Behind the Song: Weight of Glory

The phrase “Weight of Glory” is the name of a group of lectures given by the brilliant C.S. Lewis and the title of the seventh track from “Lifted High.” Leaning on Lewis the song seeks to communicate the gravity and expanse of the greatness of God.

Lewis writes:
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Sometimes our worship is small because our view of God is small. We love the richly biblical idea of being a friend of God but miss the striking beauty of the fear of God. To know God deeply is to know deepest joy. It is an infinite Holiness that is eternally satisfying.

We worship a God who became like us in Christ, but a God who is also not like us, and that is a profoundly good thing. As American Christians we love verses like Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. “

What we need to keep in front of us is what Paul writes in the Doxology of praise directly before Romans 12:1 in chapter 11 verses 33-36.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

These truths are the inspiration for these lyrics

Far beyond every measure
What glory is this?
Your renown, our greatest treasure
What beauty and what majesty
Awake my soul and sing!

O the depths of Your mercy
O the breadth of Your love
Our hearts revived and revealing
The weight of Your glory