Music Monday - Easter Edition

Given that yesterday was Easter and the Christian musical canon is filled with great songs celebrating our Risen Savior, I thought I'd create a list of my favorite Easter songs.

1. "Forever" by Kari Jobe. 

Featured previously, it stands above the rest because of the incredible vocals, well-summarized theology, and overall declaration of victory and celebration.

2. "In Christ Alone" by Keith and Kristyn Getty

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth, in glorious day

Up from the grave He rose again!

And as he stands in victory, sins curse has lost it's grip on me

For I am His, and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ.

How great are those lyrics? How great are those truths? 

3. "He's Alive" by Don Francisco

My dad used to sing this song, which always gives me chills as it narrates the story from Peter's point of view. Hollywood spends millions of dollars on movies that try and fail to create the kind of tension and emotional response this songs accomplishes in a manner of minutes.

4. "I've Just Seen Jesus" by Larnelle Harris, Sandi Patty (written by Bill Gaither)

 

This one makes the list primarily because of the powerhouse performances by these two artists in this duet. But I'm also kind of a sucker for a song which narrates a story. And I've always loved the line "All that I've done before, won't matter anymore". But those vocals - just shut it down. It's over. They win.

5. "Easter Song" by Anne Herring

 

For whatever reason, I feel like this is Christmas song. I think it's the 'bells ringing' part that is often part of Christmas carols. Clearly it's a song celebrating Easter though. And kudos to this choir, who give it new life in an excellent performance.

Music Mondays

Last night, despite the ongoing NCAA Tournament and The Walking Dead's latest episode, my wife and I made TV time for "The Passion" on FOX, presented by Tyler Perry.

It was a re-telling of the Passion Week, following Jesus and his disciples through the many difficulties of that historic period of time. It recast those events in a more modern setting and incorporated modern pop music to reflect the events and the emotions of the characters.

I found it to be a well-produced, decent depiction of the Biblical story. The mix of what seemed to be recorded segments with live performances and narration seemed a bit disjointed, but I'm not an expert TV critic. It wasn't an overly powerful show, but it did a fair job accomplishing what it was shooting for.

The final song was the show's high point however. The song choice, "Unconditionally" by Katy Perry, was perfect and its connection to the Resurrection and the Gospel was on point as was the performance. 

If you're interested in the specific events of the Passion Week, let me shamelessly plug my sermon from yesterday as we looked at each day, Sunday through Thursday.

Music Mondays

I love this song, I love this artist. 
I love how this song by this artist perfectly captures what Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:17-24 - shameless plug to audio of my sermon.

It's crucial for all Christians to realize that we've been changed and we should put off the old self, be renewed, and put on the new self. It's a great upbeat song that spurs us on to the right perspective as we start off the week.

Music Mondays

The old cliche, "you learn something new everyday", applies to my morning today. Giving brief contemplation to what to do for Music Monday, I started searching YouTube for some classic songs of my youth.

And low and behold, I stumbled upon a music video from my all-time favorite band that I'd never seen before:

I don't know how this had slipped pass me, but I'm sure I've never seen it before. I love the song, it's an overlooked single on an album chalk full of great songs. And 20 years later, it's message is even more relevant for us today. We live in a nation where progress has been made in racial reconciliation, but last year showed us just how far we have to go. 

And this song absolutely nails the Biblical theology on race issues in such a compact and clear way, 

"We're colored people and we live in a tainted place. We're colored people and they call us the human race."

"Ignorance has wronged some races, and vengeance is the Lord's. If we aspire to share this space, repentance is the cure."

I remember thinking about this song as a high school-er recognizing it's truth but now as my worldview has enlarged, I realize how significant these issues are to a much clearer extent.

Music Mondays

I was trying to think of a song that fit with our passage from yesterday - Ephesians 3:14-21 - where Paul prays that his readers would be strengthened by the Spirit, be able to grasp God's vast love, and grow into maturity.  It's a pretty powerful prayer that concludes Paul's theological focus which comprises the first half of his letter.

While I didn't feel strong about any song for that passage, one single that I keep hearing on the radio seems to fit well with the first 3 theological chapters of Ephesians.

The song, like Paul's theology, is admission of our own frailty and acknowledgement of dependence on God's grace.

Music Mondays

I was thinking of going a couple directions with this week's Music Monday selection. I settled on one that seems fitting for a Monday. Monday is when reality sets in. The joy of the weekend is but a distant memory and most of us have to get back to the real world. 

So with that in mind, and after hearing one of my favorite group's current Top 40 hit numerous times this weekend, I'm going with "Stressed Out" by Twenty One Pilots:

It hits a nerve to those of us who are still young enough to remember the carefree days of our childhood. Being an adult is great for many reasons, but if I'm honest - it stinks sometimes too.

Music Mondays

While our society is very individualistic, we still embrace corporate labels like "American", "Hoosier", and/or "Cowboys fan". 

For much of history, there were only two labels that mattered, spiritually speaking. They were "Jew" and "Gentile". Any one not born into the people of Israel were outsiders, excluded from God's redemptive plan. Gentiles could partake through converting and conforming to the Law, but they were not on equal footing. 

That all changed with Christ and Paul lays it all out in Ephesians 2:11-22. In Christ, God has taken those two groups and made a new community by destroying what had divided them. 

No longer, misfits, we are members of God's people, the Church. 

So this week's Music Monday features a theologically-rich rap by Lecrae that spells out who we are and what God has made us.