Guitars and Grace

By Jamie Netzer

Published on Thu., April 5th, 2007

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 multi-denominational 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.

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.

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.

“Not to us, but to your name be the glory…”

An older man running the soundboard unleashes his strong bass voice. His toes 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 up-tempo 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 Markley, Open Swim organizer, knows the people around him are bonded because worship is a part of their lives. “I feel connected to everyone,” he says.

Being young and a devout Christian isn’t always easy. “When people say college is the best four years of your life, they’re usually not referring to worship services,” says Chad Donohoe, college pastor at Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 3312 Calvin Drive. Donohoe leads several worship services for college students and says that in many ways, today’s culture with the Christian way of life.

That’s one of the reasons Kangas makes it to Open Swim every month. He doesn’t drink alcohol, plans on waiting until marriage to have sex and has not yet kissed a girl. He says he will not date someone unless he thinks he could marry her. These choices make Kangas decidedly different from many of his peers. So he comes to Open Swim to be around friends who are resisting the same temptations. He says he doesn’t think he could do it by himself.

“There are times when I feel like getting wasted,” Kangas says. “But it would be ridiculous to throw my scholarship away on something like that. My Christian friends are there to help me through those times.”

At the height of the Pool Boys’ popularity, over 500 students were coming to Open Swim every week. The Pool Boys released an album called Open Swim and moved to Nashville to pursue music further. Today, most members of the Pool Boys have started families or full-time careers in ministry, but they often return to KU — and only KU — to play at Open Swim. Clements has moved back to Lawrence, so he regularly leads Open Swim with other local musicians.

After Pastor Donahoe offers his last words and acknowledges that walking with Christ is not always easy, the musicians take the stage for one final song. Kangas’ hands are high in the air, and after the lights come up, he’s all smiles. He helps the band unload some speakers from the stage and talks with friends.

Kangas got what he wanted; tonight was genuine. Tonight, he connected with God.

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