Steve Cox tells how a track by Joanne Hogg impacted his life

Joanne Hogg

The time came for my wife and I to leave our warm chalet, hurry down narrow stairs, across wet lawns and through milling crowds.

Like obedient puppy dogs, we followed hard on the heels of our determined friend. Then, as we turned the final corner, there, stretching as far as the eye could see, was an endless queue of rain-soaked, but expectant, fans.
We dispensed with protocol as our friend ushered the two of us past the smiling, but confused, doorman. We crossed a darkened foyer, climbed some stairs and entered the large main hall.

For this was Easter, 1991, and we had arrived at Spring Harvest, Minehead, with a flourish. The determined friend was the inspirational horn specialist, Dave Fitzgerald. The headline band for that evening was the rising star of UK CCM, lona.

We chatted. We joked, but nothing could hide the tension of the evening. The stage was set, the doors opened and the place filled within minutes. The crowd waited expectantly. Suddenly, the noise subsided; a thousand eyes stared at the large video screen to the side of the stage.

As white-crested waves crashed against the rocks, a windswept figure came into focus. Then the haunting, opening lines of "Here I Stand" pierced the quickly darkening room like a sharp beam of light.

In the artificiality of that giant video screen, God touched our spirit and united a room full of strangers. A thousand souls stood with that silhouetted figure looking out to sea, each recalling the Christian saints who were laid on the sand for the sake of our Lord.

Paradoxically, the personification of everyone's attention was standing just a few feet away. Unable to look, the owner of that magnetic voice quivered with nervous apprehension. For her, the live event lay ahead.

This was our first meeting with lona lead singer Joanne Hogg and during the coming months we came to know, and love, not only Jo but all the members of lona with considerable affection.

For my wife and I, that visit to Spring Harvest was a significant milestone on our Christian path. As we wallowed in his presence, the Spirit of God prophetically spoke through Jo's lyrics to affirm a call to take the Good News of Jesus Christ beyond the church walls using contemporary music.

During the next year or so, we observed a God that didn't hesitate to use the musical culture of this generation to touch, and change, many young lives; a God that continuously provided opportunities to reach those on the periphery of his church, and draw them into a new understanding of the father heart of God.

Looking back, it would have been simpler to have denied God's call, taken the easy way out and done nothing. But, as Jo's song indicated, God drew our attention to the legacy of so many Christians who had given their lives. So, who were we to turn from this God-given opportunity?

Sure, we made mistakes, became overzealous and, on occasions, lost sight of God's vision - who doesn't? We suffered emotional upsets. But, above all, it was a time of genuine excitement, a time of shared blessings and stepping into the bright glare of public exposure to proclaim Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father.

Unconsciously, lona played a pivotal role in this call. Their genuine support and concern fuelled the motivation to carry on in the face of the enemy. In our hearts, Jo's hauntingly attractive voice, together with the simplicity of those three verses, will never cease to send nostalgic shivers of joy down the spiritual spine.

In our hearts "Here I Stand" is an anthem to Christians throughout history who, despite so much opposition, responded to that unquestionable call from the 'Wild Goose' to break free from cosy anonymity and bring the love of Jesus into an uncaring, frequently hostile world.

For me, Easter 1991 will linger long in the memory, when God used a song and a video screen to link us with so many Christians and launch an exciting journey of revelation and knowledge that will continue until the Lord returns.

HERE I STAND
Words and music by Joanne Hogg

Here I stand, looking out to sea
Where a thousand souls have prayed
And a thousand lives were laid on the sand
Were laid on the sand

Years have passed, since they have died
And the word shall last
And the Wild Goose shall fly
Shall fly

Here I stand, looking out to sea
And I say a prayer
That the Wild Goose will come to me
That the Wild Goose will come to me

©1990 Word Music (UK) Reprinted with permission