What Does Devotion Look Like in Life?

Does a daily devotion look like a 30 minute “quiet time” in the morning or evening? Or does devotion seep out into all the aspects of the day? To talk about devotion in life this week we have the great privilege of chatting with Zach Bolen, lead singer of Citizens & Saints. Not only does he get into how his devotional life works in and through a busy schedule, but also what safeguards he and the band put in place to protect themselves from the negative affects popularity could bring.

Episode Links

Zach Bolen is the frontman for Citizens & Saints.

Their new album is A Mirror Dimly.

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*Below is an edited transcription of the audio.

Well I’m super pumped to be talking with Zach Bolen today from Citizens & Saints – it’s a band from Seattle who write and record songs for God’s glory, at least that’s what comes across. But anyways, thanks for coming on the show today Zach!

Yeah thanks Isaac, I appreciate it man.

Your latest album, A Mirror Dimly, that came out – that was last year correct?

Yeah, it came out in September of last year.

That’s right. And I got to say, it has been a gift. I was actually just talking with my brother-in-law a little while ago who is a worship pastor from Vancouver and we were saying that A Mirror Dimly is the kind of album where, at least for us, we just want to be able to, you know, if we’re driving somewhere, we just want to listen to good music but at the same time, solid theologically. And at the same time, not just straight congregational, Keith and Kristin Getty kind of sounds. Your album did that, so I’m really pumped about that. Thank you!

That’s great to hear. I mean, that’s definitely one of the values we had. We wanted the record to really just feel like something that people could personally listen to and not necessarily need to be, sort of, this gathered thing. But also, there could be that trade off too, so listening to it in a group and finding comradery and solace – knowing that we’re human and experience lots of things in life like doubt – even just really great moments of faith too. That’s cool to hear that it’s been like that for you.

For sure, yeah exactly. And as you say that, the whole, you know, doubt and things like that, reading through Psalms in my daily reading plan, it’s like, that is what God calls us to be – we have to be open like that, to lament, you know? In Psalm 44 the Sons of Korah even say, “Wake up God!” And I’m like, “Well, God never sleeps!” He just wants us to be real, right? I think that’s really cool.

To our listeners, Zach has graciously allowed me to talk with him for a bit today, just for a short time on what’s it’s like to grow in devotion to the Lord while in the midst of busyness and life, especially in our culture, and especially for Zach as, you know, is a full-time musician.

So, anyways, first of all Zach, a lot of people have maybe heard of Citizens & Saints but they don’t know who you are. Why don’t you just tell us a little bit about yourself, as well as when you realized or sensed Jesus calling you to Himself.

Yeah. I live in Seattle, WA right now with my wife and four kids with two boys and two girls, but my life obviously started a little bit before all that too. I grew up on the East Coast of the States, in the State of Maryland. I grew up in a small church there and I was always around musicians. Different people in my family would sing. It seemed like every holiday there’d be a time where everyone, at least,