Each article in The Wondrous Cross reflects on a piece of music as a way to delve deeper into the meaning of Christโs suffering, death, and resurrection. These songs of the Cross gives form and voice to the resounding response of our souls. They express the Good News that reverberates even in the darkest moments of Jesusโ passionโand in the darkest moments of our own lives.
You can listen to each song mentioned in the special issue on our Spotify playlist:
โฏ Alternately, you can listen to the songs via the following YouTube videos:
โO Sacred Head Now Woundedโ is featured in the introduction by Kelli B. Trujillo.
โฏ โฏ โWhen I Survey the Wondrous Crossโ is featured in โThe Cross Is the Great Revealerโ by Jay Y. Kim. Hereโs a choral version as well as a version by Sandra McCracken:
โฏ โฏ โAnd Can It Be That I Should Gainโ is featured in โโTis Mystery Allโ by J. Todd Billings.
โฏ โฏ โAh, Holy Jesus, How Have You Offendedโ is featured in โLove Unswervingโ by Fernando Ortega.
โฏ โฏ โThere Is a Fountain Filled with Bloodโ is featured in โOur Bloody Plungingโ by Rachel Gilson. Hereโs Willie Nelsonโs recording as well as an instrumental rendition of the song:
โฏ โฏ โWere You Thereโ is featured in โWeighing Our Answersโ by Patricia Raybon.
โฏ โฏ Lux Aeterna is featured in โIn Grief, Our Consolationโ by Makoto Fujimura.
โฏ โฏ โChrist the Lord Is Risen Todayโ is featured in โLoveโs Redeeming Work Is Doneโ by Jen Wilkin. Hereโs a choral version as well as an acoustic rendition of the song:
โฏ โฏ โAinโt No Graveโ is featured in โThe Resurrection to Comeโ by Carolyn Arends. Below are four versions of the song that are discussed in the article, from Brother Claude Ely, Bozie Sturdivant, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Johnny Cash.
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We asked several additional Christian leaders and musicians to share some of their favorite songs of Easter. Youโll find their nominations below:
Three contributors to this resourceโJay Y. Kim, Fernando Ortega, and Carolyn Arendsโdiscuss the stories behind their devotional reflections in this webinar from Renovarรฉ in partnership with CT.