Mission Songs

for

Young Adults

Michael Franti - Say Hey

"It seems like everywhere I go, the more I see the less I know. But I know that I love you."

This song can be used to convey the joy of connecting with others, showing love to all people, and being present in the world.  The music video is also a strong resource.

Orianthi - According to You

"According to you, I'm stupid, I'm useless...But according to him, I'm beautiful, incredible."

This song can be used on multiple levels. On the surface, it is about choosing the love of someone that appreciates you over someone that doesn't, but it also highlights the attitudes that we have towards one another - especially the poor and oppressed - and the way that we SHOULD treat one another. Finally, it shows how being truly loved and appreciated feels.

Katy Perry - Firework

"You don't have to feel like a waste of space. You're original, cannot be replaced."

A very affirming song about self-worth and fulfilling one's potential.  The music video also demonstrates this point well, but should be used with mature groups.

Glee - Somebody to Love (Originally by Queen)

"I get down on my knees and I start to pray, 'till the tears run down from my eyes, Lord...Can anybody find me somebody to love?"

Re-popularized by the TV show "Glee," this song demonstrates how hard it can be to keep faith without having love in your life, and connects perfectly to the notion that we need to be love to one another. The song also ends on a hopeful note: "I'm okay, I'm all right, I ain't gonna face no defeat. I just gotta get out of this prison cell, someday I'm gonna be free, Lord."

Bruno Mars - Grenade

"I gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash...To give me all your love, is all I ever asked."

This song is an excellent analogy for how strongly Jesus loves us despite how we treat him. It can be used to show how we treat others, with images of those in poverty, for example, and to argue for the kind of love that we are called to show.  The music video is a strong visual analogy, as well.

Jack Johnson and Ben Harper - With My Own Two Hands

“I’m gonna make it a brighter place, with my own two hands.”

This song presents the deceptively simple message that all positive change begins with the work of our “own two hands.”  There is an acoustic version that is great for quiet reflections, as well as a more lively reggae version.