The time on my iPhone read seven o’clock.  From the lobby, I could hear music begin in the auditorium through the speakers wired into the foyer.  As the past two nights of the Truthseekers Homecoming, we were looking forward to another wonderful line-up.  The guests for the evening were Greater Vision and The Mark Trammell Quartet.  I wasn’t in the balcony yet because I had been asked to watch over some product while the vendor ran an errand; but through the system in the lobby I was able to listen to the Truthseekers sing their first few songs, I’m Gonna Live Forever and I’ve Never Been This Homesick Before.

By the time The Mark Trammell Quartet took the stage, I found a seat in the balcony and settled in.  MTQ kicked off their set with Guide Me Oh Thou Great Jehovah, To Know He Knows Me and Ransomed and Redeemed.  “Thank you so much,” said Mark, after the applause died down.  “It is always a great honor to be here in the great state of Illinois.”  He went on to introduce the group and when he came to Dustin, he pointed out, “In fact, the very first night he sang with us, a few years ago, was here!” Mark exclaimed.  After Mark reminded every that, “This song was written in 1941,” they sang Echoes From the Burning Bush.  “I want us to do this song off our latest project,” Mark began, “it talks about me and it may talk about you as well, let’s see if it does.”  That ballad featured him and is also their brand new radio single – God’s Been Faithful.  Don’t Stop Running followed, as well as a request – Too Much to Gain to Lose.  “Every once in a while I like to be still and listen to songs like that,” Mark mused, “This stuff that happens in our world, in our lives, sometimes that stuff will cause us to get down and out, start feeling sorry for our self.  Folks like me migrate toward, ‘Why am I still breathing?’  If I’m still breathing, obviously God’s still got more for me to do.  If that’s the case, I need to take a little bit better care of myself.  Then the right song comes along at the right time and reminds me this is the reason you’re still breathing.  I need to use you to touch someone else’s life.  It’s not just me that can do that folks, you can do it too.  There is a reason God is allowing your heart to beat.  He’s got something for you to do.  If He can handle all of us at one time, I’m pretty sure that He can handle what is going on in your life at home.”  Then MTQ closed their half of the program with Your Walk Talks and the King is Coming.

“One of the reasons why I love coming to this place is because you [the audience] get it when we sing songs like that, you have church,” Mark began again.  “The other big reason we love to come here is because we get to be with these men who are about to come out on stage.  Twenty-five years ago Gerald, Chris, and myself stepped out in faith to what He had called us to do…the blessings of God have been on this ministry.  The most awarded trio in Gospel Music, would you welcome my brothers, here they are, Greater Vision!”   After GV came out and each gave Mark a hug, Gerald said, “I’m going to have him record that introduction so I can play it tomorrow.”  The audience chuckled.  I Could Never Praise Him Enough, He’d Still Been God, Come Unto Me and Since I have been Redeemed opened GV’s set.  Gerald teased the crowd a little, because even though GV has been to Marion for about 15 consecutive years, they’ve never been there on a Saturday night.  “I was expecting you all to be worn out!” Gerald began and was cut off by shouts of, “No way!” and an intimidating “Ooo.”  Gerald chuckled, “I should have known better!”  He mentioned the Collingsworth family and started to say, “Kim Collingsworth is the best piano…” but the crowd interrupted with applause and didn’t hear the end of what he said, which was, “student I ever had.”  After the applause died down, Gerald followed up with, “I spent so many hours teaching her to play like that.”  The crowd laughed then, recognizing the joke.  Gerald sat down at his piano and featured Chris, whom he just introduced, on I Know a Man Who Can.  After an encore and their famed “Preacher song”, Gerald said, “We’re going to do something we’re not supposed to do.  But, there’s nobody here but us and Mark won’t tell…’cause he won’t remember it tomorrow!”  LOL  What they “weren’t supposed to do” was sing songs from their new CD that, at that time, wasn’t released yet.  Gerald wanted to sing some news songs, so they did!  The first one was called Put Out the Fire.  (A song about the sacrifices Israel offered for sin and how Jesus “put out the fire” because He paid for it all with His blood.)  Gerald had talked about the importance of the lyrics and asked the folks, “Did you get it?”  The audience answered, “Yes!”  Next, Chris sang another new one, called He Does.  Though it was nearing the time to break for intermission, GV couldn’t leave the stage without singing their popular, My Name is Lazarus, which closed their first set.

When the second half began, each group sang a few songs themselves and then they all gathered around to sing the classics that we all are so fond of.  They started with Wedding Music and then launched into Master Builder with Mark Trammell taking the lead and playing bass guitar.  Last year, when Rodney Griffin sang Prodigal Son, it was a hit.  So they had to revisit that one!  Randy then appeared for the soft arrangement of There’s Just Something About That Name followed by I Will Serve Thee.  Champion of Love closed out their set, though I have to say, I don’t think anyone was ready for it to end.  It felt like they had just started!

Conclusion:  I for one, was not ready for The Truthseekers Homecoming to come to an end.  Was it really the third and final night of the sing?  It went by so quickly!  As always, GV and MTQ were wonderful on stage.  I want to extend a special thank you to the Truthseekers for hosting this event faithfully every year and making us all feel like one big family!!!

Next year The Truthseekers Homecoming will be featuring these artists…!

The Collingsworth Family
The Whisnants, Mylon Hayes Family, and The Erwins
Greater Vision and The Mark Trammell Quartet!

Visit The Truthseekers Homecoming page HERE, for updates and more info.