And we sleep inside of this machine

Music is worthless unless it can make a

Complete stranger break down and cry

This is an intentional overstatement but it still makes the point. Music is powerful. Even without lyrics music can tell a story or paint a landscape just as clearly as a book or a painting. Those pop songs with insipid lyrics about some jackass’s car truly are worthless in most ways that matter. Music like literature can transport people and it can crystallize ideas. I have always thought so. With that being true why then do Christian praise chorus lack so much? With the weight of the truth that they carry why do they often sound simple, repetitive and empty? It hit me the other day as I sat in church. The music was the standard set of songs we usually sing and I began to get annoyed because the music sounded like I felt, empty and tired. I thought about it on the way home and I think it is sad that there are so many powerful songs we don’t sing just because they are not in the conventionally held worship rotation. So I decided that I would write my own alternative worship set, one that would be moving particularly for me. I only put nine songs in keeping with the traditional amount in any given set.

The Transfiguration - Sufjan Stevens
Come, Lord Jesus – Andrew Peterson
40 – U2
Let That Be Enough – Switchfoot
Be Thou My Vision – (full band w/ Celtic overtones style)
Call Me Liar – Plankeye
Don’t You Know I’ve Always Loved You – Third Day
Some Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape – Underoath
Revelation Song – (The John Warren, Full Band version, not the sappy version that seems to be everywhere right now.)

I am not sure about the Plankeye song but I like it as a lead in to Third Day and Underoath. It just seems a bit disjointed from Be Thou My Vision.

Other songs that I would have put on an extended set include:
Lifeline – Brooke Fraser
Abraham – Sufjan Stevens
To Be Alone With You – Sufjan Stevens
The Artist In The Ambulance – Thrice
Dare You To Move – Switchfoot
Learning To Breathe – Switchfoot

And if you did want to use artists that are stock for the Christian music scene:
Consume Me – DC Talk
Entertaining Angels – Newsboys
(Those happen to be two good songs ok! Stop rolling your eyes!)

The answer's in the question.

(I present a true-life nanny story. I will henceforth refer to my charge as "the kid" to keep from embarrassing anyone.)

*The kids and I are sitting at a table playing Attack Uno.*
Kid: “Can I ask a question?”
Me: “Sure man, shoot. We don’t stand on ceremony here.”
*Kid looks at me in confusion. I sigh.*
Me: “Ask away bud.”
Kid: “Would it be OK if I went to the bathroom right now?”
*The game slides to a halt with everyone staring at the kid.*
Me: “OK, before I answer that let me just repeat what you just asked so we can be sure that I heard you right. You are asking me whether it’s OK if you pee your pants right now?”
*Kid half-nods.*
Me: “OK first let me just say that no, it is most certainly not OK for you to pee your pants; and second, intentional pant-wetting is just wrong on so many levels.”
Kid: “Well, I am wet anyway.”
Me: “Right, the crucial difference being that right now it's water not urine.... in fact why don’t you go put on some completely dry cloths before we play anymore.”
*Kid walks to his room to get his clothes.*