Before We Sing
with Brett Taylor, Worship Director
Before we sing “HIs Mercy Is More” together this Sunday, take a few minutes to listen and reflect on the story, truth, beauty, and goodness of what we are about to sing.
The Story
In 2016, hymnwriters Matt Boswell and Matt Papa drew inspiration from the words of John Newton (pictured left), the author of “Amazing Grace.” Writing to encourage a struggling Christian, Newton offered this astonishing consolation: “Our sins are many, but his mercies are more.”
Nearly 250 years later, those words became the heartbeat of a new hymn. And perhaps that is exactly why the church needs to keep singing it: we never outgrow our need to be astonished by the mercy of God.
The Truth
The opening verse gives us a breathtaking paradox: God is omniscient and all-knowing, and yet he remembers our sins no more. Hebrews 8:12 declares “I will remember their sins no more” not because God has forgotten what we have done, but because in Christ he has chosen never to hold them against us. Micah 7:19 pictures our sins cast into the depths of the sea, and Romans 5:20 announces that where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. The gospel does not make our sin smaller; it reveals a mercy greater than we imagined possible.
The Beauty
Watch how the hymn gives mercy a shape. First, an ocean without a bottom—our sins disappearing beyond recovery. Then a Father calling his wandering children home—mercy with open arms. Finally, a Savior giving his own life—mercy bearing an unimaginable cost.
And notice what happens musically and poetically: each verse makes us face something difficult about ourselves, but refuses to leave us there. Again and again, the congregation breaks into praise. We descend into the depths of our sin, only to discover that God's mercy goes deeper still. The refrain becomes a declaration we can barely believe—and therefore desperately need to sing.
The Goodness
There is something profoundly formative about a church singing this together. We live in a culture that often asks us either to minimize our failures or to be defined by them. The gospel offers a third way: tell the truth about your sin, and then tell a greater truth about your Savior.
This is why songs of confession and assurance belong in the mouths of God's people. We need words that make us humble without making us hopeless, and grateful without making us shallow. When we sing this hymn together, we are teaching one another that our failures are real, but they do not get the final word.
The Invitation
What sin, regret, or failure have you been carrying this week? Perhaps something you've confessed a hundred times but still struggle to believe is forgiven. Don't minimize it. Don't pretend it doesn't matter. Bring it honestly before the Lord.
And when the chorus comes, listen to the voices around you. You are not the only sinner in the room, and you are not the only one being carried by grace. Let the church sing the truth louder than your shame: His mercy is more!