Top 25 Memories: Songs

Music has always been an important part of my ministry.  I was fortunate enough to learn the art of leading group singing from Beth Phillips Massey and Martha Ratledge Farlow at Quaker Lake Camp.  The skills I learned there were then fine-tuned by lessons I learned from Young Life,  J. David Stone and the great Yohann (YO) Anderson.  You don't just randomly select songs to sing; you choose songs in an order and of a variety that will lead the group where you want them to go.  I became quite adept at moving groups from wild, crazy songs into deep worshipful music without them ever being truly aware where they were going.  And I loved every minute of it!

Several years ago I was asked about my song-leading style, and in the course of my explanation I was asked a most interesting question.  If I was given the opportunity to lead music for a group of teenagers that knew every song that I had ever led a group in singing (a list of over 300!), which songs would I pick- and what order would we sing them in?  It was a wonderful hypothetical query that I had no answer for at the time.  Today, however, I am going to take a shot at it!  So here it is- my Ultimate Set of Youth Group Songs.  I chosen 25 (and a bonus or two- you know me and lists, I always cheat!), which would be over 90 minutes of singing.  That might even wear out the Kissimmee gang, and they did love to sing!  Here they are; if you find yourself singing along, I understand...

1. Lahina
2. Lean On Me
3. Pharoah, Pharoah
4. Big House
5. Eat Right!
6. Shine
7. Let Me Be There
8. Undignified
9. Open the Eyes of My Heart
10. He's Alive!
11. We Are the Family of God
12. Ain't No Rock
13. The All Day Song
14. Blessed Be the Name
15. The Happy Song
16. Lord I Lift Your Name on High
17. Breathe Deep
18. Awesome God
19. Peter, Peter
20. Seek Ye First
21. Hope Set High
22. Create In Me
23. Prince of Peace
24. It is You/ Oh God, You Are My God/Sanctuary
25. Sing Alleluia To the Lord

So how did I do?  Which songs were your favorites?  Which songs did I leave out that you would have chosen?  I would love to hear your opinions, because there were few things that connected us more- with God and with each other- than music!  Now I think I will break out my guitar and sing a few of these.  But it won't be the same without you to sing along...

Because of Jesus,