A New Song in His Heart: A Roger Rose Story (1930-2018) by J.E. Rose

Having sent many sons down the road to a new future, I'm trying to imagine what it was like for Edward and Lottie when in 1948 they put Roger on the train, headed for Chicago, where he would be a student at the Moody Bible Institute.The loss of their oldest son Bob a decade before in an auto accident left lingering scars of grief. I suspect they viewed Roger’s departure as another one. Edward doubted Roger would last so far from home. Lottie just wept. 

Roger’s New Beginning (1947-1948)

As a boy Roger loved to sing. If there is such a thing as a singing-gene, he had it. His love of music came from Lottie. She wasn’t a strong singer but could harmonize well, especially when standing beside her son singing hymns on Sunday morning. She was also able to play the piano. That would prove to be important for Roger in his high school years. 

Roger attended Oxford High School. He did well in track, lettering in cross country. But his real love was singing. He had a strong, natural tenor voice. Somewhere along the way, he began singing in church. Lottie accompanied him on the piano as best she could. 

One Sunday night in 1947, when a senior in high school, Roger found himself at a tiny church in Pontiac, Michigan: Marimont Baptist.  The pastor of the church was Ralph Montague, wife Jennie, and a daughter named Donna. She was 16 years old and played the piano. She was extremely talented. Roger recalled listening to her play, thinking, "I could marry someone like her." When it was Roger’s time to sing, Donna was also impressed, thinking, “I could marry someone like him.” 

But there was a problem. I won't say a slight one. 

Donna was not just a pastor’s daughter. She was a serious Christian. Roger was not. Now, to be clear, Ed and Lottie were committed church members in Metamora. They attended the Congregational Church every week. Even so, during that time in its history, the church was led by a pastor who was more focused on social causes and good deeds than on the Bible. In later days, Roger would call the messages he heard, “do good to be good.” Roger never heard the simple truth of Jesus at church. His teenage lifestyle was also contributing to a growing burden of guilt. There was nothing in the sermons that helped with it. He knew he wasn’t a good person. No matter how many good deeds he tried to do, they never removed the guilt. 

That night, at the little Baptist church, Pastor Montague’s sermon was very different from any he had heard before. He talked about sin and how it separates us from God. He noted that no matter how good we tried to be, what we really need is to be forgiven of our sins by God himself. 

As he rode home with his mother, he was deep in thought about this church, about the pastor’s sermon, and about the girl playing the piano. 

Roger’s New Song

Roger wasn't ready to believe everything Pastor Montague had said. But it gave him much to consider. Something like a seed had been planted in his heart that night. As each day went by, the seed began to grow and somehow Roger knew he needed to begin going to church there. Certainly the pastor’s daughter was in the mix of reasons but not the main ingredient. He wanted to better understand what it meant to be a Christian. 

When Roger listened to Pastor Montague’s sermons some of the heavy burden of guilt seemed to disappear–at least during the sermon. He also started attending the church youth group.  It wasn’t just because of Donna but he genuinely wanted to be around the young people at the church. They were so different from his friends at school. He learned very early that for these kids “party” meant something totally different from the guys he hung around with. 

By July of 1948, the guilt of his sin and the truth that Jesus alone was the savior of sinner, finally became inescapable. One night in his bedroom, he knelt beside his bed and prayed, begging God for forgiveness. And, in a mysterious turn of events, Roger came to believe for the first time that God had heard his prayers. Not only that, but he knew somehow that God answered them. God forgave him and welcomed Roger into his eternal family. Roger had always loved to sing. But in this moment, God put a "new song in his heart." Years later, he and Donna would make that a hallmark of their music ministry with the rousing gospel song:

Roger’s New Future

It wasn't too long after this that Roger knew his future would be much different from what he had imagined. His newfound faith meant a new outlook on the future. He felt that since he was now a Christian, he should learn as much as he could about the Christian life, especially about the Bible. He should get more education about Christianity. He knew so little about the Bible and what Christians should believe. He had begun meeting periodically with Pastor Montague to talk about the Bible but he wanted more. He wanted a formal program of Bible training. 

Pastor Montague began encouraging Roger to go to what he called, “Bible school.” That sounded very exciting! An entire school devoted to teaching the Bible. Roger learned that Pastor Montague had attended such a school many years ago. It was called Moody Bible Institute, located in Chicago. He also learned that Moody had a special program of study for church music. That sealed it for Roger. He was determined to figure out how to make it happen. 

The path forward was not an easy one, however. When he began talking about his new plans with Ed and Lottie he got no encouragement. Indeed, his dad in particular was opposed to it. Ed never had ambitions like this–especially going far away to some big city school. I suspect that Lottie was not nearly as vocal in her concerns. She did not want to see him leave home, but she more likely wanted her son to chase his dreams. It is also interesting to note that before marriage, she had gone to a training school for secretaries. It wasn’t a college but she could understand the concept of higher learning in ways Ed did not. I suspect she became something of an ally for Roger’s plans. 

He didn’t know how he would pay for it (he got little help from his dad) but Pastor Montague urged him to go anyway. In 1949 Roger was accepted into the music program. He imagined he would use the schooling to become a music leader in a church someday. 

On a crisp autumn day in September of 1949, Ed and Lottie loaded up the 1938

Chevy with Roger’s modest means: a simple suitcase with all the clothes he could fit in. In those days, he would embark from the train station in Pontiac, after a transfer in Durand to another line, he would arrive in Chicago about seven hours later. 

Lottie tried to hold back the tears and the quaking in her voice as they stood at the station. Ed was not so reserved. “You won’t last six months,” were the words Roger would remember the rest of his life. Though Ed didn’t appreciate the irony of his criticism, it was just those sentiments that made Roger more determined than ever to prove them wrong! 

The next three years were not easy. Imagine even his arrival for the first time in downtown Chicago. He had never been out of Michigan before, let alone a city like Chicago. He was overwhelmed by the noise, the smells, the cars and all the pedestrians. His first sight of a skyscraper made him so feel so small. Ed’s words perhaps haunted him even more. Was it all a foolish dream? What was he thinking? 

At this point, Roger didn’t know how it would end. But he did find consolation in the assurance that God was leading him.

There's a New Song in My Heart

John W. Peterson © 1950

Once my life was filled with discord, sadness reigned within,

For my heart was heavy laden with a weight of sin.

Chorus

There’s a new song in my heart, since the Savior set me free

There’s a new song in my heart, ‘tis a heavenly harmony

All my sins are washed away, by the blood of Calvary

Oh what peace and joy, nothing can destroy, there’s a new song in my heart.