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GUITARS AND GRACE
PHOTOS/ MARLA KEOWN
At Open Swim, worshippers get down with God
by Jaime Netzer
The band will be great. And he'll get to see his friends. But Jesse Kangas, Lenexa freshman, isn't at Open Swim for either of those reasons. Tonight, Kangas wants to worship God through song. About 75 students and a handful of adults who share Kangas' desire will join him at Open Swim, a multidenominational Christian worship service held monthly in the Kansas Union.
Open Swim is not about the words and talents of the band, or the pastor who leads the service. It's about how worshippers use language and song to communicate their love to Jesus Christ.
Kangas smiles a lot. He's outgoing and unafraid to approach strangers. He's attending KU on an Army ROTC
scholarship and keeps his red hair buzzed.
The lights dim and the band, the Pool Boys, strike their first guitar chords. The lyrics are projected onto a screen behind them, and the crowd begins to sing with the man and woman on stage.
Sometimes, when he goes to worship events like this one, Kangas feels like the people leading the events are just going through the motions. Sometimes, he feels like he is just going through the motions. But tonight, Jesse wants the real thing. He wants a conversation with God.
An older man running the soundboard unleashes his strong bass voice. His toes
"Not to us, but to your name be the alory..."
OPEN SWIM IS NOT ABOUT THE WORDS AND TALENTS OF THE BAND, OR THE PASTOR WHO LEADS THE SERVICE. IT'S ABOUT HOW WORSHIPPERS USE LANGUAGE AND SONG TO COMMUNICATE THEIR LOVE TO JESUS CHRIST.
remain rooted to the ground, but his heels bounce with every beat of the drums. He emphasizes specific lyrics by raising his arms and pointing his fingers.
The band plays songs with major chords in keys that are easy to sing. The female vocalist on stage sings with her eyes closed; when she's not singing, she retreats from the mic stand, clasps her hands in front of her chest and bows her head in prayer.
After the band's first song, the guitarist asks the crowd to bow their heads and pray with him. "God, we're going to sing our guts
out for you. We ask that you know how much we praise the amazing God that you are. We're going to try to put that in words. Amen."
The Pool Boys play several uptempo songs and the audience is on their feet. A few people choose not to sing, but countless bold voices come from every part of the room. Some participants have their arms in the air.
After several songs, the band begins to play quieter, slower music and encourages the audience to engage in a conversation with God. "Every Open Swim we're quiet and we get real with God. We know we're
sinners and we take this time to ask for forgiveness. Take a minute and talk to God." The crowd sits and bows their heads. Confessions are made. Forgiveness is asked for.
Kangas sits down and begins his talk with God. He's dressed in athletic shorts and a vivid blue Royals T-shirt. The other students in attendance tonight are also dressed informally. The atmosphere is relaxed, yet focused. Being here feels different from being in a church, although a church is exactly where Open Swim started.
Danforth Chapel was the original home of Open Swim, which began in 1997. Tyler Clements, drummer for the Pool Boys, says that a few of his friends wanted the chance
to sing songs together and worship. Clements and his friends wanted a way for all campus Christian groups to come together to form a larger Christian community. Eventually the group outgrew the tiny chapel, so Open Swim moved, first to Wescoe, then to its current home in the Union.
The original music written by Clements and his friends moved their peers. Contemporary Christian music is often used in youth ministry because music brings up emotions nothing else can, Clements says. "For a younger person, sometimes music is what gives you your identity," he says.
And singing with a group of peers is powerful. Nathan
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04. 05.2007 JAYPLAY <13