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Time again for our annual list of Favorite Worship Albums. The 12 CDs listed here, all released since September 2002, aren't ranked in any particular order, because different people worship in different ways. Many styles are represented here—from classic rock to soft pop, and everything in between and beyond. Whatever your preference, we hope you'll give these standout albums a listen. These projects were chosen based on originality of songs, quality of performance, and the ability to draw the listener into closer communion with the Lord, representing a level of excellence where artistry and worship uniquely combine.

Michael W. Smith (Reunion)

Perhaps this is an obvious choice, but perhaps not. Smitty's first Worship album (2001) had more recognizable and popular songs, which is precisely why Worship Again is a more interesting listen and more useful to worship leaders. It reintroduces the world to a number of lesser-known corporate worship songs—namely the heartfelt confessional "Lord Have Mercy," the rich and hymn-like "Ancient Words," and the popular sing-a-long "You Are Holy (Prince of Peace)." What Smith lacks in originality, he makes up for with effective arrangement, performance, and communication skills—key traits in a great worship leader.

Hillsong Live Worship (Hillsong/Integrity)

The world-renowned Worship & Creative Arts team of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia, produces a handful of albums annually. Unfortunately, many are repetitive and unmemorable, but here's one of the great ones. Blessed may be Hillsong's most energetic album yet, recorded live at the Sydney Entertainment Center in 2002. Improved arrangements and catchier songwriting ("Now That You're Near," "Made Me Glad," and the title track, to name a few) make the band sound more powerful and majestic. They still haven't come up with another "Shout to the Lord," but Darlene Zschech, Reuben Morgan, Marty Sampson and company seem to improve with time as evidenced by this remarkable worship event.

Grace Like Rain (Ardent)

Quite possibly the breakout worship debut of the year. Name another new worship artist making a bigger impact in 2003. At this writing, "This Fragile Breath" has already spent six weeks at number one. Imagine how well the title track, an irresistible rock revival of "Amazing Grace," will do. Agnew deserves high praise for combining multiple interests into a single, cohesive worship style. Those who favor the traditional will appreciate his reverence for the old hymns. Younger listeners will love his relevant sound, remarkably emulating popular artists like Dave Matthews and Creed. He may not be the most original of worship artists, but Agnew's talents are undeniable and promising.

Twila Paris (Sparrow)

Though she's never stopped writing worship songs, it's been more than 10 years since this worship pioneer's last praise & worship album—surprising since the modern worship renaissance began five to seven years ago. But House of Worship was worth the wait. The new songs don't quite measure up to standards like "We Bow Down" and "We Will Glorify" (new versions of both appear on this album), but most are definitely a cut above the norm. "Come Emmanuel" and "Christ In Us" are beautifully haunting, "Glory and Honor" undeniably catchy, and "God of All" instantly learnable with a strong pop melody and simplistic lyrics. Of all the 2003 worship albums, this is one of the most concentrated for quality worship anthems you can expect to hear in church over the next few years.

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