Passion ‘Call On Heaven’

Written by: Darcy Webber (04/08/2024)

Every year, Passion City Church hosts the Passion Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, where 80,000 new young adults, 18-25 years old, fly from all over the world to hear the message of Jesus and to worship in His name. Call On Heaven, an album of the live worship from the 2024 Passion Conference, encapsulates the hopes and spirit of our young generation and their yearning for Jesus’ Kingdom. This year’s album features new songs with Kristian Stanfill, Crowder, Brooke Ligertwood, and more, as well as some new arrangements of prior popular songs.

The standout of this album, “Cry Out”, performed and written by Brett Younker, carries the message that runs throughout the album: to call on the one who is worthy, Holy, and the King of Heaven. Out of all the songs of this album, “Cry Out” stands out not only as a modern Christian song but as a worship song that makes you stop and cry out to Jesus that He is holy and holds all the glory. Churches that utilize modern Christian worship songs should consider this one closely, as it is scriptural and powerful for leading others in worship.

“Follow” by Melodie Malone speaks to the personal sacrifice and surrender in following Jesus. The lyrics point to the joy and gift Jesus brings when you say “yes” to God and His plans. Different from the other arrangements on the album, which are exciting with a full spectrum of instruments, this song is refreshingly gentle with a piano and a beautiful melody.

“How Great Is Your Name” combines all of Jesus’ attributes into one powerful song that declares who He is and why we worship Him.

Crowder’s “Grave Robber” is a great, upbeat rock song featuring great lead electric guitars and a drum beat that will get even those staid worshippers’ feet tapping.

Finally, though it’s not a new song and was published by Chris Tomlin and Jenn Johnson, Passion and Kari Jobe’s rendition of “Holy Forever” is notable and favored over the original by this author. The song’s lyrics were always powerful, but the use of synth pads, Kari’s angelic voice, and the ambient mics picking up the live singing of 80,000 worshippers give this version so much more depth and feeling that you can’t help but get goosebumps when you hear it. The Holy Spirit can be felt in the room even when listening secondhand.

Call On Heaven’s overall message is just that: to call on Heaven and Jesus while living in this broken world. Bring more power when listening to this album by watching the YouTube videos released by Passion from the conference. This sight of 80,000 young adults calling out to Christ while worshipping is enough to give everyone hope that the Kingdom is already here on Earth.

4.5/5