Jerry Garcia
Dear Christian friends,
During the first week of August, I made my annual trip to Indianapolis to visit my family–my grandmother (now 99), my mother, my three brothers and their families. All are Jewish (but not religious) and unsaved. I had no opportunity to witness to them, but afterwards I wrote each a letter and sent a copy of the Josh McDowell book, More than a Carpenter. Please pray for their salvation.
Immediately after I returned, three stories appeared in the news. On August 11, it was reported that Norma McCorvey, the “Jane Roe” in the notorious abortion decision, had been led to Christ and baptized by Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Rescue. Pray for Norma McCorvey. (I am concerned by reports she continues to live with her lesbian lover of many years.)
On August 13, Mickey Mantle died. He was one of the greatest baseball players ever. His health had been destroyed by years of heavy drinking, but according to the 700 Club, he prayed to receive Christ before he died.
Before these two events, on August 9, was the death of Jerry Garcia, leader of the Grateful Dead band. He died of an apparent heart attack at a drug treatment program. He had been using heroin for many years. The Grateful Dead, a San Francisco-based band first called The Warlocks, played for 30 years. In that time they had only one “top twenty” song. But they had a tremendous following that included Vice President Al Gore, Senator Leahy, and Gov. Weld (MA). President Clinton, who wears Jerry Garcia ties and gives them to his friends, called him a “great American hero.” Thousands of “deadheads” traveled around the country attending their concerts or hanging outside the concert stadiums if they couldn’t get a ticket. They were an extremely popular group whose concerts at huge stadiums around the country always sold out. They made tens of millions of dollars each year. I attended a few of their concerts during my “hippie” days in the 1960’s. Eric Livingston (who with his wife Cammie just moved into our house) used to be a deadhead and attended about 50 of their concerts.
While almost every band from the 1960’s “hippie” scene had dissolved, the Grateful Dead continued to grow in popularity. Some of their fans were ex-hippies who are now middle aged. But many were young people in their teens and twenties who had missed out on the 1960’s, but longed for the “love” and “peace” they had heard about. They experienced a taste of the 1960’s at a Grateful Dead concert and in the community of “deadheads” who followed the group.
An estimated 20,000 deadheads followed the group around the country. Some attended hundreds of concerts. A few thousand were so dedicated to the group that their whole lives revolved around them. The music of Jerry Garcia was so central to the group that it seems unlikely the band will continue without him. When we witnessed to deadheads, we were often told that “Jerry Garcia is god.” Their god is now dead. What will they do now?
The Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco, the mecca of the “hippie movement,” was also the main hangout for deadheads. When we witnessed there on Friday night August 11, thousands of deadheads were on the street. There was little sadness on the street. The prevailing attitude was that somehow everything would work out. Many were receptive to the gospel and we had some good conversations. When asked what they will do now that Jerry is dead, most didn’t know. It seems unlikely they will find another group to follow. But they will have to find something else to do with their lives.
Cathi Mooney and the Haight Ashbury Christian house (now known as the Prodigal Project), invited all the kids to their house for dinner and fed about 500 kids that night! One young man named Clint made a commitment to Christ. He is now in the S.F. Teen Challenge program. They have several new believers at their house and are looking for Christian interns to help with the work and a ranch outside the city to disciple new believers. Call them at 415-431-4028 if you can help.
San Francisco Teen Challenge has been witnessing in the Haight every Friday night. Recently they reported two salvations. One was a mother of a two year old baby living on the streets with her husband. Another was a clean-cut young woman who was begging for money.
Please pray for the Prodigal Project, for Teen Challenge, for us, and for all those who are seeking to reach these youth with the gospel.. Their hero is dead. Will they get into some new form of deception? Or will they come to know the One who was raised from the dead, the Lord Jesus Christ?
More Street News
On Sat. July 29, we had scheduled an outreach with The Ark, an Assembly of God church in the Mission District. They had scheduled three locations for their outreach, at Dolores Park, at the 16th and Mission BART station, and at the 24th and Mission BART station. They had scheduled three music and drama groups and I arranged for Paul and Noreen Coca to minister. When we arrived, we learned that the three other groups had canceled, along with the people who were supposed to bring the sound systems. Paul had an electric guitar with nowhere to plug it in. It seemed like a total loss.
One brother loaned Paul an acoustic guitar so Paul and Noreen sang without amplification at 24th and Mission and later at 16th and Mission. It seemed like very few people could hear them above the street noise. About 20 Christians were witnessing, giving out tracts and church invitations.
The next week, Pastor Forest Beiser called me. He said that they had been ministering extensively in the Mission District for the past 11 months. Five people had been witnessing 15 hours each week during that time. They had also done many special outreaches. During this time, they had developed some friendships, but at most one or two had ever come to church. But the day after the July 29 outreach, 13 new people came to church! Two gave their hearts to God and three others called that week. During the next two weeks, they have done no more outreaches but 24 have come to church! I cannot explain what happened except God sovereignly chose to bless these brethren for their faithfulness in reaching out to their community with the gospel.
We continue to receive responses to the tracts we gave out during SOS. Please pray for those who have written us this past month: Al, Johnny, Jeff, and Xerxes (S.F.), Gerald (Sacramento), Roger (Santa Barbara), Mona (Burlingame), Will (U.S. Navy, Alameda), and Jamie (Oakland), Randy (Martinez jail), and Charles and Timo (Sacramento jail). Also pray for George (S.F.) who was led to Christ by former SOS house member Tim Burgess at Union Square during SOS week. Tim has been discipling George and he continues to grow spiritually.
Lifeline
A few years ago the Supreme Court ordered the phone companies to be deregulated. The result has been a lot of confusion as various phone companies call us, trying to get us to change to them. Also, most of the major phone companies have actively supported anti-Christian causes. So it was refreshing to learn of a Christian-owned long distance company that allows you to give back 10% of your long distance bill to a Christian ministry. Lifeline has rates at 4-15% below AT&T’s standard rates and the same conveniences: no special codes to dial, free travel card, charges appear on your regular phone bill, etc. They will pay your switching fee, if any, and switch you back if you aren’t satisfied. If you would like to sign up and have 10% of your bill donated to SOS, call them at 800-800-7500 and give them our ministry number: 30323. Or indicate your interest on our response card and we’ll mail you a form with more details.
We received this letter from a friend who attended the SOS out reach: “I want to tell you how much I appreciate the hard work you do to put the SOS outreach together each year. I think I’ve been coming maybe 7 or so years. SOS has always been the best combination of worship, teaching, fellowship, and opportunity to serve and minister to others that I had encountered. I always go home refreshed and challenged to be a more faithful servant and witness in my own community. I always try to bring Christian friends with me and all have gone home with a new zeal for the things of God and a new vision of how God can use them to further his kingdom. You have always given us the best teaching on practical evangelism and the opportunity to immediately put it into practice. Anyway, thank you again Larry and SOS staff.”
One special praise report: On Monday, I went to the police department to get our loudspeaker permits for the next month. Eric Livingston came with me. After all the problems we have had, I didn’t know what to expect. But Off. Dan Gallagher approved our permits with no problem! Afterwards, Dan saw me and said “Hi, Larry” with a big smile! This is the first time he has ever been friendly to me. So God is doing something!
We continue to witness every Friday night and Saturday afternoon. On Friday we meet at 7:30 PM at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship, 7th St. and Harrison. Call us for information about our Saturday outreaches. We also have two special outreaches planned for October. On Sat. October 21, New Life Christian Church will lead a worship rally at 5th St. and Market, 1-5 PM. I hope many of you will join us this next month for one of these outreaches.
Our Tape of the Month is “Why We Should Witness.” This is a message I gave last June at Family Christian Fellowship in Placerville. We also want to make available this month the 1995 International Street Ministries Directory. This is a listing of over 400 evangelism ministries around the world, with a description of what they do. As far as I know, it is the only such directory in existence.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum