod Over Coffee

I was struck by its warmth and sincerity along with its poetic nature. I personally like Pierce's version better than Mark's although they are both good. Sometimes the interpretation is more developed than the original.

What got me started in this vein was a mention in church last Sunday about the dry bones in Ezekiel chapter 37. In that chapter Ezekiel was told to prophesy to a great many dry bones in a valley. Ezekiel goes on to say:

So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. (KJV)

Now you are probably wondering how I got here from where I began—it's easy—Mark Heard also wrote a song about dry bones called "Dry Bones Dance"  One of the verses goes like this:

Every now and then I seem to dream these dreams
Where the dead ones live and the hurt ones heal
Touching that miraculous circumstance
Where the blind ones see and the dry bones dance

The point being that things are not always what they seem on the surface in the kingdom of God—that there still is hope for us even though we sometimes think we are dry and barren.

In closing, I have included a link to a Mark Heard lyrics page and another verse to another song that I keep on the wall by my computer at work. I think it sums up where I am occasionally, have been visitor of, and may find myself sometimes in the future. It's a cry we can all relate to. Have a great ride.

I Just Want To Be Warm

There are things I should remember
But I have forgotten how
I'm all tied up with no time
Trying do too much
And the thoughts that I've avoided
Are the ones I need right now
Like a warm wind and love's hand
And I just wanna be touched
And I just wanna be real
And I just wanna get well
And I just wanna be healed
And I just wanna be warm

PS: (1/1/2008) I received this e-mail a day or two after I posted this. The video is great...check it out.

If you would like to watch a music video of Pierce Pettis performing Nod Over Coffee, you can see it my blog. I also posted the full lyrics to the song.

I appreciate you keeping Mark's music alive.

Okie Lawyer