"All Because of You": Discover, Discern, Decide

The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding spotlights "All Because of You" by U2 in a "3-D Review" designed for parents and teenagers to discuss together. Their Discernment step ("How does [the work under consideration] stand in light of the biblical message/ worldview?") is a snap in this case, it seems: "This song clearly portrays a biblically accurate depiction of the relationship between creation and its Creator... the term 'I Am' connects the singer’s revelation to the Hebrew name that God used to reveal himself [in] Exodus 3:14. ...The band also recognizes the fingerprint of God in the created order around us in the lines, 'I saw you in the curve of the moon, In the shadow cast across my room.' ... [and] recognizes the vanity of self-reliance when compared to reliance on God."

And I have to smile at this comment from the "Decide" step: "Much of what passes for worship music today seems to 'weaken' God by bringing Him down to our level. This song recognizes our reliance on a Creator who is transcendent, omniscient and omnipotent."

They're also right on this less theological point IMHO: "The video doesn’t add much to the meaning of the song."

"Guggi, Bono and the Brethren"

David Williamson cites a weekend milestone in the life of a Dublin landmark and ferrets out its truly arcane U2 historical connection.

[Edit: OK, I learned something here. Readers may recognize this Bono quote which is in rotation on @U2: "While I do think religion is often an obstacle to God, I do also find comfort in it on occasions -- whether it's a mass around the corner from where we live, or a Protestant Gospel Hall I might find on the road." Whenever this quote came up, I would glance at it and think "'Gospel Hall'?? Who says 'Gospel Hall'??" I'm embarrassed not to have known that it's the Brethren who say "Gospel Hall", and for good reasons. ]

bloggedy blog: albums that changed our lives

Andrew at bloggedy blog is doing a series on 100 albums that changed his life with an accompanying podcast. He's invited some other bloggers to join in the fun with shorter lists of our top 10 personal life-changers, and mine is posted today.

Trade talks collapse

"This was neither desirable nor inevitable. It could so easily have been avoided."

Caritas: Christians of the Caribbean

Nice post on the popular culture and theology front from Greg at Caritas: "why some Christians feel the need to co-opt every successful film for Christianity."

Late Night Writing from coffeehouse junkie

Happened on this one by chance: an essay from the literary magazine "Blue Sky Asheville," which I'm linking as much because it's a nice piece of writing as because there's some U2 content.
Excerpt: "It's difficult explaining to my children why I go to church because sometimes I just don't want to go. Why should I force them to do something I don’t want to do? Yet, I remind them to brush their teeth and wash their hands and eat wholesome organic foods and vegetables. Should I make them go to church? After all, Christianity is fubar. It’s like an auto that is well beyond an oil change and the engine has locked up but the gears are still hammering away as if it will still move forward another inch."

ONE on the G8

You can read the ONE Campaign's reaction to the G8 summit's statement here.

Review from @U2

@U2 takes a brief look at the Vagacs and Scharen books, interestingly describing their comparative level of generality exactly backwards from the way most everyone else I've seen has. I haven't seen any reviews yet of the other "spirited" U2 book from this year, U2 and Philosophy edited by Mark Wrathall (and have not in fact seen that book itself.) Can anybody point me to some?

LIVE 8 - make promises happen

If you like, you can send a post-it note to the G8.

Occasio: Where is the Love?

Tim at Occasio blogs on the news from the Middle East: "two brothers at war.... The goal is shalom -- not merely the absence of conflict."

Flickr Photo

Hey look, it's a monk hawking our book!

update to the Fr. Rutten post

Thanks to Matt for pointing out that there's a set of two more articles, one on the Psalms as political acts and another on U2 lyrics with spiritual themes (some interesting choices), to go along with the post I did below about the Roman Catholic priest who's been teaching on U2.

Where It's Rock That Usually Rules

Is it not interesting, and kind of indicative, that when the (presumably fairly secular-minded) author of a NY Times article on pastor and podcaster Rob Bell's speaking tour needs a phrase to characterize the vocal tone of a finite human being seeking to put into words the numinous, he settles on comparing it to "the awed enthusiasm of someone describing a U2 concert"?

Catholic priest sings praises of Irish group

Too bad this guy was only ordained last year - we could have used a few more Roman Catholic preachers in Get Up Off Your Knees.

"Farcical Western society" indeed

@U2 has a news story up today in which I'm quoted. I'm highly ambivalent about the overall news that the piece reports - the public availability of CDs of a seminar three members of U2 gave to an audience of Christian musicians in early 1981. I initially was unsure about participating in the article even to the extent of giving a comment, since I think there are many ways a general listener could misunderstand or misuse this recording; and to me as a pastor, the Dream Depot argument that the band is too famous now to be hurt by its release misses the more human reality that famous people are still people. As I said in the interview, I am very glad nobody is selling a CD of me at 20 talking about what God has shown me about his call on my life.

However, on the other hand, like it or not, the CD is for sale. People are going to get a hold of it. Reactions are going to come. And I can't think of very many writers I'd rather see out in front of the situation than Scott Calhoun.

WTO talks fail to make breakthrough

This probably ought to be read in tandem with the DATA Report I just linked:
"Developing countries placed the blame for the standoff squarely on the EU and the United States, saying that those wealthy nations were pursuing their own interests and ignoring measures that would alleviate poverty. As the mainstay of many poor and developing countries, farm trade has been the biggest stumbling block to the talks. Poorer nations face steep tariffs on their exports to several rich nations. Those costs are compounded by subsidies paid to farmers in wealthy countries, which encourage excess production and lead to a swamped market."