H.B.log: Culture

A couple of months ago, I walked into church on Sunday morning to see a large man sitting naked and spread-eagle on a chair, holding a Jack Russell Terrier on his shoulder. Another Sunday morning in our children's room, there was a group of fully-clothed Muslim women holding up centerfolds for all the world to see. Stuff like this happens a lot at our church because we meet in a modern art gallery. Exhibits rotate every month, so we can't wait to see who's going to be naked next. But it does raise some thorny questions: Just what is "art" and what art is appropriate for a church worship service? We're trying to teach our church to engage with culture as missionaries, not run away from it like sectarian scaredy-cats. So do we remove or cover nudity so as not to offend some church-goers, or do we leave it up out of respect to the artist?

Apparently I'm not the only pastor wrestling with theology of naked art. Dan Kimball, pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California is also dealing with this issue. He tells an eerily familiar story over at the Out of Ur blog. Read his first post and then his second post. How would you have responded? Later, I'll tell you what we decided.

I'm as big a U2 fan as the next guy, but this makes me go "ugghhh." Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation is encouraging churches to host "U2charists" (a Eucharist service set to U2 music) to raise awareness of Millennium Development Goals. OK, here's my complaint:

It's cheesy and irreverent. The problem here is with the name itself. "Eucharist" means "thanksgiving." The Eucharist is focused on Jesus; it's something he did and does for us. "U2charist" shifts the focus to the Irish rock band. I have a big enough problem with idolatry without the church's help. Confession: I squealed like Tim LaHaye on Rapture Day after I met Bono and The Edge in November 2004. Why are many of us more enamored with the hope of meeting Bono than the hope of meeting Jesus when he returns?

So, I don't like the name. Just call it "a service celebrating the Eucharist using U2's music," but don't call it a U2charist...that's cheesy at best, irreverent at worst. Cheesy because what you wind up with is a lot of pasty old white Episcopalians trying to clap to U2's music (check out these happenin' pics from the Wyoming U2charist). Irreverent because it panders for attention by using something other than the gospel to excite us...as if the "eu" needs "U2" to be relevant to the youths.