Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal has a prayer of making a believer out of you.

I don’t believe in any god humanity has thrown up for worshipful purposes, but I’ve fallen hard for Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal (released last year by the excellent Numero Group label). Which goes to show the power of funk: It can seduce even this staunch atheist to repeatedly play an hour-long CD full of Jesus-big-upping lyrics (I do, however, keep a bowl nearby in case the urge to vomit becomes overwhelming).

I’ve never heard of any of the 18 artists on Good God! before this comp (whose songs span 1968-1981) came along, so Numero Group deserves major props for exposing unjustly obscure talents like Mighty Voices of Wonder, LaVice & Company, Horace Family, Preacher & the Saints, Shackleford Singers, Modulations, Brother John Witherspoon, and others. Most of these God-fearing funkateers can hold their own with their more ostensibly secular counterparts. The impressively packaged Good God! is bursting with stellar and earthy soul music; it has the power to charm even if you don’t give a damn about its “praise the lord and pass the collection plate” messages. Amen, brother.