What I Learned About Church from Bono – Part One
A constant discussion at the leadership table at Connexus Church is how to engage Christians and people with no church background during the same service.
Musically, it's tricky. We have a fantastic music team. Andy Walker, our director of music, has done an unbelievable job of crafting what I think is one of the best church music environments in Canada. (Yep, I'm biased, but you should hear our team.)
The tension is Christians always want to sing more music. People who grew up out of the church generally want less. Where else in the culture, after all, do you sing out loud in public? People with little church background generally love great music, they just don't want to be asked to stand for 30 minutes to participate in songs they don't know to sing lyrics they don't yet believe with their friends standing next to them. That's why we rarely do more than 3 participatory songs in a service.
We ask: how do you bridge the gap? I had the chance to see U2 last month in Toronto and watched Bono do something powerful. It was a huge life-highlight for me. Broke down and cried a few times, actually.
He blended transcendence, imminence and a universal message masterfully together in a way that drew 63,000 people at the Rogers Center in Toronto together. And he did it much better than I've seen in most churches.
I wonder if there's a blueprint in that for those of us who are committed to doing church in a way that constantly includes new friends.
That's what I'm blogging about this week.
In the meantime, anyone else at the U2 concert? What did you see or learn?
I too agree that it is a difficult breach as I love to sing myself and am one of those who grew up in the church environment having 1/2 hour sing a longs… I was also a church pianist and vocalist so music is extremely important to me.
But so importantly Connexus, I am also U2’s biggest fan and I love nothing more than driving down the highway (which is needed while listening to the music stylin’s of Bono and the boyz), window down, blasting as high as your car system will allow without distorting and just rocking out. (I hope I never get pulled over, the cop may think I’m a little crazy playing the drums frantically on my steering wheel). And to be frank, the emotion that comes from singing Sunday Bloody Sunday or Beautiful Day, One etc.. is a lot more sincere than singing a good ol’ hymn that has irrelevant language although I do enjoy those songs too from time to time but that’s more for traditional reasons.
What I love is that Connexus rocks out, but they rock out for Jesus and it is sincere. Trust me I notice! That is the first thing I notice about a church is their music!!! (Sorry Carey, I think message is so important too but if the music is not sincere, the church’s persona is not sincere for me).
I also need to share that after reading the blog I felt like hanging my head and crying for not being able to go to the U2 Concert
Their concerts cannot be mimicked by anyone, it was actually the first rock concert I attended in my life! But I do remember my few U2 experiences quiet well along with my experiences at other rock concerts.
One thing that I think we can take from U2 or any of our fav. rock bands is that when they rock out it is just awesome, but perhaps a little harder to follow along. I mean generally (we hope) they are famous for a reason. For having the talent to sing what the average person cannot sing and sound good at. Also, rock bands (including U2) have ballads, anthems etc… songs that their fans find easier to sing along with.
Carey… did you have your lighter out at the U2 concert, slowly swinging it from side to side, singing along with the entire audience in unison? Perhaps Connexus can add a ballad once in a while that is easier for the audience to sing with. Your music team at Connexus is very talented, a gift given by God and not everyone has that gift. Sometimes the ballads or the anthems allow people to feel like more of a participant in the musical experience, thus perhaps giving the people that did grow up in the church the satisfaction of their sing a long as well as touching the “non-churched” individuals. Also, just so I am not mis-construed… keep ROCKING OUT!
Regardless, I think that the music team at Connexus is incredible and amazing and I have really enjoyed listening to the music team for the six or seven Sundays I have attended! I appreciate their talent and their sincerity in the delivery of music.
I totally agree with you, just bookmarked your post