Easter Sunday was a day of going back to my Christian music roots. It all started the night before. We had read the story of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection from the Bible. I had the great idea to listen to Carman's "The Champion" for fun. We couldn't locate the tape (yes, tape). Oh, well.
Sunday morning, as I was ironing shirts, "He's Alive" by Don Fransisco played on our Dish Network music channel, The Message. I had fun singing along.
For church services, we visited our old church in Kingston, OK. A young lady who I'd never met sang "I'll Rise Again" by Dallas Holm & Praise. She had acoustic guitar as her only accompaniment, and it was the best version of that song that I'd ever heard!
It struck me that some of the best Easter songs come from the early days of Christian music.
My walk with God began in 1981, when I was 8 years old. My parents became Christians at that time, also. That began our long journey into Contemporary Christian Music. I have fond memories of Phil Keaggy, Larry Norman, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Keith Green, Dallas Holm, Sandi Patty, and a new (at that time) young lady named Amy Grant.
Why do I tell you this? Because Christian music played a very important part in my youth. It was a new counter-culture movement and it satisfied the desires of a young person to have a world of music she could grasp hold of.
So, during the 80's, when the rest of the world was watching MTV and Madonna, listening to hair bands and Michael Jackson, I was blissfully ignorant of it all. I was in a world of fun, uplifting music that glorified God and gave me hope, peace, and beautiful songs that would stay with me always.
Music is awesome. I think everyone needs it. I've always loved Christian music. Sure, there was a period of my life where I tested the waters, listened to secular music behind my parent's back (yes, they caught me!) and spent a few years listening to all things popular to the rest of the world. But as I began to start my own family, my roots called to me. I realized that I didn't want my kids to be hearing or singing along with many of the songs that I was listening to.
So, here I am, almost 30 years later, right back where I started. I have pretty strict rules about the music the kids listen to, and if I ever give an inch, I always regret it. I think if a song is going to go round and round in your head, it ought to follow the advice of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:8:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.