Most people have a stash of Christmas music and books that they whip out (at the very latest) right after Thanksgiving. If you’re like me, when you think of the month of December your memories go straight to certain songs, picture books, and passages of Scripture. I love the tradition of having a special set of music and books during that time of year because it helps me remember that something is different: we’re getting ready to celebrate the birth of the Savior!
Last year it dawned on me that if music and books help me get ready for Christmas, the same is probably true of Easter. We’re reviewing books that fit with the season of Lent, of course, but I also wanted to share my lists of songs for Lent and Easter. It’s an easy way to cultivate a certain atmosphere of your home and heart during these weeks of focused worship, repentance, devotion, and meditation on God’s great work for us in Jesus.
Many of the songs below are from the Indelible Grace albums, so if you have those and are creating a Lent playlist for the first time you’re practically set. Please chime in with your own suggestions in the comments, or if you have a blog of your own we’d love if you would post your own list there (and link back to us so we can find you).
Lent
- Approach, My Soul the Mercy Seat
- Beautiful, Scandalous Night
- Before the Throne of God Above
- Begone Unbelief
- Beneath the Cross of Jesus
- Blessed Redeemer
- Cling to the Crucified
- Come Ye Sinners
- Garden
- Give Me Jesus
- God Be Merciful
- Go to Dark Gethsemane
- Help My Unbelief (a free album on NoiseTrade!)
- I Need Thee Every Hour
- In Feast or Fallow
- I Surrender All
- I Will Sing of My Redeemer
- Jesus I Come
- Kyrie Eleison
- Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder
- Lord Have Mercy
- Man of Sorrows
- Nothing But the Blood
- O Come and Mourn
- O Help My Unbelief
- Poor Sinner Dejected with Fear
- A Sinner’s Cry
- Songs for Lent (another free album on NoiseTrade!)
- St. Matthew Passion
- Tender Mercy
- Turn Your Eyes
- What Wondrous Love is This
- Where You There
Easter
- All Things New
- Arise, O God and Shine
- Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
- Easter Oratorio
- The Easter Song
- High Noon
- Hosanna
- Jesus Everlasting King
- Lead On O King Eternal
- The Messiah
- O Day of Rest and Gladness
- Resurrection Chant
- Sometimes a Light Surprises
- Up from the Grave He Arose
Thanks to the Cardiphonia blog and Alyssa for helping me get my own list started!
Aslan's Library 
This post was very intriguing to me. For some time now I have wanted to buy some “singable” hymn music to teach to my children. I grew up singing hymns and often those lyrics come to me in times of need. My children do not have the same church experience I did and I’d like find something that would help me. I looked at indelible music but I don’t recognize many of those titles. Do you recommend any other hymn music mp3s?
Hi Renee! Off the top of my head, I’d suggest checking out Fernando Ortega’s Hymns of Worship or Jadon Lavik’s Roots Run Deep. The songs on those albums are definitely more familiar than the ones that Indelible Grace has redone.
Glad we could help!
– Cardiphonia
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I’m glad that you put something from Andrew Peterson’s Resurrection Letters in here. I bought that CD during Lent two years ago and didn’t listen to it until the Easter morning drive to church. It was fortunate that I knew the drive really well because I think I cried the whole way.
I think I would have put High Noon by him on the Easter list as well. And probably NeedToBreathe’s The Garden on the Lent one.
Great idea!
Thanks, Brynna! I’ll add your suggestions to the list.
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