Arden, North Carolina — Mark Bishop serves as a witness to God’s everlasting love on his new album, Beautiful Day, available now from Sonlite Records. With this collection of songs, the gospel singer-songwriter encourages people to look for the positive and trust in God.
Bishop begins the album with these themes on the first single, “It’s A Beautiful Day,†an up-beat and bright song about not letting the gloomy days get you down and allowing God’s joy and light to shine through you for everyone to see. This theme is continued in “It’s All Good,†which reminds us it’s always possible to find happiness when Jesus is in our hearts.
The driving “God Needs Ministers†pushes the faithful to not leave what they learn in church in the pews. Bishop sings, “God needs ministers in every situation. / Someone strong enough to rise to the occasion. / It can even feel like life ain’t even fair. / But maybe there’s a reason the Lord has put you there. / So you can be a blessing to somebody, that’s the reason / God needs ministers in every situation.â€
Bishop praises God for His everlasting love on “Are You Ready For Perfect Love?â€, which features a guest appearance from 11th Hour’s Amber Eppinette on vocals; “You Can’t Say He Didn’t Love Us,†explaining how the cross proves what the Lord is willing to do; and “The Man On The Other Cross,†which continues the story of Christ’s death, explaining how one man next to him was redeemed, while the other died without knowing God’s mercy.
The album explores the theme of trust with “I’ll Just Keep Rowing†and “I’m Just Changing Mountains†both about having perseverance through life’s trials and faith God has our best interests in mind and will help us in his timing.
Bishop’s “Home Grown Tomatoes†captures the story of a country preacher in an untraditional twist on a gospel song. It tells of a man named Brother Joe, who served as a witness, showing up at churchgoers’ homes with a Bible in one hand, “While holding in the other an old paper bag / Filled with love and home grown tomatoes.â€
The album closes with “Lost, Lost Lost,†which begins with soft piano and a story of losing at life with a sense that something’s missing. Upon reaching God’s light, you’ll be found and no longer have to guide yourself through life’s trials.
“Even after all these years of creating Gospel music, I still get excited about new songs. Music provides the background soundtrack for the ups and downs of our lives,†says Bishop. “As we look back at the different chapters of our journey, it’s funny how a song can transport us to a simpler time, or to a profound change in our lives. It’s also amazing how God can use a song like a medicine for our hearts when we are hurting.â€
Listen to Beautiful Day HERE