On this April Fools’ Day, we’re setting aside theological discussions and denominational news in favor of something a bit lighter. — Ed.
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For more than two decades, singer-songwriter Mark Bradford has been putting smiles on the faces of morning-show radio listeners in cities such as Philadelphia, Houston and Kansas City with his dead-on parodies of popular songs that replace the original lyrics with new lyrics that satirize current events.
Bradford at Denver's First Church of the Nazarene
But there is more to Mark that just zany morning-show humor. Mark is a follower of Jesus Christ — and a member of First Church of the Nazarene in Denver, Colo. — who has turned his talent for parody into a ministry opportunity. (The Church of the Nazarene is part of the the World Methodist Council.)
Working with One Way Street, Inc., a provider of resources for puppet ministry, Mark has created a series of recordings that he calls “Righteous Pop Music” (RPM).
Each of his 14 RPM CDs features well-known pop songs with newly written lyrics inspired by the stories, characters, and themes of the Bible. The recordings are often used as a musical adjunct for puppet ministries.
Mark Bradford’s mission statement is “To glorify God, uplift and challenge believers, appeal to non-believers, and reflect in my music the power and intimacy we can have with God through Christ.”
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Need a smile on your face today? Use the audio player to listen to Mark’s recording of “Sacred Agent Man” (about the Apostle Paul), a “righteous” version of the 1966 hit, “Secret Agent Man.” The song is from Righteous Pop Music—Volume 2, released in 1996.
Mark Bradford’s YouTube channel is here. His blog, focused on Scripture, is here.
There is a group called the ApologetiX that is called a “Christian parody band.” They describe themselves as “Billy Graham meets Weird Al Yankovic.” They have been active since 1992.
I really like this approach because it is somewhat similar to the one Charles Wesley used of taking the popular tunes of his day and then putting sacred lyrics to them.
Editor’s note: It is sometimes said that Charles Wesley even used popular “tavern or drinking songs” as the musical settings for his hymns. This assertion is disputed here by Dean McIntyre of the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship.