Consumed with music

Michele Marr

The idea came out of a burning desire to find a better way to

reach people their age -- young people in college or just starting a

career. Music seemed a natural way. Music and maybe some drama --

expressive stuff. Intense.

They call the event “Consumed.”

“It’s going to be an artistic evening,” said Celeste Merry, who

was asked to start a band to play at the events. The first event,

planned for the first Friday of each month, will be held this Friday

night at Calvary Baptist Church.

Merry pulled together five musicians for a band named Live Coal.

They started working together scarcely two months ago.

“I’ve never played in a band before, so this has all been new

territory for me,” said Merry who is nevertheless no stranger to

music.

Her mother is a concert pianist and Merry has played piano since

she was 4. She plays keyboard and sings with her new band.

Nick Casucci, who also sings and plays acoustic guitar for Live

Coal, said the group has been very blessed.

“We came together real quick,” he said. The band’s music will be

the heart of “Consumed.” Live Coal will debut with 18 songs, mostly rock, during the 75-minute event. Derek North, vocalist and electric

guitarist for the band, has written new words to the tune of

“Jailhouse Rock” for a song he calls “The Godly Rock.” .

“It won’t be a churchy sound,” Casucci said.

It will be an evening of worship and fellowship designed and

presented by members of the College and Career Ministry at Calvary

Baptist Church. Casucci hopes those who aren’t Christians who come

tomorrow night will see that Christianity isn’t a boring religion.

Dramatic readings, reader’s theater and a testimonial gospel

message from Merry’s husband, Mike, will punctuate the music.

Readings at this first event will focus on stories of Christian

martyrs.

Live Coal will play “Martyrs and Thieves” by Jennifer Knapp. The

song will be followed by two readings from the book “Jesus Freaks:

Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus,” the ultimate Jesus freaks, by

D.C. Talk and Voice of the Martyrs.

Melanie Kruger, a leader in the College and Career Ministry, will

read “Her Last Prayer,” the story of a 16-year-old Asian girl

martyred for her faith.

Kruger described the readers theater segment of the evening as a

chorus of scripture readings. The readings are textured as one person

begins to read alone, then others join in. “We are hoping this will

be a place where people who may not think church is available to them

can come and learn about God in an environment they are comfortable

in,” Kruger said. “There will be no altar call.” “I hope Christians

coming to ‘Consumed’ get an amazing worship experience out of it,”

Merry said. “I hope they come out feeling like they communicated with

God, that they got to know him better and got closer to him through

this. It’s our offering to God.”

* MICHELE MARR is a freelance writer from Huntington Beach. She

can be reached at michele@soulfoodfiles.com.