Earlier this year, I was introduced to a song titled “Lord Have Mercy (For What We Have Done) written by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa.
It struck me so forcefully, that the lyrics and the haunting notes rattled around in my mind and soul.
Here it is, months later, and those words are still rattling. I can’t quite shake them, and maybe I wasn’t meant to shake them.
At the time I first heard it, we were rehearsing for Sunday Worship Service. One of our team members remarked something to the effect of ‘Wow, that song just goes on and on….it’s like it is never going to end.’ I think we talked briefly about shortening it some, but because it was new and we were teaching it to the congregation, we kept the whole of it.
I absolutely understood where my fellow friend and team member was coming from – sometimes we tend to addonaddonaddon to worship songs, with endless tags…repeating the same words over and over again – when the song’s structure and message don’t necessarily require that treatment.
But this song – at least, for me – needs every single one of those cries for mercy.
As does my life.
Over the last few months, I’ve taken a deeper interest in liturgy. I’ve always found some sense of calm in a liturgical cadence – but these days it isn’t just the soothing known-ness of the components that have been so helpful to me in my relationship with my God – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Intercession – no, as of late liturgy has become more than the ‘place to start’ as I approach my Lord and Savior.
Rather – I find liturgy to be true medicine to my soul, when it is weary and weighed down with the things of this world. I find it to be similar to the Psalms – a way to express the deepest hurts, the deepest pleas, the deepest joys and the deepest confessions; particularly when I am struggling to find words of my own to voice these things to God, from inside my soul.
Don’t misunderstand me, though. Liturgy for the sake of liturgy is nothing more than routine. Liturgy for the sake of liturgy can become a false stand upon which to hang your hat of Christianity upon, until it is time to put it back on again; creating a false sense of checkbox/to-do salvation security, not unlike the old Sunday School Offering envelopes of childhood – Did I read my Bible? Check. Did I give my tithe? Check. Did I attend Sunday School? Check. Did I make a visit to someone in need? I can’t even drive, but hey – Check.
This is something I have to guard against, when I am drawn to liturgy.
No – instead liturgy can be an avenue for driving scripture deeper into the hidden recesses of my heart, to where my own sin and depravity, and fears and griefs, linger.
The words of the Two Matt’s (for lack of a better way to reference them) song build upon Kyrie, Eleison – translated as Lord, have mercy. It is a short, ancient prayer that has been a part of Christian worship for ages. The prayer is plaintive; and that plaintive-ness lends itself well to our human, fallible needs. God owes us nothing. Everything he gives, come from his mercy. And only he can save. Christ, alone, is our only hope.
That very same week when we learned this song, Russian had invaded Ukraine. The scenes and reports were dire – are still dire today. And to repeatedly cry out to God – “Lord, have mercy! Christ, have mercy” – well, I can think of no more appropriate response to that nightmare.
We sang this song at our church one more time, this past summer, at the close of a Wednesday night worship service during which our pastor explained to the congregation the Sexual Abuse Task Force report that had just been released, concerning the Southern Baptist Convention, of which our church is a member. Heinous things were uncovered in that report, that hit close to home for many people…and I can think of no more appropriate song. Tears threatened to overflow, as I sang loudly with my whole soul – Lord, Have Mercy! Christ, Have Mercy! Lord, Have Mercy on us!
For what we have done…
And what we have left undone…
For sins known..and unknown…
For envy, for pride…
For scorning our neighbors..
Lord, Have Mercy, on me – on me!
But how empty those words would be, without a Savior who, in obedience, went to the cross and died for my sings. How hollow those cries would be – how meaningless…if He had not been raised three days later and is now seated with the Father above.
How utterly useless would the cry of Lord, Have Mercy! be, if it were not for the surety that what I read in scripture is truth, because I have deeply experienced it in my own life:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
We are singing this song again during worship this week – this painful yet beautiful song. And as often is the case – the timing for my own soul is perfect, I need these words this week, as much as when I first heard them. I need to plead them over and over again, to my only hope – the one who bled for this world’s betrayal – how deeply I need our Savior.
For what we have done and left undone
We fall on Your countless mercies
For sins that are known and those unknown
We call on Your name so holy
For envy and pride, for closing our eyes
For scorning our very neighbor
In thought, word, and deed, we’ve failed You, our King
How deeply we need a Savior
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us
For what You have done, Your life of love
You perfectly lived, we praise You
Though tempted and tried, You fixed Your eyes
You finished the work God gave You
And there on the tree, a King among thieves
You bled for a world’s betrayal
You loved to the end, our merciful friend
How pure and forever faithful
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us
For hearts that are cold for seizing control
For scorning our very Maker
In thought, word, and deed, we’ve failed You, our King
How deeply we need a Savior
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us
~Matt Boswell – Matt Papa
