Phil Wickham's joyful worship anthem "House of the Lord" has been sung in churches around the world-but the bizarre story behind it involves the COVID-19 pandemic, depression, a supposedly $3,000 goldendoodle and an unexpected family outbreak of mange.
During a candid conversation with bestselling author Ann Voskamp for her BellTower Stories series, Wickham revealed that his family decided to buy a puppy during one of the darkest stretches of the pandemic. With concerts canceled, churches closed and everyone struggling emotionally, they hoped a goldendoodle might bring some much-needed happiness into their home.
Instead, the new arrival introduced another round of chaos.
Wickham said the puppy began losing its hair and developing strange bumps. Matters became even worse when his children broke out in symptoms and his wife developed marks on her arms. The worship leader eventually discovered that the family had contracted mange.
"We were a mangy family," Wickham joked while recounting the almost unbelievable ordeal.
The surprises did not end there. According to Wickham, the dog's hair eventually grew back looking completely different. He said the family later learned that the seller had allegedly been obtaining dogs from Mexico, dyeing them brown and marketing them as expensive goldendoodles for approximately $3,000 each.
Wickham said the alleged operation became news in San Diego after other buyers came forward. Despite the strange beginning, the family kept the dog, whom Wickham described as "really sweet."
However, the dog disaster was only one part of an already difficult season. Wickham also became ill with COVID and found himself trying to lead worship online with unreliable internet access. Away from the audiences and live gatherings that had defined his ministry, he admitted that he had become depressed.
That was when his wife challenged him to follow his own advice.
Wickham had often told others to use gratitude and worship as weapons against discouragement. His wife reminded him of those words and encouraged him to pick up his guitar. Initially, he responded almost sarcastically, singing, "There's joy in the house of the Lord."
Then something changed.
Wickham realized the line was memorable and began developing it. He decided that the first verse would focus on what God had done, the second would declare who God is, and the bridge would celebrate the believer's new identity in Christ. He said he completed the song in approximately 20 minutes.
By the end of the writing session, Wickham was dancing around the room as his children joined him in singing. What began as a reluctant response to depression became "House of the Lord," one of the defining worship songs of his career.
Released in 2021, the song reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart and received two GMA Dove Award nominations. Its jubilant message now carries an even more remarkable backstory: it emerged not from a packed sanctuary but from a home filled with pandemic frustration, sickness and a dog that was apparently not what the family had been promised.
Wickham also opened up about a far more serious crisis that transformed his understanding of identity. Nearly a decade ago, a growth on his vocal cord forced him to cancel a tour and remain silent before and after surgery. Doctors could not guarantee that his voice would fully recover.
The forced silence exposed how much of his self-worth had become tied to performing and hearing people tell him that he had done a good job. During an intensely emotional encounter with God, Wickham said he sensed God asking him, "Who am I?" His answer was "Father." The next question-"What does that make you?"-led him to recognize that he was first God's son, regardless of whether he could sing.
That realization lies at the heart of Wickham's new book, Everyday Hallelujah: Unlocking Deep Joy Through Everyday Acts of Worship. Released by Thomas Nelson on August 11, the book encourages readers to stop separating worship from ordinary life.
Wickham told Voskamp that worship can happen while washing dishes, driving children to school, preparing dinner or simply spending time with family. A person does not need a church stage or an audience of thousands to experience a holy moment.
"House of the Lord" may sound like an anthem tailor-made for a packed congregation, but its origins could hardly be less glamorous. It began with depression, bad internet, COVID and an extraordinarily troublesome puppy-and became a reminder that joy can break into even the messiest house.
Watch Phil Wickham's complete conversation with Ann Voskamp through BellTower Stories.
