A Story of Rhythm and Grace: What the Church Can Learn from Rock & Roll about Healing the Racial Divide

From Saturday Night Rockin to Sunday Morning Reconciliation Before becoming a pastor Jimi Calhoun performed alongside many world-famous musicians including: Jimi Hendrix / Etta James / Hank Williams Jr. / John Lennon / Elton John / Mick Jagger / The Four Tops / Martha and the Vandellas / Rare Earth / Parliament-Funkadelic In A Story of Rhythm and Grace Calhoun weaves together engrossing stories about racial differences and reconciliation from his life in the music world and his life in the church. Reflecting on how he has often found more racial harmony on the stage and in the recording studio than in the pews Jimi shows what religion might learn from rock and roll. As an African-American growing up in the 1950s and 60s Calhoun knows firsthand about the effects of racism. His personal anecdotes about this period are eye-opening heart-wrenching and exciting. . . . His historical and sociological insights about racism and the civil rights moment are fascinating. . . . Those looking for an unusual perspective on one of the most turbulent times in recent U.S. history will be intrigued. --Publishers Weekly I love Jimis heart. Hes written the right book at the right time. This book is a great read! --Dr. John musician Musician and pastor Jimi Calhoun has accomplished that all too rare achievement--he wrote an absolutely unique book that fills a true need. Artists especially musicians have always led when it comes to bringing racially divided people together. May God use this book to open our arm and hearts to the rhythm and grace of the whole of humanity. --Charles Peacock recording artist producer and author of A New Way to Be Human Jimi Calhoun is a rare combination of storyteller sage artist and pastor. Reading this warm-hearted encouraging and challenging book is like sitting down with Jimi for a dozen leisurely lunches and talking about what it means to be human beings with different skin tones and different histories. I hope and pray that this book will infuse hundreds of thousands of pastors small group leaders neighbors and coworkers with new rhythm and grace. --Brian McLaren author of A New Kind of Christian Jimi Calhoun is Lead Pastor at Bridging Austin a Reconciling Community in Austin Texas. He is a gifted storyteller a popular conference speaker and has presented in seminaries and colleges both domestically and abroad. Jimi is an internationally acclaimed musician having been a member of Rare Earth Parliament-Funkadelic and the Dr. John Band. He is co-chair of Community Dreams an Austin-based nonprofit serving urban youth and a member of the Austin Interfaith Inclusion Network that serves people living with disabilities. He is on the boards of the Interfaith Arts Council Humanitarians in the Arts and the Exnihilo Art Center in Deadmans Cay the Bahamas.