I just read this on Yahoo! a few minutes ago:
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"U2-charist": Bono moves in mysterious ways
LONDON (Reuters)--For Anglicans who still haven't found what they're looking for, the Church of England is staging its first "U2-charist" communion service -- replacing hymns with hit songs by the Irish supergroup.
"Rock music can be a vehicle of immense spirituality," said Bishop of Grantham Timothy Ellis, announcing plans for the unique service in the central English town of Lincoln in May.
A live band is to play U2 classics like "Beautiful Day" and "Mysterious Ways" with special singalong lyrics displayed on a giant screen. Seating for the 500-strong congregation is to be re-arranged so everyone can dance and wave their hands.
The service is to focus on the Millennium development goals -- U2's lead singer Bono is a leading promoter of the targets to alleviate world poverty.
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Ummm........?
Thoughts?
5 comments:
All I can think of is the song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Rather apropos, don't you think?!
Why not?
We read hymns that are as little as 40 years old, why not use modern songs?
I guess the question is content and to a degree interpretation. If the song applies spiritually to a degree and isn't just misunderstood lyrics, then at least its going to help people connect better.
Lana: Oh yes, most definitely! ;o)
uber lurker: Hmmm, an anonymous lurker. Now you've got me wondering if I know you and, if I do, why you're anonymous. ;o)
I agree with you that there's nothing wrong with using modern songs, as long as the content is appropriate. After all, the "old" hymns we sing were just as modern or new when they were first written. Not to mention that quite a few of them were originally drinking songs, the lyrics rewritten to spiritual content!
But, to play "devil's advocate" both to you and to myself:
Take, for instance, the song mentioned in the article above. "Mysterious Ways" is not a song about God. At its mildest, the song is about a man's relationship with a woman: his difficulty in understanding her and his continual attraction to her; the lyrics encourage him not to worry about what's happening now; he should "follow this feeling."
To follow further this interpretation, one might even say that the song has a subtle message about the man's sexual relationship to a woman: "She moves in myserious ways" doesn't necessarily have a merely symbolic meaning; and the sexual implication becomes even more clear in the line "lift my days, light up my nights."
Maybe I'm just dirty-minded, but those lines don't conjure up anything sacred in *my* thoughts. ;o)
Some might try to make the case that the love between a man and a woman *is* a spiritual thing and therefore merits a song in worship. But what does that song worship, then? Not God, not the Creator of man and woman and the Creator of their ability to choose one another and feel emotions for each other. No, in this case, the song glorifes not God, but the male-female relationship.
The male-female relationship is something that God created. The worship of creation is defined by the term "idolatry."
U2's songs--or any other pop songs, for that matter--might help people connect better....but what is it they're connecting to?
Another thing that makes me doubtful about this whole deal is the concept: live band playing pop music, dancing crowd, singing along with the band......How is that different from a concert?
*end of "devil's advocate"* ;o)
I agree, Court. I think it all just sounds like a way to entertain and have a concert-like atmosphere where everyone can enjoy themselves listening/dancing to popular modern music. It has lost the main goal of worshipping God.
Thanks for voicing your support, April! I really appreciate it that you take the time to comment on my serious posts as well as my silly ones. I always enjoy hearing people's reactions to things that are important to me. :o)
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