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Alleluia – An Evening of Music, Meditation & Prayer

John Michael Talbot made his long-awaited appearance in Mt. Pulaski [June 8,9,10], performing for hundreds of delighted & enthusiastic audience of not only locals but those that drove in from Decatur, Springfield, Lincoln, Mt. Zion, Rochester, Peoria and other out-lying areas. A blend of his famous guitar-gospel music, meditation practices and his gospel-based messages kept everyone glued to this well-known personality who has undergone his own personal transformation from his rock group Mason Proffit & the Janis Joplin drug & liquor-filled days of agnosticism back to Christianity and now a Catholic monk who has founded an integrated monastic community in the Ozark Mountain area of northeastern Arkansas. As John Michael sadly relates: "On one particular evening they were opening for the queen of rock herself, Janis Joplin. Talbot watched her backstage as she downed bottles of Southern Comfort like it was soda pop. The sight seized him deeply, and when the concert was over he walked back onto the empty stage. Looking out over the arena floor, he was shocked to see, lying before him a sea of bottles, beer cans and drug paraphernalia littered as far as he could see. Suddenly," he recalls, "The rock star life seemed empty and sad. It wasn't at all what I wanted my life to stand for." He goes on to say that "It was a prophetic experience for the youngster that caused him to question his whole lifestyle as he began to ask, 'Isn't there something more?' "

A John Michael Talbot ministry is unlike any other you’ve ever attended. Through music, teaching and meditation, John Michael leads Holy Spirit-filled evenings that many have called mini-retreats, renewals or missions. John Michael promotes an alternative living concept in the midst of our hedonistic and often misguided modern civilization. This very successful Mt. Pulaski mission was attended by 125-150 people each evening. His gospel-music CD's & some of his books were on sale. In all, he has produced over 50 CD's of music & written 22 books over the past 40 years.

As John Michael tells us: “The world is my cloister, my body is my cell, and my soul is the hermit within!” John Michael shows that you need not live in a monastery to know the peace of God and be a blessing to the world. “You can cultivate solitude, silence, and sacred stillness on the spot where you are standing.” John inspires all of us to live the life of the spirit as expressed by our spiritual forebears.

     In the Fall of 2009, John Michael began returning to his gospel roots. As he reports, “we are experiencing a fresh and powerful new wind of the Spirit in my ministry and community. I want to share that enthusiasm and joy with you!”

     The beauty of the three day ministry is that excitement builds from night to night, and more and more people come each night as the word spreads from person to person. John Michael goes on to say: “Our biblical model for this is St. Paul, who went to a local area and stayed there evangelizing and building up the local community before moving on to another region. The more primary model is from Jesus himself, who went from village to village in spiritual simplicity to preach the Good News to all God’s people. Of course, the example of the saints like St. Francis of Assisi and the early Franciscan preachers is also a great inspiration for this ministry. They went in gospel simplicity from village to village and church to church, preaching the Gospel of Jesus using music, art, and proclaimed words.”

    In a nutshell, John Michael travels from place to place - not in buses, with flashing stage lights & extravaganza - but rather simply using his own guitar & vocal gospel music, his thoughtful meditation and his gospel-based messages to show and tell us all how to improve our relationship with Jesus Christ in a more meaningful and personal way. He emphatically pointed out that we can attain this higher level of relationship with the Lord in our own homes, in our work place and, of course, in our churches. He left us with the thought that our good intentions and our religious spirit get "covered up when our emotions take over".

PRESS RELEASE: Mission concert on Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 7 pm in Mt. Pulaski
By: Phil Bertoni