Say it with music. That's what the Rev. Dean Jackson, Rock Canyon Assembly of God, was told when he went looking for a fund-raising project to help build a new church.
The Rev. Jackson is no stranger to music. His church group "Fragments of Stone" (a reference to Ephesians 2:20-22), has been making music for nearly four years. They have performed at various gatherings and were recognized two years in a row as the best music entry in the America's Freedom Festival at Provo's Grand Parade.It was while the group was performing recently at the Provo Rotary Club that the Rev. Jackson got his idea for the fund-raiser. Following the meeting, the Rev. Jackson said a couple of his LDS bishop friends in the club came up to him and suggested the gospel rock/soul group record some songs as a way to earn money for the new church.
The group comprises the Rev. Jackson, his wife Marlys, and members of his pastoral staff - Ron Coston, Andrew Veve and Jermaine Coston. Their backup group is the Rock Canyon Assembly Choir.
Although the Rev. Jackson thought he was dreaming, the suggestion felt right. Yet the group knew it would not be easy - and could be an expensive flop.
"There's no way I'd bite this thing off if there was no potential," Rev. Jackson said. "I decided to talk to someone whose been around production." Enter Ron Clark, hosting director for Brigham Young University and longtime manager for the Osmond Brothers. "He (the Rev. Jackson) came into my office to bounce something off of me. He said, `I'd like to do a CD, but I need a producer."
Clark's interest grew as the Rev. Jackson told him the concept. He wanted to take hymns from the church hymnal for the CD. Clark suggested he go a few steps further and sing familiar songs from various church hymnals, including the LDS Church's collection.
"Dean liked it. I told him to call it `Hymns We Share,' " Clark said. The name stuck and the group recorded 10 familiar hymns including "Amazing Grace," "Count Your Blessings," "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go," "Sweet Hour of Prayer" and "How Great Thou Art." "None of the hymns were written by LDS writers," he said.
Keith Halls from Nu Skin International heard about the project and got a couple of the company's design artists to help out with the CD cover and packaging. The cover features an icon-like drawing of an angel with two horns. The horns represent the sound of two faiths with a common heralder.
"The message to me is the biggest issue," in performing the music, the Rev. Jackson said. "We're all preacher's kids. We're jazzing them (the hymns) up with the music we grew up with."
Although the Rev. Jackson admits he has fun while he seriously worships God, he said others "should not worship God publicly in a way they wouldn't worship him privately." He was referring to the stylized music on the CD compared to the conservative hymn singing in other churches.
"I don't know where we lost it, that God doesn't like fun," the Rev. Jackson said. "I've been to many Jazz games and Cougar football games . . . people around here go nuts when they're excited. When we come to God why can't we get a little excited, too?"
Conceding his nontraditional approach to the music, the Rev. Jackson notes that many of the old traditionalists from his church would "roll over in their graves if they heard these hymns." Conversely, he says, "there are many converts bringing their stuff to the LDS Church."
The CD has been on the market for two weeks, with more than 200 sold the first day. Cost is $15 for a CD, $12 for a cassette tape, with proceeds going to the church building fund. Make checks payable to Rock Canyon Assembly, 3410 N. Canyon road, Provo, UT 84604.