“The Dawning Fire” is a fresh blend of relevance, sound and depth. The title track of the EP is an original composition of a man with a story to tell and a talent to share.
After leaving home at 12 years of age because of a number of challenges, Mike Rathke spent a significant part of his adolescence floating from house to house in his native Kansas.
MIKE RATHKE
Musician
“When I was 14, my mom gave me $20 for my birthday, and there was a girl on my school bus that had a guitar for sale, and she said, 'You can have it for 20 bucks,' and so I gave her that $20, and that was sort of the start of my passion for music.”
It was an unassuming start perhaps, but a start that would reveal a call and a gift for music. From helping lead worship at his church to getting a degree in music, Mike remained attentive to God's presence in his life, which he says wasn't always a central part of his day-to-day.
MIKE RATHKE
Musician
“Through the course of that, I never really felt like the Lord had released me to push and to pursue a music career so much. I just, I always felt like He was saying, 'Just serve me and be humble where you're at, and I'll open up the doors.' So that's what we're doing. That's what really started this whole process, with the project, with the album that we recorded.”
The new EP contains five worship songs: four originals and one cover. Mike says his hope is that “The Dawning Fire” will encourage listeners to begin “their walk with Jesus.”
MIKE RATHKE
Musician
“My heart and my desire for anything that I do is that it would do that, that it would spur the listener on to love God more, love their neighbor more, and just walk in the gifts and the way of life that God's given them. You know, whether they're a car salesman or a musician, pastor, whatever it is, to do that, for the glory of God.”
Mike says he's amazed by God's ability to speak “through some of the most simple things on Earth.” He says his sources of inspiration are widespread, but now, it might be his own music that will provide inspiration for others.
CT
