Next week I’ll start looking back on 2010, highlighting the songs that stuck with me this year and counting down my top ten. But first, here’s one last theme week.

My next five songs will look at different aspects of religious faith. I’ll feature tunes that express doubt, fervent belief and outright anger. All are the rare pop songs that explore the idea of a higher power with passion and dramatic flair.

First up is supergroup Monsters of Folk, who opened their self-titled 2009 debut with today’s track, ‘Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.).’

All three singers — Jim James, Conor Oberst and M. Ward — take a verse in this song but for me it belongs to James (who opens the track). His ethereal vocals blend in with the new-agey music to, appropriately, make the whole thing sound like it’s floating by on angel’s wings.

Lyrically, this song is pretty simple, and simplistic. “God, I know you have your reasons” seems to let the big guy off the hook a little easily. And “Why do we suffer?” isn’t exactly a new conundrum for people of faith. But I like the middle verses and the overall theme of wanting to believe but not finding it easy.

Monsters of Folk is singing about a god who is at worst indifferent and at best inscrutable. I suspect this song hits home for a lot of people who like the idea of a god but are troubled by the details.