The Together for the Gospel conference, held Apr. 12-14 in Louisville, KY, is an every-other-year feast of insightful Bible teaching, passionate singing, and rich fellowship. It’s the fruit of a friendship between Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, Al Mohler, and my good friend and senior pastor, C.J. Mahaney. That fruit has blossomed to encourage thousands of pastors faithfully serving their local churches.
I had the joy of leading the music again this year. It’s a unique experience. A guy at a piano joined by ten thousand voices singing theologically rich, gospel-centered hymns, old and new. We’ve produced two albums from previous T4G conferences (Together for the Gospel Live and T4G Live II), and hope to produce another one from this year’s event.
I’m often surprised when someone tells me how meaningful the albums are. Surprised because I hear it from people in their 20s and even from teenagers. I can assure you it’s not because of the lead vocal. Or the band. Or the production. When you strip away the drums, bass, electric guitars, synthesizers, lights, effects, and fog machines, it strikes you how powerful voices alone (almost) singing biblically rooted gospel truths can be.
Piano and voices alone isn’t what I typically do. I lead contemporary songs and hymns with a full band on Sundays at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. Modern musical styles give us more options to proclaim God’s glory in Christ and our responses to him. Instruments, when used humbly and wisely, can support and complement a congregation’s voice and serve faith-filled singing. But I don’t mind restricting myself to hymns and losing the band at T4G to make the point that the congregation’s sound is the most important musical element on Sunday mornings.
After the 2010 conference I posted some thoughts on leading at T4G. Here are a few additional thoughts from this year.
“Feeling” the Spirit is working and the Spirit actually working are two different things.
For a variety of reasons, I felt a little distracted and disconnected the first two days of T4G. We were recording 13 songs and I had never led a number of the songs before. Although I put in some practice leading up to the event, I wasn’t totally at ease (it’s tough to fix live acoustic piano tracks). I wasn’t always clear on a specific thought to share when we were singing, so I stuck primarily to reading a Scripture passage. It wasn’t until the third day I felt at peace, had a good sense of what to say, and thoroughly enjoyed leading. I “sensed” God’s presence. No one I’ve talked to thus far could tell much of a difference, though, and God working in people’s hearts had little to do with how I was feeling. God can work through us even when we feel distracted.
Musical presuppositions and preferences can be set aside for the sake of the gospel.
The attendees at T4G were young and old, black and white, Asian, Hispanic, and hailed from over 50 nations. But when we lifted our hearts and voices to proclaim the glories of Christ, it was obvious that whatever desires existed for drums, choirs, hip-hop, rock, organs, or orchestras, they became of secondary importance as we were “lost in wonder, love and praise.”
Leading worship in song isn’t about me being musically satisfied.
Each year, I work with Mark Dever on the songs we’ll be singing at T4G. I love working with Mark. But sometimes we have different perspectives. Mark loves 4 part harmony and has asked that I accompany songs in a way that allows people to sing parts. Fewer churches incorporate 4 part harmony in their meetings these days and T4G provides an opportunity to expose people to it. But I enjoy creative, alternate harmonies. Good chord substitutions can highlight lyrics, create a different mood behind a lyric, and make it more enjoyable for me as a musician. But personal fulfillment isn’t the primary reason I make musical choices. It’s what serves those I’m leading and those I’m submitted to. And that applies to my local church just as much as it does to a conference.
Finally, for the many who asked, here’s a list of the songs we sang at Together for the Gospel. The numbers are from Hymns of Grace, the new hymnal we used at T4G this year. If you’re looking for a hymnal that combines the best of old and new hymns, this is a great choice.
TUESDAY
Afternoon Sessions
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty – 2
Come Thou Fount – 104
Come, Behold the Wondrous Mystery – 184
Speak, O Lord – 368
Ligon Duncan: Why the Reformation is Not Over
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God – 53
CJ Mahaney: Sustained in Suffering by the Saga of Job (Job 3:1-4:8)
He Will Hold Me Fast – 388
PM Pre-Session
How Firm a Foundation – 364
The Sands of Time are Sinking – 427
Great is Thy Faithfulness – 86
PM Main Session
Holy, Holy, Holy – 48
O the Deep, Deep Love (Sovereign Grace) – 154
Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul – 52
I Hear the Words of Love – 195
Al Mohler: We Have Only One Priest: The Reformation as a Revolution in Ministry
Before the Throne of God Above – 187
WEDNESDAY
AM Pre-Session
Arise, My Soul, Arise – 291
O Fount of Love – 294
I Will Glory in My Redeemer – 196
AM Main Sessions
It Is Well with My Soul – 407
Give to Our God Immortal Praise – 14
See the Destined Day Arise – 298
All Glory Be to Christ – 133
Mark Dever: Endurance Needed: Strength for a slow Reformation and the Dangerous Allure of Speed
It is Well with My Soul – 407
Kevin DeYoung: Can We Be Glorified without Being Sanctified? Good Works, Good News, and Christian Assurance
O Great God – 35
PM Pre-Session
Not in Me – 405
Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God – 318
PM Main Session
Our Great God – 42
Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted – 303
He Will Hold Me Fast – 388
My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness – 374
John Piper: The Bondage of the Will, the Sovereignty of Grace, and the Glory of God
All I Have Is Christ – 389
THURSDAY
AM Pre-Session
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name – 143
Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed? – 282
How Rich a Treasure We Possess – 292
AM Main Sessions
Come Praise and Glorify – 44
Not in Me – 405
Come, Behold the Wondrous Mystery – 184
The Power of the Cross – 272
John MacArthur: Christ’s Call to Reformation (Rev. 1-3)
In Christ Alone – 177
Matt Chandler: God’s Glory as the Fuel of our Courage (Rom. 11:33-36)
Behold Our God – 126
Afternoon Pre-Session
Crown Him with Many Crowns – 129
Be Thou My Vision – 176
Afternoon Main Session
There Is a Fountain – 301
His Forever – 156
Thabiti Anyabwile: The Reformation Began with Paul: Justification the Same, Yesterday, Today, and Forevermore (Rom. 3:21-26)
Jesus Paid It All – 281
David Platt: Martyrdom and Mission: Why Reformers Died in Their Day, How We Must Live in Ours (Psalm 51)
Facing a Task Unfinished – 348
All I Have Is Christ – 389