Faith Features

Since the turn of the millennium, Aaron Keyes has spent most of his time growing a family – he has three sons under seven – leading congregations of people in their '20s, speaking about what is means to be a worshipper and encouraging the church in praising God.

Life, love and music pretty much sum up his world at the moment but it's an expanding world: as explained by the fact that he's on his way to Ireland this week to team up with leading British worship leader Stuart Townend for a Kingsway recording project.

He's also released his latest album – 'Not Guilty Anymore' – much of the work for which was done at London's famous Abbey Road studios.

For the past three years, Aaron has been the worship pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Atlanta and has played more than 500 dates, but found that many people, including himself, find it difficult to hear the sound of grace and find freedom from condemnation.

In 'Where are you now?' Aaron Keyes also wants people to encounter a God who can still be trusted when it seems that he is far away, quiet or when heaven itself appears to be silent. It is a song born out of the Old Testament Psalmists' tradition of lament – and demands an answer. He sings:

You say You'll come down and bind up our wounds
You say You bottle our tears…
I've heard all the answers and hollow advice…
I’m tired of clichés and I’m tired of the lies, I need to feel you today…

…That's not standard praise and worship but it stands in a strong tradition and recognises a God who's big enough to be shouted at by his people.

This is an album that takes risks because it doesn't peddle the over-familiar, chuck-it-on-the-CD-player-and-raise-your-hands fare. It is in fact a good album that shows a maturing songwriter searching for ways of expressing deep human emotions without falling for the easy tricks.

It's also not an easy album to play and just forget. Keyes, in his writing about worship, is concerned about people who want to major on the 'Jesus loves me' elements but not understand that worship – and mission – are corporate acts: God calls the whole church to praise him and then move out from praise into action that changes the world.

As he puts it: "It goes directly against our culture (which in this instance I think is a good thing) and it also helps to remind us that we are neither disconnected islands, nor independent parts contributing to a whole, but rather, we are the people of God, a living and growing organism."

Click on the link below to find out more about Aaron Keyes: