Resound.  We've been using that word around here for about a year and a half, but now it's starting to take on some new meaning for our church.  I'm very excited to share a little bit with you about what I think Resound is, what I hope it will become, and where I think God is leading us as a worshipping community.

First of all, it's important to clarify and distinguish between "extended worship" and "Resound", as we have pretty much used those terms interchangeably until now. 

"Extended worship" will still continue on a weekly basis, every Saturday night after the 5:30pm service. (except on House Church weekend)  Our hope is that this will remain a consistent time and space for intimate personal reflection, passionate corporate worship, and the opportunity to simply "soak" in the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Basically, we want to provide an opportunity for members of our body to sit, stand, sing, pray, and process what they may have just heard and/or experienced during the worship service.  Going forward, we will be creating a musical environment for extended worship that is intentionally a little more mellow and laid-back.  Among other things, this provides the opportunity for the prayer team to minister in the sanctuary while hearing the words they are speaking ... something that has been a challenge in the past when the full praise band is rocking out on stage.

As of January, 2010, "Resound" now refers to the monthly worship service held on the Saturday of the last full weekend of every month.  Or, put more simply, the Saturday of House Church weekend.  We'll meet at our regular service time, 5:30pm. 

As the word Resound implies, this will be a time to "sing again" and "make known again" the magnificence and beauty of our God, and to celebrate His work among us.  There will be no announcements, no sermons, and no offering... only a carefully crafted (and almost liturgically-inspired) experience of music, prayer, multimedia, visual art, and spoken word designed to inspire us, challenge us, stir up our hearts, and point us toward the One Who is worthy of all our praise and adoration.    Inspired by the "worship concert" experiences of Hillsong United, Desperation Band, Delirious?, I-HOP, Jesus Culture, and others, our goal is to demonstrate the Gospel of Jesus through the exploration and utilization of beauty, artistic expression, and creative media.

Our times of worship will be largely focused upon and directed by the truths that God has been revealing to us as a church throughout the previous month.  We will meditate on Scripture and sing songs that remind us of the work God has been doing in our body.  And above all, we will be focused on creating and fostering an environment -physical, emotional, and spiritual - that is most conducive to the Holy Spirit.  It will get really loud, and it will get very quiet.   And it will all be driven by the pursuit of excellence, creativity, and beauty, with the singular purpose of honoring and glorifying the One Who is the perfect embodiment of excellence, creativity, and beauty.   

Why are we talking so much about beauty?  Well, because we believe that beauty has tremendous power, especially when it serves as a vehicle for truth.  God can open our hearts, minds, and spirits to a deeper understanding of His Love when we are exposed to the beauty of His creation.  I'm going to steal a couple lines from a letter written to me by one of our incredibly gifted musicians:  "Beauty is the portal to transformation," and "We reflect the beauty of God in surrendering our hearts to Him ... through music."  So, together, where our brokenness meets His fullness, we will explore and celebrate the beauty of our Creator, and discover new revelations of His Love for us.

So come and worship with us!  (We plan to have childcare available for children 0-4 years old.)

Justin Bullis

Worship Arts Pastor