Review: Zac Hicks, "Without Our Aid"

I recently acquired the 2011 album by Zac Hicks and the Cherry Creek Worship team, and I could not be more thrilled to have finally obtained it!

Zac (an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church) is an incredible worship leader--not only for his musical abilities--but also for the level of theological reflection and depth evident in his music.

I first met Zac at the General Assembly of the EPC in Denver Colorado a couple of years ago, at his then home church, Cherry Creek EPC. (Since that time, Zac has become the worship pastor at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida with Tullian Tchividjian). I was highly impressed with Zac's ability to lead a traditional, robed choir one night and follow it up with face-melting guitar leads the next night.

In everything he does, his love for Reformed theology and the deep heritage of Christian history shows through. This particular album, "Without Our Aid" shows this kind of richness. The stylistically varied worship songs progress through the album like a liturgical worship service: from the call to worship (Sola; All People That on Earth Do Dwell), through the "preaching" of the Gospel (Hail, the Once Despised Jesus; Jesus Christ is Risen Today), to the Lord's Table (Lord, I Believe) and ultimately to a benedictory send off into the missio dei (O Splendor of God's Glory Bright). But make no mistake: nothing in this collection is staid or boring.

On this album, both lovers of tradition hymns and modern instrumental settings will be truly pleased. Zac has an incredible ability to take the time-honored and Christ-exalting lyrics of our most beloved music and re-cast them into indisputably relevant manifestations.

-Matthew Everhard is the Senior Pastor of Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brooksville, Florida.