Occasio

No "them," there's only "us"

It was easy to lead worship this past weekend. Our congregation is working carefully through the book of Acts and Pastor James was preaching on chapter 15. In this text there are some Jewish believers who think that all of the Gentile believers must be circumcised to be part of the new movement called the church. It's a messy and confusing time of uncertainty and ambiguity. Christianity is in its infancy and the law of Moses is the only thing the Jewish Christians know. Should this be imposed upon the Gentile converts?

The elders gather in Jerusalem and listen at length to the counsel of Peter, Paul, Barnabas and others. In the end, the elders decide that circumcision should not be a requirement; it should not divide the two groups. They send a brief letter to the church in Antioch with the following instructions: "You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality."

It's odd that all kinds of things we would like to see in that list are not there: go to church, read your bible, pray every day, memorize the ten commandments, don't drink alcohol, don't watch R-rated movies, don't pierce or tattoo your body, don't... don't... don't.... The prescriptions the elders do make all relate to temple worship of non-Christian deities - they are already contextualizing the gospel. The greatest danger to the young believers would apparently be to syncretize their new faith with the gods of a pagan culture.

I wonder what requirements we impose on new believers in the name of biblicism? Are we sure we're not just justifying our "law of Moses?"

Again, it was easy to lead worship. The dominant message of the Acts 15 text is that of unity. Gentiles and Jews are brought together under the cross and through the creative power of the resurrection. A key moment in the text comes with verse 9. Peter declares to the council, "God made no distinction between us and them." This is a new humanity! (Eph 2:14-15) The result is not that all individual distinctiveness is removed, but that joy is found in what is held in common. God has replaced that which divides us with unity in the cross and resurrection of Jesus. As we prepared for communion we prayed, "There's no 'them,' only 'us'."

Of course I had this video in mind. It's a beautiful rendition of "One" complete with orchestration. Check for a couple of things as you view this U2 performance: watch the crowd at this opening ceremony for the 2003 Special Olympics, and "no 'them,' there's only 'us'."

Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car: one more look at the economic stimulus plan (or, the hermeneutic of a U2 song)

“Daddy’s Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car” is a quirky U2 song from the Zooropa album (1993). It’s always struck me as a commentary on greed and excess, but the recent economic stimulus plan has really helped me see it in a specific context. As with many U2 songs, this one has taken on a new life and a fresh interpretation due to a particular situation.

Millions of Americans received their stimulus rebates today, over a hundred million more will receive them in the coming weeks.  The story that is being lived out is almost surreal: here’s some money, go out and spend it so that the American economy will be healthy. Not a very hopeful story. Nor is “Daddy’s Gonna Pay.” Check out my previous posts if you’re interested in some theological problems with the government's “big give.”

You're a precious stone, You're out on your own
You know everyone in the world, But you feel alone
Daddy won't let you weep, Daddy won't let you ache
Daddy gives you as much as you can take

A-ha sha-la, a-ha sha-la, Daddy's gonna pay for your crashed car

The economic stimulus plan was designed by Washington to infuse the economy with $168 billion dollars of buying power. The message: be a good American and spend, spend, spend. The government says the answer to our economic anxieties, high gas and food prices, and deflated home values is a little extra cash. “Daddy” will watch out for us, take care of us, reassure us. No room for weeping or aching here. Contentment and moderation have no place in this story. Three thousand advertisements a day work to reinforce the notion that pain is bad and that happiness can be bought. Get as much as you can take.

A little uptight, You're a baby's fist
Butterfly kisses up and down your wrist
When you see daddy coming, You're licking your lip
Nails bitten down to the quick

A-ha sha-la, a-ha sha-la, Daddy's gonna pay for your crashed car

Remember that experiment with Pavlov and his dogs? He learned that dogs salivate even before they receive food; this is a conditional reflex associated with the mere presentation of food.  The stimulus in our situation is money, the response is the irresistible need to buy something. In fact, that is exactly the response Washington wants. The economy is a junkie searching for a fix. Gratification comes in the short term, but the health of the organism is certainly in jeopardy. So we wait for our checks, salivary glands working over time, licking our lips.

You've got a head full of traffic, You're a siren's song
You cry for mama, But daddy's right along
He gives you the keys to a flamin' car
Daddy's with you wherever you are
Daddy's a comfort. Daddy's your best friend
Daddy'll hold your hand right up to the end

A-ha sha-la, a-ha sha-la, Daddy's gonna pay for your crashed car

Isn’t it nice to know that our government, both Republicans and Democrats (there’s no difference on this issue), is with us? The political spin on the stimulus package is strong. Congressional representatives feel our pain; our president has only our best interests in mind. I never had so many best friends! It’s good to know that no matter how stupid or self-indulgent or materialistic or in debt I am, “Daddy’s” gonna pay for my metaphorical crashed car.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday's alright...

In one of Jesus’ parables he tells the story of a very self-righteous self-confident man who found great success and had acquired vast wealth.  The man said to himself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." (Luke 12:19, NIV). There is a kind of arrogance in this man’s perspective. He believes he is immune to the troubles that plague those without money and resources. He is a self-made man. It’s the same kind of arrogance that prods, “Just be a good citizen and spend your rebate check at Sears or Best Buy, and everything will be alright.”

If you want to experience, and not just listen to, the song, you must watch it on the Zoo TV tour from Sydney. Bono plays Mr. MacPhisto, that decrepit persona of a has-been rock star who bears a striking resemblance to Mephistopheles. It’s not a coincidence that pyrotechnic canons shower the crowd with paper play money just when the boys sing “Sunday, Monday..., Saturday's alright.” Hmm, a shimmering devil offering monetary rewards to a blindly addicted populace only concerned with their own addictive materialistic cravings…. Sounds vaguely familiar. See MacPhisto sing “Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car” here. See MacPhisto’s speech following the song here.

People of the former Soviet Union
I've given you capitalism
So now you can all dream of being
As wealthy and glamorous as me
                                    -MacPhisto

 

MLK, Africa, U2 and a nine year old

Tonight I put on U2's Vertigo concert filmed in Chicago in 2005. My boys, Michael (9) and Daniel (5), love to dance to this concert video and nearly collapse from exhaustion by the fifth song. Eventually Tracy trotted off with Daniel to bed and Michael and I curled up in the recliner to watch a bit more.

We have a pretty routine conversation that repeats itself again and again. It goes something like this: I say, "This is my favorite song," and Michael says, "Dad, you say that about every song."

But because today is the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. I especially wanted to watch/hear "Pride (In the Name of Love)." It's a song that's dedicated to MLK and also includes strong illusions to the sacrifice of Christ. If you have watched this concert video you know that Bono begins talking about King and then segues to "Where the Streets Have No Name" by alluding to King's "I have a dream" speech. In the background the video curtains descend with beautiful flowing images of flags. He's watched this before, but this time the flags caught Michael's attention and launched us into a fairly lengthy conversation about Africa. Here's an abridged version.

Dad, why are all of those flags coming down?

Those are the flags of different countries in Africa.

Why do they want to show African flags?

Because Bono wants us to remember that the people in Africa are poor and many are sick. They don't have most of the things we have. A lot of people don't have enough money to buy food to eat or medicine to get well. (You try explaining senseless poverty caused by international debt, HIV/AIDS, malaria and foreign trade restrictions to a nine year old!)

Well, can't they just go to work or get jobs at McDonald's or something so they can buy food?

Many of the countries are so poor there aren't enough jobs for everyone, and there really aren't a lot of McDonald's in Africa.

Dad, since I'm learning to build things do you think I could go there and help them build some stuff?

That's a great idea. Maybe you can help them build wells so they can get clean water, or new farms so they can grow better crops. Maybe we can go there together and help them someday.

If we go there do you think I could take a bunch of things that I don't use any more. Like maybe when I'm eleven or twelve I could take the toys that I played with when I was nine. I'd like to share what I have with them. (Pause) Do they live in tents or something like that?

A lot of people live in shacks that are very small.

Well, do you think we could take some hammers and some nails and some wood and build some nice houses for them?

I think that's a wonderful idea. You are such a kind little boy....

"Streets" ends at about this point in our conversation and I say something like, "It's so hard to turn off a U2 concert," and Michael responds with "I know, I know, because every song is your favorite...." Soon we're climbing up into his bunk for story time.

Dad, do you think we should read a story about generosity since that's what we were just talking about?

Yup, sounds like a great idea.

So we read the one about the selfish giant who chases all of the children out of his beautiful garden. Without the presence of the happy children the garden loses its enchantment and quickly begins to die and then freeze over. The giant quickly realizes that when he shares his garden, both the garden and his own cold heart start to thaw. Kind of cheesy for a college professor; pretty engaging for a nine year old.

Michael, what do you want to pray for tonight? (A minute or two of silence passes.)

Dad, remember what we were just talking about while the U2 concert was on? I want to pray for Africa. Dear God, help the people in Africa to have food and to feel better and to live happy lives. Amen.

Dad, if we're going to go to Africa we should probably learn the language.

That's a very good idea but that would mean going for a long time.

Then we better take a whole refrigerator full of food!

I have so much to learn from this nine year old boy before he turns ten. "Let the little children come...."

Above: Pride (In the Name of Love)

Above: Where the Streets Have No Name

“Yahweh” and The Jesus Prayer

We had a great worship service yesterday. Our style is typically “contemporary” (I really don’t like that word but it seems to be one that most people understand, though often with misconceptions); I lead with acoustic guitar but try to be creative and incorporate all art forms, not just music.

So yesterday we continued our Lenten series with a twist – we went “unplugged.” We tried to get rid of the distractions that even a worship service can bring. No drums, no stage lights, no color washes, no images of any kind – just white text on a black screen. This is very hard for me because I’m so visually oriented. Our little worship combo included guitar, piano and violin and focused on quiet, reflective music and practices.

A highlight of the service was the incorporation of The Jesus Prayer. This prayer emerged around the sixth century from the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Prior to 313 A.D. the church was persecuted and Christians suffered for their faith. When Constantine legalized Christianity it became the faith of the Roman Empire. Almost overnight Christianity was ushered in as the official state religion. In response to the shallow faith experience that this shift brought, people began to relocate to the desert to discover again the power of suffering and self-denial in spiritual formation. Out of this movement came The Jesus Prayer.

While this prayer has had an evolution of form and practice, many people recognize it as a variation of the Kyrie. On Sunday we used the text, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” We not only used this at several different points in the service, but also practiced the prayer repetitively during communion. One way to recite the prayer is to pray it rhythmically while breathing: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God” on the inhale, “have mercy on me, a sinner” on the exhale. I am trying to spend ten minutes a day this week with this practice. While that will result in 100 or so repetitions, the Desert Fathers were known to repeat the prayer thousands of times a day. The goal is to let the prayer work its way into the very heart and soul of spiritual formation.

For the sermon, Pastor James has been working through a sequence of Lenten messages from the book, At The Cross: Meditations on People Who Were There, a series of devotions given on Good Fridays in St. Andrews, Scotland. This week we focused on Peter’s failure before the crucifixion of Christ. Our need for mercy, repentance and forgiveness is no less or no greater than Peter’s. We all know the desperation that comes from failing Christ.

We closed the service with an acoustic version of “Yahweh,” U2’s psalm/prayer/confession for dependence on our Creator. It’s a cry for renewal and transformation. We have used the song in worship before, but this time I introduced it as "Peter’s song." What would Peter have thought standing on the beach before Christ, after the denials and after the resurrection? Certainly he remembered that his feet had carried him far away from Christ, that his mouth had recanted and rejected his Lord, and that his hands had wanted to respond with sword and violence. As the sun rose the morning after a hard night of fishing, would Peter have understood the newness of the dawn after the pain of failure and denial? I think so.

Watch the live clip of this song from Chicago here.

Don’t forget to see U23D and make sure you stay for the credits – a beautiful live rendition of “Yahweh” with stunning and purposeful graphics.

Take these shoes, Click clacking down some dead end street
Take these shoes, And make them fit
Take this shirt, Polyester white trash made in nowhere
Take this shirt, And make it clean (clean)
Take this soul, Stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul, And make it sing

Yahweh, Yahweh, Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh, Still I'm waiting for the dawn

Take these hands, Teach them what to carry
Take these hands, Don't make a fist (no)
Take this mouth, So quick to criticise
Take this mouth, Give it a kiss

Yahweh, Yahweh, Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh, Still I'm waiting for the dawn

Take this city, A city should be shining on a hill
Take this city, If it be your will
What no man can own, no man can take
Take this heart, And make it break

Fuller: Day 6, Jim Wallis on Bono

It’s late so just a quick post tonight.

I was able to hear Jim Wallis, editor and CEO of Sojourners, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena tonight. Jim has been a proponent for the integration of faith, politics and culture for years, and has been an especially important voice in the evangelical community. He is currently on a book tour promoting his most recent work, The Great Awakening: reviving faith and politics in a post-religious right America.

He had some great words of commendation for Bono in his presentation. He recalled how Bono made such an important impact at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit a couple of years ago. Speaking about that event one pastor told him, “When I came I wasn’t sure if Bono was a Christian; when I left I wasn’t sure if I was.” Bono has a way of doing that to people! Jim speaks of meeting with Bono on numerous occasions and of Bono’s love of politics and theology. He always has questions for Jim. During one particular conversation Jim and Bono were discussing Luke 4:18-19. Jim unequivocally stated “if the good news does not bring hope for the poor than it is not good news. To that Bono replied, “I want to tattoo Luke 4 on my forehead!”

Some other thoughts from Jim (not related to Bono):

• There are two hungers in the world today: one for spirituality and one for social justice.
• Two things have changed recently in America: there is now a praying left and evangelicals have become socially conscious.
• MLK never endorsed a candidate; he made the candidates take his agenda.
• The religious right is being replaced by Jesus. The answer to a religious right is not a religious left.
• Every generation asks two questions: What is acceptable? and What is possible?
• Politicians are blown by the wind. We are called to be wind changers.

As the California primary is now just hours away, I don’t want to underestimate its significance, but it really is not as important as what happens after the election. Rather than elect “one of our own” (this is most often just another form of coercion), we as Christians must work for systemic change by being a voice for Micah 6:8 – justice, mercy and humility. I’m much more concerned about the role I play in lobbying whoever is in congress or the White House than in getting “my” candidate elected. I’m still idealistic enough to think that this “new activism” can make a difference.

I guess that wasn’t a short post after all….

U2 3D 2X

I saw U2 3D two times tonight. I’m nearly speechless, but I think I have enough energy to articulate a few thoughts. Here they are in no particular order – don’t worry, you can read on without me destroying the plot for you.

This movie was everything the reviewers said it would be with regard to the 3D effects (I was very careful NOT to read reviews but I did pick up on that). Nothing gimmicky in this film, just good, creative use of the medium. And there were no double images that usually accompany the 3D genre of films (think Disney: Honey I Shrunk the Audience or Muppets 3D). The 3D is so advanced that it was easy to forget about the 3D glasses I was wearing. U2 and company have really laid the foundation for a new art form at the beginning of the 21st century.

The audio was mixed very well, though I would have liked much more sub frequency and a bit louder. That would have given it a more realistic concert feel. On the other hand, I’m not sure I would want to expose my kids to anything more than what we experienced. But the mix was the treasure. Several times I looked sideways to see who was singing. Bono and The Edge were often in stereo. Voices and instruments seemed to come from the appropriate places on the stage. And the crowd… what was lost in the volume was made up for in the crowd. There were occasions when I felt like asking the person in front of me to stop waving their arms around only to realize there was nobody sitting in front of me. (When I saw it at 5:00 PM there were only about 20 of us in the IMAX.)

The filming and the staging were nearly identical to our experience at the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu in December of 2007. This is perhaps one of the strongest features of the film. The only chance Americans had to see the Vertigo tour in an outdoor stadium was in Hawaii at the final show (unless they were out of the country). This is reason enough to go see the IMAX film: to experience an evening concert in a stadium. And the viewer is not in the nose-bleed section. You’re right there on the ramp and, even better, on the stage. I’m so glad the producers gave priority to deep and long pans of the audience (the pulley system they used with the IMAX cameras must have been a first).

Finally, the set. It was a stellar package of songs. I won’t dive into details so I don’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen the movie yet. However, there certainly were standout moments: a passionate plea to “wipe your tears away;” a beautiful reading of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights (when the statement about torture came up there were many audible affirmations coming from the crowd I was with at the second viewing); a performance of “One” that brought out cell phones both on and off the screen. But the best moment came with yet another rendition of “The Fly.” There is a lengthy post brewing in my soul on this song (it’s been building for a couple of years now) so I’ll simply say that what ZooTV did for the original version of “The Fly,” U2 3D does for this version. “The Fly” was made for three dimensions.

One last thought/comment/suggestion. If you see the movie, do not walk out on the credits. Simple. Profound. Beautiful. Art and word and song and scripture.

One final last thought: we’ve never seen so much of Larry! It was such fun!

Let me know what you think about the film. Love and Peace (or Else).

Bono on MLK Day

Today is the day Americans honor the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. And as I remember MLK I also remember a speech that Bono made as he accepted the 2007 NAACP Chairman Award. In that speech Bono refers to Rev. King as " a man who refused to hate because he knew love would do a better job."

Bono goes on in the acceptance speech as only a preacher could. The crowd rises to its feet with shouts of "Preach it!" and "That's right!" Amidst the thunderous ovation he delivers a powerful message with a fervor that seems to feed off of and contribute to the synergy of the moment.

"And to those in the church who still sit in judgment on the AIDS emergency, let me climb into the pulpit for just one moment. Because whatever thoughts we have about God, who he is, or even if God exists, most will agree that God has a special place for the poor. The poor are where God lives. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is where the opportunity is lost and lives are shattered. God is with the mother who has infected her child with a virus that will take both of their lives. God is under the rubble, in the cries we hear during wartime. God, my friends, is with the poor, and God is with us if we are with them."  -Bono

Watch the speech here.

U2 3D in Fresno

It’s official. For awhile it looked like the movie wouldn't play in Fresno, but Fandango is starting the sale of tickets for U2 3D this morning (Thursday) for three shows (12:30, 5:00, 9:30) in the Fresno IMAX on January 23.

I’ll probably be going at 5:00 so I can take Michael, my nine year old son. I’m guessing many of my Fresno friends won’t be able to go until 9:30. Hey, I’m game for a second show!

Leave comments if you are in the Fresno area and planning on going. We already have a number of people making plans for the 9:30 show.

ONE Vote 08

I just came to a stunning yet obvious conclusion. I'm going to vote in California's primary this year. In past presidential elections the primary came so late to California that the candidates had already been selected. Since our primaries have been moved up to February 5 this year the pack should still be strong.

The ONE campaign has been running a tangent project called ONE Vote '08. From their website:

ONE Vote '08 is an unprecedented, non-partisan campaign to make global health and extreme poverty foreign policy priorities in the 2008 presidential election.

The next president will take office in a time of great hope: there are effective and affordable solutions that save lives. AIDS drugs can now cost as little as $1 a day. A $5 bed net can keep a child from dying from a mosquito bite. With the force of more than millions of members from all 50 states and a coalition of more than 100 non-profit, religious and charitable groups, ONE Vote '08 will educate and mobilize voters to ensure that the next American president is committed to using "strategic" power to end global poverty and keep America strong.

The folks at ONE have created a fantastic tool for comparing the responses of all candidates on the issue of global poverty. They include written and video statements. Check out this cool tool here.

20th anniversary: my first U2 concert

It was twenty years ago today.

My first U2 concert. The first time I heard "Streets" live. The first time I went to church in a stadium. The first time I heard 90,000 people sing together.

My story: It was Gary who introduced me to U2 in 1985. He was a high school student and I was a Young Life leader on his campus. I bought Under a Blood Red Sky because I wanted to know him better and he was nuts about U2. As a recent grad with a B.A. in Bib Studies I was mesmerized by the lyrics:

• Gloria, In te domine / Gloria, Exultate / Oh, Lord, if I had anything, anything at all
  I'd give it to you
• If you walk away, walk away / I walk away, walk away / I will follow
• The real battle just begun / To claim the victory Jesus won / On... Sunday, bloody Sunday

But it was "40" that really got Gary and me talking. These lyrics were direct quotes of Psalm 40, Psalm 6 and Psalm 144. This was the stuff of the Hebrew's hymnal!

I waited patiently for the Lord / He inclined and heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit / Out of the miry clay / I will sing, sing a new song.

You set my feet upon a rock / And made my footsteps firm
Many will see, many will see and hear / I will sing, sing a new song

It was through these and many other conversations that Gary came to Christ on the floor of my apartment about a year later. Gary had begun a journey with God through U2. I had begun a journey with U2 through God.

The Joshua Tree concert: so many memories of that night. While I was completely caught up in that event, I could never have imagined that I would be a U2 pilgrim twenty years later. I remember:

• The Bodines and the Pretenders opening the show at the L.A. Coliseum. But before these bands played there was this strange country family act that nobody paid any attention to. I loved music so I listened in. And then the next day in the newspaper we discovered that U2 had duped us all (Adam even wore a dress). They came out and sang a couple of songs as the Dalton Brothers; this was not the last time they would take on alternate persona. They were masters of irony - virtually no one paid any attention to the greatest band of the 80s!
• My friends Dave and DJ got me the ticket (thanks guys!!). We sat at the very top of the stadium. I walked down to the field and the volume just about doubled. I'd never heard anything like this.
• The air cooled as the sky grew black. Out of the darkness, the stage now re-set for U2, came the sound of an organ. As it grew in intensity, the torch on the Coliseum (used in the 1984 Summer Olympics) burst into flame, then came the unmistakable 6/8 rhythm of Edge's guitar, the pounding of Larry's kick drum and toms, and by the time Bono sang "I want to run" we were higher than the stadium itself. Check this video out - I was there!
• I'll never forget singing "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" with nearly a hundred thousand people. The volume. The intensity. The sincerity. But I was faced with an undeniable contradiction: people singing, no nearly yelling lyrics like "You broke the bonds / And you loosed the chains / Carried the cross of my shame / Oh my shame, you know I believe it" through the marijuana smoke, their cigarette lighters raised to the sky. Could they possibly understand what they were singing? It's still a great question to ask.
• "Bullet the Blue Sky." There really isn't any way to describe the intensity (wow, I keep using that word; I can't find a better synonym in my MS Word thesaurus - it fits) of this moment. It was the first song of the encore. I just remember a lot of lights flashing, Bono's spot light, an abundance of pyrotechnics and a smoky haze that began to fill the stadium: "From the firefly / A red orange glow / See the face of fear / Runnin' scared in the valley below / Bullet the blue sky...." I still haven't been to El Salvador, but I think back to that moment in the concert and wonder if I have experienced it in at least a small way.

I remember twenty years ago talking about U2 as the Simon & Garfunkel of the 80s. I realize now that's a very poor illusion of who they were, but I sensed that theirs was a protest music of sorts. I knew their music would live on but I didn't know at that time what it would do to me. And now, as a university faculty member, I get to watch their music "do it" to the next generation. I wonder what my reflections will be at the 40th anniversary of my first U2 concert. I'm guessing, hoping and praying they have a few more years left in them....

Here's the setlist from that show:

11/18/1987 Memorial Coliseum - Los Angeles, California, USA
Where The Streets Have No Name, I Will Follow, Out Of Control, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Exodus (snippet), MLK, The Unforgettable Fire, Gloria, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Exit / Riders On The Storm (snippet) / Van Morrison's Gloria (snippet), In God's Country, Helter Skelter, Help, Bad / Ruby Tuesday (snippet) / Sympathy For The Devil (snippet) / Walk On The Wild Side (snippet), October, New Year's Day, Pride (In The Name Of Love)
encores: Bullet The Blue Sky, Running To Stand Still, With Or Without You / Shine Like Stars (snippet) / Love Will Tear Us Apart (snippet), Party Girl, Stand By Me, 40
comment: Another pre-show appearence by The Dalton Brothers