Music fans have always known that Bono, of alternative rock band U2, has a wee bit of a God complex. It’s a good thing he wasn’t in Dallas on Sunday.
Uptown Church, a more casual branch of the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, prides itself on using its services to blend the ancient form of worship known as the Eucharist with modern elements, such as contemporary music. They cemented that reputation Sunday by focusing their entire service on the music of U2. Songs from albums such as “The Joshua Tree” and “How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb” were sung in the place of hymns, and the sermon was devoted to the teachings and preachings of Bono.
The weirdest part of the service was that it worked. It worked quite beautifully, actually. Reverend George E. Councell, Bishop of New Jersey, has said that U2 conveys “the message of the Gospel more effectively than bishops and theologians.” Bono is hailed by many to be a modern day, non-secular saint. It only makes sense that his words could seamlessly fit into any religious service.
The songs featured in the service will come as no surprise to U2 fans. “Beautiful Day,” “All Because of You,” “40,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “Bad,” “Yahweh,” “Where The Streets Have No Name, ” and “I Will Follow” rounded out the Eucharist. While they weren’t Bono and The Edge, the band performing the songs was very impressive.
Uptown Church’s Father Bob Johnston gave the sermon. He first addressed the number one question on the parish’s minds: Why? “U2 has scripture in their works… they include biblical genres and themes,” Johnston said. “Their songs contain imagery of heaven and hell. They have a prophetic voice that challenges people.”
“They’ve committed their work to God in an industry that needs God very much.”
Many sources were referenced in the sermon, including Donald Miller’s book “Blue Like Jazz.” Johnston addressed the fact that numerous barriers get in the way of people coming to God, one of which is the church.
“Religion got in the way of God,” Bono said at the National Prayer Breakfast in February.
Johnston then moved on to suggest that God’s grace is not what we deserve, but what we need.
“I’d be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. … It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out for Grace,” Bono says in an exerpt from the new book by Michka Assayas, “Bono in Conversation.”
“I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity… I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there’s mortality as part of your very sinful nature, and let’s face it, you’re not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That’s the point. It should keep us humbled… It’s not our own good works that get us through the gates of Heaven.”
The final point in the sermon was nailed home when Johnston stressed that we should have the peace of God within us, and have no peace with the world around us as it exists today. The well-known “Love thy neighbor” lesson was addressed as well.
“In today’s global community, our neighbors are not just next door. They are everywhere in our global community. … To love our neighbor is at the heart of what God calls us to be.”
On that note, the offering was sent around with the revelation that the money would not be going to the church, but rather to World Vision, a partner with the ONE campaign, which Bono champions. ONE strives to fight extreme poverty and AIDS.
Overall, the morning was faith affirming and eye opening. The Christian lessons that can lean towards the lofty were brought down to a level that was not only understandable, but easy on the ears.
