Ragamuffin Page #2

by staying at home.

So I left.

You know, it's interesting.

I had reached

a point in my life

where I decided

to get serious

about my faith

before I had no faith

to get serious about.

Not that going

to Bible College

is particularly

the place to get serious

about your faith

but nevertheless,

that's where I went.

Hey! What are you

doing with my stuff?

Oh, I thought

this would be okay.

I prefer

to sleep with my--

You thought...

this would be okay?

Let me ask you

a question.

You ever stare danger

straight in the eye

and live

to tell about it?

Name's Sam.

[both chuckle]

Just joking, man.

You must be Rich.

Yeah.

Yeah, nice

to meet you, man.

You scared me there

for a second.

I've got kind

of a weird sense

of humor.

You should know

that up front.

Hey, I think

that's everything.

Your mom and I

are going

to head back.

So--

(Sam)

Cool.

Oh, hi.

I'm Morris.

Hey,Dad.

Hi, Morris.

I'm Rich.

I'm the dad.

It's nice

to meet you.

You can go

now, Dad.

Yeah, we're going

to head back.

Love you, Pops.

(Morris)

I love you, too, man.

You guys have fun.

We'll see you.

There you go.

Nice to meet

you, Morris.

Hey, um--

I got

a question for you.

You seem

kind of like

a handsome guy.

I wasn't really popular

with the girls

in high school

so I want you

to shoot me straight.

Does this,

uh, beard

make me look fat?

[chuckle]

No, serious.

I don't know

how to answer

that question.

That's fair enough.

That's fair enough.

[both chuckling]

Oh, man.

So you're a bully.

My time at CBC

kind of flew by fast.

Sam and I hit it

off well and became

good friends quickly.

[laughing]

Being in

a structured institution,

I found myself asking

a lot of questions

about the church,

about authority.

They weren't

always popular

with the faculty.

oh, you play?

Yeah, absolutely.

I play all the time.

Oh, man.

Yeah, I saw

the case.

You want to jam?

Yeah'.!

Yeah.

For sure.

Sam and I formed

a small band called Zion.

We started off playing

at small coffeeshops

around Cincinnati,

and then eventually

in church auditoriums.

The more I played,

the more I realized

that I didn't want

to just play music.

I wanted a ministry.

So we moved off campus

our senior year

with a couple

of the other

members of the band.

It was exciting

to feel God working

through me

even on a small stage

like Cincinnati.

[intense piano playing]

He is incredible.

He's pretty good.

[chuckle]

There he

goes again.

Richard.

Richard.

I thought I told you

you weren't allowed

to play

on campus anymore.

Especially if you're bent

on destroying another piano.

Mr. Walters,

I'm sorry.

I asked Richard

to play for orientation.

It's my fault.

Monday morning,

I want you prepared

to quote the first

chapter of Isaiah

in my office

eight a.m. sharp.

I can do that.

[chuckling]

[squealing]

Break it up.

(girl)

It was so good.

Take it easy.

It was just one song.

It was great.

It really was.

I see

the Scripture

Police got you.

You noticed

that, huh?

I did.

(Rich)

Thankfully, he's given

me that chapter before.

Man, what's up

with that guy?

It's ridiculous.

[laughing]

Hi. Um, that

was incredible.

I've never heard

anything like that

before, ever.

[chuckling]

Um, I'm--

hi, I'm Beth.

I'm Rich.

Nice to meet you.

You sing?

Uh, yeah.

I mean, just

at, like,

church at home.

You should sing

with our band, Zion.

You've never

heard me play.

I mean, sing.

Oh, I'm sure

you're fine.

Jesus isn't picky.

[chuckle]

Um, this is

my friend, Jess.

Say hi.

He)'-

(Jess)

That was great.

You, too.

Or not

you too.

I don't--

I don't sing

at all.

No, that's not

what I meant. Um--

It was nice

to meet you.

Yeah.

We'll see

you around?

Yep.

Got it.

Ah. She's pretty, huh?

(girl)

Pretty cute.

(Rich, off)

I tried my best

to ignore her

and just focus

on Zion or school.

But I couldn't help it.

Uh, from the moment

I met Jess, I--

I couldn't get her

out of my mind.

Sorry about the car.

I pretended to know,

like I know something

about cars

for as long

as I could

and keep it up.

I think

I figured it

out pretty quickly.

Yeah, sorry

about that.

It's all right.

I'll stick

with the piano.

Hold on.

There are a lot

of really amazing

doors on this campus

but these are

probably my favorite.

They're beautiful.

You want to sit

for a bit?

Sure.

Do you write?

Some.

ljournaL

Journal?

How morose

of you.

Hmm.

What do you

write about?

[tsk]

Oh, my dreams.

Fears.

Dreams about what?

About the man

I'll marry

and settle

down with.

The house

we'll live in.

The kids.

The dog.

That's what you

want most.

Yeah.

Yeah, a home

and someone

to share it with.

What about your fears?

Being alone.

No, I mean--

I'm terrified

of myself sometimes,

of this loneliness

I feel inside of me.

It's like, um--

it's like

a black hole

or something.

Even when you're

as close as you can be

to another person,

even when you're touching.

That's exactly it.

Feel alone now?

[happy shout]

[giggle]

Jess and I

were immediately

drawn to each other.

Over the next few months,

I spent some of the most

meaningful days of my life

with her

and learning

each other's stories,

and sharing dreams.

We were just two lonely people

who had found each other

in the dark.

[giggling]

When I was with Jess,

I felt--

I felt something

I hadn't felt

in a long time.

I felt like I was home.

[Rich, strumming guitar

and humming]

J3 Life goes on

and so must the song J3

X1 D00 doo doooo

doc D

[humming]

(Rich, on reel)

J Sing your praise

to the Lord

Come on everybody

and stand up and sing

one more

J Hallelujah, sing

your praise

to the Lord

J I can never tell you .U

I love it.

Is that the guy?

I love it.

[click]

I want to do

this one.

Bryan?

It's very different.

I like different.

I'm sick of the same.

I want to do this song.

Yeah. I'm

with Amy

on this.

It's a good song.

[sigh]

I'll make

the call.

[loud music playing]

Rich!

Ric h a rd!

Rich! Pick

up the phone!

Right here.

Get on the phone

right now!

Who is it?

What are you

freaking out about?

It's Nashville!

The city

of Nashville

is calling?

No, it's some guy

from a record label

that represents Amy Grant.

And he wants

to talk to you!

Did you do this?

No!

Was it Gary?

It wasn't me.

It's Beth.

This had to have

been Beth. Beth!

[giggling]

(girl)

Just' pick

up the phone.

(Gary)

Turn it off.

[music stops]

Hello?

Yes, is this

Rich Mullins?

This is Rich Mullins.

Rich, this is Bryan

Bontrager from Nashville.

Well, what can I do

for you Bryan Bontrager

from Nashville?

(Bryan, over phone)

Rich,

Amy Grant heard your song

Sing Your Praise

to the Lord

and she wants to use it

on her next album.

Who's Amy Grant?

Are you kidding me?

Oh!

Excuse me?

Shhh.

Sorry about that.

Go ahead.

Okay, well, um,

listen, Rich,

we'd like to bring you

down to Nashville

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