It may surprise some people that there are so many Psalms in Scripture, more than just the 23rd. There are actually 149 more.
The richness of the Psalms is a surprise. It’s as far from all “the Lord is my shepherd” all the time as one can imagine. One need look no further than the Psalm preceding the 23rd, which foretells Christ’s crucifixion in painful detail. There are other instances where we can see the honest acknowledgment of our human condition. David, for example, writes in Psalm 6.
It is exhausting to groan.
Every night I weep in my bed all night.
I will weep on my couch.With sorrow, my eyes become weaker.
They fail because they are afraid of my foes.
Other places contain cries in utter despair; such as Psalms 38, 88. Psalms 38 and 88 are both filled with pained laments. Psalms 44, 74 contain bitter reproaches against God. These do not last, as Psalms 73:21-24 demonstrates.
My heart broke when I was hurt
And my spirit was broken.
It was a complete waste of time and ignorance.
Before you, I was a beast.Yet, I am always here for you.
You hold me with your right hand.
I trust you to guide me.
And then you’ll take me to glory.
Translation: Sorrow is legitimate in God’s sight. Anger is a natural emotion. But the Lord’s patience is great, His understanding is perfect, and His love endures forever.
All this leads to Undercover.
The first concert they have played in 10 years will be their undercover show at House of Blues Anaheim. This gives me the opportunity to give a well-deserved overview on my Cephas hour podcast, which covers a wide range of career topics.
Undercover burst out of the 1980s contemporary Christian music scene based at Calvary Chapel Santa Ana under the guidance of church pastor Chuck Smith, located in the city of Santa Ana in California’s Orange County. While the Calvary Chapel Santa Ana’s first group of musicians were firmly rooted on the mellower side Laurel Canyon’s folk/country/rock scene was, Undercover led a second wave of new wave artists. Louder, faster, and far more aggressive than their predecessors, Undercover started in a trebly pogo-pop vein that quickly developed into a powerhouse torrent of bruising riffs and rhythms minus metal’s excesses. The band’s lyrical evangelism matched its musical muscle, unashamed praise mixed with unapologetic reminders of hell’s reality and the need of Christ shared by every individual. Undercover’s music horrified old-school fundamentalists, but its message was right up their alley.
Smith decided to shut down his church’s rock music efforts in the mid-1980s, leaving Undercover and the other affected artists to fend for themselves. After three albums, Bill Walden quit to pursue other ministry opportunities. The original band’s lead singer went through a change. Undercover continued to follow this path until his retirement. Sim Wilson came on board for 1986’s The BrandThe album was called “The Other Side of Hardcore Evangelism” and it explored a wider range of human experiences without abandoning Christ as its center. This trend continued with 1990’s Balance of power and 1992’s DevotionAt this point, the band was easing down after a seemingly endless time on the road which saw the band play slightly more than 300 shows in a single year. ForumWith Rob Gallas singing lead vocals, the album was released in 1994. The band then called it quits. It was the DevotionFor 2002, the lineup was reunited The Rose is FallingSince then, he has given the occasional concert.
What makes Undercover so similar to the Psalmists.
Another Biblical illustration. A Bible teacher once mentioned the differences between books of Kings, and books of Chronicles. Both cover Israel’s history, but that is where the parallel ends. Take, for example, how King David’s life is covered in each. Kings gives you all the details on Bathsheba’s life and Absalom. Chronicles does not mention either. Only one thing that was against David is his attempt to conduct a census. This is a violation of Mosaic law. The Bible teacher commented that while Kings reflects history from man’s viewpoint, Chronicles is history from God’s viewpoint. Evidently, the Lord is different in his priorities when it comes to determining what’s important.
Undercover spoke out about all aspects of life. All its members have the same experience. However, their lives are different from each other. At least one of them has even abandoned Christianity. This is what the whole world notices. But the Spirit, an unstoppable force that extends beyond the band’s reach, remains. It’s a power that brought me back to faith at the band’s 2005 concert after over a decade spent in a bitter agnostic fog. It’s a power that at the band’s 2011 concert lifted me into a Spirit-filled experience the likes of which I’ve never known in my sixty-plus years on this planet. These are the qualities God loves.
Lord willing, I’ll be at the Undercover concert in June. If you listen to the new Cephas Hour featuring Undercover, hopefully, you’ll gain at least a glimpse of why I want to be.
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