“There’s not a ton of songs in the worship world that are corporate confessions. We sing a lot about three categories: the glory of God, the gravity of sin and the grandeur of grace. That’s needed and healthy, but we don’t sing a lot of confession songs,” Boggs offers of the transparent track he co-wrote with Josh Nichols. “And so we just thought, ‘what would it sound like if we were to confess our own shortcomings and misgivings?’”

“Have Mercy” does just that, with listeners seemingly eavesdropping on a private prayer. While he realizes confession often has a negative connotation attached to it, Boggs concedes that confession is a bridge to the Father.

“It’s the one thing that restores communion with God, so why would we be afraid of something that brings God closer, not further away?” he insists. “Although it’s sometimes brutal to look in the mirror of your own confession, the Lord isn’t afraid of it. So hopefully this song invites people to come a little bit closer to the Lord through confession.”

Approaching every facet of ministry with the same authenticity heard on “Have Mercy,” Boggs has learned to hold the tension of the various streams of his career. Whether he’s stewarding a song or leading people in worship, Boggs is simply putting one foot in front of the other. It’s what he’s done every step of the way along his journey—ever since he decided to take a leap of faith, move to Nashville and preach with lyric and melody.

“The way I view it, I’m a pastor, and music is a tool in my tool belt. But I think at the end of the day, I’m a shepherd,” Boggs reasons. “The idea of being a pastor is more appealing to me than being an artist. And I think you can be both. In fact, we need more artists in the church, not simply in the conventional music lane, but just creatives in general.”

Dove Award-nominated this year for “Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year” for his co-write “If God Pulled Back the Curtain” recorded by Nelons, all the latest Michael Boggs news, tour dates and more can be found at https://michaelboggs.com/, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify and Apple Music.

About Michael Boggs:

Michael Boggs considers himself a pastor; his pulpit just happens to be a three-minute song. Over the years, he has been awarded multiple ASCAP and GMA Dove Awards, and has been named CCM Songwriter of the Year. Boggs’ songs have been recorded by Alison Krauss, Diamond Rio, Jason Crabb, Matt Maher, Big Daddy Weave and Anthony Evans, among others. Moreover, the Oklahoma native has released two full-length solo efforts: More Than Moved (2011) and More Like A Lion (2014). In addition, he’s one-half of worship duo Brooke + Boggs—a collaboration with fellow worship leader Brooke Voland. The duo’s song, “Grace Upon Grace,” which Boggs co-penned, topped more than a million streams on Spotify alone. Along with Voland and recording artist Hannah Kerr, Boggs is also a founding member of Black River Entertainment’s Wildfire Worship Collective. Currently residing in Franklin, TN with his wife, Keely, and son, Nash, since 2006, he has been the worship minister for Kairos Nashville, a weekly gathering for young adults that continues to anchor everything else Boggs puts his hands to.

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