Songs 4 Life: Lift Your Spirit! CD

In the '80s and '90s, Christian music, previously a Gospel-only affair, broadened its horizons, expanding to incorporate contemporary pop production values and song structures. With this progression, millions of spiritually inclined listeners, who were previously put off by the old-timey aspect of the "old school" opened up their ears, hearts and wallets, making contemporary Christian music a major player in the music industry. The smart folks at Time-Life decided to document this phenomenon with SONGS 4 LIFE, a quartet of compilations that walks the listener through 25 years of Christian pop.

Though there's much to recommend all four volumes of this series, LIFT YOUR SPIRIT is one that listeners will probably return to most often, because it's arguably the most heartwarming. This collection represents the nurturing side of the Christian experience. The artists featured look at the way in which people of faith can reach out to one another in times of need, and the songs reflect that kind of spiritual unselfishness. From Point of Grace's "I'll Keep the Candle Burning" to Wayne Watson's "Friend of a Wounded Heart" the songs on LIFT YOUR SPIRIT explore the network of support available to the spiritually troubled, both from their peers and from their object of worship.

Photographers: Fitzroy Barrett; Robert Roth; Ron Davis.