Sound, Structure, Spirit

Some time ago e~mergent kiwi posted a piece with a short list of things he learned from Bono about worship leading. More recently, the Aquidneck Island Worship Network offered a piece with a similar title: "Lessons Learned From U2 for Leading Worship", but a more technical and thorough focus on precisely what about the band's music and show design facilitates encounters with God at their concerts (and why the sound of U2 has been borrowed by so many worship bands). Also has a nice section on why true liturgical music can't be pre-recorded.

Among the several points made:
--"A well-defined ambient and atmospheric sound... facilitates the soul in meditation on a focal point. It encourages a sense of something beyond or beneath the seen world - faith in an unseen Reality... In the case of U2, the Irish-influenced drone harkens to Celtic spirituality, which not only carries a feeling of spiritual grounding in tradition, but also feels consistant with Bono's lyrics.
--"U2's consistent lyrical emphasis on real world issues with transcendent sounds instructs the soul in being in the world but not of it. It's missional. It's catalytic. People who resonate with this element of the music want the Kingdom of God to be at hand. The good news is that IT IS!
--"Integration of ambient music with spoken word is a technique used commonly in a lot of churches. Bono frequently uses the instrumental refrains of songs as platforms to speak out on an issue. ...the verses sung, the lingering sounds and melodies are still in the air, and there is a beautiful pedestal for Truth to stand on... It penetrates us deeper. It becomes harder to remain ambivalent."

And many more. Worth a read whether you're a presider, music leader, or just someone wondering about the sonic technique behind the "work of the people" vibe at a U2 show.

"radikalt"

Thanks to Haralds strøtanker for the link.

Spider-Man embodies certain biblical values; Samson is just mentioned in the Bible.

Completely off topic: Greg Stevenson, whose U2 posts I've linked before, has just put up a great faith-and-culture reflection inspired by seeing a Samson action figure for sale. The Samson and Spider-Man comparison is a must-read.

The U2Source archive returns

The U2Source audio archive, dormant for quite some time, has revived and is worth a visit. Readers here might especially enjoy an Unforgettable Fire-era interview with Bono. His comments are paired with relevant U2 songs (most of which have been edited out, but you can tell what they were.) Some interesting remarks about violence, the sacredness of human beings among God's creation, the notion that God's love must include giving people the freedom to reject God, and mother/divine love in "I Will Follow."

Thanks to alert reader Dana for letting me know about the (wait for it) "You Too" sermon/service project series currently going on at Hollywood United Methodist Church. Every Sunday, the message draws on a U2 song, and then there is a service project inviting the whole congregation to get involved in outreach. (This week is a dinner for the homeless, next week is lobbying for afforable housing, etc.) The church has a sermon archive page here. The songs included come from smack in the middle of what has now become the usual narrow playlist for events like this, but there's always the possibility of a new spin on something.

Update

Goodness, is it July already? Obviously, it's a down time in terms of anyone doing any new theological reflection (as opposed to "heard it 20 times already" reflection) on U2's work. If anyone has any links to prove that wrong, do send them in!