Rich Mullins: A Devotional Biography: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven

by James Bryan Smith, Brennan Manning (Foreword)

During his life, Rich Mullins challenged the sensibilities of what it means to follow Jesus in today's world, and now in his death, he challenges all to build upon his legacy of joy, compassion, brokenness, unblinking honesty, and wonder of an Awesome God

Genres: Biography, Christian, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Christianity, Faith, Devotional

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2000

About the author

James Bryan Smith (M.Div., Yale University Divinity School, D.Min., Fuller Seminary) is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, KS and a writer and speaker in the area of Christian spiritual formation. He also serves as the director of the Aprentis Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation at Friends University.

A founding member of Richard J. Foster's spiritual renewal ministry, Renovaré Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister and has served in various capacities in local churches. Smith is also the author of A Spiritual Formation Workbook, Devotional Classics (with Richard Foster), Embracing the Love of God, Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven and Room of Marvels.

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most inspirational books I've ever read. When I closed that last page, I grieved that I never knew Rich Mullins--and determined to be more like him. He had a grasp of the undentable, unbreakable, unending love of God like few people I've known.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had pretty high expectations for this book. A very inspirational Christian friend of mine described it as "life-changing." For that reason, I think I started out slightly disappointed, as the beginning seemed to be along the same lines as other Christian books I'd read in the past, but as I read on and delved more deeply into Rich's life, my opinion changed. Many thought provoking topics are discussed in complete honesty, and these allow the reader to explore where he is in life and where he wants to be. By the end I was deeply moved and inspired (& brought to tears on a couple occasions.) I would recommend this book to anyone seeking a closer relationship with God, and a deeper, truer understanding of a Christian's place in life than he/she has yet to find.

[Michelle Merriman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is - without a doubt - the one that has changed my life the most. Since I first stumbled on it maybe eight or nine years ago, I've probably loaned my copy to a dozen people, only to never get it back because it has touched and affected each and every one as much as it did me. I've never had anyone tell me that this book did not change the way they think about religion, faith, walking with Christ and what it means to be a Christian.

I was not a huge fan of Rich Mullins' music prior to reading this but afterward I made it a point to hear everything he'd ever recorded. I still considered his "type" of music to be too "folksy" for me but it is the honest vulnerability that comes across in his pieces that makes it impossible not to respect. This man put every thought, image and feeling he ever experienced into a song, either through melody or words, and nothing I've heard comes close to what he's accomplished in that sense.

That being said, this biography is a realistic portrayal Mullins' walk with Christ. It gives the account of his struggles to accept the God he followed and how difficult that sometimes made each day. He was so deeply entrenched in Christ that his attitude towards anything else - including, sometimes, the desires of his fellow human beings - came across as decidedly self-absorbed. He had very pronounced flaws, as do we all, but what set him apart was his desire to spotlight them rather than hide them away. He put them into words and set them to music, and this biography is just another avenue used to highlight what true authenticity as a Christian looks like. Each chapter uses one of his songs as a focal point for its subject - family, growth, heartbreak, death - and it illuminates what his likely thought process was when songwriting in a way that makes it impossible for the reader not to respect and enjoy the end product.

This book is incredible, in such a way that I would even recommend it to non-believers as a great view into what the heart of a Christian should truly look like: doubtful, scared, broken and yet still utterly hopeful and trusting in what God has prepared. Rich Mullins wanted nothing more than to be with God who made him, even if that creation was broken, beat up and despaired. He is the kind of person that Amazing Grace was made for.

As are we all.

[Eric North · Rating 5 out of 5]

The truth expressed through Rich Mullins life is affecting me as I think about everything I read. Here's a tid bit that Rich Mullins once wrote that I think gives a good representation as to the character and impact of this book...

"I think one thing that is threatening to a good many of us is that we think, If people really knew me they'd never believe in Jesus. And I want to say, "No, that's exactly wrong." People will never know Jesus as long as we choose to hide ourselves. I don't think that necessarily means I need to go out and get on the radio to announce my private sins. I think I can be very honest without being hurtful to people.


Rich was constantly aware of his own destitution, and constantly pointed to Jesus as the one who loved him and the source of his life. I'm going to read this book again.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is best read slowly. It is written more like a devotional than a biography, with small sketches that focus on a different attribute of Rich Mullins' character or spiritual growth. I appreciated that the author did not elevate Mullins as being perfect, but showed that he had flaws and struggles like everyone else. At the same time, the author tried to look for something positive even within the flaws, which would be a good thing if we could all do that with our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

After all this time, Rich's music still resonates in my soul. I find myself coming back to those lyrics time after time. What a gift we had!

[Chris Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amazing life of Rich Mullins was tragically lost in Sept. '97. He was truly the fireball during his lifetime with his endless recordings and ministry to the Navaho Indians in NM. And he went out like Elijah in a whirlwind. "Awesome God" and "Sometimes by Step" will remain classics. I had the privilege to attend one of his concerts in Louisiana which was interrupted by a tornado warning during which he led worship acoustically in the bunker. His ending song after we were back in the auditorium had the audience continuing to worship while he slipped off stage without the applause and fan fair - his humble life and ministry pointed to worshipping God instead of himself.

[Melissa]

I don’t think this book aged well. Or maybe I’m not the right audience. The cover says “a devotional biography” yet in the effort to chase two rabbits- they didn’t catch either. Also, the vibes felt very hero worship-y to me. The author was good friends with Rich and in his love for his friend I feel like he wrote Rich as the greatest Christian who could do not wrong even in his hard times. Let’s all just live like Rich because he was AN ARROW POINTING TO HEAVEN. Once again, maybe I’m too far removed from this era of Christian music. I want to know more about Rich- why was he drawn to the Native American people? Why did his engagement get broken off? How did he “get discovered?” Who did he tour with? The biography parts leaned more towards “Rich was struggling in the late 80s and he turned to music to cry out to God.” I’m so thankful he did that AND I want to know what he was struggling with in the late 80s. I just don’t know. I guess I’ll go listen to “Our God is an Awesome God” and call it a day 🫠

[John Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the telling of a modern day saint, who embodied the life of Christ in everything, despite relative fame and riches. You cannot read it and remain unchanged. This is a book to drink regularly and slowly.

[Ryan Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've ever read.

Further RTC!

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book totally rocked my world.. Woke me out of sleep and stirred my passions once again. I had the opportunity to see Rich Mullins in concert when I was younger, and it was one of the most anointed concerts I have ever seen in my life. I remember him at one point playing cups filled with water. He was an extremely humble man and would stand around with bare feet talking/ministering to the people who had come to worship at his concerts. He was an amazing man - and this book allows you to see more deeply into what shaped him.

[Wade Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third time that I have read this book over the years. It is a tremendous telling of a life well lived. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who strives to live in the Kingdom of God. Rich understood what it means to follow Jesus. Through brokenness, courage, a willingness to give it all up, we find true meaning in life.

I have always admired and loved Rich's music. This book reminds me of why this is the case.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy release day to this 25th anniversary edition of Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven

Before reading this, I didn’t know much about the singer/songwriter, but now I realize that some of his songs (“Awesome God,” “Step by Step”) were staples in church when I was growing up. Rich Mullins influenced so many people not just because of his music, but because of how he lived before his death in a car accident in ‘97.

This book is best described as a devotional biography, because while it does share about Rich’s life, it more so points to the God who shaped it. Reading it inspires us to draw closer to the Father to experience more of him.

“He actually felt God’s love. I think because he was a stranger everywhere he went, he leaned into God and drew close to Him. He was not a saint, but it was his sense of being loved by God that made him different.”

Thank you to Netgalley and Intervarsity Press for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Savannah Knepp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this book an easy 5 stars if it would have been more strictly a biography. It was the devotional part that bumped it down to a 4 star rating from me.

[Natalie Lett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing big, just made me reconsider everything I’ve ever been or believed or wanted. Top ten book of my life.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

In music and lyrics, Rich Mullins was a modern day artist and poet. This book chronicles a lot of the background and depth that breathes life into his words and songs.

Rich Mullins lived a vivid picture of the Sermon on the Mount and many of Jesus's teachings, a refreshing memorial amidst religion and Christianity that often drift away from premises of the Savior and are mired in many other distractions, both religious and secular.

In his music and his life, Rich Mullins loved to focus on Jesus -- the beginning and the end of what makes up Christianity. And, yet, so often, it seems that Jesus and his teachings are an afterthought in all the doctrine and busyness that consumes churches.

Rich was very human, and this book shows that as well. But that is refreshing, too; Rich wasn't trying to be a "super pastor" or a "celebrity Christian musician".

Rich was an "arrow pointing to heaven" -- reminding us that we are flawed humans down here on earth, that we do need to look up and around (at God, His creation, His love for us), and that we need a Savior -- Jesus Christ.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what drew me to Rich Mullins music, but it had such appeal to me, beyond the most popular songs which have become familiar to many. He wrote with such understanding and depth about life and the world and God. It was art set to music. There was something so real about him and he didn't seem to care about the marketing and showmanship that characterize so many Christian musicians. I saw him in concert the same year that he died, and always wanted to know more about this unique person. I found this book in the way I have found so many - by entering the store to look for something specific, seeing this, and leaving with it instead. I get drawn to books sometimes, and they always prove to be something extraordinary. I can recommend this book to anyone, whether they have any idea who Rich was or not. He was not a "saint", but was passionately searching for an authentic faith all of his life.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The life of Rich Mullins inspires me, and most of what I know about Rich comes from this book. An easy read, Mr. Smith has broken the book down into the ten things Rich held dearest in life. The result is a book that weaves strands of biography and devotional together, breaking open the life of a restless man who was completely devoted to following his God, the God he knew personally through Scripture. Rich earnestly sought to know the heart of God, and refused to let himself be swayed by the prevailing notions of the day.

Unfortunately, Rich Mullins died in a Jeep accident in 1997. His legacy lives on in spite of his death in the lives of many that he challenged, including me.

[Veronica Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would reccomend this book to anyone and everyone I meet regardless of creed, religion, familiarity with who this man was, whatever. If I could live my life in a fraction of the way this man did I would consider it a life well lived. Rich, thank you for ministering to me from death, or life, wherever you are. You died the year I was born but the impact you have had on my life has been phenomenal. You make me want to live like Christ every day, as if it were my last day.

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

We all know Rich Mullin's song Awesome God.. and we love it. But that wasn't even one he really liked. His music has touched us, but his life is even more incredible. I love a good story about a rebel who follows his heart and ends up doing amazing things with his life, regardless of society's standards. I have great appreciation for this man after reading his story.

[Traci Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already knew I liked Rich Mullins, but learning more about his values solidified it further. His love for Church, scripture, orthodoxy, hymns, ecumenism, etcetera. We speak the same language, I just didn't know it back when I was singing his praise songs.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, I have so much highlighted to go back and read again. I have always loved his music, now I have more understanding of the lyrics.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book originally came out in 2000, three years after Mullins died in a car accident. This new, reissued edition honors the twenty-fifth anniversary of this Christian musician's death, and brings this book back to public awareness. I was extremely young when Mullins died, but I grew up listening to many of his songs and later rediscovered his work at a difficult time in my life. I deeply needed his music then, and I was grateful for the impact it had already had on my life, teaching me lessons about faith, vulnerability, and obedience to God that were paying out in ways no one could have predicted before.

Although this book shares Mullins's story, it isn't strictly a biography. Instead, James Bryan Smith wrote each chapter with a different theme in mind, such as the love of God, seeing God's majesty in creation, dealing with suffering, and dealing with temptation. Smith shares stories and insights from his personal friendship with Rich Mullins, and shares reflections that family members, friends, and other associates shared in interviews. He also delves into some of Mullins's written reflections and song lyrics, quoting them and exploring how Mullins expressed his deepest beliefs. Even more importantly, the book shows how Mullins lived out his faith in authentic and counter-cultural ways, pursuing a life of material simplicity, giving away most of his income to charity, and ministering to children on a Navajo reservation.

As Mullins clashed with the consumerist trappings of American Christianity, he spoke out against the excesses of Western culture, particularly regarding compromises in the Christian music industry. This book provides a refreshing vision of faith apart from common cultural compromises, and is full of wisdom and encouragement regarding key elements of the Christian life. Although some people may wish that this was more of a standard biography, Smith's hope was to share his friend's deepest beliefs and best characteristics with others, and he succeeded. At times, Smith talks around issues in Mullins's life instead of dealing with them directly, particularly when it comes to vaguely referenced temptations and sins. Nonetheless, he shares considerable insight into Mullins's life and faith.

Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven shares wonderful insights about spiritual formation through the lens of this musician's life. I would mainly recommend this book to people who already appreciate Mullins's music and life witness, but people who are not familiar with him yet can still benefit from this book's spiritual wisdom. It can be especially encouraging to highly sensitive men, since it portrays Mullins's emotional struggles and depth of feeling with honesty and respect, showing how he could speak to deeper realities of life because he didn't fit in with social expectations. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I am thankful that the anniversary reissue brought it to my attention.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Streaming services make it easy to connect with musical memories and artists of many eras. I used to listen to Rich Mullins—had several CDs of his back in the day—but he had slipped my mind. However, in the last few months I’ve reconnected with his music through Spotify and am loving it all over again.

Looking through my Kindle library a couple of weeks ago, I discovered I had a book on his life. I don’t remember purchasing it, but there it was. And so for the last few weeks I’ve delved into the life of this late contemporary Christian artist through the biography Rich Mullins: A Devotional Biography: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven by James Bryan Smith

Smith, who knew Mullins well, having hosted him in the Smith home for several years, tells Mullins’ story in themes rather than strictly chronologically. In this way he touches on Rich’s early life and influences, his relationship with the church, his intimate friendship with Jesus even while struggling with temptation and sin, his great love of nature, his altruistic bent and more, ending with his thoughts on death and the life to come—which he entered in 1997 at the age of 42 as the result of a car accident.

The book is rich with lyrics of Mullins’ songs and their genesis. (View of list of the songs he wrote here. The most well-known is probably “Awesome God.”) Smith has also dug up articles Mullins wrote, interviews he gave, along with the observations and memories of his temporary in the Christian music—including Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Gary Chapman, Carolyn Arends and many others.

Rich Mullins: "A spiritual thing is folding your clothes at the end of the day. A spiritual thing is making your bed. A spiritual thing is taking cookies to your neighbour that is shut in, or raking their front lawn because they are too old to do it. That’s spirituality. Getting a warm cozy feeling about God is an emotional thing—there is nothing wrong with it—I think there is nothing more practical than real spirituality" quoted in An Arrow Pointing to Heaven p. 208 Kindle Edition.

Another favorite aspect of the book for me is its generous selection of quotes from writers and thinkers that influenced Mullins. These include luminaries like Saint Francis of Assissi, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Frederick Buechner and many many more.

The book with its many voices is beautifully woven together—an inspiring read. Not only did it enhance my appreciation of Mullins and his music but it challenged me to look at my own priorities in the light of life’s brevity and uncertainty.

[Michele Morin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow I missed out on a lot of Christian pop culture in the ’80s and ’90s, so reading this 25th-anniversary edition of Rich Mullins’s biography was, for me, a first-time introduction to the song-writer behind “Awesome God,” “Step by Step,” and a number of very familiar worship songs from that era. In the spirit of Surprised by Joy, Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven is a spiritual biography, so James Bryan Smith is primarily concerned with the shaping influences on Mullins’s following life and the impact of his ministry.

Pushing back against an evangelical culture which may have been a bit obsessed with “being good,” Mullins’s signature statement when he signed autographs was “Be God’s.” His identity as God’s child shaped his music and the way he shared it with the world. Well-chosen excerpts from his writing and his conversations underscore his conviction that “What I believe is what makes me what I am” and document a life ordered around his pursuit of the kingdom of heaven.

Sadly, Rich Mullins’s ministry was cut short by a fatal car accident in 1997, but his life and music interpreted a gospel of simplicity that reads like freedom in 2023. Out of struggle and imperfection, his story reverberates with hope for all who follow Christ imperfectly but hold on to the promise of being remade and renewed in His likeness.

Many thanks to InterVarsity Press for providing copies of these books to facilitate my reviews, which are, of course, offered freely and with honesty.

[Steven Gevers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encouraging read

Written in a devotional style, this is a very beautiful book. Rich Mullins truly was an arrow pointing to heaven (from the book cover) and I’ve grown to appreciate his writing far more reading this.

He was no theological slouch but the simplicity of his faith and profundity of his insights is really worth immersing yourself in.

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 3 out of 5]

The topic--Rich Mullins and his life (and his God)--was fantastic. The delivery format didn't always work for me, with extended quotations from various interviews; I would have preferred shorter direct quotations and more weaving the meat of the message/quote into the book itself. But, I still learned a ton about Mullins, and it's quite a resource. Thought-provoking for sure!

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[nate]

Rich Mullins was a formative figure in my high school years and continued to be so, even after his death in 1997. I read this in my early 20's and found a used copy recently. It couldn't have been easy to write about a complicated person like Mullins, but Smith's "devotional biography" approach works well for the most part. I am now older than Rich was when he died but continue to be inspired by his life, his music, and his fierce love for God and people.

[Caleb Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad’s favorite musician, Rich Mullins, has been often referenced and quoted in my home and this biography moved me for modern day 'ragamuffins.' I have been severely challenged and convicted by Rich’s going-for-broke legacy and eternity mindset. This clear-eyed biography leaves me hungry for greater oneness with Jesus.

[Christine Gustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encouraging and thoughtful!

[Chris Everson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when it was released and saw it 24 years late on my book shelf so I thought. Why not! A lot of memories rushed back to me from the 90’s but the one thing reinforced in me is how much God loves me and in turn wants me to love others. If you have ever heard of Rich Mullins or a bad rendition of Awesome God. I highly recommend this book.