I’ve been meaning to do this song for a long time. Jordan Pride is a good friend and I’m excited for him and his journey as a worship singer/songwriter! “We Resound,” Jordan’s biggest single so far, is an anthem of Jesus’ glory and exaltation and an echo of the song around his eternal throne. But is “We Resound” Biblical, and does it belong in your worship service? Let’s take a look at the lyrics, music, and accessibility of this song together and ask, “will it worship?”

Focus

“We Resound” looks forward to Christ’s final victory and imagines all creation resonating together in praise. Each verse gives a different glimpse of that glorious day, and the bridge positions us in the worshiping multitude, adding our own voices.

This is a truly corporate song: lots of “we,” no “I.” It’s also very God-oriented. We sing to him directly as “you” and declare that he’s worthy of praise. We also give lots of reasons that he’s worthy. The recipient of our praise is very clearly identified as Jesus, the Christ, the Lord God Almighty, the Father, and the Lord of Hosts.

Lyric Analysis

VERSE 1
This first verse is a succinct paraphrase of Ephesians 3:8-11. God’s plan for all time has been to pour out the riches of Christ’s grace on and through the Church. (I appreciate that this verse defines riches as God’s fullness and the hope of Christ, not material wealth!) This plan was hidden for ages, but now God’s wisdom is made known through the work of Jesus and his Church.

CHORUS
“Resound” is such a rich word! It has the sense of a loud sound that echoes, bounces around, reverberates. By extension, it can also mean to praise or spread the fame of someone or something. Sounds that resound don’t stay put; they carry. They don’t die out, they keep on ringing. A famous person or event can also be said to resound through history; that is, their effect is so profound that they create ripples for decades or centuries. In this sense, we, the Church, are the reverberations of Christ’s victory.

The words that we *resound* with come from Revelation 4. In this passage, four angelic beings around God’s throne are eternally proclaiming “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” At the same time, 24 elders in heaven fall down before the one seated on the throne and throw their own crows to the floor at his feet. They say: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Rev. 4:1-11)

VERSE 2
This verse is a paraphrase of Philippians 2:10-11, where Paul is describing the glory Jesus will receive for his death on the cross. Just like this song, the passage in Philippians ascribes tremendous worth and power to the name of Jesus.

The only change Jordan makes here is to replace “under the earth” with “Hell.” We think of Hell as the fiery place of suffering where demons and bad people go, but “under the earth” is a little more neutral; it suggests a waiting place rather than eternal punishment. While this word change alters the tone of the passage a little bit, I think Paul’s point in Philippians is that every knee will bow, so Jordan’s not wrong. Indeed, Mark 5:6-8 shows us a demon bowing down before Jesus.

BRIDGE
This section evokes the book of Revelation, especially chapter 4, where, as we’ve discussed we find the elders casting down their crowns in worship, and chapter 22 where the river and tree of life from the garden of Eden are restored.

What I especially like about the bridge is the unique line “restoring Eden as we sing.” Jordan puts this line in the present rather than the future, as though our song is somehow having a restorative effect right now. I think this is in line with the Kingdom-building ministry of Jesus. Jesus prayed for the Father’s will and Kingdom to be established on earth as they are in heaven, and he taught us to pray the same way (Mat. 6:9-13). Yes, his kingdom will ultimately be established at his return, but we get to play a part in building it here and now, and part of that comes through worship and prayer.

In the final bridge, we also get the line “You are worthy to open the scroll.” This is said of Jesus in Revelation 5 where he is introduced as a mighty lion, but then appears as a slain lamb. Jesus is the only one worthy to complete God’s plan for his creation because he was slain and bought back his people with his blood. Throughout the song, we have been saying that Jesus is worthy, but in this section of Scripture, we see what he is worthy of. Praise, yes, but also “power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory” (Rev. 5:12).

Accessibility

“Resound” is kind of a self-explanatory word. Even if people don’t think through its layers of meaning, the song still makes sense. The verses of the song are clear and easy to understand, and the chorus is obviously a corporate celebration of God and his praise.

The average congregant might not have a great understanding of what it means to call God holy or what it is that Jesus is worthy of, but they will understand that they are terms of praise. The end of the song explains that Jesus is worthy to open the scroll, but most people will not understand what that means either. Similarly, many people will not understand that the bridge is painting a scene from Revelation.

Having said that, I don’t think there’s anything people are likely to misinterpret or misapply from this song.

The melody of “We Resound” is catchy and easy to pick up. The range is an octave+3, which is about par for a worship song. I would transpose it down to C instead of E because I’m a baritone (and Jordan is definitely a tenor!), but different keys suit different voices. Overall, I think the tune is very singable!

Music

This song has great dynamics, building up through the bridge, then dropping out for a quiet bridge and then coming back in for a giant, celebratory closing chorus and bridge. The sweet harmonies on “glory to God the Father” get me every time!

The main drum beats are playable; less experienced drummers can omit some fills to make it easier to play. Nothing crazy in the chord structure; a beginner/intermediate guitarist should be able to play along with this song. I would discourage worship leaders from imitating the extra vocal ad libs throughout the song; these would be difficult to master and a little distracting in a worship service.

Conclusions

In “We Resound,” Jordan has crafted an excellent, congregational, Christ-centered, biblical worship song. The allusions to Revelation make for thought-provoking lyrics that experienced saints will find rich and meaningful. At the same time, new believers will find plenty to latch onto in this celebration of Jesus’ glory and worth. Will it worship? You bet!

Image by Jeremy Bishop from Unsplash

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.