When A Christian Music Artist Loses His Voice

God Direction

In my last post, I mentioned how God deepened Mark Hall’s understanding of ministry at a time when he was unable to sing. It was years before Mr. Hall became the lead singer of Casting Crowns. Still, when a person is faced with losing the thing he thought God called him to use, I asked, “What do you say to your Creator when that happens?” It seems Mark Stuart, the former lead singer of Audio Adrenaline, would have the answer to that question.

A few weeks ago I read an article about the remade Audio Adrenaline and its new purpose to enlarge a ministry for orphans in Haiti, in CCMMagazine.com. Audio Adrenaline is a Christian rock band formed in the late 1980s. Mark Stuart was not only one of its founding members, but in its previous life, the lead singer. In 2006, the band disbanded largely due to Mark’s “on-going vocal challenges.” He could no longer sing.

Wow! Again, I ask, “What do you say to your Creator when that happens?”

He wasn’t just preparing for a career in music, that was his career. But, no more.

In the article in CCM Magazine, Mark mentions how the struggle to write music had become only a reminder of his broken voice. What once was his ministry became a badge of defeat.

So what did he do? He immersed himself in a new passion for Christ—The Hands and Feet Project—a ministry he, and fellow band-mate, Will McGinnis founded in 2004, to help orphaned children in Haiti.

That’s what he did.

Why am I telling you about this? Not just because no matter how complete or incomplete we think we are on our own, God is not done with us. He sometimes has bigger and better plans ahead, and we need to submit to that plan. It’s also a reminder of how God can bring us back to that thing we love, so we can use it again. At present, Mark Stuart is still not able to sing on long tours with the band. But he and many of his former band-mates have re-united to form a NEW Audio Adrenaline in order to promote the Hands and Feet Project, and encourage others to do likewise. This new mix includes Kevin Max, formerly of DC Talk, as lead singer in place of Stuart. But Stuart is very much a part.

He now writes songs for Audio Adrenaline, with a renewed purpose and understanding of his place in God’s world. I pray he has all the success that can be bestowed on an empty vessel of the Lord.

If you’d like to see the beginnings of this new ministry, click the link for the video of Kings and Queens or try the imbed below:

Also, check out the complete interview about the new Audio Adrenaline in the March 2013 issue of CCM Magazine.

Connie is a 2012 Genesis semi-finalist for Women’s Fiction. She was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Winter 2012 WOW Flash Fiction Contest for her entry, Why Not to Kiss on a Park Bench (aka. Harold and Violet). Come visit her on one of her other blogs:

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