I have a playlist, of course. And I’m not the only person at Suno using their tools to do this.
There’s a rich tradition of using short, repetitive songs to focus the mind on who you’re singing to – from the Jesus Prayer uttered in the Egyptian deserts sixteen centuries ago to Taize-style worship in churches today.
It’s a style which has often been parodied. I came across one based on Graham Kendrick’s Jesus Put This Song Into Our Hearts back in the 1980s. It’s still doing the rounds now in a slightly altered form:
This is a modern Christian worship song,
This is a modern Christian worship song,
This is a modern Christian worship song,
[change key and repeat]
But it resonates with something deep inside us. We long for union with the God who created us, who loved us so much that He took on human form to live among us. Not just to show us how to live but to satisfy the demands of a Divine justice system that demanded our death and eternal separation from our Creator because of our rebellion against Him. Only through Him can we find the power to subdue the inward struggle to be less than we were designed to be.
And so, we call out to Him.
One of the experimental chants I’ve been working on is called Cry To The Lord:
[Chorus]
Jesus Christ
Son of David
have mercy on me
a sinner
Jesus Christ
Son of David
have mercy on me
a sinner
[Verse 1]
I love the Lord
he heard my prayer
and saved me from
the devil’s snare
[Chorus]
Jesus Christ
Son of David
have mercy on me
a sinner
Jesus Christ
Son of David
have mercy on me
a sinner
[Verse 2]
Cry to the Lord
He’ll hear your voice
and in His love
you will rejoice
[Chorus]
Jesus Christ
Son of David
have mercy on me
a sinner
Jesus Christ
Son of David
have mercy on me
a sinner
It’s simple enough. Similar in structure to the Jesus Prayer, but more resonant of Bartimaeus’ cry in the 10th chapter of Mark’s Gospel. Like him, we’re blind. Searching for the One who can transform our sinful reality into one where His glorious presence shines through to give us joy.