I remember talking to a record-label executive in the mid 1980s about worship recordings. He was certain that worship music would always remain regional, and therefore any national promotion of a worship CD would be a poor investment.

Well, times change, don’t they? If we’d been having that discussion 12 or 15 years later, we would have started by assuming that the appeal of worship music is international -- because it is! Yes, for better or worse, "worship" has become mainstream, at least within the Christian world. The latest Christian catalogs devote entire sections to new worship recordings, artists, books, and projects. There's much to thank God for in this worship "explosion.”

First, it has renewed a God-focused emphasis within the Christian music industry. Facing the “give ’em what they want” pressures of the bottom line, many of the gatekeepers in the Christian music industry are finding that, sometimes, what folks REALLY want is to hear about and sing to GOD. That’s a wonderful development! In turn, Christian musicians have greater opportunity to realize that it's all about Jesus, and not about them. Audiences want to worship God, not the artist! Michael W. Smith, SONICFLOOd, Third Day, and others have remarked how what began as a simple song of worship in the middle of a concert eventually stretched into 15 minutes, half an hour, or more. For all three it has led to worship recording projects.

Another positive aspect of the worship movement is that more people are seeking to encounter and exalt God as they listen to Christian music. Certainly, entertainment is still a major ingredient of the contemporary Christian culture, but a hunger for God’s presence is being evidenced in many ways.

For example, much of the interest in worship is taking place among youth. Previously, these young people -- if they’d even been aware that worship music existed in a contemporary format --might have been uninterested in songs that exalt God directly. But a few years ago I was deeply moved when I watched the video of a large worship event held in England in the mid 1990s. I realized these thousands of teens had come not simply to jam to the latest Christian band, but to praise and extol their Maker.

Finally, the outpouring of new worship songs is enlarging the repertoire of songs that magnify the greatness of God. Just as God used the simple praise choruses of the 1970s to open many hearts to His work in their lives, we now have contemporary songs of greater substance and depth, songs that combine devotion and doctrine. A handful of songwriters (Stuart Townend, Graham Kendrick, and Steve & Vikki Cook, to name a few) are writing songs which, I believe, will still be around 100 years from now. Along with this has come a renewed interest in setting the hymns of the past to new music, so that current generations can benefit from the rich resources of Watts, Wesley, Newton, and others.

God is certainly behind the worship phenomenon. But as with many blessings, the potential for counterfeits and confusion exists. Next time, we'll look at some of the concerns that have been raised about the worship movement.

For His Glory,

Bob