Christian Music Recommendations Part 1

By Anthony:

I thought it might be fun to share with you some of my favorite Christian songs from all time. These are songs I like to listen to, rather than the songs I love to sing during corporate worship.  I'm only going to share one song at most from each artist, even if I like all of their songs.  They are in alphabetical order and I've included links to the songs on Youtube so you can immediately listen.

I decided there are enough songs I wanted to share that I'd put them in three posts, part 1, part 2, and part 3.  So stay tuned for more songs sometime in the future (possibly distant future).

• The Apostle Soundtrack - I'm a Soldier in the Army of the Lord.  By Lyle Lovett.
    
• Audio Adrenaline - Rejoice.  This is a pretty simple song but it stirs my heart concerning missions and evangelism.
   
• Broken Walls - We Dance Before You.  First Nations Christian song.  I like this group because they use their traditional cultural style of music, but use it to worship Christ.
     
• O Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack - I'll Fly Away.  I know some of my Reformed brethren aren't a big fan of this song because it seems to be Gnostic, saying that this world is an evil prison, and the spiritual realm is good.  I disagree.  There is a strong biblical theme of us being pilgrims in this world.  Paul was certainly eager to die and be with Jesus intimately in Heaven, so he said "to die is gain."  Yes this world is still good, but it is also a broken fallen place full of suffering, and we long to be with Jesus face to face.  When we die, we do leave this world, and go to be with Jesus.  That is a temporary state, and we excitedly then wait for the resurrection and the New Creation, the redeeming even of this world.  But it's not bad to look forward to being in Heaven with our Lord!
    
• Burlap to Cashmere - Mansions.   I always used to listen to this one in bed, during high school, as I would drift off to sleep.  I used it as a prayer,  "Love me, light me, give me, guide me."
    
• Chris Rice - Life Means so Much.  Very convicting song about using our time for good things, things that matter in God's Kingdom.  Powerful words.
    
• Chris Tomlin - Whom Shall I fear?
    
• Curtis Allen - Heidelberg Catechism.  Just because it's fun to have a rap song about the Heidelberg Catechism (one of my tradition's theological/devotional treasures).  Actually I really like the song.
     
• Darlene Zschech - Hear our Praises.
    
• David Crowder Band - I Saw the Light.
   
• DC Talk - In the Light.  Classic song.  Only recently have I discovered how rich the lyrics are, very much about our battle with sin with a Romans 7 type theme.
   
• Derek Webb - Crooked Deep Down.  This song is super upbeat and yet the whole thing is about our sinful depraved natures.  I find it uplifting and fitting that it is upbeat because it tears down walls of hypocrisy and the fronts that we all put up.  It reminds me that everyone is just as messed up and in need of God's grace as I am.   And we can rejoice and sing this song happily because God gives us that grace.
   
• Fernando Ortega - Our Great God.
    
• FFH - One of These Days.  I love songs that are about seeing Jesus face to face, anticipating eternal life with him in a new transformed creation when he returns.
   
• Geoff Moore - In Christ Alone.  Everyone knows this song by the Gettys, but I really like this version in particular.  I want this song at my funeral because it proclaims the good news of the Gospel in a very rich theological and emotional way.
    
• Ginny Owens - Be Thou My Vision.  All the more poignant of a song when you consider that she herself is blind.
    
• Gungor - This is Not the End.  Perhaps my current favorite at the moment.  Powerful song.  While the lyrics are vague and simple, with our rich theology and promises of God in our minds, we can sing this one with gusto.