Theme: Gratitude

Gratitude may be the most consistently undervalued spiritual discipline in the modern church. Songs of thanksgiving cultivate the orientation of the heart toward what has been given rather than what is lacking — and that reorientation, practiced week after week over years, produces remarkably resilient, joyful people. I've made it a priority in every church I've served to build a strong culture of gratitude in worship, because I've watched it transform not just the service atmosphere but the entire social culture of the congregation. Grateful people are harder to offend, more generous with resources, more patient with each other, and more resilient in suffering. Don't underestimate what these songs are building in the long life of a community.