By Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST and the ASSIST News Service
STUDIO CITY, CA (ANS – January 31, 2015)
-- Tuesday, June 19, 2001, was the worst day in the lives of veteran
American entertainer Pat Boone and his wife, Shirley, for it was then
that they received the shocking news that their eldest grandson, Ryan
Corbin, then 25 years old, had fallen through a skylight on the roof of
the condo where he was living in Southern California, and came extremely
close to losing his life.
His skull was crushed as he fell
three floors to a cement floor below. Many thought Ryan would never
awaken from the deep coma of his mind. Then, if he did, there was the
dreaded fear that he would survive at best in a vegetative state.
But
then, the ASSIST News Service, and many other media outlets and
individuals, including veteran TV host, Larry King, launched prayer
campaigns for Ryan, whose mother is Lindy Boone Michaels, one of the
four Boone daughters, and slowly but surely he has been making an
astonishing recovery.
And now, Pat Boone, 80, has been
honored as one of a star-studded group of Christians who have served as
trailblazers and mentors in the entertainment industry by on Thursday,
January 29, 2015, at an extraordinary event put on by the Hollywood
Prayer Network at a special packed out event called “HOLLYWOOD HONORS
2015” at CBS TV in Studio City, California.
The packed gathering was
attended by many believers who have been highly successful in Hollywood
over the past 40 years, and also included Al Kasha, Gavin MacLeod, Wink
Martindale, Ken Wales, Rosey Grier, and veteran stuntman, Bob Yerkes, to
name just a few of them.
This
celebration joined mentors and mentees in prayer and fellowship to
encourage one another in the body of believers in Hollywood. The younger
generation of Christians in Hollywood honored and prayed for the
trailblazers who came before them and lived lives of integrity and faith
while being successful as film, TV and music professionals.
Before he received his coveted
award, I was able to chat with Pat and asked him how he felt about
receiving it in front of his many peers.
“I’m so honored,” he began, “especially as the Bible says, ‘Give
honor to those whom honor is due,’ and I am always about trying to give
honor to other people. So I’m uncomfortable at being a recipient because
I just feel like there are so many others that have done more, or are
more worthy to receive it.
“But still, I admit that God has
used me in some ways that I think must be important to him (laughs) and
that’s my point tonight.
“We were each asked to come up
with a scripture and I’m going to say that my favorite scripture is
Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, and everything in between, because I’m in
the midst of reading through the Bible for my thirtieth year straight.”
He then added that he did choose
John 1: 12, which says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who
believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
(NIV)
“And no matter what you may
think about fame or acclaim or any of that it’s all transitory; it’s all
temporary; it’s almost nonexistent,” said Pat Boone. “A star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame, or two or three of them, doesn’t matter nearly
as much as having your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. That’s
what we’re about so I’m happy to be among those fellow performers who
are also fellow Christians.”
Boone then spoke about the
extraordinary recovery of Ryan Corbin, saying, “Ryan continues to get
better and we were with him just two days ago. He’s investigating a
different kind of brain therapy to try to help him regain what was lost
in that accident some 14 years ago. But he is getting better.
“I helped him stand up and he
hugged me – he’s 6 foot 4 inches in height - and we talked and kidded a
while, and I let him sit back down. With the help of a walker, he can
take deliberate steps and, in a pool, even more. Ryan is fun to be with.
He’s intelligent and conversational. We’ve still got a ways to go, but
we’re believing God is going to restore him completely.”
So, how important is prayer to Pat Boone?
“It’s
vital and it’s every day,” he said. “In fact, the Bible says, ‘Pray
without ceasing.’ (laughs). If you walk around praying verbally all the
time, people will think you’re nuts, but I like to make my breath a
prayer. I’m breathing a lot these days and I always have.
“I start the day asking God to
breathe into me his spirit, his breath, and I believe he does. So in
everything I do, and everything I’m about, I’m trying to devote it to
him and I ask his blessing on it.” With that Boone was off to join his
many friends at the event.
About the Hollywood Prayer Network:
The Hollywood Prayer Network
(HPN) is a nonprofit organization led by entertainment industry
Christians, seeking to impact our culture for Christ through prayer. We
are committed to asking Christians everywhere to pray for the artists
and professionals, projects and productions, and global impact of
Hollywood: the world’s most influential mission field.
“With an attitude of love, it is
our passion to mobilize people around the world to engage in culture,
pray for the media, and help transform the spiritual climate of
Hollywood,” said a spokesperson for HPN. “Whether you’re an industry
professional who wants prayer and support or a Christian with a heart
for prayer, the group says that it wants to “build the bridges, light
the way, and bring hope and healing to an industry that dramatically
shapes our world.” To join, just go to: http://hollywoodprayernetwork.org/join-the-movement/
To read a previous story with all the honorees listed, please go to http://www.assistnews.net/index.php/component/k2/item/171-hollywood-honors-2015-celebrates-christians-making-a-difference-in-the-entertainment-industry
Note: I would like to thank Robin Frost for transcribing this interview.
Photo Captions:
1) Pat and Shirley Boone with Ryan Corbin at Pat's 80th birthday celebrations (Photo: Dan Wooding)
2) Members of the Hollywood Prayer Network praying before the start of the event (Photo: Tim Hathaway)
3) Logo
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