Sacred Music for Easter

I love Sundays. 

And there is something special about a springtime Sabbath that is especially appealing. 

Perhaps the magic lies in the renewal of the seasons: the sunlight bringing added warmth in its rays; the crocuses and daffodils in bloom; fruit trees budding with promise. It echos the promise each of us have of new life through our Savior.

Since I've been on the topic of Easter music lately, I thought I'd share two additional playlists that I listen to year round-- but with greater frequency this time of year. 

The first is a sacred oratorio written by Rob Gardner, The Lamb of God. If you aren't familiar with his work, you need to have the pleasure of discovering it. Truly, it is a masterpiece. It ranks right up there with The Messiah for me. You can learn more about it here. (Special thanks to Montserrat for reminding me of the site!)

(If you are reading this post on an RSS feed reader, please be aware that there is a widget link to my Spotify playlist on my site which will allow you to listen to the entire playlist for free. If for some reason it is not letting you listen from here, you can also search Spotify for "Lamb of God" and/or "Rob Gardner")

My other favorite Sunday playlist this time of year includes favorite sacred works by the Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi. His Gloria and Nulla in mundo pax sincera are two of my all-time favorite pieces of music-- independent of genre. I also put his Dixit Dominus on the playlist.

(RSS readers: playlist widget below, or search Spotify playlist "Sacred Vivaldi," or the individual pieces.)

While Gloria in its original Latin is stirring all on its own, I loved reading the English translation and getting a greater appreciation for the message in the words. I hope it resounds in your heart as well. (If you are interested, you can google the other works for their translations-- they are just as wonderful!)

Gloria
          (Latin)

Glória in excélsis Deo

et in terra pax homínibus bonae voluntátis.

Laudámus te,

benedícimus te,

adorámus te,

glorificámus te,

grátias ágimus tibi propter magnam glóriam tuam,

Dómine Deus, Rex cæléstis,

Deus Pater omnípotens.

Dómine Fili Unigénite, Iesu Christe,

Dómine Deus, Agnus Dei, Fílius Patris,

qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserére nobis;

qui tollis peccáta mundi, súscipe deprecatiónem nostram.

Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris, miserére nobis.

Quóniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dóminus, tu solus Altíssimus,

Iesu Christe, cum Sancto Spíritu: in glória Dei Patris. Amen.

(English)

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you,

we bless you,

we adore you,

we glorify you,

we give you thanks for your great glory,

Lord God, heavenly King,

O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,

Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;

you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.

you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High,

Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Best wishes for a peaceful Sabbath evening.

He is Risen • Music for a Christ-Centered Easter

As Easter Sunday is just a little less than one month away, I thought I would post the usual updated holiday playlist that we are enjoying here in our home. I keep adding tracks to it each week, but as of right now there are 120 songs, totaling over 8 hours of music.

Easter is my most favorite holiday of the year, and I have long wondered why we often don't seem to approach the season with the same anticipation and worship as Christmas-- generally speaking, of course.

For the last few years, I've started observing my own version of Lent, and if you're interested you can read some of my thoughts on it here. I also love Ann Voskamp's recent thoughts on the season here. I've shared her words before, but they bear repeating:

Lent. It’s the preparing the heart for Easter. Like going with Jesus into the wilderness for forty days, that we might come face to ugly face with our enemy. Our sacrificing that we might become more like Christ in His sacrifice... Lent isn’t about forfeiting as much as it’s about formation. We renounce to be reborn; we let go to become ‘little Christs’. It’s about this: We break away to become.

Just as Christ-centered Christmas music adds depth and breadth to Advent, I love keeping my focus on the Savior this time of year with music that supports that desire. I hope it brings the Spirit in your homes and hearts as well.

(If you are reading this post on an RSS feed reader, please be aware that there is a widget link to my Spotify playlist on my site which will allow you to listen to almost the entire playlist for free. If for some reason it is not letting you listen from here, you can also search Spotify for the playlist "He is Risen")

• • •

If you don't want to create a Spotify account, here is a list of the tracks on my playlist (via affiliate links) if you are curious:

Morning Has Broken - Steven Curtis Chapman

Christ is Risen - Matt Maher

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee - Page CXVI

Man of Sorrows - David Potter

Hearts and Voices - High Street Hymns

What a Savior - Laura Story

Alive - Natalie Grant

He is Risen - Jacob and Matthew Band

Empty - Dan Haseltine & Matt Hammitt

No Not One - Brandon Heath

This is Amazing Grace - Phil Wickham

You Are I Am - MercyMe

Sing - Josh Wilson

Be Loved - Christy Nockels

Cornerstone - Hillsong Live

Beautiful One - Jackie François

What Love Is This - Kari Jobe

Carry Me to the Cross - Kutless

You Are My King (Amazing Love) - Newsboys

Overcome - Jeremy Camp

Hope of the Broken World - Selah

Jesus Messiah - Chris Tomlin

All of Creation - MercyMe

Glorious Day - Jeff Johnson

How Love Wins - Steven Curtis Chapman

My Savior My God - Aaron Shust

Wondrous Love (Acoustic Version) - Jadon Lavik

Christ the Lord is Risen Today - Aaron Hale

I Will Rise - Chris Tomlin

After All (Holy) - David Crowder Band

Mighty to Save - Laura Story

All For You - MIKESCHAIR

O Praise Him (All This For A King) - Oceans Above

The Light in Me - Brandon Heath

Strong Enough to Save - Tenth Avenue North

You Have Redeemed My Soul - Page CXVI

The Lord is My Shepherd (Psalm 23) - Sherri Youngward

His Name Shall Be Called - Jadon Lavik

In Christ Alone - Bethany Dillon & Matt Hammitt

Lead Me to the Cross - Hillsong United

Love Came Down - Kari Jobe

Beautiful Scandalous Night - Robbie Seay Band

Love Love Love - Daniel Renstrom

How Great Is Our God - Bethany Dillon

My Hope is in You - Aaron Shust

Your Great Name (Acoustic Version) - Natalie Grant

Healed - Nichole Nordeman

How Great Thou Art - Jadon Lavik

Lord, I Need You - Matt Maher

Motion of Mercy - Francesca Battistelli

Safe - Phil Wickham

How Sweet the Sound - Citizen Way

Redeemed - Big Daddy Weave

Your Love - Brandon Heath

One Thing Remains - Jeremy Riddle

Forever Reign - one sonic society

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) - Hillsong United

Jesus, Son of God - Chris Tomlin & Christy Nockels

Rock of Ages - David Potter

Hero - Abandon

The Reason for the World - Matthew West

Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest) - Kari Jobe

It Is Well (Oh My Soul) - Brandon Heath

Lamb of God - Sarah Reeves

Love is Here - Tenth Avenue North

You Won't Let Go - Michael W. Smith

Only Grace (Acoustic Version) - Matthew West

I Shall Not Want - Audrey Assad

Spoken For - MercyMe

How He Loves - David Crowder Band

Open Up - The Brilliance

The Proof of Your Love - for King & Country

Own Me - Ginny Owens

Hallelujah - Tenth Avenue North

Stolen - Brandon Heath

I Am New - Jason Gray

Wondrous Love - Aaron Shust & Kari Jobe

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing - Katy Kinard

Delivered (Acoustic Version) - Casting Crowns

Revelation Song - Shane & Shane

I Will Lift My Eyes - Bebo Norman

You Love Me Anyway - Sidewalk Prophets

At Your Name (Yahweh, Yahweh) - Phil Wickham

Joyful - Brenton Brown

All Creatures of Our God and King -  Donna Stuart

Hosanna - Hillsong United

Our God - Chris Tomlin

I Am - Mark Schultz

Beautiful, Beautiful - Francesca Battistelli

You Are Everything - Matthew West

Grace - Tenth Avenue North

The Hurt & The Healer - MercyMe

East to West (Acoustic Version) - Casting Crowns

Forgiven - Sanctus Real

Grace That Is Greater - Building 429

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Look Up) - Nichole Nordeman

The Great Day - Michael W. Smith & Darlene Zschech

 Redeemer - Nicole C. Mullen

Healing Begins - Tenth Avenue North

The Redeemer - Sanctus Real

My Help Comes from the Lord - The Museum

I Am - Crowder

Keep Making Me - Sidewalk Prophets

Sing It - Josh Wilson

Isaiah 55 - Leigh Nash

Joy Is In Our Hearts - Sara Groves

I Need Thee - Jadon Lavik

Alive Again - Matt Maher

Broken Hallelujah - The Afters

We Are - Kari Jobe

Jesus, Firm Foundation - Mike Donehey, Steven Curtis Chapman, Mark Hall, & Mandisa

Aftermath - Hillsong United

He Paid It All - Brandon Heath

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) - Chris Tomlin

Sing Hallelujah - Steven Curtis Chapman

Let this playlist serve as a jumping off point for you to create an Easter playlist of your own!

Have a very blessed Easter.

♥

He Is Risen • An Easter Playlist

***Edited to add: There is now an updated version of this playlist available here. I hope you enjoy!*** 

Well, as you probably know-- and if you don't, you should-- there are four weeks until Easter Sunday.

I love this time of year. While the crisp days of early autumn are my favorite time of year, the weeks leading up to Easter are a close second. And Easter itself is my most favorite holiday of all.

While I've been getting in the Easter spirit for awhile now (see my recent post on Lent here), I thought now would be a pretty good time to share the playlist I've been listening to lately as I strive to deepen my personal meditation on the atoning sacrifice of our Savior.

This is a group of songs that I have put together over the last few years, consistently adding to it over time-- just like my other playlists that I've posted. Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as my family has.

 (If you are reading this post on an RSS feed reader, please be aware that there is a widget link to my Spotify playlist on my site which will allow you to listen to the entire playlist for free.)

• • •

If you don't want to create a Spotify account, here is a list of the tracks on my playlist if you are curious:

 1. Morning Has Broken - Steven Curtis Chapman

2. Christ Is Risen - Matt Maher

3. Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee - Page CXVI

4. What a Savior - Laura Story

5. Alive - Natalie Grant

6. He Is Risen - Jacob & Matthew Band

7. Empty - Dan Haseltine & Matt Hammitt

8. No Not One - Brandon Heath

9. Overcome - Jeremy Camp

10. All of Creation - MercyMe

11. Glorious Day - Jeff Johnson

12. The Victory - Phil Wickham

13. Scandal of Grace - Hillsong United

14. How Deep The Father's Love For Us - Katy Kinard

15. We Fall Down - Nichole Nordeman
(added after initial post published: My Savior, My God - Aaron Shust)

16. Wondrous Love - Jadon Lavik

17. Christ the Lord is Risen Today - Aaron Hale

18. I Will Rise - Chris Tomlin

19. After All (Holy) - David Crowder Band

20. Mighty To Save - Laura Story

21. All For You - MIKESCHAIR

22. O Praise Him (All This For A King) - Oceans Above

23. The Light In Me - Brandon Heath

24. Strong Enough to Save - Tenth Avenue North

25. You Have Redeemed My Soul - Page CXVI

26. His Name Shall Be Called - Jadon Lavik

27. In Christ Alone - Bethany Dillon & Matt Hammitt

28. Lead Me To The Cross - Hillsong United

29. Beautiful Scandalous Night - Robbie Seay Band

30. Hero - Abandon

31. How Great Is Our God - Bethany Dillon

32. My Hope Is In You - Aaron Shust

33. Your Great Name (Acoustic Version) - Natalie Grant

34. Healed - Nichole Nordeman

35. How Great Thou Art - Jadon Lavik

36. Motion of Mercy - Francesca Battistelli

37. Redeemed - Big Daddy Weave

38. Your Love - Brandon Heath

39. One Thing Remains - Jeremy Riddle

40. Forever Reign - one sonic society

41. How He Loves - David Crowder Band

42. Open Up - The Brilliance

43. The Proof of Your Love - for King & Country

44. Own Me - Ginny Owens

45. Hallelujah - Tenth Avenue North

46. Stolen - Brandon Heath

47. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing - Katy Kinard

48. Delivered (Acoustic Version) - Casting Crowns

49. I Will Lift My Eyes - Bebo Norman

50. You Love Me Anyway - Sidewalk Prophets

51. At Your Name - Phil Wickham

52. Isaiah 55 - Leigh Nash

53. Joy Is In Our Hearts - Sara Groves

54. I Need Thee - Jadon Lavik

55. We Are - Kari Jobe
(added after initial post published: Jesus, Firm Foundation - Mike Donehey, Steven Curtis Chapman, Mark Hall & Mandisa)

56. He Paid It All - Brandon Heath

57. Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) - Chris Tomlin

58. Sing Hallelujah - Steven Curtis Chapman

Feel free to use this as a starting point for creating a soundtrack of your own!

♥

Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday, and many of my friends from other Christian denominations are attending services and going without a certain luxury or giving up a personal vice as they begin their observance of Lent.

I've discovered through my years of living in the Beehive State that there are a lot of members of the LDS faith here in Utah that know very little about Lent. Most assume that it is just a Catholic observance, when in actuality many Christian denominations participate. The holiday is part of the Roman Catholic tradition, to be sure, but Lutheran, Methodist, and Episcopalian congregations, and many other branches of the faith also recognize it. 

As far as the Latter-Day Saint tradition is concerned, the Lenten season is not observed in a traditional way. In fact, Jenna Jones, an LDS script writer for Jon Stewart's The Daily Show has quipped, "Mormons don’t participate in Lent because being Mormon is like Lent 24/7. The only thing left to give up is dessert. & NO ONE’S TAKING THAT FROM ME!” 

Her thoughts, while humorous and very tongue-in-cheek, are actually worth noting-- because as Latter Day Saints, we are constantly trying to come unto Christ and leaving our baggage at the door. Every Sunday we seek to remember the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ and covenant to repent and turn to Him. The first Sunday of each month is typically designated as a fast Sunday, and congregants generally will go without food for a 24-hour period by their own choice and donate the funds not spent on those meals to the poor. Our spiritual journey compels us toward constant growth and searching for truth; and fasting, prayer, and sacrifice are considered necessary components of such development. So in a way, a formalized observance of Lent would be a little redundant for our faith community, because if we're truly engaged in our religion we are always "observing Lent," as it were.   

For me personally, I like to recognize the Lenten season because it helps prepare me for Easter. So often it seems like the Easter season comes and goes without much fanfare. This is distressing to me, because I feel it is perhaps the most important holiday we celebrate. I may be biased, since it is my favorite holiday, but I don't think I'm off base for saying that. If we as Christians truly believe as we say we do, if the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior is the most meaningful and singular event ever to transpire on this planet, then it would seem that we should approach Easter with at least the same amount of anticipation and reverence as we do Christmas.  

I love these words of Christian writer Ann Voskamp, "Lent. It’s the preparing the heart for Easter. Like going with Jesus into the wilderness for forty days, that we might come face to ugly face with our enemy. Our sacrificing that we might become more like Christ in His sacrifice... Lent isn’t about forfeiting as much as it’s about formation. We renounce to be reborn; we let go to become ‘little Christs’. It’s about this: We break away to become."

This is exactly how I feel about Lent. It is similar to how Advent helps me to celebrate Christmas with the right frame of mind. 

Just as Christ spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting and preparing for His ministry, I have the opportunity to spend 40 days in deepened meditation and contemplation, giving up some things that have a tendency to separate me from the Spirit and adding elements that allow me to more fully come unto my Savior.  

And that is definitely something my faith tradition embraces. 

April Adventures • Easter Sunday

Easter is my most favorite holiday.

The fact that there is less commercialization along with fewer obligations to go, do, and be in so many places throughout the holiday season like we experience at Christmastime may have something to do with it.  But mostly, I just love the majesty of the message of Christ's Atonement coupled with the beauty of new life emerging in nature.  I love teaching my children about the Easter story, and keeping the focus directly on the Savior.

We typically enjoy a nice Easter dinner with roasted lamb as the main dish.  This year there were some complications in that regard now that Reilly is old enough to put two and two together when it comes to consuming meat and recognizing the animal from which it comes.  She was surprisingly accepting when it came to the idea of eating lamb, but she insisted that we call it "meat" and not "lamb" when Sheepie was in the room.  Whenever we spoke of Easter dinner during the week, she carefully covered Sheepie's eyes and plugged her ears so that she wouldn't be traumatized.  Such a compassionate little shepherdess, that Reilly.

The other day, she asked me out of the blue, "Mom, do you know why I love Sheepie so much?"

"Why?" I responded, slightly distracted as I unloaded the dishwasher.

"Because she reminds me of Jesus Christ." came the answer.

She now had my complete attention.

"Really?  How is that, sweetie?" I inquired.

Taylor interjected, "Because Jesus is the Lamb of God."  Reilly nodded in agreement.

"That's true," I acknowledged.  "He is also called the Good Shepherd.  I especially love His story about the lost sheep."

Reilly spoke up again, "Yes, that is my favorite story.  I love the Lost Sheep story."

Those two... they sure know how to warm this mother heart of mine.

None Were With Him

Elder Holland's Conference address can be read in its entirety here. There is such power in his words.

And, to be perfectly honest, there is not much more I can even think to add.

So, on that note...
Happy Easter, everyone.

Have a lovely weekend, and may you & your loved ones be encircled in the unconditional love that Christ has for each of us.