3 Songs I'm Loving for Easter

One of the things I struggle with each year are finding songs that are focused on the Resurrection and not just on the Cross. Don't get me wrong, we need songs about the Cross of Jesus, but His resurrection is equally as important as the cross (and some would argue more). I'm not trying to start a "tastes great! / less filling!" argument. I just want to point out that the disparity in numbers between cross-focused songs and resurrection-focused songs makes finding fresh Easter/Resurrection Day songs a little tough.  But here's three I'm loving for Easter this year:
#1

This is great song of proclamation from Gateway off their latest release, God Be Praised. It's singable and, while the resurrection isn't the complete focus, it's enough to find itself onto one of my set-lists on Resurrection Sunday. I'm looking forward to using it after Easter as a regular rotation song. I can envision using the bridge (a simple repetitive declaration: "sin has no hold on me") as way to corporately declare freedom from specific sins in our church. More on that in another article.

#2

I missed this one last year. It's on Matt Maher's 2009 release, "Alive Again." Christ is Risen is a tad quirky - which I like. It doesn't sound like the typical CastingTomlinMercyCamp radio stuff. Maher thinks a little deeper than the average joe - I like that. Plus his co-writer is Mia Fieldes - whoever gets her for a co-writer is sitting pretty good. Check out this link to download a free chart (you'll need to register with worshiptogether) and watch Matt perform it live. Here's an upload of the record version:




#3

I work with the youth band at my church and the "A" team has been able to get this one down. It's Crowder's Passion 2010 version of Daniel Bashta's "Like a Lion." As I was wrestling through songs to open the Easter service, and I thought of this one. Then wavered. Could I really do this with the adults? Then as I looked read through the lyrics again and I decided yes. It's an awesome way to open the service: "Let love explode...God's NOT dead...let heave roar..." I may get a note or two after the service - but it'll be worth it.

By the way, this is a fun video below with Crowder and Bashta doing the song together unplugged.



Reply to this post and let me know what songs you're doing for Easter. You might help us discover something worth changing our set-lists.