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But that's another blog post.

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U2's Streets..over the years

I so often use these clips of U2's "Where The Streets Have No Name," that I decided to put 'em all in one convenient place...for my sake, and for those who've asked. It is many folk's vote for most chilling God-song. It flexes a bit each tour, but as the boys have said it is the one song that always "achieves liftoff" or "allows God to walk through the room."

Some of the versions available:


Shooting the video in downtown L.A. Typical madness on top of a liquor store, where the streets have names (7th and Main):


From Rattle n Hum movie:


Mexico City, 1997..starts with Bono on his knees in prayer...will he make his cue?:



Last night of POP Tour, 1997, Johannesburg:




New Years , Midnight, 1989/90:




Boston, 2001, braodcast live as halftime of NBA Playoffs! ..starts with a congregant's hand raised in worship, followed by Bono praying from Psalm 116: "What can I give back to God for the blessings that he has poured out on me? I'll lift high the cup of salvation. A toast to God.. I pray in the name of God, I'll complete what I promised God I'll do. And I'll do it together with his people." Bono completely lost in worship at 4:22 as he (as my son says) "starts flying":



Slane Csste, 2001: Wow.
Many have asked to see this clip below; having heard me teach on it. The set up:

How about this amazing live version of U2 doing "Where The Streets Have No Name" only days after Bono's father died ("It was his send-off")...so you have the

incredibly emotional prayer/death wail/tongues leading into outright worship-in/midst-of grief including an old-fashioned "glory run"...and that all in the first minute and half before the song "starts"! (read about this phenomenon in the aricle and comments here)....Then at the close of the song, "like the heavens have opened..Bono appears to be actually experiencing the beatific vision at stage right" (Beth Maynard,p.120, "Get Up Off Your Knees: Preaching the U2 Catalog")...."Note how the band behaves at curtain call moment at the end (p. 180)." What is drummer Larry looking at, Who is Bono applauding? Why can't guitarrist The Edge keep his eyes open? (from 5:01 till the end).Watch the clip already:

..>
(of course, U2 are no strangers to a theology of "death and Jesus"...click THIS for my teaching on all that)




Super Bowl, 2002 Halftime...What can be said? On the heels of 911, Pastor Bono is allowed to speak/prophesy over America...it's way better than that other famous Super Bowl halftime musical guest...no wardrobe malfunction, but a different Psalm prayed (twice) than usual: Psalm 51:5: "Oh Lord, open Thou my lips, that my mouth may show forth Thy praise." :

Chicago, 2005,,,starts w/spiritual warfare for Africa...connecting the principalities with US African connections:

Brazil, 2006: localizes the prayer to Latin American nations:

ads

Amen, Kev

Jon Piper is bad

John Piper is bad:



Extended version with Piper commentary:

Dare you to climb...better yet, ride a Corolla..to the top of the Andes

I am missing Peru today.

Some of you reading this will know that ache by this time next year.

Someday (manana) I will figure out how to transfer some digital photos from my movie camera; but in the meantime this page will be full of borrowed and stolen photos.

• UPDATE 2008: VIDEOS POSTED HERE!!

But today I get to fill the ache, and God-shaped hole..with a few pix and links to sign up a few of you for that ache. Come with us next year.

How did I ever wind up here (third from left below, next to Jesus...uh, Pastor Jesus) on top of the Andes, where many gringos croak due to lack of oxygen?:

I mean, the view from 17,000 feet from the lake at Mt Huaytapallana is fabulous, as you can see ..





...But to find out how I got coaxed up there (not knowing we would watch some of these glaciers suddenly melt into avalanches before our eyes...uh, due to prayer!?) is another story (read it and weep here)...

I mean the trip from Lima to Hunacayo was "interesting" enough..
Only 120 miles..but there is a reason it can take 8 hours! Read about that wild ride here (see the section delicately titled "Elevated Vetigo makes me sick") and catch a view or three of it below..




The bus route passes and parallels (as if that word ever applies to these winding roads!) the highest railroad bridge in the world ..







But it's worth it to arrive at our beautiful "home" in Peru, the mountain valley city of Huancayo...11,000 feet and 500,000 beaufiful people:




Some of the beautiful people include these four (two of which are the adopted daughters of our church members (and current missionaries in Huancayo) Ken and Cathie Metz. Can you guess which are Gabby and Sheyla?:




And if you don't fall in love with our ministry team there (jazzed to Jesus here below about the new truck some of you reading were able to buy them):






...And if you are umoved by the kids of Huancayo:




...you may be beyond hope!









Besides, St. Christina and the others who venture on the next trip there will want to meet St. Hector, pictured below. How many ex-Satanists do you know. Read his amazing story here, and participate in the sequel next year (Leave me a comment to reserve a spot)

postmodern phone call from hell

For a song that is "supposed to be" about "a guy making a phone call from hell...but he admits he likes it there," (Bono's usual spin); the classic U2 piece "The Fly" sure works on multiple levels.


For such a mysterious and multiplex song; which teases a lot about what "the secret" is...the secret is pretty open on the recent tour:

And it is, in recent incarnation, not just/anymore a "phone call from hell," but also/instead a "text message from heaven." But like many words from God, there a few places where God doesn't spell out the whole revelation...we get to, by faith and guesswork, piece together the message.

What do I mean?

What does this text, prohected as a backdrop to THE FLY mean?

LETTERSBECOME WORDS
BECOME SENTENCES
BECOME LIES
BECOME YOU.

I _____ my friend
she always _____
it never really _____
What is the _____
Why do you _____
You fill in the gaps
You are the difference

You need to watch the amazing video below. But for context..



As she often does, Beth Maynard offers hugely helpful insights on the most recent concert version. Please preview her 3-part series on the song here, here, and here...with the third post full of good stuff on the intent behind the "text message" version you can watch here.

The video version I have chose in extra intriguing; as it was filmed in Brazil, and incudes some of the "fill in the blank" projections in Portuguese...
.


Clip of English version:

The secret is BEHIND YOU
The secret is INVISIBLE NOW
The secret is LOUD ENOUGH
THE SECRET IS WHAT YOU never want to see/never want to hear/never want to believe

Click this