In today's Christianized rhetoric, the word "missions" has long been hijacked.  Nowadays, the notion of missions is so domesticated and caricatured that it means nothing more than asking God to expand our destiny by making us richer, healthier and more influential.  Missions have been so self-driven that it is often read as nothing more than the multiplication of our self-serving wants so that more and more people may blessed by our inflated egos.  This is not the case with worship team Warr Acres formerly known as VMusic.  By deliberating changing their titular to Warr Acres, this six person band has named itself after a city in Oklahoma. This is because their raison detre is not in building their own selfish goals but they are about winning the souls of their city and beyond for Jesus Christ.  And nothing captures their vision with greater perspicuity than the words of their song "Light Up the Night:" "Your word is our light, it's guiding us on.../So swiften our feet with a violent valor/As we take to the streets from our ivory towers/Idle no longer, we're living in light of your love."  While many faux preachers today are reluctant to speak about sacrifice and leaving our comfort zones, Warr Acres is more akin to Jesus in this regard.  They are people who are willing to "take it to the streets from (their) ivory towers."  And such a fearless missionary passion is at the (to borrow the title of one of their songs) "pulse" of "Hope Will Rise."

Warr Acres is spearheaded by songwriter and the album's co-producer Chris Crow.   Crow is also the worship pastor of Victory Church, which is very much behind in the support of Warr Acres.  The remaining members of the team include fellow co-producer Jaron Nix, Matt Payne, Lael Louthan (Ewing), Aubree Huffman and Kristy Starling.  Fans of contemporary music would have recognized Kristy Starling. About a decade ago, Starling released a Warner Brothers eponymous album produced by David Foster (Whitney Houston, Celine Dion & Mariah Carey).  The album even features a cover of Starling's take of LeAnn Rimes' "I Need You."  Later on, she went to record to pianist extraordinaire Jim Brickman. Together their single 'Sending You a Little Christmas" became an AC no.1 record leading to a Grammy nomination.  After years of being out of the spotlight, Starling is back and she sings lead on quite a number of tracks here sharing the microphone also with the rest of her Warr Acres team.

Unlike her more demure and restrained delivery on her Jim Brickman duet, Starling goes full throttle on the anthemic "Pulse."  Sharing the lead vocals with Oscar Lemuel Ortiz, "Pulse" throbs with a rhythmic beat accompanied by some electronic dance vibes.  Be prepared to be humming to the infectious hook of "So Much Greater" in no time.  This bouncy pop worship burner expresses our heart's desire to know more and more about our sovereign God. With label mate Jonathan Thulin co-writing and singing with Lael Ewing, "Freedom Fall" shows us that the devil is not the only one who wears dancing shoes.  Fans who have loved Starling's more balladry will be in for a treat with Lael Ewing and Kristy Starling composed "Beautiful Complete." Starting off with a violin-like introduction and simmering to a boil with its explosive chorus, this is a gorgeous powerhouse worship ballad that exalts the healing power of Jesus Christ. 

What also makes Warr Acres stand out as a worship team is that they are not only at the cutting edge of music, but they also know how to replenish their roots.  "Linger," for instance, finds Ewing seamlessly weaving the hymn "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" into her newly composed ballad about waiting in God's presence.  Likewise the title track "Hope Will Rise" segues in "Nothing But the Blood." And going back to the tradition of the Reformers, nothing soothes our anxious spirit than to listen to Psalm 27 set to music. "Hope Will Rise," as the whole, strikes the perfect balance between uptempo worship burners as well as having its share of soaring ballads.  But more importantly, lyrically, they draw upon not just their own wit and wisdom.  Rather, humbly soaking in Scripture, drawing from the wealth of the hymns and with a Godly theology of missions, this is a record that will equip us to be Kingdom advancers in powerful measures.