A clever guy who probably had multiple PHDs once tried to quantify happiness. He suggested that one measure would be this. Imagine being invited to attend a party. Would you still go if neither you or anyone else would remember it, and there would be no records of you ever having attended? If you answer ‘yes’ becasue you’d still choose to go - to enjoy the experience for its own intrinsic values, rather than for any knock-on benefits you might receive - then it’ll probably make you happy. If your answer’s ‘no’, then don’t bother.
I wonder what happens when we apply this (admittedly flimsy) formula to the art (or should that be science?) of writing worship songs.
Would you still write them if nobody would know you had written them?
And would you still write them if nobody would ever remember them, talk about them or use them?
Would you still write if you did so simply for the audience of one?
Maybe that’s not such a flimsy formula after all.