The Worship Initiative's Aaron Williams Shares 'The Hope of Christ'
Singer/songwriter and veteran worship leader Aaron Williams is set to bow his highly anticipated full-length debut, The Hope of Christ, August 5. The Worship Initiative release was produced by Williams and Alan Thomas (joan) and features 10 pop-driven live worship selections extolling the boundless grace, love and rest offered by the Savior.
Williams co-penned each track, with additional songwriting contributions from Shane Barnard, Jason Ingram, Jon Egan and Benji Cowart, among others. Highlights of The Hope of Christ include lead single “Walk By Faith,” an anthem of devotion to Jesus; album opener “Enter In,” celebrating our unfettered access to the Father; the Shane & Shane-featured title-cut, a confident proclamation of the heart of the Gospel; and “Abide” (feat. Aaron Keyes), a melodic ballad already resonating with worshipers around the world.
“The overarching theme that inspired this project is summed up in ‘Abide,’” Williams shares. “We live in a world that often leaves us feeling like the only way forward is to hustle, achieve, and prove our value. Jesus offers a different way of life-a way that still leads to fruitfulness but does so out of a place of acceptance and life-giving relationship. To abide is to learn to live in dependance on God for all things. It's to stand on the truth that we are loved no matter what we achieve, and no matter how we fail.”
“I want The Hope of Christ to help people move deeper into that kind of abiding relationship with God, one that lingers in His presence and worships Him extravagantly in the everyday moments of life,” Williams adds.
The album’s next single, “No Height No Depth,” available later this week, is a deeply personal track for Williams. “I wrote it this Spring after nearly losing a close friend to mental health struggles,” he reveals. “With rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide at an all-time high in our society, I wanted to offer a song that would help people give voice to worship during such seasons of life. If we’re going to worship Him with sincerity during times of hardship and struggle, we need songs with fitting language for those moments. ‘No Height No Depth’ aims to honestly express where we are, while anchoring ourselves in the unchanging love of God.”
