He was hard to miss. Cornell’s clothes were layered and mismatched, his floppy boots hung over mid-calf, and the winter kid’s hat he wore with long tassels made Becky Alwin wonder: “What’s this guy’s story?”
Becky and her husband Zak, new Keynote artists known as Rhymz Suhreal, were performing their unique style of eclectic music in Milwaukee’s ghetto. They shared stories about their faith journeys and original songs with the people at the concert.
As Becky began a personal song called “Music Box,” she spotted Cornell making his way toward the stage. She began to wonder if he was going to ruin their ministry moment and make a spectacle of them (or himself). Or, was he being moved by the Spirit to express himself some other way?
It turned out that Cornell simply wanted to dance. His urban style of popping and locking flowed to the rhythm of the music and the story of redemption in the song. Becky was moved as she saw the Spirit moving him.
That wasn’t the only time Cornell approached the stage. When Zak and Becky invited people who wanted to know Jesus to come to the stage, he came forward again, giving his life to Christ. Earl, a recovering crack-cocaine addict, also came up, determined to use his gift of poetry and art to worship the God of second chances.
Some twenty people approached the stage that night, each with a different story. Becky described the group as “an eclectic gathering of different image-bearers, people made in God’s image, expressing their worship to a Creator that crafted them individually and with purpose.” It was clear that the Spirit blessed the people of Milwaukee that day, and they responded the only way that made sense to them: with worship.
For more than 45 years, Keynote has been using various styles of music as a platform to tell people about Jesus. We are excited to have Zak and Becky join the Keynote family as they continue to proclaim God’s love and forgiveness to people around the world.
You may also be interested in reading this story about Rhymz Suhreal’s ministry in Kenya.
Comments on this entry are closed.