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The Native Tourist
reformed/biblical observations on Christianity and culture

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Larry Norman, R.I.P.
A friend sent me an email that Christian Rock legend Larry Norman died Sunday. My first encounter with Norman's music came when I was a new Christian in the 70s: his song "I Wish we'd All Been Ready" was featured in the goofy apocalyptic movie A Thief in the Night.

I really only listened Larry Norman's music after I got married. He was a bit before my time. But he and the other "Jesus Music" pioneers of the late 60s/early 70s are hugely influential on the present-day church. Just as we owe the present state of cultural involvement to the likes of Francis Schaeffer and Hans Rookmaaker and their influential books, we also owe a large portion of this to the Christian musicians who broke away from frozen, mediocre cultural hegemony of the conservative church in the 60s. They made it much easier for the rest of us.

Larry Norman lived in Salem, Oregon, which is where I work. Maybe it will work out for me to go to his funeral. We'll see.