It surfaced again when I was picking music to play on my Harley Davidson ride to the big Sturges Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. That's when it turned out that I preferred listening to Steve Bell over Steppenwolf, the Animals, and all the other quintessential motorcycle music. I loved starting my day, stiff from the day before, playing "on a morning like this…." Steve Bell's song about Mary and the birth of Jesus.
St. Thomas Anglican Church (http://stthomaschilliwack.com) was celebrating their 140th anniversary. This fine old wooden church had been rafted there on three pairs of war canoes. It's a beautiful wood finishing was resplendent this night.
I invited my fiddling Chilliwack friend, Tom, to join me. Working late, as usual, I wasn't able to get there on time so we entered the church, Steve Bell's music meeting us at the door. What a wonderful introduction to the Advent season, the time of anticipation of the coming of the Lord.
It was an evening of spiritual music and story telling. Steve shared between songs the origins of the music from meeting the poet laureate at the Oxford C.S. Lewis festival to a night in Israel. Each song rose into the rafters and seemed to meet with the music of hosts of angels. It was that kind of other worldly night. The voices of those there joined with Steve's. That old church was happy in the song and praise.
Steve had just come from playing with the Winnipeg Symphony. I was surprised to learn he hailed from Winnipeg. He has Juno awards and 17 records, one of the most famous Christian artists of our time.
He spoke of his wife and children and prayer. A beautiful evening. Tom thanked me profusely for introducing him to Steve Bell. All the while I was remembering the high country I'd ridden through this summer in Idaho and Montana listening to this inspiring sacred music.
Thank you Steve Bell for a reminder of the glory of God's love.
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