Shortly after Unlimited Magazine published my article, "Changing My Religion," I received a request from Christian Week magazine to publish a shortened version of the piece, which is in the latest issue. You can read the online version here.
"Sweat runs down my face. Drops sting my eyes, which are half-blinded by the glare of stage lights. I strain to see people I know in the shadows of this dimly-lit bar, applauding in waves whenever we finish a song. Our own volume is a tsunami by comparison, a roar so loud my ears will ring until I drift off to sleep around 4 a.m. after the final song has been sung, last call announced and the gear safely stowed in our practice space. Tomorrow night we’ll haul it out again. I’ll set up my amp and plug in my guitar in a very different venue.
Tonight wine is one of many spirits imbibed—probably the least popular in the type of places my band, Seven Devil Fix, plays. Tomorrow, if wine is present, it will be a sacrament of the spirit. Tonight I sing for the pleasure of these patrons; tomorrow I will sing for the applause of heaven. In less than 24 hours my feet will touch down in two worlds. While I’m learning to live with the tension between the secular and the sacred, it hasn’t always been easy."
The rest of the article can be found HERE.
Good article, Mike. After I read the link to the shortened article, I managed to find the full length article from unlimited magazine. It was a very thought provoking article and has given me something to chew on for the next little while.
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