Happy Easter! Jesus is risen!
In celebration of our Lord’s victory over sin and death, I offer you Keith Green’s classic recording of Annie Herring’s Easter Song. Enjoy, and rejoice!
Hear the bells ringing
They’re singing that you can be born again
Hear the bells ringing
They’re singing Christ is risen from the dead
Of what does the blood of Jesus primarily speak to you? Does it speak to you of anger, divine justice and ritualistic sacrifice? Or does it speak to you of love, love, love?
Take a few minutes and let Godfrey Birtill help you see the love of God:
I often like to start the week off on the blog with a song. And who better to help us on our way this Monday morning than the one and only Keith Green singing about the unstoppable, uncontainable love of God?
Like a foolish dreamer trying to build a highway to the sky
All my hopes would come tumbling down, and I never knew just why
Until today, when you pulled away the clouds that hung like curtains on my eyes
Well I’ve been blind all these wasted years and I thought I was so wise
But then you took me by surprise
Like waking up from the longest dream, how real it seemed
Until your love broke through
I’ve been lost in a fantasy that blinded me
Until your love broke through
All my life I’ve been searching for that crazy missing part
And with one touch you just rolled away the stone that held my heart
And now I see that the answer was as easy as just asking you in
And I am so sure I could never doubt your gentle touch again
It’s like the power of the wind
Like waking up from the longest dream, how real it seemed
Until your love broke through
I’ve been lost in a fantasy that blinded me
Until your love broke through
One of my favourite songs about the radical, boundary-breaking, paradigm-shifting, cynicism-overcoming, outrageous Grace of God.
Have a great Monday, people.
There’s a lot of pain, but a lot more healing
There’s a lot of trouble, but a lot more peace
There’s a lot of hate, but a lot more loving
There’s a lot of sin, but a lot more grace
Oh outrageous grace, oh outrageous grace
Love unfurled by heaven’s hand
Oh outrageous grace, oh outrageous grace
Through my Jesus I can stand
There’s a lot of fear, but a lot more freedom
There’s a lot of darkness, but a lot more light
There’s a lot of cloud, but a lot more vision
There’s a lot of perishing, but a lot more life
There’s an enemy
That seeks to kill what it can’t control
It twists and turns
Making mountains out of molehills
But I will call on the Lord
Who is worthy of praise
I run to Him and I am saved
Copyright © 2000 Thankyou Music/PRS
In the Palace, in the land of mercy
The King looked out from His throne
He saw the sick and the homeless and hungry
He saw me lost and without hope
And, moved with compassion
He sent out His only Son
With the invitation to come
This is your invitation
Come just the way you are
Come find what your soul has been longing for
Come find your peace
Come join the feast
Come in
This is your invitation
So I stood outside the gates and trembled
In my rags of unworthiness
Afraid to even stand at a distance
In the presence of Holiness
But just as I turned to go
The gates swung open wide
And the King and His only Son
They invited me inside
[Chorus]
So now will you come with me
To where the gates swing open wide
The King and His only Son
Are inviting us inside
This is our invitation
Come sinner as you are
Come find what your soul has been longing for
Come find your peace
Come join the feast
Come in
This is your invitation
This is our invitation
This is the invitation
— Steven Curtis Chapman
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
— Psalm 51:10-12
This Monday morning, let’s begin the week with a prayer in the form of a song:
You heard the cry of our hearts
And You came down
Freely You gave us Your love
Showing us how
Make me an instrument of Your peace
Where there is hatred let me sow love
Where there is darkness let me shine light and
May Your love cause us to open up
Cause us to open up our hearts
May Your light cause us to shine so bright
That we bring hope into the dark
All that we do without love
It means nothing
Grant us the courage to give
As You’re calling
Make me an instrument of Your peace
Where there is hatred let me sow love
Where there is darkness let me shine light and
May Your love cause us to open up
Cause us to open up our hearts
May Your light cause us to shine so bright
That we bring hope into the dark
Hope for the hopeless, Your love is
Strength in our weakness, Your love is
May we love, as You love
Hope for the hopeless, Your love is
Strength in our weakness, Your love is
May we love, as You love
(As only You can love, oh God)
May we love, as You love
May we love, as You love
All content on this site is copyright © Rob Grayson 2013-2016 unless otherwise indicated