Music for April 11

I read an article this week about how faith traditions celebrate Easter for seven Sundays in a row! The reason it is seven is because that takes you to the next big Christian event Pentecost. (more about that later)

Baptists have joined most all other faiths in having our weekly worship times on Sundays. That's because the early believers gathered on the first day of the week to worship because that is the day Christ rose from the grave. We use Sunday as our Sabbath - our day of rest and worship. So in reality, we celebrate the resurrection every time we meet on a Sunday.

Even so, I always like to sing at least one "resurrection" sort of song the week after Easter. Usually - and is the case this year - I like to lead our congregation in singing "Crown Him with Many Crowns."

Try reading the words like a poem rather than singing them so you can absorb the richness of this wonderful text. Click on the video and you'll hear the Mississippi Baptist State Youth Orchestra play as you read.


Crown Him with many crowns, The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! how the heav'nly anthem drowns All music but it's own:
Awake, my soul, and sing Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.

Crown Him the Lord of life, Who triumphed o'er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife For those He came to save;
His glories now we sing, Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring, And lives that death may die.

Crown Him the Lord of love; Behold His hands and side,
Those wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified:
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou hast died for me:
They praise and glory shall not fail Throughout eternity.

Sunday we'll follow that great hymn with "Shout to the Lord."

The choir will sing "Thine Is the Kingdom."

Then we'll all sing together "Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone."

Because Jesus triumphed over the grave and through His amazing grace our chains of sin are gone when we choose to follow Him as Savior and Lord.

It will be a great day of worship. I hope you'll join us.