Songs of Sanctuary

Check out the PDF resource pack for the weekly subthemes and daily Bible readings/prompts. See the discussion questions PDF for questions designed to adapt the material for small group discussion.

Songs are a kind of sanctuary. They are a place we can go, even if it’s just for a few minutes, to find some reassurance, inspiration, or peace. They transport us from our everyday concerns. Melody, rhythm, and poetry have a way of bypassing our defences and reaching directly to our emotions - making us dance, jump, laugh, and cry. A song is a place where you can be yourself, and remember parts of yourself you had forgotten.

Many of the Bible readings this month centre around the life of David, a songwriter who embraced the power of song to tap into deep feelings of triumph and anxiety, hope and frustration, delight and anguish. He was a man in search of sanctuary, who didn’t always find it, but never gave up the search. There are also several readings from the Psalms, a collection of songs and poems - many of them written by David himself - full of rich, complex emotion.

This month we are going to invite you to read the Bible with your headphones in. Each day there is a reading and a prompt inviting you to find a song that evokes the themes explored in the passage. We actively encourage you to turn to the songs that you love, that have soundtracked key moments in your life. Songs that remind you of different times and people. This is not about finding ‘worthy’ worship songs and hymns that spell things out neatly… we are asking you to consider the earthy songs you know and love - that have been there for you through the ups and downs of life. 

The Bible is full of the kind of people pop songs are written about: flawed, desperate, quirky souls full of longing and regret, heartache and desire. In other words - people like you and me.

So the challenge to our prayer writers, and to everyone following along with our Daily Worship, is to find messy broken songs written by messy, broken people that are designed to be listened to by messy, broken people! Cast the net far and wide - gospel, jazz, rock, indie, hip-hop, musical theatre, metal, country - whatever it is that speaks to your soul and reaches your heart. Open the Bible and press play.