His funeral was open to the public and had a massive gathering. He is buried in the Harrison Township Cemetery in Hollansburg, Ohio, alongside his baby brother who died as an infant and his father.[
Between 1974-78, Mullins attended Cincinnati Bible College. He worked in a parking garage to help pay for his schooling. [7] From 1975 -1978 he was also the Music Director and Youth Director at Erlanger United Methodist Church in nearby Erlanger, Kentucky. [8]
In the mid-1980s he moved to Nashville, Tennessee to begin his professional recording career.
Mullins is best known for his worship songs "Step by Step" (later incorporated into his hit single "Sometimes by Step") and "Awesome God", both of which have been embraced as modern classics by many Christians. Some of his albums are also considered among Christian music's best, including Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth (1988), The World As Best As I Remember It, Volume One (1991) and A Liturgy, A Legacy, & A Ragamuffin Band (1993). His music has been covered by many artists, including Caedmon's Call, Five Iron Frenzy, Amy Grant, Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, John Tesh, Chris Rice and Third Day.[1]
In 1988, Mullins moved to Wichita, Kansas where, in 1991, he enrolled as a student at Friends University and lived with his best friend, David Strasser (a.k.a. Beaker). He graduated with a B.A. in Music Education on May 14, 1995 [12]. After graduation, he and musician Mitch McVicker moved to a Navajo reservation in Tse Bonito, New Mexico to teach music to children. They lived in a hogan at the reservation until his death.
Rich Mullins is also remembered for his devotion to the Christian faith, which was often an inspiration to others. He was heavily influenced by St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). In 1997, he composed a musical called Canticle of the Plains, a retelling of the life of St. Francis set in the Old West. [2]
His biggest hits were the praise choruses Awesome God and Step by Step. Three of his albums are considered among Christian music's best: Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth (1988), The World As Best As I Remember It, Volume 1 (1991) and A Liturgy, a Legacy & a Ragamuffin Band (1993). The posthumous The Jesus Record include one disc of demos he had recorded shortly before his death, and a second disc of recordings of the songs completed by The Ragamuffin Band, several with guest vocalists.
Mullins often called St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) his hero. He modeled his life after St. Francis by showing great compassion towards the poor and adhering to a vow of poverty. In 1997, he composed a musical about the life of St. Francis set in the Old West titled Canticle of the Plains.
Mullins was seen as an enigma to the Christian music industry. Often barefoot, unshaven, and badly in need of a haircut, Mullins did not look like the average American Gospel music writer. He was very much at home among the non-Christians, and unafraid to name his own sin and inadequacies in public. This baffled some in the American Christian culture where he seemed an odd member. His lifestyle was unquestionably marked by devotion and discipline, yet his simultaneous refusal to subscribe to contemporary Christian "niceties" made him a bit of an uncomfortable presence in the Christian music culture. Although he achieved a significant amount of success on Christian radio, he never received a Dove Award until after his death.
Unlike most artists in Contemporary Christian music, Mullins did not consider his music his primary ministry, but rather a means to pay his bills. Instead, his ministry was the way he treated his neighbors, family, enemies, and those outside the church. Taking a vow of poverty, he accepted a small church salary and spent the last years of his life on a Navajo reservation teaching music to children.
Awesome God
Rich Mullins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He ain't just putting on the ritz
(Our God is an awesome God)
There's thunder in His footsteps
And lightning in His fists
(Our God is an awesome God)
When He kicked 'em out of Eden
It wasn't for no reason
That He shed His blood
His return is very close
And so you better be believing that
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
And when the sky was starless
In the void of the night
(Our God is an awesome God)
He spoke into the darkness
And created the light
(Our God is an awesome God)
Judgment and wrath He poured out on the Sodom
Mercy and grace He gave us at the cross
I hope that you have not
Too quickly forgotten that
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God (Our God is an awesome God)
He reigns from heaven above (He reigns from heaven above)
With wisdom, power, and love (With wisdom, power, and love)
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
The song "Awesome God" by Rich Mullins is a powerful declaration about the greatness of God. The lyrics use metaphors to paint vivid images of God's power and might. The songwriter begins by stating that when God "rolls up His sleeves" it is not a trivial matter, but instead it is a display of His authority and sovereignty. The use of the phrase "putting on the ritz" suggests that God is not just putting on a show, but that He is truly magnificent. The following lines, "there's thunder in His footsteps and lightning in His fists" add to this image of God's immense power; the use of these descriptions creates a sense of awe and reverence towards God.
The lyrics then transition to exploring the idea of God's judgment and mercy. The writer reminds the listener that the expulsion from Eden was not done without reason, and that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was not without significant cost. Yet in the midst of this, God is seen as "awesome" for His qualities of wisdom, power, and love. The last stanza emphasizes God's creative power, declaring that God spoke into the darkness and created light. The message of the song is clear: only a God who is truly "awesome" could possess such might, wisdom, and love.
Line by Line Meaning
When He rolls up His sleeves
He ain't just putting on the ritz
(Our God is an awesome God)
When God takes action, He isn't doing it for show. (Our God is powerful and amazing.)
There's thunder in His footsteps
And lightning in His fists
(Our God is an awesome God)
God's presence is powerful and awe-inspiring. (Our God is powerful and amazing.)
And the Lord wasn't joking
When He kicked 'em out of Eden
It wasn't for no reason
That He shed His blood
His return is very close
And so you better be believing that
Our God is an awesome God
God's actions and sacrifices are significant and for a purpose. (Our God is powerful and amazing.)
And when the sky was starless
In the void of the night
(Our God is an awesome God)
God created light and brought illumination to the darkness. (Our God is powerful and amazing.)
Judgment and wrath He poured out on the Sodom
Mercy and grace He gave us at the cross
I hope that you have not
Too quickly forgotten that
Our God is an awesome God
God is capable of both judgement and mercy, and we must remember this. (Our God is powerful and amazing.)
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
God's reign is characterized by wisdom, power, and love. (Our God is powerful and amazing.)
Our God is an awesome God (Our God is an awesome God)
He reigns from heaven above (He reigns from heaven above)
With wisdom, power, and love (With wisdom, power, and love)
Our God is an awesome God
God is consistently awesome and powerful in every aspect of His being. (Our God is powerful and amazing.)
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, DistroKid, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Richard Mullins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind