At various times in my life I’ve enjoyed listening to Christian music.
In general I like slower contemplative music with carefully chosen words. My top two choices of artists are Ferdinand Ortega and Michael Card.
Michael Card has a lovely way with words and his musical accompaniments are beautiful. His double album, The Promise, about Jesus’ life and his album The Way of Wisdom have been particular favourites. Here are some songs of his I’ve appreciated:
- El-Shaddai – a well-known older song by Michael Card, which might be best-known in the recording by Amy Grant
- God’s Own Fool (from The Promise) – I like this because it’s about Jesus being thought insane
- Why, a very beautiful song about Judas betraying Jesus
- The Job Suite – a wonderfully expressed summary of Job’s story
- That’s what faith must be – a simple song about faith with beautiful words as always
Here’s a recent live concert of his. Those are fun because the artist often shares some thoughts between songs.
Ferdinand Ortega also has a beautiful voice and has incredible renderings of some well-known hymns as well as his own thoughtfully worded songs. I haven’t always enjoyed hymns sung in church but his renderings of hymns have been very meaningful to me.
- Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
- What Wondrous Love Is This?
- O Sacred Head Now Wounded
- I Will Sing of My Redeemer
- Give Me Jesus
Here’s a recent live concert of his.
I’ve appreciated Keith Green a lot too, although his songs sound very 70s these days. Sadly his life was cut short so he never had a chance to update them musically. His music is very heartfelt. Here are a few of his songs that have meant a lot to me:
- There is a Redeemer – one of the first of his songs I ever learned, actually written by him and his wife, I think?
- Create in me a clean heart – a simple expression of Psalm 51
- The Lord Is My Shepherd – Psalm 23
I have an Annie Herring album I’ve enjoyed listening to many times. Here are a few of the songs –
The following songs by other artists have been some of my particular favorites –
- Wounded by Jamie Slocum
- Your Kindness (from Romans 2:4b) by Leslie Phillips (there’s also another version here but I’ve found the original powerful)
- If I Stand by Rich Mullins (also sadly deceased at a young age)