Easter – Moments of Happiness and Joy

Happy Easter! The wonders of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord. He is not here. He has risen! Music has always been a huge praise driver for me, but especially on Easter Sunday. What are the songs of your resurrection Sunday?

Was your day a day of hymns? People my age grew up in a church that sang hymns – usually the first, second and last stanzas. Were your songs hymns today? While staples of “The Old Rugged Cross,”  “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” and “There is Power in the Blood” may have led us to the resurrection, our Sunday mornings were filled with “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” “Up from the Grave He Arose,” “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” and “He Lives!”

A Day of Hymns or A Day of Praise?

One year in college we tackled the peak of the mountain. Our choir performed the magnificent oratorio the “Messiah.” Beginning with the prophecies from Isaiah and the annunciation to the shepherds, the bulk of the music concentrates on the passion of Christ and ends with a chorus of Hallelujahs. Handel wrote “Messiah” for modest vocal and instrument presentation, though in the years following his death the work was adapted for a much larger scale, including giant orchestration and choirs.

In my years after college, contemporary Christian music tried to walk a strange fine line between the Eagles and Journey, between praise and rock. Kentucky born songwriter Don Francisco penned a Dove Award winning “He’s Alive,” a song covered by Dolly Parton, Ray Boltz, and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Sandi Patty performed “Was it a Morning like This?” and Glad offered a rendition of the “Easter Song.”

Origins of Contemporary Praise

Contemporary praise and worship music on Easter today featured Chris Tomlin’s “The Wonderful Cross” and “How Great is Our God,” Phil Wickham’s “This is Amazing Grace,” Laura Story’s “Death Was Arrested,” or Passion’s “Glorious Day.” 

I have told this story to almost anyone who will listen. One of the Christian rock groups of the 1970s and 80s was a group called Petra. The music group is regarded as a pioneer of Christian rock music. With more than three decades of experience, the band released 20 studio albums, earned nominations for 13 Grammy awards, and sold about 10 million copies of music. Petra became the first rock band inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the first Christian band to have their memorabilia included at the Hard Rock Café chain.

I got one of their early cassettes and had it playing in the car when my dad got in to ride with me. Dad was an active leader in our church, serving as a Deacon for years. “Dad wouldn’t it be great if we could sing music like this in church?”

A grin came over my dad’s face. Actually, it leaned more toward a smirk. “We will never sing music like that in church.” The odds were in his favor. We hadn’t changed music in millenniums.

Twice today my oldest daughter Sarah plays bass in a praise and worship band that would make Petra sound like the opening act for the Gaither’s. And once Saturday. And Friday. And Thursday. And a long practice on Tuesday.

An Eternity of Praise

While Casting Crowns, Hillsong etc., MercyMe and Newsboys play occasional concerts and earn a fair wage, across the country in almost every size church, musicians offer their time and talents for little or no monetary compensation. This message is for Aunt Martha as she plays the organ in a rural church in Georgia and the guy who just learned to play three chords on a guitar in Ohio. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing something that few of us can do.

I know how tiring giving of yourself is at church. I have given multiple sermons on the same day. I have taught more than one Bible lesson on the same day. It is both exhilarating and exhausting.

Playing music is something that most of us wish we could do. I am thankful that you have seen fit to use your talents in music and your gifts in leadership and interpersonal relationships to present and direct our worship. God must be so proud as you rally us together and lead us on a journey to His majestic throne room.

How Can We Say “Thanks?”

Thank you for your dedicated hours, your sore throats from singing, your tired feet from standing, the callouses from playing your instrument and your service to our church and our God. Literally we could not do it without you.

You set the mood for our service. We move one step closer to our Father. You make us smile when you share your gifts.

If there are stars on crowns when we get to heaven, you will have many. An angelic messenger will meet you at the gate with a new set of strings. He hands you a note that says “Worship is at 10:00am.”

The great news is there, you won’t have to practice.

Thank you musicians for your ability to praise. Happy Easter.