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.
Hard To Get
Rich Mullins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt
Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did you forget about us after You had flown away
Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
While you're up there just playing hard to get
You who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then
Did You ever know loneliness
Did You ever know need
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?
And I know you bore our sorrows
And I know you feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained
And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this, somehow
All I really need to know
Is if You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
And we can not get free of what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get
The song "Hard to Get" by Rich Mullins is an emotional prayer that seeks to understand God's ways from the perspective of human experiences. The lyrics speak of the struggles, doubts, and pains that come with living on earth, and the frustration of feeling ignored by God. The song is a cry for help to a distant God who seems "hard to get". As the song progresses, Mullins shifts to a tone of surrender, acknowledging that he cannot fully comprehend God's ways, but trusts that God is present and leading him even in his confusion.
The first verse starts with a call to God who lives in heaven to hear the prayers of those who live on earth. This is followed by an expression of fear of being left by loved ones and the hardening of the heart that comes with being hurt. The song goes on to question God's memory and whether he remembers the struggles of living on earth. Mullins then goes on to acknowledge that despite his doubts, he has memorized every word of God and declares his fear of being left alone with God playing "hard to get".
In the second verse, Mullins recognizes that despite the love he feels, it is not as patient as God's love. He then goes on to ask if God ever knew loneliness, need, and the agony of a long night. He also mentions the pain and betrayal of his friends who fall asleep and do not see the blood running in his sweat. The song ends with the refrain "It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get", which shows that Mullins acknowledges that he cannot fully understand God's ways, but finds comfort in knowing that God has been with him all along.
Line by Line Meaning
You who live in heaven
Addressing God who lives in heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Requesting God to listen to the prayers of people on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
People on earth are afraid of being abandoned by their loved ones
And who get hardened by the hurt
People on earth develop hardness due to their painful experiences
Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
Asking God whether He remembers living on earth himself
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Struggling to have faith to ask God for their daily needs
Did you forget about us after You had flown away
Questioning if God forgot people after leaving earth
Well I memorized every word You said
Reminding God that every word spoken on earth is remembered by people
Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
People on earth are still scared and holding their breath with uncertainty
While you're up there just playing hard to get
God seems distant and unreachable to people on earth
You who live in radiance
Addressing God who lives in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
Requesting God to listen to the prayers of people who live in human bodies
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Acknowledging that human love is not as patient as God's love
Still we do love now and then
Despite being imperfect, people on earth still love occasionally
Did You ever know loneliness
Asking if God ever experienced loneliness
Did You ever know need
Asking if God ever had any needs
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
Asking God if He remembers how it feels to have endless nights of suffering
When You were barely holding on
Referencing God's suffering and endurance during His time on earth
And Your friends fall asleep
Recalling how God's friends fell asleep while He suffered
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat
Noticing how people miss the suffering of God when it is happening
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
Questioning if God will leave the mournful ones without comfort
While You're up there just playing hard to get?
While it seems that God is distant and unreachable, is He really like that?
And I know you bore our sorrows
Affirming that God carried the sorrows of people on earth
And I know you feel our pain
Acknowledging that God feels the pain experienced by people
And I know it would not hurt any less
Realizing that knowing these things still does not make the pain hurt any less
Even if it could be explained
Even though the pain could be explained, it would not hurt any less
And I know that I am only lashing out
Admitting to God that the person is only expressing anger towards Him
At the One who loves me most
Even though it is God who loves the person most
And after I figured this, somehow
After coming to this realization in some way
All I really need to know
All that the person needs to know is
Is if You who live in eternity
Asking God if He, who lives in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
Listens to the prayers of mortal beings who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
People on earth cannot perceive the future
And we can not get free of what we've left behind
People are unable to break free from the past
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
The person is still being affected by negative voices that are tormenting them
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
Reminding God about the negative voices that cause shame, doubt, blame and regret
I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
The person is unable to understand God's guidance unless they are lost
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
The person needs to be lost enough to follow God's lead
And so You've been here all along I guess
Acknowledge that God has been present through every situation, even if it feels like He is not
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get
The ways of God may be difficult to understand and His presence may feel distant.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jack Jackson
I don't tend to post prayers in youtube comments, but this one was on my heart:
My God my God, you seem to have forsaken us. You have told us to hope, then left us to 2000 years of war, strife, famine, and hatred. Even now we find ourselves fighting injustice, environmental degeneration, sickness, division, and a discord even within your universal Church. You have asked us to have faith that you will come soon, yet have seemed to leave "soon" as some time greater than 200 years. You tell us that we must love our neighbors, even though they revile and persecute your Church. So far, I can't see why.
Yet God, I cannot but continue to confess your goodness. If you are not of this world, then your commands are not of this world. If we follow your commands, then we will seem alien to this world. If we truly follow your call, then an earthly reward is hardly fitting. God, though I cannot look around and see hope, I will look to the things above, to hope in the eternal reward.
I pray for your goodness, your love, and your faith, both applied to myself and to come through myself. I live everyday constrained by my need for your mercy. I live everyday regretting the sins of the last, knowing that I am in need of your love. I can only hope without conviction to be better tomorrow, and it seems like only you might have faith in me.
I also need for you to let goodness, love, and faith to flow through me to others. If someone were to look at me, an overweight and unkind loser, and know that I was representing you, I would do the Kingdom a disservice. Only with you can I be good, and only in goodness, can I fulfill your commission.
As I look to the things above, give me charity to worship you through the things of below. I guess you're just up there, playin' hard to get.
megan nicole
It changed my life when a pastor told me that God can take whatever I have to say to him. I learned to be blunt with him. I learned to tell him when I felt like he wasn't there, when I felt like it was all a big joke. And ultimately it has lead me into a deeper relationship with him. Sometimes it really is hard. Sometimes we just need to know that he understands that it's hard. He can handle our anger, he can handle our hurt. Just take it to him.
ericmizuno
Thank you so much for sharing this. The Spirit touched me through your words. So true that He knows us as we are and cannot not love us. He is incapable of not loving us....and I need to stop trying to earn His love and to be lovable to Him.
Doug Novak
This song always pierces me to my core. So many times has it brought me comfort, helped me express my grief, and given me direction. Thank God for Rich Mullins for his servanthood.to the Lord. Forever and always.
Steven Bowser
It's when songwriters are truly honest about their experience that they can write songs that are actually profound and make an impact on people.
jully716
Mindblowing, totally and completely mindblowing. Thank you Lord for giving us Rich.
Janelle Stoermer
It's crazy to think that he recorded this just days before the Lord took him home. It's a beautiful song, and expresses how we feel sometimes as believers on earth. We KNOW the truth, but need those reminders that God hasn't forgotten us.
Vindicated306
My pastor's Christmas Eve message tonight was on this very topic. Talking about how we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses. How Jesus was tempted in every way we were and he understands everything we go through. We have a Savior who understands what it feels like to be lonely, worn out, who grieved along with His friends at Lazurus' tomb, who sometimes needed to get away and have some quiet time with His Abba, and who was fully God and fully man. We may not always get Him, but He gets us.
PJ Taylor
Hearing this song for the first time today weeping and praying this song as I am so weary over my ill children. Lonely and grieving over loss
harpazohope
Just a stranger, but I'm praying for you. Be strong. And if you can't, find strength in weakness. I've had an ill child. I might understand. Jesus handled all my doubts just fine.
Toby K. Woodard
We can't see what's ahead
And we can not get free of what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret