Daniel Jackson
Assistant Online Editor
When Dr. Peter Held taught at Southeastern Bible College in Birmingham, Ala., in the early 1990s, he discovered the music of Michael Card. A student approached Held and handed him a relic of the ‘90s: a cassette tape with Card’s songs on it.
“You gotta hear this guy,” the student told Held. “You’ll love him.”
“Oh yeah, right,” thought Held.
Today, Held is looking forward to meeting Card once again when Card, singer, songwriter and Bible teacher, speaks at chapel Sept. 21 and 23. Held is not alone: many of Bryan’s community who grew up on Card’s music are also excited about his visit.
In this visit, Card will speak about Jesus in the Gospel of Luke because Card’s most recent work is an album titled, “Luke, a World Turned Upside Down.”
“It was the theology that hit me the most,” said Held, recalling his reaction to the student’s tape.
Held said Card has unique observations into the Bible because he is an artist and a Bible scholar. Held quoted a line from the song “Jubilee,” “To look into your judge’s face / And see a Savior there.”
Someday, we will all be judged, said Held, and this line captures the complexity of the nature of Jesus as our judge and savior in an artistic, compelling way.
However, Card’s creative process did not come easily to him. His website said, “Card would frequently agonize over having to condense the vast depth and richness of scripture into a three-minute song.”
Such work led Card to compose songs such as “El Shaddai,” “Joy in the Journey” and “God’s Own Fool”—just some of the his 19 number one hits. Some of these songs have made it into modern hymnals. In a 30 year career, Card has recorded over 31 albums.
Today, Card’s music has lost much of its mass appeal. “I’m drawn to [his music], I know everybody’s not,” said Held. He said students today are not as familiar with Card’s work. Card’s hits have a ‘90s sound.
Most students growing up in Christian homes may remember their parents listening to Michael Card. Held said he would play Card to his two daughters. This was the way he taught them about theology when they questioned the lyrics. Other parents would play Card’s “Sleep Sound in Jesus” CD to their children as they fell asleep.
Ben Norquist, director of spiritual formation, recalls singing along to “Joy in the Journey”—sometimes at the top of his lungs. He belongs to the generation that embraced Michael Card.
He booked Card for chapel because he thought he can teach students many things. When Norquist was a student at Bryan, Card spoke in chapel. As a student, Norquist remembers “deeply appreciating the spirit of the man.”
One of the goals of the spiritual formation office is introducing the student body to notable people, role models. With many of the student body aspiring to become celebrities in one way or another, Norquist thought it was important to have students see a rooted Christian wearing the celebrity status.
As a successful songwriter, Card is a “celebrity who is not enchanted with being a celebrity,” said Norquist.
Card earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biblical studies from Western Kentucky University. He now resides in Franklin, Tenn., with his wife Susan. They have four children.