The Official Monthly Jars of Clay Email News Digest
11/8/97
Approx. 5,500 Subscribers
www.jarsofclay.com
CONTENTS:
*Much Afraid Update
*Letter from Matt Odmark
*Launch CDRom Performance/Interview
*Earthen Vessels Poem
*Concert Review #1: Ford Theater, Los Angeles, CA 10/9/97
*Two Halloween Concert Reviews:
10/31/97 Northrup Aud.,
Minneapolis, MN
*Prayer Requests
*Article: Out of the jar, into the fire
*Listen to Much Afraid on your computer
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
*Much Afraid Update:
Charts:
Much Afraid made it to Gold album status a few weeks ago, and debuted in the Billboard Top 200 albums at #8. Seven weeks later, it remains in the Top 50. The album is obviously growing on people after many listens, as it continues to do so well after so long!
Last week, the Crazy Times single cracked the Billboard Modern Rock Top 40 at #40. Requests to all secular stations are crucial, if jars are to be heard more on these stations in the future! Please help by requesting the single.
The Crazy Times video is in regular rotation on Much Music. Furthermore, the video is being played on "The Box", a cable service for music videos. Request video #202 to see the video! It was also played for MTV's "12 Angry Viewers" and sure enough made many of the fans angry! Enough said...
TV Appearances:
Unknown many of us, Jars of Clay appeared last month on UPN-Network's "Vibe" and performed Crazy Times for many viewers across the country. There has been a detailed documentary filmed for ABC's Primetime Live, but no details yet as to when it will be br oadcast (although it will definitely be on a Wednesday night from 10pm - 11pm). Keep an eye on ABC's website to make sure you don't miss it:
http://www.abc.com/tvschedule/index.html
In addition, they have a tentative slot with David Letterman for sometime this winter, but that segment also continues to bounce around to different dates. Keep an eye on the official website for up to date news on these features.
Tour Update:
Please see the website for tour updates. Incidentally, there were some cancelled shows out west due to the jars being stranded in Colorado during the storm! The rescheduled dates were posted at the website and are now over with. There is quite a story behind the jars being stranded and helped out by the National Guard's Hummer - which also couldn't make it through the snow to deliver the guys to their destination. They ended up staying in a Motel basement along with a number of other stranded people including fans. The irony...the "Crazy Tour " is surely living up to its name!
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
*Letter from Matt Odmark:
Greetings to all our friends and fans^. Just a short note to give you an update on anything of interest happening in our world. First of all many, many thanks to all of you who have supported us so well in this first few weeks of our new album being out. It is truly humbling to see how many people have responded with excitement and enthusiasm to the new project. We all feel like we worked very hard to make this record, and have chosen a particularly transparent and invested approach to it, so it is very encouraging to see how so many have responded either verbally or simply by going out and buying the record. Many thanks to all of you.
Things in our lives have been rather busy as of late, which I am learning comes to accompany the release of a new album. We have presently returned from a week long visit to the UK and to Germany, which put the end on our promotional tour, and we are now turning our attention to the Fall. As you probably know we are kicking off our fall tour (with a band called Plumb) and we will be spending the upcoming months on the road with them, hopefully in a town near you.
I also wanted to take an opportunity to thank you all for the continued support and interest that you have maintained in the hearts of the band; for the many, many prayers, letters and words of encoragement. You all have been such an asset. To update you all on myself personally, I will simply share that the Lord has been good in the last several months. Much has happened since I last wrote to you all. Mainly, I have been introduced in a new and profound way to Jesus as healer. The Lord has tested my fai th in him as healer these past months, in challenging me to look into the deepest places of myself, the ugliest wounds and the things that seem hopelessly unchangeable about me - and has asked me to honestly and humbly bring them before the throne. To say that it has been difficult would be to understate. But what I have begun to realize is that if I or if any of us really do believe much of anything that the gospel states - if we are willing to say that Jesus' words can be taken at all literally, and not simply as high ideals - then we can begin to look at ourselves much in the way that Dan Allender might encourage us to, and know that some of "our greatest hope lies in facing how bad things really are."
The Gospel is certainly just a nice collection of words and stories if it doesn't begin to meet us and change us exactly where we are, no matter how glorious or how horrible. So for me, these past months have been months where I've grudgingly followed God into the places that I would much rather not go. Most of these are not physical places necessarily but perhaps more spiritual places. Corners of my own heart. Musty and dark corners. For me it has been a journey towards realizing that I am both a sinne r and one who has been sinned against. One who needs healing both for the wounds that I carry, and also, grace, forgiveness and healing of my propensity to wound others.
To say that this journey has been a difficult one would again be to understate. However I can say that I do have hope. I realize now more than ever that much of the gift of the gospel is simply that of hope. Because ours is not the gift of an absence of struggle often it seems quite the opposite. But the difference between struggle without hope and the struggle with hope is monumental. So it is with this thought and this encouragement that I leave you, that the Lord is faithful to heal, and to restore. I pray that many of you are experiencing the strong and steady work of the Fathers hand on your heart, may we all run to the Father with a renewed passion and honesty, knowing that nothing is truly hidden from him. May your faith increase.
With much Love and gratitude, your friend,
-Matthew Odmark
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
*Launch CDRom: Performance/Interview
(Issue 15 w/ Radiohead on the cover)
Thanks to Libbyp3@aol.com for a nice transcription of this cd-rom feature:
Launch is a mainstream entertainment magazine-like cd-rom which covers Music (performances and interviews) as well as movies and computer games. The Cd-rom is set up like a cityscape in which you have to click on certain buildings east or west to get to the various topics. There is an area of Launch City called "the Hang" where they have musical performances and interviews.
In "the Hang", Dan is sitting on this bench with Jars of Clay written on his t-shirt. You have to click on him to enter the interview. Then you see the side of this old brick building with the figures of Charlie and Steve (frozen still - not moving) sitting on this scaffold thing which is held up by ropes and pulleys, fully equipped with a couple of pigeons. It is positioned underneath a window of this building. They have a bucket with rags and a squeegee sitting between them like they are window washers.
All of a sudden, the curtain in the window opens and it's used as a screen backdrop for the live acoustic Crazy Times performance! On the screen is written "A Launch Exclusive". It was shot in L.A., in what looks like a coffeehouse. All four guys are s eated, with Steve playing lead acoustic guitar and Matt playing twelve string. The tempo is more upbeat than the slow groove of Seatbelt Tuba's CT. Charlie trades the piano accompaniment of ST for organ; and there are no drums or bass. Once the song is over the curtains then close.
Then you have a choice of interview topics. When you click on the choice, the "frozen" figures of Charlie, Steve, Matt, and Dan come alive and start to talk. Pretty cool! Launch took bits of the overall interview, however, and pieced them under the t opics. It would have been nice to hear the *whole* interview!
(In The Beginning)
Charlie: We had, I think, nine songs that we sent out to an independent CD to get them pressed, entered a contest in Nashville... GMA, which is Gospel Music Association and ended up really kind of blowing them away.
Steve: One of the first things we found when we got this record out in the pop world... there was this hesitancy, and so we felt like there was a need to show people that as Christians we're not from another planet.
(Cross to Bear)
Dan: There's definitely the side of it where people don't understand what we're doing or they're a little freaked out or a little scared at the fact that we might be coming into a show or concert trying to manipulate people into believing what we believe , which isn't really what we do. I think if anyone's a good writer, they're going to write about their experiences, the things that mean alot to them, and the things that they know about.
Matt: And it can get kind of tiring when people seem not nearly as interested in your music as they are in your particular religious opinion on something.
(On the Record)
Steve: We found the last record to be a little lacking in highs and lows and that was an area that we wanted to concentrate on and I think improve upon. It was the product of maybe a bigger recording budget. We used a lot more live drums versus sampled loops.
Charlie: I think this new record feels quite a bit more mature for us. When we wrote the first record, we were in college which was a pretty safe environment. There wasn't really any pressure on us because we had no expectations of a large audience hea ring the music. So we basically wrote the songs for ourselves and maybe the guys on our dorm floor and in our music classes that would hear them.
(Fans and Fanatics)
Dan: We did a show in San Francisco and there was a bar fight that broke out on one side and on the other side there were just all these people that had never experienced a bar in their life. So, it can get kind of volatile sometimes and you get alot of people going, "I can't believe you're playing in a place that serves alcohol." It's just all a part of that learning process for them to understand that this is part of what we do.
Matt: (smiling) There's definitely people that come to our shows that are... that are strange, that are bizarre, I mean that I'm not so sure I would want to spend too much time too close to. But I'm sure anybody that works in this business would say that.
(Live and Let Live)
Charlie: Dan does a great job through our lyrics, I think, being honest and saying we're just as confused and mixed up as the next person and although we put our hope and our trust in the faith that we have, we still don't claim to have all the answers.
Steve: There are so many other "religions" that are represented "very well"(?) in rock 'n roll... hedonism being one of them! (laughs)
(Listen Up)
Dan: Sting is a big influence, Seal... Peter Gabriel.
Matt: When I was real young, I listened to just a lot of pop and Top 40. Then in high school I got really into the kind of British art rock thing... bands like Rush and Yes. I thought that was really cool. And in college and more recently, I just find myself more drawn to the singer songwriter type of artist, more acoustic stuff... artists like Marc Cohn. I'm a big fan of Sarah McLachlan.
© 1997 Published by 2Way Media, Inc.
www.launchonline.com
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
*Earthen Vessels Poem:
>From rmedos@skynet.ca
The Master was searching for a vessel to use.
On the shelf there were many,
Which one would He choose?
Take me cried the gold one,
I am shiny and bright and of great value
And I do things just right,
My beauty and luster will outshine the rest
And for someone like You Master, I would be best.
The Master passed it with no word at all.
He looked at a silver urn, narrow and tall.
I'll serve you Dear Master,
I'll pour out your wine and be at your table whenever you dine.
My lines are so graceful and my carving so true,
and silver will always compliment you.
Unheeding, the Master passed on the the brass,
It was wide mouthed and shallow and polished like glass.
Here! Here! cried the vessel,
I know I will do.
Place me on your table for all [men] to view.
Look at me, cried the goblet of crystal so clear,
My transparency shows my contents so dear.
Though fragile am I, don't cross me,
I will serve you with pride,
And I am sure that I will be happy in your house to abide.
The Master came next to a vessel of wood.
Polished and carved and it solidy stood.
You may use me Dear Master,
The wooden bowl said,
But I'd rather you'd use me for fruit; please no bread.
Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay,
Empty and broken, it helplessly lay.
No hope had that vessel that the Master might choose,
To cleanse and make whole, to fill and to use.
"Ah, this is the vessel I've been hoping to find,
I will mend it and use it, and make it all mine.
I need not the vessel with pride in itself,
Nor the one so narrow to sit on the shelf.
Not the one who is big mouthed, and shallow and loud,
Nor the one who displays its contents so proud.
Not the one who thinks he can do all things just right,
But this plain earthen vessel filled with my power and might."
Then gently, He lifted the vessel of clay,
Mended it and cleansed it and filled it that day.
He spoke to it kindly, "There's work you must do.
Just pour out to others, and I'll pour into you.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
*Concert Review #1: Ford Theater, Los Angeles, CA 10/9/97
***WARNING***: All concert reviews contain "Spoilers" such as set lists, stage props, etc. You may not want to read them if you are seeing a show soon!
From: gmosqueda@masters.edu
My friends and I go to The Master's College, which is about 20 minutes away from the Ford Theater, where Jars was appearing with Plumb on Thursday night, October 9. We got there and found out that the theater was an ampitheater. It was really the most beautiful theater I've ever been to--set among tall walls that made it seem like you were in a castle courtyard, and pine trees all around. The weather was perfect, the crowd wasn't too huge.
First Plumb appeared, and they were good. The song that stuck out in my mind that they did was about the lead singer's friend who had been bulimic. Tiffany wrote a beautiful song about her. Their set wasn't too long--they could have done a couple more songs, but they were solid.
After the intermission the Jars came on, and it was really weird seeing them, as popular as they are now. I'd seen them once before as the opening act for PFR in Las Vegas--I didn't even know who they were then. It was nice coming into this concert knowing their songs off the first and most recent CD. The set was nice and long, with about 18-20 songs. There were no sound system problems, it wasn't extremely loud (I could actually hear the words Dan was singing!), and they were tight and in sync as a band. They saved 'Flood' for the last, then for encores they did 2 more. I most remember 'Tea and Sympathy,' 'Five Candles,' my favorite off their new CD, which they also explained the story behind, and their acoustic set. During that time thay played 'good coffee, strong coffee,' and Matt Odmark made everyone laugh with his rendition of a cappachino machine (a hidden talent of his, I think). I think the crowd as a whole could have gotten more involved in the concert--a lot of it was sitting down and listening, but all in all, it was awesome. After the concert my two friends and I got their autographs, and I told them I'd seen them in las vegas about two years before--I think it took them a while to remember that concert--it had been held in a small high school gym. But it was nice talking to them. The evening was great, and next time they're in LA, I'm there!
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
*Concert Reviews: 10/31/97 Halloween: Northrup Aud., Minneapolis, MN
From: CAFARRIS@ruby.ncbc.edu
There were no tricks but many treats at the Jars of Clay concert in a rainy Minneapolis, Minn. When Jars of Clay took the stage, there were bunny masks, bubbles and Matt Odmark donning a purple afro wig. Some of the fans began to wonder if this was a "Jesus Freak" show.
But soon the mood of the evening was acoustic as the band kicked off the Bubblemaker's Dream with an upbeat version of "Weighed Down" from the new album, "Much Afraid."
As "Weighed Down" ended and the opening chords of "Crazy Times" began, the crowd was on their feet for the majority of the show. Many people yelled for Stephen Mason to do the familiar "play the guitar with his teeth" during the guitar solo - to no avail. This show was far from predictable.
The band received cheers for up-tempo performances of "Like a Child" and "Love Song for a Saviour" and even put on a new slower spin on their hit "Boy On a String."
During the acoustic set, Dan asked the crowd about who is dealing with pride in their lives and shared briefly the struggles of being in the spotlight. After sharing, the band performed the unreleased crowd-pleaser "Good Coffee, Strong Coffee" complete with cappachino noises from Odmark.
"Overjoyed" and "Fade to Grey" were played to perfection...
And then the moment the crowd had been waiting for all night came -- Flood. Jumping around and a lot of cheers highlighted the performance of the song that introduced the world to Jars of Clay. The band effectively stalled the ending of the song -- leaving most of the crowd a little hoarse the next day.
An encore performance of 4:7 and Liquid and throwing candy to the crowd ended the evening on a positive note. After seeing the band when they opened for PfR and Michael W. Smith, I am still astonished by their growth and chemistry.
10/31/97 Halloween (#2): Northrup Aud., Minneapolis, MN
(Another Concert review of 10/31/97 to round out the reviews)
Here's my review of the Halloween concert in MN. Before I went to the concert, jars were at Northwester Bookstore in HarMar Mall (Roseville). Me and a friend went over there, got our cd's signed and got to talk to the guys a bit. I asked if Me and my friend could be in the band... they said to talk to their manager. :-)
The concert took place in a very old looking "theater" on the U of M campus, and I had center 5th row seats. The lights go off...the crowd goes nuts...
A light, shaped like that cool jars logo (the pot with the funky swirl on top) starts slowly spinning on the back wall and a single blue spotlight is on Dan who begins to sing "Weighed Down". It was than I realized that he was wearing a fuzzy pink bunny mask. Everyone was laughing. As the chorus began and the other lights went on, everyone could see that all the other members of the band were wearing stuff. One had a giant purple afro wig, and I can't remember the others. They took them off after the 2nd or 3rd song, exept for the purple wig, which Matt had on for most of the show. And oh yeah, there were tons of bubbles coming down from the ceiling on that song. Next they went into crazy times, followed by Like a Child (I think). Then Dan talked a bit and they played Overjoyed. Next were (not in order) Boy on a Sting, Much Afraid, Five Candles, Love Song (For a Saviour), Truce, and Tea and Sympathy. Then they shared about their passion for coffee, did a cappachino machine impression and sang the coffee song. Next up was Worlds Apart (The lead singer of Plumb sang backing vocals). I love that song! Following this was Blind, which started soft and pretty, like normal, and then when it got to the 2nd chorus, it BURST into an awesome loud rocker. Fade to Gray went directly into Flood. Flood than stopped very abruptly (and too soon) at the end of the last verse (not the last chourus - weird). The lights went out for a couple minutes, and then they did liquid, followed by a rockin' version of 4:7, and jars threw their masks, wigs and water bottles out into the audience along with bucketloads of candy! Trick or Treat! (I caught Dan's water bottle! :-) And that was the end. Everyone walked out happy, with "What a Wonderful World" playing over the speakers.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
*Article: Out of the jar, into the fire
Published Wednesday, October 29, 1997:
Susan Hogan/Albach / Star Tribune
Jars of Clay eased into the mainstream before it was well-known that its members were born-again Christians, that the band's name was taken from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians or that its biggest hit, "Flood," was based on the biblical story of Noah's ark.
In the pop market, being labeled a Christian band is usually a difficult hurdle to overcome. It's not that religion and rock are uneasy soulmates; it's more that Christian rock has a reputation for inferior quality and for duplicating whatever mainstream styles are in vogue.
But through clever marketing that downplayed Jars of Clay's evangelical leanings to concentrate on the music, the band's 1995 self-titled debut album went platinum and garnered a Grammy nomination for best "rock gospel" album and a Billboard Music Video A ward.
Now, the four-man band from Nashville is back with a new album, "Much Afraid," and is expected to draw a mixed crowd of mainstream and Christian rock fans Friday to Northrop Auditorium.
"We grew up in the church and were taught at an early age what we believe is our destitute condition with God," said guitarist Stephen Mason, 22. "That permeates every aspect of our writing because that's our experience. Just like, maybe, Melissa Ethridge would write about homosexuality because that's her experience.
"Everybody has a gospel."
Identity crisis
But the Christian market, which gave birth to Jars of Clay, was infuriated after the band's success led the group to cancel church concerts to play in bars and clubs. An evangelical chat room on the Internet asked, "If Jars of Clay were really Christian, would they be singing in homosexual bars?"
"You can't win sometimes with the Christian market," said Rendy Lovelady, the group's manager. "You're supposed to take the gospel to the world, but when you're successful at it, they accuse you of selling out. Fans can either have beer or Bibles, but not both. Well, we're breaking the rules without compromising our faith."
As the band's popularity grew, it found itself in the unusual position of having to explain its faith to general audiences and defend its faith to Christians. Some mainstream radio stations suddenly felt uneasy about putting born-again rockers on the air; some Christian retailers pulled Jars of Clay products off their shelves.
To defuse the controversy, band members bared their souls in several Christian magazines, which helped to sway that audience to their side. They also dismissed the mainstream rock group The Samples from a tour earlier this year after the band used profani ty and offensive comments on stage.
"The best way to handle criticism is to really know who you are," said Jars of Clay guitarist Matt Odmark, 23. "The reality of our business is that if you don't know who you are, there's a long line of people waiting to tell you."
Success came easily
Four years ago, three of the band's members were music majors at a small Methodist college in Illinois, recording songs they'd written as a class requirement. On a lark, they sent a demo to a national band contest sponsored by the Gospel Music Association , which they won over 200 other groups.
After that, Christian record companies were tying up their dormitory phones to court them. The band cut a deal, cut a record and soon had a hit album, becoming one of the few Christian bands ever to receive MTV and VH1 air play.
Trained as classical musicians, they developed a popular sound by fusing acoustic guitars with cellos, violins and mandolins. That mixture is still evident on the new album, as are the well-crafted lyrics, and the first cut, "Crazy Times" is inching its w ay up the charts.
It has been a fast ride for a group that had performed fewer than a dozen times, mostly at coffeehouses and open-mike nights, before signing a record deal in 1993.
"It's been trial by fire," said Mason. "Dan Haseltine hadn't sung a lick before this. But being on the road for two years has taught us a lot about performing live. If you mess up, you just keep going."
Lovelady, the band's manager, said the guys were so naive about performing that he spent countless hours videotaping their act and going over replays with them, much like the coach of a football team.
"They were green, man, and the fast success meant a lot of hard work for them," he said. "They were extremely talented musicians, obsessed with their art, but they didn't know the structure of the biz or how to put a show together. It came out of birth pangs."
Carving a path
Industry watchers are watching whether Jars of Clay can maintain its mainstream appeal without losing its mass Christian base. Last month, "Much Afraid" made its debut at No. 8 on Billboard charts, largely on the strength of its Christian fans, and it rec ently was certified gold, having sold 500,000 copies.
Rey Roldan, spokesman for Silvertone Records, the group's mainstream distributor, said Jars of Clay's second album has been tougher to market because of the stigma attached to Christian bands. But slowly, he said, mainstream radio stations are being convinced that this isn't "just a good Christian band, but a good band."
In the Twin Cities, Zone 105 radio programmer John Lassman seemed ill-at-ease when asked about the group's new single, which airs regularly on the station.
"I would never have known that it's a Christian band," Lassman said. "We don't play them because of their message. We play them because their song is popular. It gets lots of requests. Most people aren't aware they are Christian. It's not like they're out there thumping Bibles."
Indeed, Jars of Clay isn't a Bible-waving, hellfire-preaching Jimmy Swaggart kind of act. Although the band writes songs about its faith, it's not always obvious because the lyrics are subtle. The new album, for instance, is named for a character in a Chr istian book that's an allegory about the process of faith.
"There isn't a hidden agenda," said Robert Beeson, who heads Essential Records, the band's Christian label. "They simply want to be appreciated for making good music and being good people."
Goodness is something band members apparently work at, sometimes bringing a pastor on the road. Back home, they meet with a Christian "accountability group" to help them discern the godly way of handling fame, awards and money.
"We're trying to be a bridge between church and society," said keyboardist Charlie Lowell, 23. "Maybe we can soften the ground."
© Copyright 1997 Star Tribune.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
*Prayer Requests:
jnjones@ONLINE.EMICH.EDU
A young black girl on the campus of Suny Morrisville was raped by five men. She is in the hospital in serious condition with her medical bill at about 20 grand. This is not an e-mail for donations, all we ask for is for prayer. Campuses around this nation continue to pray for her and her condition and it is my request that you do the same.
I have a major prayer request. My father is dying of inoperable pancreatic cancer. My Mom would like him to live through Christmas, so I ask you to pray for that. But more importantly, he does not know Jesus. I ask you to particularly pray for him in this way. Everyone has a physical body which eventually stops working, but I would like to be able to hang out with him for all eternity. Thank you in advance for your prayers.
From: O41186@aol.com
I recently had the wonderful opportunity of attending Night of Joy at Disney World with all 3 of my children (ages 3-8). I am a 35 year old guy married for 10 years and actually have only been interested in contemporary christian music about 8 years ago.
I guess because I am "older" than the typical "Jars" fan I might have a slightly different persective on them. I admittedly went to see Steven Curtis Chapman whom I had seen previously at Disney. But I feel in love with Jars of Clay when I got to see th em. The only thing I knew about them was the one CD I had before that night...but I was truly impressed by how "solid" they were in their faith and message.
It was, for lack of a better word, "neat" to see teenagers enthused about something positive and redeeming. I still can see the mental image of what transpired that evening when the band sang "Flood" teenagers and younger adults were jumping up and down to that terrific performance. Every time I hear that song I think of that image now.
Keep up the good work! Even us "geezers" receive edification from your ministry and my 8 year old daughter has become a big fan as well!!!
From: "Lois Lockwood"
Dear Friends, 10-20-97
Our Youth Pastor's wife has a father on death row who is scheduled for execution Nov. 16, 1997, although he is innocent. His name is Cesar Fierro. He knows the Lord, and is willing to accept whatever the Lord allows, but the family is asking for prayer for him that the execution will be cancelled. Psalm 102:19-20.
Please forward this to anybody you know who will pray about it.
Thanks much.
Hands of Luke Medical Ministry, El Paso and Juarez
jstokes@rmci.net
I have a prayer request for Earthen Vessels. My friend AJ, has a friend named Pete who had been in the hospital for a month when his lungs collapsed. He is now on iron lungs, but they cost a lot (she said about 1 million dollars a day, but that may have been an exaggeration) and they don't have the money to pay for them so they're taking him off them on Thursday (October 30). She is in a lot of pain right now and she thinks he's going to die, I don't know that much more about the situation except that he's only 13 and that as far as I know, he's not a Christian. Please pray for my AJ and Pete and their familes. This is a very tough time for them right now as they do not expect Pete to live more than a couple days after he's taken off the iron lungs. They are all in so much pain and your prayers are very much appreciated!
From: newfriend@hotmail.com
Please pray for my cousins Aunt Ruth. She has a disease and she is not expected to live for long. She has two small foster kids and four older married kids. I just ask you to pray for her family and that the will have the strength to get through this time. I also ask you to pray for my mom and dad, because the don't know Chrit and it really hurts to see them each day and know that if they die today then the will go to Hell. I have talked to them several times about how I fell and they never listen. Thanx alot.
Peace & Love your sister in Christ,
Tasha.
From: CQVL74B@prodigy.com
Remember how I wrote to you asking about prayer because I just got over pneumonia and have all those extra-carricular activities. Well, I need your prayer again because recently diagnosed with asthma. Please write back at CQVL74B@prodigy. com I'm 10 years old.
neko1@ix.netcom.com
Prayer requests:
1) I'm a youth leader at my church. My pastor and friend, Rev. Dan Silver, needs your prayers. He has leukemia, and although he is responding well to treatment, he needs continued prayer.
2) Our youth group is working on a youth rally for the youth of our county scheduled for New Year's Eve. We are in the process of booking bands and a speaker for the night, and we need prayer that we book the right people in order to bring the youth of the county to Jesus. Also, we're asking that people bring in cans of food as their admission, and we need prayer that people will respond and that we get cans galore that night.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
*Listen to Much Afraid on Your Computer:
From: cotrupjp@mcgraw-hill.com
Special thanks to a few of our subscribers who sent directions on how to use Much Afraid on your computer:
It's easy for Windows 95 users who use the CD Autoplay function to ALSO find the Windows 95 CD Player so you can Quit the Jars WebLaunch and hear the music on Much Afraid: use Windows 95 Explorer, go to Windows>cdplayer.exe and choose File>Create Shortcut. That way, after you've gone to the WebLaunch and just want to hear the music, you can choose "Quit," hit that CD player "shortcut" and it'll take you right to the CD player itself.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Back issues available at:
http://www.jarsofclay.com/mail/ev