Every Saint Has a Past and Every Sinner Has a Future
By: Dave Boice
Tags: Christianity, Rock, Jesus

August 16, 2015 12:00pm Worship Service: The First Heavy Metal Church of Christ in Dayton, Ohio

I was pushing pedal to the metal on I-74. My personal Highway to Hell had hit a detour, as I burned rubber on my way to an outlaw biker church. I was Bad to the Bone with music blaring, sunroof open, and a fresh pack of allergy pills in the glove compartment. I was listening to Shinedown’s newest single on my Spotify playlist when it hit me like a five finger death punch:

“So feast your eyes

On the big, blue sky

And wave bye bye

From a long, Black Cadillac

Pay the price

Gotta roll those dice

And wave bye bye

From a long, Black Cadillac”

My future was indeed looking like a big, blue sky. Rachel was going Goo Goo Dolls over me, our connection was quickly revving up after a couple church dates. She was barraging me with text messages as she was becoming my spiritual groupie, begging to know the latest about my church tours. She didn’t see me as a “nice guy”, but instead a Christian road warrior with a bit of an edge. I was waving bye bye from my past, firmly in the rear view mirror. For Church #42, I was ready to embrace my inner-Christian bad boy, roll the dice to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my wayward brothers-in-faith at The First Heavy Metal Church of Christ (FHMCC).

I was hopeful no one would notice my lack of a neck tattoo.

Custom-made pew for the front seat of FHMCC’s Skull Dollz hearse.

When I pulled in next to a line of Harleys, off in the distance was a long black Cadillac parked in front of a graveyard. The hearse was outfitted in a Paint It Black exterior, an all-engulfing flame job, and mirror-tinted windows that were pictured with Skull Dollz. The cherry on top was the front seat, which was even customized with a black spray-painted wooden pew, complete with a casket in the back of course. With a custom hearse that was plucked out of Mad Max: Fury Road adjacent to a church sign that read, “Loving the Hell Out of You Every Sunday at Noon”, I could tell this was going to be epic.

FHMCC gathers every Sunday at noon inside a former elementary school. Inside the auditorium, the stage was flanked by a medieval body of armor on the left and a six foot tall heavy metal cross on the right. Hoping to avoid sticking out like Alice Cooper in a L’Oréal commercial, I had traded in my Sunday’s best for a faded black shirt, black cap hat, and ripped jeans. I fit right in, but it was hotter than a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert in the Sahara during the Summer Solstice. It had to be upwards of 85 degrees. I was not going to go through an hour and half-long service in the heat without hydration. When I hit the concessions to get some bottled water, there was no Whiskey In a Jar, but loads of Monster energy drink. Forget coffee to get your adrenaline rollin’.

God’s Dirt kicks-off service at The First Heavy Metal Church of Christ.

“Come on, someone bring the Holy Spirit in here. Come on, I wanna hear you Shout! Come on, Shout! Shout the name of Jesus! Shout His name!”

Rooster, the harmonica-wielding lead singer for God’s Dirt, jump-started service by really wanting someone to shout for Jesus. Mixing bluegrass and rock ‘n roll, the congregation raised their hands with the sign of the horns for some good ‘ole southern gospel headbangin’ and foot-stompin’. Throughout the service, FHMCC had alternative ways to connect with the congregation. From leading off announcements with everyone shouting “Unleash the Kraken” to the pastor firing off Super Soaker shots to cool down people sitting near the front, this service wasn’t afraid to pave a new road in its message.

FHMCC was the brainchild of Pastor Brian Smith, a heavy metal musician who became disillusioned with Country Club Christianity. He had a burning bush moment and rebelled against the religious establishment by forming his own church. It didn’t matter what you did, or who you are. FMHCC reaches out to Ohio’s strip clubs, bars, and biker clubs. They don’t go to spit fire and brimstone, but instead cast fishing nets using heavy metal music and customized vehicles as it’s lure, reaching out to the lost and damned who would feel uncomfortably numb in a traditional religious setting. Bikers, drug addicts, prostitutes, gang members, felons, convicts, and even writers needing all day allergy relief.

While many Christian critics look at Pastor Brian’s outreach as poison, the fact is he reaches out to the Barabbas inside all of us, preaching To Hell with the Devil to a forgotten target audience. On this Sunday, Pastor Brian manufactured a customized sermon, remixing rock ethos with Biblical canon. He referenced Hebrews 12:28–29 about God’s power as an all-consuming fire. If someone thinks he can contain God, to quote Judas Priest, “You Got Another Thing Coming”.

“We’re all gonna have to Ride the Lightning. Ooh, Metallica reference. We’re all gonna have to make that jump. Someday, you and me are gonna be layin’ on a hospital bed. When we’re layin’ there, as our life is getting to leave us and we’re about to take the Great Vacation, I don’t want my last thoughts to be coulda-shoulda-woulda… The time is now. We’re not gettin’ out of here alive. Livin’ your last moments in regret, Satan will have a field day with your mind.”

When the service was over, I couldn’t help but think we only have a little time left on this blue marble. Before leaving, I had to get another look at that hearse. Lyrics were stamped all over it, but the one that struck out was the Iron Maiden reference on the windshield. “Live After Death”.

When it’s time for us to be buried six feet deep, and we ride that long, Black Cadillac, we’ll either be hearing Hell’s Bells or Knock-Knock-Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. He punched a one way ticket to hell to sell-out that Big Concert Hall in the Sky. We can’t beat death, we can beat death in the life God has given us. Through Christ, we can live after death too.

The narrative of the Bible points that God continually works with and gives grace to people who don’t deserve it, don’t even seek it, and don’t appreciate it once they get it. With Barabbas, he was the most undeserving and baddest sinner of them all. Yet, he was the one who was freed over a nice guy like Jesus. Why?

With sin, we’re all bad boys. We’re all the lost and condemned. We’re all Barabbas.

And yet, because of Christ taking our place on that tree, we have been freed.

So I guess it is true. Like the old saying goes, “nice guys finish last”.