Listen

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter.

John Keats, “Ode on a Grecian Urn”

I can’t imagine my life without music.  I grew up playing it and I am almost always listening to it, and I take comfort in the notion that God encouraged celebration and uninhibited joy through song.  From time to time, in this section I’ll be sharing the music that brings me closer to God.  Sometimes it will be some good ol’ praise fare; sometimes instrumental; maybe sometimes an Irish fiddle.  This is what touches me.  Maybe it’ll touch you, too.  And if you want to share your own music in the comments, please do!

Man of Sorrows, Hillsong Worship

This is the constant and current praise song in my rotation.  It played a prominent part in our Easter services, and since then I have had it frequently on my mind.  Whenever I feel like the miracle of Christ has become too commonplace, I return to it:

Kecharitomene, Loreena McKennitt

“Kecharitomene” means “having been [fully] graced” (or, as it might help to think of it, surpassingly graced) and the hypnotic, Middle Eastern rhythm of this always grabs me and helps me think of Christ’s world, and Christ’s life on earth.  The exuberant violin at 5:12, unleashed from the continuing rhythm of the song and allowed free reign to dance over the prevailing melody in a sort of wild untrammeled glee, reminds me of the depths of joy that reside in God’s own heart: the wild unrestrained love that promises to turn mourning into dancing.

Behold Our God, Sovereign Grace Music

I’ve been reading a lot lately in Job, as well as reading Philip Yancey’s What’s So Amazing About Grace? and Where Is God When It Hurts?  Yancey often drives home the point that God doesn’t have much of an interest in explaining why we suffer; as His interaction with Job shows, He’s far more interested that we get a clear idea of who He is, and who we are in comparison.  This song is a pleasant and soothing reminder.