Taking God To The Beats!

A Man On Fire!

If one were to venture up to the top of the Y Center into the often forgotten "Y in the Sky" you would hear a sweet, sweet sound reverberating through the halls. Just what is that sound? It is the sound of Jerry Rezloff and his band of kids (as well as his son Jeremy) learning to sing and play instruments. But these kids are not just learning how to play the drums and guitar by any ordinary means. They are doing it by learning to play praise and worship music. They practice to the very same songs that we sing during our Church services!

Now I have to admit that when it comes to this program, and the director himself for that matter, I am certainly biased. For starters I happen to know him. I lift weights daily at the Y Center and one day while walking towards the entrance I couldn’t help but to notice bright lights flashing through one of the front windows facing the parking lot. I entered the room where I saw a man playing a praise tune on his guitar alongside his son beating away (and he is fantastic) on the drums. The room was plastered with pictures taken from the film "The Passion of Christ" and was lined wall to wall with all sorts of instruments. This guy had a great set-up and on top of it all was playing music that was glorifying the Lord!

We began talking and instantly hit it off. He is a pastor of a small Methodist church (He is a self-described stick in the mud within that denomination due to his Biblical stance on the issue of homosexuality) and an active member of the Salvation Army. He said that he has a real heart for the poor and for the children. He began talking to me about what he is doing for social change and his talking almost immediately set my heart aflame with joy! (Believe it or not I am a strong advocate for social change *smile*) From that point onward we have remained in communication and I would consider him a friend.

What made me feel like I ought to write about him and his "School on the Rock" was not as much how great the program is, or how I consider him a friend, rather, it is that men like him are so few and far between that to pass him by but with just a nod and a glance would be unfortunate. There are so few men that take the step beyond belief into the sacred realm of action. There are even less that do so from a perspective so Theo-centric. It would be an understatement to say that Gerry has Christ as the center of his life and his ministry. The spirit radiating off of this man is one of passion, diligence, commitment, and hope. He believes in his heart of hearts that God's way is the best way and the closer we align ourselves with His plan or design the better we and our pursuits (or gifts and talents) will be.

For thos like myself frustrated by Church apathy pertaining to social matters Gerry is a breath of fresh air. As for the men and women who desire to see God put back into every area of life (including the realm of music which Christendom championed for hundreds of years!) we have been given a living epistle by which to mimic. His name is Gerry Rezloff. My advice to you would be not only to do as he says, but also as he does.