I’m looking forward to heading to Frisco, TX (outside of Dallas) tomorrow to spend some time with a bunch of worship leader buddies for the inaugural Doxology & Theology Conference, put on by Lifeway, Southern Seminary, Logos, and Veritas. My friend Matt Boswell has been the mastermind behind this operation, and I can think of no one better to network young worship leaders from newly emerging and influential evangelical churches across the United States.
How would I characterize what’s unique about this conference? The twist is that here we have a coalition of modern worship leaders, committed simultaneously to a rock ethos and thoughtful, intentional, gospel-centered, theologically-grounded worship services. Many of these folks are affiliated with churches connected with the Acts 29 network and the Gospel Coalition. Many of the congregations represented are emerging city-centered church plants having strong impacts in the major US metropolises. So, in my estimation, this is a very unique gathering of individuals.
Why is Matt Boswell a stud? Well, he released an album, Messenger Hymns: Volume 1, just last week. All six songs on this EP are singable, drenched in the gospel, loaded with great soteriology, and brimming with explicit Trinitarianism–in other words, Boswell has written all the songs I wish I could write but don’t have the chops for (which is why I often like to “hide” behind hymns ;)). I have two favorite songs: “O Fount of Love,” and “O Sing My Soul.” Here are the lyrics to the latter–a fresh telling of the Bible’s story, and a fresh call to mission. Praise God.
O sing my soul the ancient song
And lend your highest praise
To Him who is the King of old
And dwells in endless days
How resplendent His glory
How majestic His name
Now to the uncreated One
O let the anthem raise
O worship Him, our Father God
The Spirit, and the Word
Who fashioned all things from His joy
And saw that it was good
What perfection of friendship
What communion we shared
But chosing death, we fell from life
Aside the guilty pair
Now hear us all the gospel song
Attend the joyful news
For Christ has come, the perfect Son
His Father’s will to choose
In our place He did suffer
In our place became sin
The death of death, the death of Christ
Who stands alive again
Now people of the risen Lord
O hear the call to go
Into the world we have been sent
As messengers of hope
Christ alone be our treasure
Christ alone our reward
Come bid the nations sing with us
The praises of the Lord
One Comment on “Doxology & Theology Conference and Boswell’s New Messenger Hymns Album”
This sounds really cool – wish I had heard about it and would love to be involved if they do another one.