There are so many worship "leaders" out there today that it's hard to keep track of who writes what song. There has to be a list somewhere of the "top" artists that inspire and encourage so many others, but it's hard to track down. But on that list somewhere is Scott Riggan, a worship artist drawing more and more attention now that he's signed with a record label and has hit singles going out over the airwaves.

Recently signed with Nashville's SpringHill Worship, Scott Riggans' debut album, Bring Glory, is a worship album that will, for some people, change the meaning of worship. "I Love You Lord" and "Remember" are already being played throughout churches nationwide. At the heart of Bring Glory is Romans 12:1, "Therefore I urge you, brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship…" Riggan has a list of influences including the likes of Chris Tomlin, Rich Mullins, Sara Groves, and it goes on forever.

Bring Glory is an album full of surrender. It forces the listener to focus on worshipping God with their lives rather than with their mouths; to live a life in obedience to God inside and outside of the worship service. Rather than writing a worship album full of worship songs to the creator, Riggan wrote a worship album that shared with the listener what it means to be a true worshiper. In "Lift," Riggan sings: "I will with each refrain, bring glory to His Name; my life will be the song I raise to my God…" Riggan's "Lay Me Down" seems to bluntly display the albums' message of laying everything down on the altar and living your life in obedience and totally surrending to the Lord, "I am a proud man in my heart of hearts, it is not in my nature to kneel, but falling down at the feet of the Lord of the stars, now I know how humility feels..."

At the heart of worship is the acknowledgement that God is great. "Great is the Lord" is an excellent introduction to Bring Glory. Many different sounds, instrumental and vocal, are delivered through the course of the album, proving that some worship artists fare better than others in the journey to sound different. There are some instances of repetitive lyrics, as in "Altar of My Heart". The title song "Bring Glory" actually holds a tinge of a southern sound it, albeit small. Mostly there is a rock/pop worship sound throughout the album. There are also some traces of Derek Webb's acoustic influences. Some of the songs even remind me of Steven Curtis Chapman's sound from a few years ago, especially in Riggan's "Full Heart." Bring Glory ends in a bonus offering of "I Love You Lord," which is Riggans' hit radio single known around the world.

Riggan wants the listener to see that worship is more than just words being sung, but rather a lifestyle. If you enjoy worship leaders such as Matt Redman, Paul Balcohe, and Tim Hughes, or if you desire to be encouraged in your walk and motivated to live your life in worship to God, then check out Scott Riggan's Bring Glory.

- Review date: 7/22/06, written by Jessica Vander Loop