Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
But for Christian singer-songwriter and author Michael Card, a 15-year mission to produce an entire body of work covering each of the 66 books is almost complete.
With "Unveiled Hope," his most recent release that addresses the book of Revelation, Card is one chapter short of the goal and beginning to look for another challenge.
So how about music for the deaf?
While that might sound like a contradiction, Card has learned over the course of recording 20 albums that deaf people enjoy his music.
Some of his fan mail comes from hearing-impaired people.
"That always piqued my interest, and so I've been doing more research and understanding how deaf people experience music. What I want to do is an album specifically engineered for them," Card said during an interview from his home near Nashville, Tenn.
Deaf people experience music by feeling the bass beats and vibrations from heavily amplified music. The project would likely entail the use of low frequencies, and production would depend greatly on cooperation from the deaf community, he said.
"My guess is we're going to end up with an album that is unlistenable for the hearing person," Card said.
Card said he's convinced he can produce music containing lyrics that can convey a message.
The product would include lyric sheets, and if it goes well, Card said he'd like to see a music video accompanied by sign language.
"The project fascinates me," he said.
"Of course, all the record companies think I'm crazy."
Card is on tour in support of "Unveiled Hope" and will bring his Celtic style of music to Rodeheaver Auditorium a week from Saturday. Opening for Card is Fernando Ortega. Tickets are available through Grace College.
"Unveiled Hope" is Card's attempt to de-mystify some aspects of the book of Revelation, widely viewed as one of the most controversial books in the Bible. Instead of focusing on the book's misconceptions, Card said he chose a celebratory tone for the album.
"It's largely a book of worship," he said. "I took the pre-existing lyrics that's already in the book and tried to put it to music," he said.
Revelation's enticing content would be a subject some artists might jump at tackling, but Card had various reasons for putting off a project that addresses the book.
"It's one of the most difficult books interpretively and it's also toward the end (of the Bible). I had lots of reasons, mostly afraid of stirring up controversies and having to deal with it."
Research for the project included reviews of several commentaries, including one by Eugene Peterson's "Reverse Thunder." Much of the work entailed learning more of the background and settings of the hymns, he said.
The final chapter in his massive project will be the book of Hebrews.
"It's been a long, hard trip," he said.
While such an endeavor might sound as arduous as a master's thesis, Card's musical career has been shaped in part by his own growth and development.
Card has won five Dove awards and wrote "El Shaddai," one of Amy Grant's biggest gospel songs, but his most notable and most successful efforts possibly came from writing Christian music for children.
Card, 40, is a father of four.
"Our first two didn't sleep (much), so I spent a lot of time rocking them and making up dumb little songs and realized in the process there weren't many good lullabies around, so I'd try to make some up for my kids"
The result was "Sleep Sound In Jesus," which was nominated for a Dove Award. The project also came out in a book version (he's written several books as well) and was nominated for the C.S. Lewis Children's Book Award.
He also went on to produce an album for older children.
"I'm kind of responding to my family's needs, I guess."
Although Card's music has racked up plenty of awards and sold more than $2 million in albums, Card said he's become turned off by the Christian music industry.
Whereas the industry was secondary to its servant role years ago, the business has grown so much that - out of necessity - finances have become more important, he said.
"It's changed pretty radically over the years," Card said. "It's hard to reconcile that with the faith."
