Theme: Identity

One of the most pastoral functions of corporate worship is the regular, consistent declaration of who people truly are in Christ. Songs about identity are the counterweight to the identities the world assigns — defined by productivity, appearance, achievement, or failure. When the congregation sings together that they are chosen, beloved, redeemed, and called by name, those truths are being inscribed on the heart through a medium that bypasses the usual defenses. I've watched people's lives genuinely change through the sustained practice of singing their true identity week after week. These songs are especially important for young people, for people recovering from shame, and for anyone whose sense of self has been shaped more by loss than by love.