Music can be sanctifying. It can be a tool of the Holy Spirit to form the image of Christ in us. Music is a means of grace.

Last year I began a tradition of forming a short playlist as a way of reflecting on the year. What have I learned? Where have I seen God? What challenges have I faced, and how was God present in those challenges? For whatever reason I have never been particularly good at journaling these kinds of things. But memories are often captured best through music. Music has the ability to transport our mind and attention to other times and places. A song from the past is the closest thing we have to a time machine. So last year, instead of writing out my thoughts and reflections, I went through my most played songs and picked a few that captured what the year meant to me. The practice was meaningful, prayerful, and grace filled.

This year I decided to do the same again and to share these songs and reflections with you.

My Soundtrack of 2024

Tracks 1-3: Andrew Root and our Secular Age
1. “Holocene” by Bon Iver^E
2. “Margaritas at the Mall” by Purple Mountains
3. “Earth is a Black Hole” by Teenage Wrist

I was first introduced to Andrew Root in 2023, but I became immersed in his work this year. In February I had the opportunity to attend a conference with Root as the keynote speaker. I proceeded to read through his entire “Secular Age” series. This is must read material for anyone in Christian ministry today. How do we pastor in an age that struggles to believe in the transcendent? Root argues that many efforts in the Church today only further entrench us in materialism (what Charles Taylor calls “The immanent frame”). The Church’s hyper-focus on buildings, numbers, and programs leaves little room for the mystery of the God who is God.

It would take multiple blog posts to unpack all this material. But these three songs help me keep Root’s work and themes in mind. The first two tracks “Holocene” and “Margaritas at the Mall” were introduced to me by Root himself in his work. “Holocene” grounds me by reminding me that “I am not magnificent”. I am not the star of my story. God is. “Margaritas at the Mall” reminds me how hungry the world is for a “new word from God”. There are plenty of ways for people to be entertained. What the Church has to offer is not entertainment but the Word of God Himself.

“Earth is a Black Hole” was not introduced to me by Root, yet I see his themes throughout the song. The key question is “Where do we go when the river runs dry?” This can have many interpretations. But here’s the question I ask: in a closed world where all we have is imminence (what can be seen, studied, and known), where do we go for our deepest longings for meaning, purpose, and God?

Tracks 4-5: The Joy and Imagination of Childhood
4. “That’s What You Get” by Paramore
5. “Just My Imagination” by The Cranberries

I have a tendency to take myself and my life too seriously. But my two young children are the medicine I need. “That’s What You Get” has become my daughter’s favorite song (at least from the music I listen to). Whenever we get in the car and I have my music playing, she will ask, “Can you play ‘That’s What you Get?'” A cherished memory from this year is watching her dance around the living room to this song. While I was first introduced to Paramore in high school (they are one of the top bands of my generation), this song will always remind me of my daughter.

“Just my Imagination” reminds us that the imagination of childhood is not just imagination. There is more going on in childhood, more going on imagination than play. It is prayer. Imagination is an entrance into the presence of God.

Track 6: Depression
6. “Drag My Body” by Hot Water Music

I have dealt with depression to varying degrees throughout my adult life. A few years ago I acknowledged that I needed medication. This year I had to acknowledge that the medication I was on was not working. Thankfully, I have found a better option and am in a better place. But the early months of 2024 were dark. “Drag My Body” was a song that helped get me through the darkness. It is one of the best songs I have heard at capturing what depression feels like: “I’m hardly feeling human anymore/Enough to drag my body from the floor”. Chuck Ragan’s intense vocals bring the words to life. But the song ends with encouragement: “Stand to hold steady now/To take a breath and somehow/Take a step to begin again/After all we can only do our best.”

Also…this song has some of the best bass work I know.

Tracks 7-8: Memento Mori
7. “Beyond Me” by Foo Fighters
8. “Just Breathe” by Pearl Jam

I suppose every year in life involves death. 2024 was no exception. There were a few deaths in 2024 that hit close to home, most notably my grandma (and last grandparent). Death is part of life. As Dave Grohl sings, “Everything we love must grow old…You must release what you hold dear.”

“Just Breathe” reminds us to cherish life while we have it. “Yes, I understand/That every life must end/As we sit alone/I know someday we must go/Oh, I’m a lucky man/To count on both hands/The ones I love/Some folks just have one/Yeah, others they gone none/Stay with me/Let’s just breathe.”

Track 9: An Experiment
9. “What I’ve Done” by Linkin Park

At a men’s breakfast this fall, I decided to try something that I have wanted to try for a long time: use music I love as a means to preach and teach. “What I’ve Done” by Linkin Park was the perfect choice. It’s not hard to preach on these lines: “So let mercy come and wash away/What I’ve done/I’ll face myself to cross out what I’ve become/Erase myself/And let go of what I’ve done.”

In these lines, Chester Bennington sounds a bit like David: “Have mercy one me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1, NRSV).

Tracks 10-11: Losing…and Finding My Religion
10. “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M.
11. “Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles

While I know that R.E.M.’s song is not actually about losing religion (“Losing your religion” is a southern expression for losing your cool), the song nevertheless captures the pain and difficulty of change. You cannot grow in the life of faith without that faith changing and evolving, maturing. My religion looks different today than it did ten years ago. This is good. But it can also be painful. How do I communicate my growing and maturing faith with those who are not moving in the same direction? How do I ensure I say enough and not say too much?

As a pastor, I am called to push and challenge the congregation to follow Jesus even when following Jesus is in conflict with the status quo, even when Jesus challenges their politics, even when Jesus challenges their values. “And I don’t know if I can do it/Oh, no, I ‘ve said too much/I haven’t said enough.”

Brian Zahnd preached a great sermon from this song this last fall. He pointed out that if you play “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles right after “Losing My Religion”, the songs mesh well together while also having a noticeable transition from a minor to a major key. Much of the music on this list is filled with heavy and, at times, dark themes. But I remain a prisoner of hope. I continue to hope that the light of God will shine in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it.

E: Explicit. This track has one profanity.