Matt Redman - Gloria Lyrics
Lyrics
The skies are filled with Your glory
The oceans mirror Your grace
How deep, how high
How wonderful You are
The earth is telling Your mystery
The heavens singing Your praise
How deep, how high
How wonderful You are, You are
The nails, the thorns and the offering
As you surrendered Your breath
How deep, how high
How wonderful You are
Now we're becoming an offering
Singing with ever last breath
How deep, how high
How wonderful You are, You are
We're living to tell Your story now
Your glory and grace, oh God
Gloria, gloria
Heaven and earth sing how great You are
Gloria, gloria
To You evermore, to You evermore
Gloria
And Yours is the kingdom
And the power and the glory
Yours is the anthem
Yours is the anthem
And the honor and the story
Video
Matt Redman - Angels (Singing Gloria) (Lyrics And Chords) ft. Chris Tomlin
Meaning & Inspiration
The song "Gloria" by Matt Redman, notably released as "Angels (Singing Gloria)" featuring Chris Tomlin on December 9, 2016, serves as a powerful declaration of God's glory and worthiness of praise. Rooted in the language of adoration found in worship traditions, the song lifts the eyes of the listener towards the divine. It begins by reflecting on how creation itself bears witness to God's attributes. The imagery of the skies being filled with glory and oceans mirroring grace paints a picture of a universe saturated with the presence and character of the Creator, highlighting the immense depth and height of His wonder. The earth and heavens are depicted as active participants, telling of God's mystery and singing His praise, suggesting a cosmic chorus acknowledging divine greatness.
The narrative then shifts focus from general revelation in creation to the specific revelation found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The lyrics speak of the profound sacrifice – the "nails, the thorns and the offering," the surrender of breath – as the ultimate demonstration of God's wonder. This points directly to the crucifixion, where the depth of God's love and the height of His holiness are most fully displayed. Following this acknowledgement of Christ's sacrifice, the song moves to the believer's response. It presents the idea that believers are now becoming an offering themselves, singing with every last breath. This reflects a theological understanding of worship as not just singing songs, but presenting one's entire life as a sacrifice of praise, mirroring Christ's own self-offering.
This theme of the believer's response continues with the affirmation that we are "living to tell Your story now, Your glory and grace." This line underscores the missional aspect of worship, where praise leads to proclaiming God's work to the world. The central and recurring declaration of the song is "Gloria, gloria," a Latin word meaning glory. This repeated cry emphasizes the core message: glory belongs to God. The chorus explicitly states that "Heaven and earth sing how great You are," reinforcing the earlier idea of a unified creation joining in worship, calling everyone to acknowledge God's supreme greatness. The phrase "To You evermore" signifies that this praise is unending and eternally directed towards God.
The song culminates in a powerful declaration of God's ultimate sovereignty and ownership. The lines "Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory" directly echo the doxology found in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:13), reinforcing a traditional and profound statement of God's reign and might. Adding that God's is the "anthem," "honor," and "story" further solidifies His position as the source and recipient of all worship, the ultimate subject of history, and the one deserving of all veneration.
Biblically, the song draws on numerous themes found throughout scripture. The concept of creation declaring God's glory is prominent in passages like Psalm 19:1, which states, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Romans 1:20 also speaks of God's invisible qualities being clearly seen through what has been made. The focus on Christ's sacrifice resonates deeply with Philippians 2:5-11, describing His humility unto death and subsequent exaltation, or passages in Revelation 4 and 5 where heavenly beings and the redeemed worship the Lamb who was slain. The idea of believers becoming living sacrifices aligns with Romans 12:1. Ultimately, the song is a summons to join the universal and eternal worship of God, acknowledging His glory revealed in creation and redemption, a theme prevalent in prophetic and apocalyptic literature that describes the worship of God by all creation and heavenly hosts. The song serves as an anthem for believers to align their voices with this grand narrative of praise directed to the God who is wonderfully deep and high.