I have finally finished Rhythms of Grace by Mike Cosper. As I have said before, this was a phenomenal read. I would recommend this book not just to music leaders in churches, rather the church. I am convinced that Rhythms of Grace will make you a better church member.

I am now on to what seems and feels like part two of a series (even though the two are not connected) Doxology & Theology. If you do not follow the Doxology & Theology blog, you should (follow here). This book addresses the musical side of worship specifically, something Copser started to flesh out at the end of his book.

As I read chapter one, “Doxology, Theology, and the Mission of God”, I came across a deeply convicting quote. Musical Worship Leader, Matt Boswell, had this to say:

“We should never boldly proclaim into a microphone that which we wouldn’t have the courage to share with our neighbor. Often when we are gathered as the church in a safe place, we proclaim the greatness of God and the sufficiency of the Gospel. However, when we leave that safety, we are too often either apathetic or filled with unbelief in the things we profess to be true.” - Pg. 19

This quote struck me at my core. Week in and week out, I am responsible to prayerfully consider the content (outside of sermon and benediction) that will be voiced on a Sunday morning. Weather or not I speak those words myself, they resonate with me. I am delighted to search for a call to worship, confession of sin, and assurance of pardon. As to select these pieces for a Sunday morning, my heart is giving a resounding “AMEN” to what I am writing down.

As we were at Second Tuesday prayer this past Tuesday, everyone, myself included, pleaded prayers of boldness for our unsaved friends and family. I couldn’t help but wonder why this was the case for us. The room was filled with people who are deeply rooted in Gospel.

So what does this mean for us?

Prayer

My hope is that our prayer would be “Lord Jesus, help me in my unbelief.” We all go throughout our days tempted by the cruel realities of the world. We are all prone to wander toward sin. We all have Satan whispering (maybe shouting for some of you) lies that there is better news than the Good News. Pray against the schemes of the devil. Pray that the Spirit would powerfully work in you - reaffirming the work that He is doing in your life.

Prepare

Sharpen your sword. May the word of Christ dwell richly deep in your hearts (Colossians 3:16). If we are not constantly and consistently in the Word, we will have a harder time being bold in our evangelism. Another way to prepare for an increase in your boldness, with the Spirit’s help, is to practice these discussions. Participate in your Missional Community, more than just voicing prayer requests. Throw your ideas, thoughts, and convictions out there to your group. This is a safer environment where your ideas, if slightly off, may be corrected or challenged gracefully.

Persevere

I would be lying to you if I said that you are ready to conquer the world now. As you grow in your confidence and boldness and you start sharing with your neighbors and family members that do not hold similar convictions as you, hang in there through the rough conversations. Evangelism and disciple making is not a “one and done” conversation. Be persistent in sharing the Truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). If you have the best news in the world, then you should be persistent in sharing that news.

My hope and prayer is that we would live lives like this:

As we boldly proclaim into a microphone the Truths we are convinced of, we have the courage to share with those same Truths with our neighbor. When we are gathered as the church in a safe place, we proclaim the greatness of God and the sufficiency of the Gospel. However, when we leave, we leave as reassured people who are compassionate towards others and people who seek to live out the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. 

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*For more resources on being a better neighbor, click here.