We have been born into the middle of the story. We know the beginning, and we have read the histories of those who have gone before us. We have seen God’s plan play out and the redemption brought to us through Jesus Christ. And like those who read ahead, skipping to the last chapter, we know how all of this will end. Christ defeated death and promised us a future with Him forever. We are children of a Kingdom that will never end, and the future for us is bright. How unique to be living our lives in between what has been accomplished and what has been promised. Between the already and the not yet.

Vertical Worship is looking forward to what’s been promised with their latest album Bright Faith Bold Future . “Our previous records,” says vocalist Andi Rozier, “have been about ninety percent hindsight saying ‘this is what the Lord has done’ while Bright Faith Bold Future is a looking forward. The Lord is giving foresight to what He wants us to do.”

It is easy to forget what has been promised, and to begin to sink into the sorrow of our situations. We remember what God has done, but we forget what He has promised for our future. We are at this moment in time where there is a lot of cynicism and a sense that things aren’t getting better.  There is a general malaise of uncertainty, which is not at the core of what Jesus came to do or to promise. We see throughout the Bible Jesus reminding us that yes, you will have trouble in the world, but that He has conquered the world. We hear Jesus telling His disciples that He is going to prepare a place for us. So we don’t have a fool-hearted hope, but a tasted and seen hope.

Vertical Worship’s hope for these songs is that they would serve as lifeboats for fellow believers. That as the waves of doubt begin to knock against us, we would have truth to hold onto and to sing into our desperate situations. Like the track Shelter says, when the waters rise and oceans rage God will be our shelter and in Him is our safety. The hope is as you listen and these songs embed themselves in your life, that the name Vertical Worship would fade and the truth in the songs would grow, lifting your eyes up to the heavens, to one day see our Savior return and bring us into the boldest future we could ever imagine and the fulfillment of this bright faith.