Thirsty Worship: Unplugging U2’s “Gloria”

Part 8 in the the U2 Unplugged series

God thirsts to be thirsted after.
— St. Augustine

The phrase “yada yada” is part of our cultural lingo. It comes from a classic Seinfeld episode in which members of the TV sitcom begin substituting the words “yada, yada, yada” to shorten up stories they didn’t want to discuss. Yet, it also seems to reflect a bad habit that we can fall into when we worship on Sunday morning. We start out singing praise music or hymns with the best of intentions, but our minds race and the words slowly morph from words of praise into phrases we mouth but don’t really consider. At that point, the choruses mean as much to us as if we were singing “yada, yada, yada”.

When we have a difficult time making the most of our worship, U2’s “Gloria” [Lyrics] [iTunes] helps us get perspective. The early U2 song, from their October album, offers us a glimpse into the nature of the God, showing us why God is due our praise as well as how we can respond to him.

Casualizing God

Have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Flick the channel to a Christian television show or listen in the pews of most churches today, you’ll undoubtedly hear those words. The idea behind this statement is that Christianity offers more than just following the rules of a distant deity. Instead, in a very real way, you can enter into a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. The song “Wild Honey”, for example, reinforces this idea of a intimate relationship with the God of the universe.

Such a message is an incredible fact of the Christian faith. However, the downside to stressing the personal nature of our relationship with God is our tendency to casualize our relationship with God and treat him like we would a mere mortal. We can find ourselves glazing over the reality that we are speaking of the all-powerful, all-holy God and creator of the universe.

U2’s song “Gloria” brings us back to reality of the awesomeness of God. Its simple lyrics are an expression of worship, an act of showing God that you’re in awe of and devoted to him. The song’s chorus, sung in Latin, gets to the heart of why God is worthy of our worship:

Gloria
In te domine
Gloria
Exultate
Gloria
Gloria
Oh, Lord, loosen my lips.

The Latin text translates to “Glory in you God, exalted glory”. Notice that Bono sings “glory in you”, not “glory to you”. That’s because the word glory is an indescribable quality of God, something that is part of who God is, not just flowery words of praise from you and I. When we speak of God’s glory, we’re talking about worshipping his beauty, perfection, and honor.

Worship, however, is something that often isn’t easy for us, particularly as we live in a post-modern world that loves to ridicule and denigrate those in authority over us. As a result, the reason why we are called to worship God can be confusing. A stock response you’ll probably hear if you ask many Christians is “We’re supposed to” or “The Bible says so”. Based on that answer, however, God ends up coming across much like a bully dictator who wants his ego fed by demanding his subjects swear allegiance to him. In reality, nothing is further from the truth. True worship is the only response possible when we recognize God for who he really is.

We experience these sort of natural reactions in other parts of our lives as well. For example, when I watch New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady engineering a successful game winning touchdown in the final moments of the Super Bowl, I shout in jubilation and sing his praises. There’s nothing contrived or artificial about my reaction. I am simply expressing my joy at the reality I witnessed. In the same way, worship becomes effortless and instinctive when we focus on the true nature of God. The word worship originally comes from the Old English word worthship, a term which expresses the worthiness of the one receiving the praise. Worship only becomes “yada, yada, yada” when God is distant to us.

What’s more, we worship God, not only for the glory it gives him, but also what it does to ourselves. True worship draws us closer to him. As a comparison, suppose a newlywed soldier goes off to fight on the frontlines of a war. He will make sure to bring a photograph of his bride with him as a snapshot reminder of his love back home. In the same way, worship can serve as our “snapshot”, allowing us to view a glimpse of Gloria Exultate, or “exalted glory”.

“God thirsts to be thirsted after,” said Saint Augustine. In saying this, Augustine is tugging at the heart of worship. Genuine worship makes us thirst after the one who we adore, causing us to want ever more of him. Our goal, then, is to become thirsty worshippers.

Beyond Token Responses

If the chorus of “Gloria” is a worship hymn, the rest of the song shows us how to approach the God we are praising in a spirit of true adoration. In the song, U2 shows us four characteristics of true worship.

First, true worship recognizes our inadequacy before God. Bono begins the first verse of “Gloria” by expressing his inability to perform the actions he wants to do, because he recognizes he is standing before a holy and awesome God in worship:

I try to sing this song
I, I try to stand up
But I can’t find my feet
I try, I try to speak up
But only in you I’m complete

Elsewhere, Bono adds:

I, I try to get in
But I can’t find the door

So much of our praise and worship time, at least in evangelical churches, can be light and airy, rather than expressive of the genuine awe that the Old Testament prophets experienced when they appeared before God. Time and time again, you see examples in the Bible where people fall flat on their face when they realize they are “standing on holy ground.” This natural reaction is similar to what Bono sings about here. He tries to sing, tries to stand up, and tries to speak up. But, he can’t do so without God’s help.

Worship is a recognition of God’s adequacy and our inadequacy, God’s independence and our dependence, and God’s glory compared to our stains.

Second, true worship recognizes that fulfillment comes through God. At the close of the first verse, Bono confesses “But only in you I’m complete.” In these lyrics, Bono is echoing the Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:10: “You have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” When we worship, the idea of working your way onto God’s good side becomes ridiculous, because we realize that we can’t complete ourselves, can’t reach perfection, without his grace.

Third, true worship involves surrender to God. As the song continues, Bono sings out in the middle of the chorus:

Oh, Lord, if I had anything, anything at all
I’d give it to you.

Once we recognize our inadequacy and God’s ability to complete us, then the final response is to give everything to him and not hold anything back. “It is impossible to meet God with sunglasses on,” remarks Bono. “It is impossible to meet God without abandon, without exposing yourself, being raw.”

An Irresolvable Tension?

When you unplug the lyrics of “Gloria”, God’s power, might, and holiness can have a debilitating effect on us when we look at ourselves in comparison. God can start to appear unapproachable. After all, we humans are but tiny fleas compared to his infinite greatness.
Yet, as true as these statements are on the holiness of God, we can’t forget the equally valid message contained in U2’s song “Wild Honey” about the love of God: that God wants an intimate relationship with you and pursue you as a lover.

Dazed and confused is a common reaction when trying to make sense of both of these messages. In fact, on first take, there seems to be an almost irresolvable tension between God’s passionate love and his perfect holiness. When we become consumed by God’s love, we enter a deep sense of intimacy and start to forget about ourselves. In a very real way, we can feel “lost in love” with God. But, if we are preoccupied with God’s holiness, we can have an almost opposite reaction: fear, trembling, self-consciousness, and recognition of the inseparable gulf between God and ourselves.

While we may not able to fully resolve this tension in our minds, it’s essential not to let it derail your relationship with God. The scriptures are clear that our focus should be on God’s passionate love, not our fear and shortcomings. The Old Testament prophets may have approached him in fear and trembling, but Luke tells us that Jesus Christ changed all this: that Christ specifically came to enable us to serve him without fear (Luke 1:74). The Apostle Paul agrees, telling us that we shouldn’t act like “cowering, fearful slaves.” (Rom 8:15 NLT). Even more to the point, the Apostle John reminds us that God’s love cancels out any fear, trembling, and self-consciousness that we may have: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment” (1 John 4:18). John also says, “Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him” (1 John 4:16-17).

In the end, any tension we may have over God’s glory and his love is resolved by God himself. Because of Jesus Christ, we are free to worship a God of glory, all the while delighting in a passionate, intimate relationship with him.

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Action Steps

In “Gloria”, U2 dives into the nature of God’s glory and the natural reaction that we have when he reveals himself to us. As you consider the nature of worship, take the following steps to make this a reality in your life:

Before going to the next worship service at your church, spend at least 15 minutes before you leave home preparing yourself for worship. In particular, read Psalm 100 and 30 and follow it up with prayer.

When you worship in your church, remember to involve both your head and your heart. Keep your mind focused on the glory of God, while allowing God to penetrate your heart.

Starting next Monday morning, keep a worshipful attitude as you go throughout the week. True worship is more than just something you do for a few minutes on Sunday morning. It is an around-the-clock deal. Remember the words of the Apostle Paul: “Present your bodies a living sacrifice…which is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1).

Diving Deeper
Psalm 113:4, Psalm 115:1, Romans 12:1, John 4:23-24, Exodus 3:5, Psalms 30, 32, and 100.