#169: New Rock Music With Hope Comes Out of a Pastor's Health Crisis "My Cavernoma"

Run The Race

Rock on! My guest this week is a longtime friend who's now in Kentucky and just released his first solo album, full of songs about overcoming and hope related to his health crisis and almost dying during brain surgery. He doesn't label it Christian rock, but hopes the music reaches the lost and nonbelievers. As you'll hear later in this podcast (which you should subscribe to), he's also passionate about mental health which is part of his current job. (3:04) After a taste of his music on the pod, we hear from Eric Bivens, who was in full time ministry almost two decades - including being a youth pastor at my church in Columbus GA. He did all the singing and playing of instruments for his band "My Cavernoma" on the just-released album "Once in a Lifetime," which you can listen to on all major streaming platforms, linked at https://mycavernoma.com/. A cavernoma is a ruptured blood vessel. He explains how that going unnoticed in his head led to a decade of seizures, how they came out of nowhere, even while leading worship at church. Eric talks about yelling at God for not healing him and also how the Lord opened doors for a new pastor job in WV that led to a neurologist who helped heal him. In surgery, they took out half his skull. His scar is now his testimony. Now, he wants to use rock music to help others struggling, give them hope. (22:50) Why is this longtime youth pastor so passionate about music and working in visual communications, part of his church and secular jobs? It started with a guitar, an art class, and a band in high school. Music has been part of his ministry. Eric wants his songs to be for anyone, Christian or not. His core audience is males aged 30-55. (30:56) We hear the story behind several of his "My Cavernoma" songs about memories, addiction, and material things...and Eric plays an acoustic version of "Hello," We also give you some of the album version. For the last 4 years, (38:20) this former youth pastor has worked for Talkiatry. Eric himself has a college degree in psychology and Christian counseling. He says psychiatry is not something to be afraid of, but God can use it to heal us, as the nation struggles with mental health challenges. (43:20) While he used to express his emotions through sermons, now it's through new rock songs with honest lyrics. We also hear a little bit about his hugging wife Jodie's video devotionals...and connecting with their three boys over basketball and other sports. (49:32) Eric also delivers the prayer for this episode, with just a little more of his music to close us out. Thanks for listening to the #RunTheRace podcast! Also, write a quick review about it, on Apple podcasts. For more info and all past episodes, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.