OUR GOD WILL GO BEFORE US
The Hymns of Matt Boswell and Matt
Papa Vol 3
Matt Boswell and Matt Papa (writers of His Mercy Is More) pick up where they left off from their previous two albums with their third album Our God Will Go Before Us.
Serving alongside friends Matt Redman, Sandra McKracken and the Gettys, they have once again produced an album of rich songs expressed with real beauty that are great both to listen to and to sing. Two things in particular struck me as I’ve been listening…
It’s often observed that songs and hymns sung regularly in churches tend to operate within a more narrow emotional spectrum than we see in Scripture, especially in the rawness of the Psalms. This project contains moments of joyful praise, humble assurance (Completely Known, Completely Loved) and confidence in God during sorrow (God of Every Grace). For me the highlight is I Set My Hope (Hymn for a Deconstructing Friend). It’s a beautifully simple song that doesn’t shy away from ‘the deepest wounds that time won’t heal’ and yet points with great compassion to Christ our hope ‘who set His heart upon me first’. This raw emotional honesty and simple trust in Jesus will be a great encouragement to many bewildered saints.
God is big in this album. Christ is precious. His glory is potent and His mercies are immanent – both ‘On heaven’s throne / and in my very soul’ (I Know That My Redeemer Lives). And all of this is wrapped in beautiful and accessible poetry. What makes the songs of Papa and Boswell so rich is the desire to pastor people through song. They have given us songs for many different seasons of life, all of which are rooted in the character and work of God. Take a listen, and you’ll be encouraged personally, and likely find a new song for your congregation.
