What's Your Repeat Song?

Each morning, I get a little further in my mission to read the Bible in a Year, and this week is 1 Samuel.

In 1 Samuel 16, David uses music to soothe King Saul anytime an evil spirit plagues the King.

When the bad spirit sent from God came upon Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand. And Saul would receive new strength and be well. The bad spirit would leave him. 1 Samuel 16:23

How nice would it be to have your favorite instrument or musician come to you whenever the devil spoke sweet nothings into your ears, whenever his words seeped into your skin, toxifying your thoughts, taking away your worth, filling you with pride, with doubt? How nice it would be to have something combat those whispers, like maybe “Hold On” by Wilson Philips playing on repeat? [What? Not a Wilson Philips fan?] Well, what was your repeat song from childhood? From college days? What is your current repeat song, your lift-me-up tune to play when plagued by bad spirits?

Currently, my new repeat song is "Transformed" from Mark Roach’s soon-to-be released EP Beautiful Truth. The song begins in darkness with overlaying whispers of scripture, a throbbing heartbeat, and then. And then the guitar comes in, washing away the confusion, confessing imperfection with lyrics speaking of his own distractions and wondering “Will I ever learn?” This song makes me want to sing out, demand that God, my Lord, take me as I am, in all my imperfection, and do something about so it, transform me into His liking. Lord, take me! Mold me! Change me! Mark pleads in the song “Don’t leave me unchanged" and by the end, I find my own spirit pleading for the same change, the same transformation.

After David played the harp, King Saul would become refreshed, renewed, and the bad spirit would leave him. That’s how you feel after listening to Beautiful Truth. While "Transformed" is my repeat song, you can’t help but allow the CD to continue, to hear the melodic ballad of the last song, "Beautiful Truth," a love song to our Lord that makes you close your eyes, wavering to the beat, eavesdropping on Mark’s intimate conversation with his Father.

Beautiful Truth meets you right where you are on your spiritual journey, with upbeat and uplifting tempos such as "Transformed" and "Every Reason Why," to more mellow and lovely tracks like "Holy Lord" and "Here with You." At my church home, Morning Star Church, we like to say that music is an extension to our services into your school or work week, and can even offer encouragement. For myself, Beautiful Truth acts just like "David's Harp," washing away the bad spirits of the outside world, reminding me of our Holy Lord.

Mark Roach is scheduled to perform at 6:30 p.m. April 22, 2012 at Morning Star Church, 1600 Feise Road in Dardenne Prairie, where Roach has served as worship leader for the last 12 years. Admission costs $7 and includes a free Beautiful Truth CD to be picked up the night of the concert. Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.mscwired.org or calling 636-561-5680.