89
How about Jesus?
In the early months of 1979, Dylan took Bible study classes
at the Vineyard School of Discipleship in Reseda, California,
and its pastor later recalled that two of the school’s associ-
ates eventually “went over to Bob’s house and ministered to
him. He responded by saying, Yes, he did in fact want Christ
in his life. And he prayed that day and received the Lord.”
As happens with many converts, he threw himself into
this new pursuit, even unto trying to evangelize producer
Jerry Wexler while making his next record, Slow TrainComing, an overture that Wexler politely deflected: “Bob,
you’re dealing with a 62-year-old confirmed Jewish atheist.
I’m hopeless. Let’s make an album.” They made a wonderful
one, full of modern gospel music, including the Dylan classic
“Gotta Serve Somebody.” The follow-up collection, Saved,
was not nearly as good, and the concerts given in this period
were, to many Dylan fans, more mystifying than revelatory.
Their reticent sage who used to say absolutely nothing—not
a word—between songs was now preaching to them at con-
siderable (some felt insufferable) length: “[T]hey say, ‘Yes,KEN REGAN/CAMER A 5 (3)
80-96 LIFE_Bob Dylan 2020 Rolling.indd 89 FINAL 1/13/20 4:37 PM