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on Bono, U2′s front man, songwriter, activist and advocate, sings like no other. With his heart on his sleeve and conviction flowing from his lips, he leads people in worship. Extravagant worship.
Say what you want about his eccentric displays and unconventional responses, he is the epitome of a lead worshiper, taking crowds gathered to experience the presence of greatness with the highest expectation of going somewhere, maybe even moving towards someone, as one. The crowd may not have gathered with the intent to worship Jesus, but everyone is made to worship and worships someone or something. Those who know Him could definitely find His glory in the midst of it all.
In this, one of my favorite videos, “Where The Streets Have No Name – Live At Slane Castle,” I hear Bono’s vertical expressions – “Show us Your glory” – that takes my heart to a place where I experience the presence of God and get caught up in worship of the One True God of Heaven. I can feel God “burning down love” on me.
For many, the messenger inhibits the message from being heard. Without grace, it must be said of us all.
God is teaching me to hear the message and see the glory as well as the beauty of glory spilled out through an unworthy vessel. The more broken the vessel, the more glory that shines through the lens of grace, especially when I look at me.
Worship with me if you have eyes to see and a heart to realize the glory of the glorious One….
What do you think?
Bono isn’t the issue-every worship leader is broken in some fashion. I think Bono is a worshiper, despite what some call unconventional responses, because He is “in Christ” and thus truly worshiping b/c of bold access granted by Christ’s work. But is he a “leader” in this case? Are those myriad of fans who have never acknowledged Christ’s Lordship worshiping (though some surely are)? In Spirit and truth? I think it is noble he puts on display God’s glory in lyric before them and it is a valuable thing for them to overhear true worship, but in the truest sense they are not worshiping, are they?
Jordan, thanks for responding to this post.
I love this quote from John Piper…
“Fresh, surprising, provocative, esthetically pleasing speech may have an awakening effect on a person’s mind and heart that is short of regeneration but still important as an awakening of emotional and intellectual sensitivity for more serious and beautiful things. If a poetic turn of phrase can cause a person to notice the magnificence of the sun, their next step might be to see that the heavens are telling the glory of God (Psalm 19:1), and then they might confess Christ as the great sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2).
Is that not why David, the great poet of Israel, first says, “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalms 19:1), and then says, “In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy” (Psalms 19:4–5). Why compare the rising sun to a bridegroom and a runner? To help the dull mind awaken to the joyful beauty of the rising sun in the hopes that this natural kind of awakening might lead to the spiritual sight that nature is all about the glory of God.”
As I know you will agree, every person is a created worshiper and is worshiping all the time, whether God is their object or not. A person may not fully recognize or have the full knowledge of the object of their worship, but nevertheless, I believe they still have the created capacity for their hearts to awaken and begin responding to the Spirit of God.
Does a person have to realize or fully understand they must acknowledge Christ’s Lordship in order to authentically begin worshiping Him? Can “common grace” create an opportunity for God’s creatures to worship Him before fully recognizing or fully understanding that it’s their Creator that stirs the joy in their heart and the awakening in their soul? If they cannot, why do we “call to worship” those not under the lordship of Christ among us in our “worship services” to worship God if they don’t have the capacity to worship until they are doing so convincingly in “Spirit and truth?” Has God not made room for worship among those who are “recognizing Christ” on the way to understanding the “resurrected Christ?”
Isn’t there something to say about the gracious work of the Holy Spirit that draws, woo’s and leads people to worship Jesus before He may be fully revealed in their hearts? To me, the amazing thing about grace is that it allows the willing to discover truth and respond, one step at a time, even among the gaps and messiness on their way towards the “truest” definition of worship.
I believe all who call themselves “followers of Jesus” are living worship in how they love and how they live. I think there is enough evidence that Bono leads and points to the object of his worship in this song. As my friend, Brenna wrote on Facebook about a Bono video I posted: “I love bono! i saw U2 in Atlanta recently, and it was like being in church. He was praising & worshipping God openly, praying for others, encouraging people, incredible! Not to mention the best music.”
Personally, I can see many aspects of God revealed in this video and allow Bono to leading me through his words and action to worship God. I can only hope that “common grace” will give every soul watching and listening the opportunity to respond in true worship of the One True God.
“God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” – Acts 17:27
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