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CHRIS PADGETT: A
MISSIONARY OF MUSIC & MESSAGE
STEUBENVILLE, (CatholicMusicNetwork.com) - During May 2004,
Pope John Paul II took recourse to the intercession of the
Blessed Virgin so that the Eucharist would be at the center
of missionary activity. His prayer request for the month
was: "So that, through the maternal intercession of Most
Holy Mary, Catholics will consider the Eucharist as the
heart and soul of the missionary activity." The Eucharist
and the mission to evangelize are inseparable, John Paul II
said in his Message for the 78th World Mission Sunday,
recently published by the Holy See. The Pontiff emphasized
that the Church needs a constant relationship with the
Eucharist to carry out its missionary mandate.
One Catholic
musician that has taken this to heart is Chris Padgett.
Known for being the lead singer of the band Scarecrow &
Tinmen,
 Padgett
has adopted a missionary stance in talking to youth. While
performing with Scarecrow, Padgett often took the occasion
to speak to his audience. When an opportunity for a keynote
speaker came up, an interview, or just ministry during
events, it was natural for Padgett to take it on just to be
able to share God's message. Padgett explains, " When I
began doing ministry on my own as more of a full-time
venture, it wasn't hard to do. There were a few talks on my
heart and I found the Lord began opening doors for me to
share these things. With almost all talks I do a little
music. I find the mix of music and message helps to bring
home the major themes I am conveying, as well as providing a
space that enables kids to encounter God. I love it! As
for a specific moment in which I knew speaking would be key
for me, it was more of a process, a blooming into who I am.
It has been very natural; the logical next step. I think
too, after doing so many keynotes I really enjoy having the
hour or more to develop key ideas and themes. This was
huge. It enabled me to go a lot deeper with kids than I
could within a Scarecrow & Tinmen concert."
Padgett says that he loved doing the music concerts, but
addressing key themes, struggles, and ideas was not as
possible with the time constraints and medium of
presentation. He realized a need for evangelizing and went
out on his own as a speaker. Out of these talks came
Padgett's first solo CD called, Follow, introducing
the music he used in the talks. Next was a CD that showed
his love for the Eucharist called, Golden. Padgett
says that daily Mass is one of the keys that help keep him
focused for his ministry. "As much as possible we as a
family try to go to Mass every day," says Padgett. "When we
are in sync here then all is well. We also try to pray the
Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet every day, as well."
Chris
Padgett's newest CD at CatholicMusicNetwork.com is called
Wonder. The title track was inspired by a friend named
Gabrielle who, after a conference, told Padgett she felt his
walk with the Lord could be best described as "Joyful
Desperation." "This certainly rang true within me," Padgett
says. "I have always had a sense of being driven in my
journey with Christ. I have a longing and somewhat
desperation when it comes to following Him. I am grateful,
overwhelmed, yet with a sense of desperation, pursuing and
striving," Padgett continues. "The other day I realized
there were a couple of very ‘small’ things I had done which
had big repercussions. This was so striking to me that I was
overwhelmed with awe and gratitude that He had used me and
my small gestures. He doesn't have to use me, but I am so
glad that He does."
 On
Wonder there is a praise song called “So Amazing”
that Padgett says is a simple prayer that is great for
drawing kids and adults into a reflective reminder of how
much God has done for us. Padgett calls this his song of
gratitude. "I do love the song I wrote for my wife," says
Padgett about the song "Dreams Come True. "It was a tune I
wrote a while ago. I brought an unfinished version of it
home for my wife to listen to and it touched her deeply. I
wrote that song while on the road a lot with the band.
Everywhere I looked and wherever I was it just made me wish
she and the family were with me."
Wonder
also has a new version of the Scarecrow & Tinmen song "You
Are My Son." Padgett explains, "It was written as a reminder
to me that God was a Father to me and there for me, even
though I struggled a lot with the divorce of my parents. I
think in the eight or nine years of the band’s existence
there hasn't been a show or hardly one where we haven't
played that tune. There is something about the Father's
heart for us that IS a message we can't hear enough."
Interesting is
the fact that Padgett's love song for the Eucharist, "Come
Unto Me", was written before he was married, while attending
a "Baptist" college. "I wasn't Catholic of course but for
some reason I put very Eucharistic messages within it
lyrically. I remember at one point in the beginning of the
band’s existence we talked about using that song, but I was
asked by one of the members to change the lyrics "Come eat
my flesh, Come drink my blood" "to come unto me." I said I
wouldn't and so we never produced the tune or played it.
After converting, it wasn't applicable to where we were as
a band, but since I have been primarily on my own for some
time now, that song really came back to me and compliments
the CD Golden.  As
Catholics we believe Jesus is present in the Blessed
Sacrament; body, blood, soul and divinity. This is Jesus
giving Himself for us. I want to grow in Him. Early in my
conversion experience I read a book called, ‘Eucharistic
Miracles’. This book was powerful for me because I realized
how real Christ was in the Sacrament of Sacraments. It
challenged me to NOT take this for granted. When I was in
Rome for World Youth Day during the Jubilee year, I went to
Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. I remember going up to
receive our Lord and as I knelt, there before me were the
huge black marble statues of saints. It was like they were
staring at me, reminding and urging me to take very
seriously this faith I had recently become a part of (Easter
of ‘99 I entered the Church)."
Padgett talks
about defending the name of Jesus in the song, "Friend Like
That." He feels that Cardinal Arize and the US Bishops are
defending Jesus by their recent letter to “Pro -Abortion
Catholic” politicians. "I remember in my conversion process
having to wait for the opportunity to receive Christ in the
Eucharist. It was a longing in me; almost like waiting for
the birth of a child. It was so fulfilling to finally be
able to receive our Lord. I don't know why anyone wants to
take this for granted. I don't know why anyone would want
to go against Church teaching. I converted into Catholicism
not so I could argue and create my own perspective and
understanding on the Eucharist, or any other Catholic
teaching. That is what I was able to do within my
Protestant heritage. I found the authority Christ gave the
Catholic Church for the preservation of faith and morals to
be liberating. This is applicable here because the Bishops
are our fathers within this faith. They are responsible for
the integrity of who we are as the Body of Christ. To have
disregard for their authority, the teaching authority of the
Magisterium, in its agreement with Scripture and Sacred
Tradition, is to create oneself as final authority in
matters of faith and morals." Padgett continues, "I
personally think Catholicism and ‘Pro-abortion’ is an
oxymoron. It seems one is not complimentary with the other.
I am expecting child number seven the end of November.
Pro-Life is not a ‘concept’ in our home, it is a reality.
I find it awkward and ridiculous that someone would want to
so identify themselves with Christ in receiving Him in the
Sacrament of the Eucharist, which is a reception of true
Life, yet would still hold to a choice which intentionally
ends a life."
Padgett's love
for the Mass is so deep that his next working project is a
collection of worship music that will be called "The
Encounter." So what is next after that? "I would love to do
a Christmas album, and honestly have enough music to do a
half dozen projects or more right away. I just don't have
the budget. I am actually on break a bit from music because
I have done so many things this last year and a half. I
have been working on several books, one which came out
recently has been doing pretty well. I would love to do more
keynote speaking and ministry events," Padgett says.
"Evangelization must begin at home with the family, and
within the parish. We ALL need to take steps into a deeper
love for and to our God. We ALL need to quit settling for
the second best, the mediocrity, and challenging one another
is imperative. We ALL are part of one family through
baptism, anointed and enabled by the Holy Spirit to be
witnesses and testify through the outpouring of the Spirit
upon us at confirmation. We ALL, whether in the Body of
Christ or out, need to hear and respond to this Good News!”
You can email Chris Padgett directly at
Cmeinozz@aol.com or
reach him by phone at 941-704-3394.
Chris is also a self-confessed theology book junkie. If you
have any books you would like to share with him, send them
to :
Chris Padgett, 291 Belleview Blvd. Steubenville, OH 43952
All of Chris
Padgett's CD's are available for purchase at here at
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