Last night I got the sad news that Dana Key had passed away. 

Dana was a loving husband to his sweet wife Anita.  A loving father to Scottie, Andrew, and Eli.  An ordained pastor.  A committed student and teacher of the bible.  A gifted musician.  And an honest friend to many.

                Dana’s band, DeGarmo and Key, were brave pioneers of modern Christian music in the 70s and 80s.  Why do I call them “brave?”  Well quite simply, up until that time very few musicians or groups had attempted to play and record music with Christian lyrics that sounded like mainstream pop or rock music of the day.  It was unheard of and largely looked down upon.   I know that seems odd to say here in current times, but trust me, back then Christian music mostly sounded like what was being sung at churches with choirs, piano, and organ. 

               Suddenly, to the shock of some and the delight of many more, this new crop of Christian musicians sprang up using electric guitars, keyboards and drums.  Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill, Petra, Resurrection Band, and a band from Memphis called DeGarmo and Key were some of the first acts to play what came to be known as “Christian Rock” music. Christian rock music did not exist, then boom…it did. They paved the way for every contemporary Christian singer, songwriter, band, musician, and producer that followed.

              Their concerts were picketed and boycotted by community church leaders who didn’t want Christian music to sound the way they were playing it.  They were shouted at and prayed against.  They received hate mail and literally had to travel with special security personnel at times.

              Still, they plugged in their amps and jammed away, all for the glory of God.  It was their calling.  It was their mission.

             For DeGarmo and Key, the result was a 20 year plus career of recording and traveling the world.   Radio hits and awards came their way, but what will go down for eternity is the fact that over 100,000 young people professed faith in Christ while attending D&K concerts.   This cannot go unmentioned.  100,000 plus!  

            At some point early in their career Dana, Eddie and the boys could have easily sat down and decided to not do invitations and altar calls.  After all, “The folks just want to come see a good show, they don’t want to feel like they are at church.” might have been the typical reasoning.  ‘We will just do good rock music with clean lyrics and pray that seeds are planted” could have been another line of thought.

            But Dana Key knew that he was something more than a talented guitarist, songwriter, and singer.  More than just an entertainer.  He knew that as a teenager, his best friend Eddie DeGarmo had pulled him in a broom closet at school and told him about Jesus and that he came to know Christ at that point.  He knew that God had arranged all this and also arranged for these two boys to form the band DeGarmo and Key.  So he knew that whenever he was on stage it was his duty to open his bible and tell that crowd about Jesus and give them an opportunity to pray a prayer of repentance.    The most famous rock bands in the world didn’t do such, but his band would.  So they did, every time.   The end result…100,000 plus souls saved by God’s grace.

                God spoke through Dana Key in a clear and powerful way and after DeGarmo and Key retired in the 90s he continued to teach whenever he could, leading home bible studies and Sunday school classes and still traveled doing acoustic solo gigs.  It became clear to anyone who sat under his teaching that Dana was a uniquely gifted communicator of God’s word.

                Pastor Sam Shaw, (then senior pastor at Germantown Baptist Church, Germantown TN) recognizing how effective Dana’s teaching was, encouraged Dana to pray about planting a new church.   Dana’s first impulse was that he could never do such a thing.  After all, he was a rocker.  A music industry guy.  Not a pastor.   But try as he may, Dana could not shake this idea that Sam had suggested to him.  

               The Love of Christ Church (TLC) was planted in 2001 with Dana and his family and a small group of less than 20 others.  I was blessed to serve with Dana as his worship pastor there from 2002 to 2006.  I was also blessed to serve as a fellow elder with Dana and some amazing men at TLC.  Behind the scenes we had much prayer and many lively discussions on the church.  I must say that a group of opinionated men gathering to discuss something as important as God’s church can, at times, get heated and we had some of those moments.  What I remember though is that Dana always insisted that there was resolution. I even recall big bear hugs and heartfelt tears at times.

              My time with Dana and TLC was a Godsend in my life.  I had never met Dana over the years but when he invited me and Renee to come to TLC and for me to be his worship pastor, it began a rich season in our life and we will forever be grateful.

              Last night on the phone, fellow TLC’er Dr. Mel Senter, told me about what took Dana’s life, a pulmonary embolism, (severe blood clot).   Dr. Mel, with a broken voice from crying, told me about the hospital staff’s heroic effort to save Dana but that the clots were just too advanced.

           I reminded Mel about the 100,000 plus that professed Christ under Dana’s teaching and music.  I stated that Dana didn’t go quietly through life and just discreetly exit the scene to Heaven.  No, Dana was a spokesperson for his church’s namesake, the love of Christ.  Mel, managing a chuckle, said, “There’s probably a huge reception going on right now with all those people welcoming Dana home.”

             Thank you Dana for faithfully opening your bible and teaching others about Christ.  You did that your whole adult life and God spoke through you in a clear and interesting way every time.  We were all blessed to know you.   

      Some friends of ours recently were out on a drive with their children when their eight year old daughter saw something out the window that caught her eye.  “Hey Daddy, look!  That place is called The Pony! What’s The Pony?” she asked.  “Is that some cool restaurant?  I want to go to The Pony!”

       The little girl didn’t know that The Pony is actually a strip club. I can understand the awkwardness of the situation as her dad tried to explain such a place to his daughter.

      As parents we are all faced with these unexpected instances from time to time.  An image or person or place presents itself in full view of our children and we are forced to keep our composure and define it for what it is.  The thing is, we’d rather not.  After all, they’re so young and shouldn’t have to know about such evil.  We wish that we could simply shield our children from the darkness of the world…but we can’t.  The tough questions from our little will continue.

     “Hey Daddy, why did those two policemen have to get shot and killed by those bad men?”

      “Mommy, what does a hooker do?”

       “Why isn’t there enough food for everyone in the world?

      “Dad, what does rape mean?

      “What’s suicide?”

      “Daddy, why would someone put a baby in a dumpster?”

      “Mommy that sign said ‘Adult Gifts and Movies.’ When I grow up, then can I have adult gifts and movies too?”

     “Daddy, what is an STD? I heard those letters on a commercial today?”

     Pretty awkward huh?  And pretty sad.  Any one of these questions could have come from a child simply playing with their toys in the floor within earshot of any TV or radio broadcast or peering out the car window at a random billboard passing by.

     So what do we do, turn off all TVs and radios and put blinders on our kids while in public?  Of course not. Our kids live in the same dark world that we do and there’s no way to completely hide such from them.  There will be many voices and images that they encounter along the way that we would rather them not experience. 

     The point to grasp is that as their parent, no voice is stronger than yours.  No voice touches deeper.  No voice last longer in their memory.  No voice is more special in their heart than the voice of Mom and Dad.

        Through our ministry HolyHomes, (holyhomes.org) Renee and I challenge homes to really take stock of what is coming in via all entertainment sources.  We should make wise choices in terms of our TV, movies, music, and online activity.  But as I have pointed out, negative things just find their way to our children and they will naturally ask honest questions about them. God has entrusted us, as parents, to be the voice of truth and wisdom in the lives of our children.  They may not realize it, but they desperately need us to point them to the truth through God’s word.

       With our children we can thankfully enjoy a world that is beautiful and has amazingly loving people everywhere.  At the very same time though, we are reminded daily that that same world has deeply sinful and sad elements that are unthinkable and frightening.  This darkness will not go unnoticed by precious little eyes and ears.

       Mom and Dad, speak wisdom.  Speak love.  Speak hope.  Speak forgiveness.  Speak truth.     (Deut. 11:19, Prov 22:6)

A certain man knows that some of his friends and family will go on to Heaven before he does.

He will miss them terribly.

They will see him from Heaven and pray that their memory is good to him.

He will wonder why they had to go just yet.

They will want him to carry on.

He will try his hardest to believe that they are better off. 

They will know firsthand that they are indeed.

He will mourn for their children and wonder how they will cope without their parent.

They will not want any of this sadness for their family.

Part of him wishes they were back with him.

They don’t share that wish, but only want him to experience peace. 

He can’t see glory, but strives to believe.

They are alive there and have the ultimate promotion.

He hates the way they had to go.  The pain and suffering.

It has no negative effect on them now.

He loves them so and cries out for them.

They love him so and pray for him.

The man tries to comfort himself by writing these thoughts…

because he knows that some friends and family will go to Heaven before he does.

Merry Christmas my friend.  I recently looked up the definition of the word “merry” and was struck with the depth of such a feeling. It speaks of “high spirits” and being “full of gaiety.” It mentions “elation” and “exhilaration.”

Upon reading this, I wondered if I had really ever had a “merry” Christmas, by the letter of the definition.  Really…had I?  

As I thought of this my mind went straight to King David dancing merrily in celebration of his God. (2 Sam. 6:12-22) He was so enthralled and taken by his Lord that he just did a dance right there without shame.  Understand, David was the king.  Kings don’t do such things.  Try to imagine a current leader like a Pope or President leaping and dancing.  You can’t, because they don’t.

But David did.

Afterwards scripture tells us that Saul’s daughter, Michal, publicly criticized King David for being so brash in his celebration.  David basically said, “Hun…you aint seen nothing yet.  I can throw down more than that!” (Sorry, please allow my translation there.)

David was flat out elated.  He was on a high that nothing else can give.  Not the strongest drugs, not the tallest stack of dollars, not the longest line of willing women. 

David was worshipping God.  He knew that God completed him and that he was nothing without God.

This Christmas I encourage you to celebrate.  To worship.  To acknowledge.  To speak His name.  To thank Him.  Yes, it’s is when we mark the time of His birth.  His entrance as a real baby.  But beyond the image of Him in that manger I encourage you to fast forward roughly thirty three years from that point.  Because that’s the deal, right there.  That’s when He came through with the gift.  The ultimate present for you and me.

Go with me on the following little example, because it strays from most Christmas imagery. Imagine being locked in a concentration camp, bound for certain death, when suddenly a brave man came and rescued you.  Then not long after that amazing moment you find yourself at a birthday party in his honor.  I’m thinking you would think less in terms of “Happy birthday” and more along the lines of “That is the man who saved me.”

Sure, let’s declare “Happy birthday Jesus.”  It’s Christmas.  His day.  But beyond just “Happy birthday” let’s commit to acknowledging his utter fullness.  And our nothingness apart from Him.

Much love to you.

Clay Crosse