Church of England to swap hymns for U2 lyrics

Before he became the pontiff, the Pope Benedict XVI may have condemned rock music as "anti–religion" and an 'instrument of the Devil' but the Church of England has announced it is to use the songs of a global rock group in an effort to boost congregations.

The first "U2–charist" in England, an adapted Holy Communion service that uses the Irish rock group's best–selling songs in place of hymns, is to be staged at a Lincoln church in May.

A live band will play U2 classics like Mysterious Ways, Beautiful Day and When Love comes to Town as worshippers sing along with lyrics appearing on screen at St Swithin's church. The atmosphere will be enhanced by a sophisticated lighting system that will pulse with the beat and striking visual images of poverty and drought.

Despite his rock star antics, including swearing on live TV, Bono is regarded as a Christian icon by many who point to the spirituality in his music. His anti–poverty campaigns with fellow Irish musician Bob Geldof have elevated him to saintly status in some circles.

But while Bono is open about his Christian influences, he has also clashed with Church leaders over issues such as AIDS. Traditionalists who fear the Church is diluting its message to attract the young will be dismayed at its willingness to embrace Bono.

Such doubts, however, are not shared by the Bishop of Grantham, the (Rt.) Rev. Timothy Ellis, who is organising the "U2–charist" in St. Swithin's church in Lincoln in May.

"Bono and Bob Geldof are very human, but they have demonstrated they believe there is sanctity to life that has to be protected," he said.

"If that makes them saints, then I would go along with that," ABC.com quoted Rev. Ellis as saying. "We are hoping the service will be a fresh way to look at worship, less formal, and less rigid. This is not designed to replace traditional services but to enhance the worship provision of the Church."

"We need to try new expressions. If we don't try to update and refresh our thinking we will die," he said, adding, "Rock music can be a vehicle of immense spirituality."

Rev. Ellis said the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, will be kept informed about the service.

U2–charist in England comes closely after Dr. Williams announced a push towards engaging new generation believers through the popular social networking site YouTube.com. Dr. Williams said he plans to YouTube his sermons and have other parishes get involved.

Meanwhile, the U2 Eucharist will not just be about singing U2's "Pride" (In the Name of Love) or other hits but a key part of the service is the Millennium Development Goals. Bono is at the forefront of the ONE campaign to eradicate extreme poverty.

He is also a major influence in the churches in the cause against AIDS and has gained the respect of many church leaders including megapastor Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church and Rick Warren of Saddleback Community Church who see Bono leveraging his rock star influence for the sake of the poor and sick. Video messages from the Irish rock star were sent to Hybel's and Warren's latest conferences on leadership and AIDS, respectively, to encourage Christians to be where the sick are.

Rev. Ellis said he does not expect Bono to attend the U2–charist in person, according to the Telegraph, but was hoping he might send a message.

'U2–charist' is not new, however, in the US.

Already, 150 churches in 15 U.S. states and seven other countries have had or plan to have U2 Eucharists. The service stems from an Episcopal church in York Harbor, Maine, where the Rev. Paige Blair displayed U2's lyrics next to the altar in the summer of 2005.

Rev. Blair said much of U2's songs are explicitly Christians and perfectly suitable for worship service, according to USA Today. She also noted that some people might need time to get used to the idea.

Since then, she has advised about 150 churches on U2–charists in 15 states and seven countries, with churches even in New Zealand and Hong Kong embracing U2's songs.

"Are we worshiping Bono? Absolutely not," she said. "No more so than we worship Martin Luther when we sing A Mighty Fortress Is Our God."

One Lutheran author also justified the replacement of hymns with the rock group's lyrics and a church's decision to choose Bono over today's contemporary Christian music (CCM).

"U2 is good at the art, using language like a poet would, like the classic hymn language," said the Rev. Christian Scharen, director of the Faith as a Way of Life Project at Yale Divinity School and author of One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those Seeking God, according to USA Today.

Much of the CCM songs, largely sung in evangelical churches and in youth and young adult services, are not as artistic as the hymnal or even Bono's songs, Rev. Scharen indicated. He said a lot of the songs instead have "locked–down, straightforward meaning."