Medina, Washington, December 3, 2006
In 2003, Sarah Dylan Breuer designed the first U2Charist in Baltimore, Maryland. What is a U2Charist? I’m not generally a fan of Wikipedia, but they get it right in this case:
A communion service, or Eucharist, accompanied by U2 songs in lieu of traditional hymns and sometimes as part or all of the service music. The music can be played from a CD or, in less common cases, performed by a live band.
The U2charist was initially started in the U.S. Episcopal Church but has been adapted by several other denominations. It is typically a liturgical service (including communion) that features the music of the rock band U2 and a message about God’s call to rally around the Millennium Development Goals. The U2charist is held by supporters to be a great opportunity to reach out to people in their congregations and larger communities, especially young people, with messages of global reconciliation and justice for the poor and oppressed. Bono, U2’s lead singer, has been a particularly vocal proponent of the Millennium Development Goals, and has been proclaimed as a global MDG ambassador. The U2charist seeks to raise awareness of the MDGs and call people worldwide to a deeper faith and engagement with God’s mission.
How do churches get past the copyright issues? Well, Universal Music and ASCAP, who control the U2 catalog, grant their permission for the use of U2 music in U2Charists on two conditions: that the church refer to it as a service of worship instead of a concert, and that all monies raised during the service go toward a nonprofit or non-governmental organization, which supports the Millennium Development Goals.
After hearing about these events for almost three years, my friend Teresa and I decided to attend one at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Medina, Washington. It was a cold, December night and we headed out (neither of us Episcopal) wondering what to expect.
When we arrived, we were greeted with various signs featuring photos of U2 and their album covers. Upon entry into the sanctuary, we heard part of The Joshua Tree album in the background. I felt incredibly at home.
The mood was calm and pleasant, and most everyone had a smile on their face when we all sat down to begin the service.
The commanding female pastor ascended the podium and announced that we’d be reading from “The Gospel of Paul—Paul Hewson, that is.”
For those not in-the-know, Paul Hewson is Bono’s real name. We could tell by who laughed in the audience who was there just because it was a U2Charist, and who was there because it was their regular place of worship.
She went on to mention some of Bono’s quotes on poverty from the many speeches he has delivered on the topic and read corresponding passages from the Bible.
We all rose to sing the ‘hymns’ (U2 songs) and I felt silly looking down at my program to see the words. I haven’t needed to look at a U2 liner note for lyrics in over 20 years!
About halfway through the service, I stopped focusing on singing and began just listening to the beauty of hearing their songs in such a context. Some of the people in the room had never heard a U2 song, so it was lovely to watch them discover and react to words and phrases that have meant the world to millions of fans for years.
When the collection plate was passed, I was generous. When the service concluded, I didn’t want to leave.
Raised Greek Orthodox, I always appreciated the rituals of a traditional church, but loathed the excessive and depressing Greek music.
Here I felt like I had the comfort of familiarity mixed with a genuine gathering of goodwill.
The ideal religious experience.