Perhaps no issue has generated more controversy at University Baptist Church than worship. By which one means worship style.*

Twelve years ago when I began serving here we had two Sunday morning services. One early more contemporary and supposedly the growth/outreach service. One later more traditional. The growth/outreach service was not growing in attendance. When the congregation began to debate whether to discontinue it became clear that only a few participated because of style. Most because of the earlier time – which means one attends worship earlier is finished earlier and has a larger portion of Sunday free.

So University Baptist Church went to one worship service with a rotating/blended style. Some Sundays more high church and traditional. Some more contemporary. I thought it was a great solution and was working well.

And then our last senior pastor after a few years pushed hard for the creation of a new second service. It would be emerging in style – not contemporary. It would be the growth/outreach service – to attract and involve the unchurched of/and the current generation. Most significantly it would be the later service.

Several people have said to me they had no problem with a second service. Even with an emerging worship style. What bothered them was that the traditional would become the early service and the emerging service would take what they regarded as the primary time. Moreover they felt there were serious problems with how that decision was made.

All those in favor say ‘aye’.

Aye.

Okay then the motion passes. There will be a second service. Emerging style. 11:30 a.m. and the traditional service will be at 9:15 a.m.

Wait. What?!? We didn’t agree to that second part!

At the time I supported the creation of a second service. With an emerging worship style. Was not happy with the 11:30 a.m. time. That is rather late. And since my own small congregation shares many activities we would have to change our time as well. We lost a couple regular families because 11:30 a.m. is just too late for them. They need to get to the lab/library/office.

But there we were.

Attendance was much stronger for the earlier service. There is some debate concerning whether attendance at the second service was growing. Some advocates of the second service pointed to evidence that most of our Sunday morning guests came to the second service. It was fulfilling its purpose.

Throw in some controversy concerning the term emerging and its relationship to the so called Emergent movement. It was becoming increasingly evident that the senior pastor was theologically more liberal than even this moderate Baptist church.

And now that senior pastor has been gone for more than a year.

Most of this is just background.

I believe that right now given our much lower attendance at both services – especially the second service – and that the person who birthed the second service is gone we should consider returning to one Sunday worship service with a rotating blended style. This is a private and personal opinion. I could be wrong. My small congregation has it own worship gathering and so my opinion does not carry so much weight.

Here is what really troubles me.

It has been made clear to me in conversations that if we discontinue the second service and move to one service with a blended worship style that most of the people who attend the second service would be hurt and angry and would leave.

Why?

I am not entirely persuaded that contemporary or emerging worship style is the cultural language necessary for reaching this generation. Christ the King Catholic Church on the Louisiana State University campus is busting at the seems with several services on Sunday many standing room only with several thousand attending each week.

Catholic. Mass. Several thousand. Standing room only.

Traditional liturgical worship styles seem to attract young people quite well thank you very much. Granted we might ask if Christ the King uses what freedom it has to make what changes make Mass more attractive to university students. Guitar instead of organ? And so on.

But we are not Catholics. We are Baptist Protestants.

I am concerned that yes perhaps this current generation of Baptists expects contemporary and/or emerging style to such an extent that if a church does not provide that they will look elsewhere. Can it be that we have created this by raising an entire generation with certain expectations? That we feed them a steady diet of casual contemporary emerging and so on – and then sure enough that is all they will accept when they become adults?

Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps I should be more open to these newer worship styles. Fair enough. But does that work both ways? That the emerging generation needs to work harder to appreciate and even include the traditional and the liturgical?

If children grow up on junk food – and no I am not saying contemporary or emerging worship style is junk food – do we just shrug our shoulders and say “oh well sure you can have pizza and soda for dinner again”? Or do we educate our children such they learn to appreciate and even enjoy different and often more nutritious foods?

Have we failed to help our children appreciate and even enjoy more traditional and liturgical worship? Even if – thanks to modern popular culture – they also enjoy and even expect newer forms and styles? Of course one can respond that those who prefer more traditional and liturgical need to learn to appreciate newer styles and approaches.

That “they will just leave and go elsewhere” really bothers me.

Why? Why would they do that? Why is that all they expect and accept?!?

And while we are on the subject – to what extent do Anglican or Catholic or Orthodox Christians struggle with this issue of worship style? Ah therein lies the rub.

Addendum:

A dear reader of this website offered the following in his excellent comment:

From what I have experienced, a worship service in itself will never “attract” the unchurched/prechurched/dechurched people in the community. They do not care about worship style – that is a church member debate. I can understand the need to incorporate modern elements (video, guitar, etc.) when appropriate, but not at the expense of deeply rich, traditional worship elements. In the end, I hesitate to say, most contemporary services are started under a false pretense – that the unchurched/prechurced/dechurched are out there waiting for a contemporary service to draw them in. This is simply not reality.

Word. By the way let me make clear that I am a strong supporter of using presentations/clips in worship. To my knowledge I was the first person to use a presentation during a sermon in University Baptist Church and almost almost always have a presentation when preaching to my own small congregation. We have found it helps people concentrate on the message not the messenger. It also helps people get back on track if their attention wanders. Finally when preaching to people many of whom English is not their first language it greatly helps them understand the message. We always use English subtitles when we have movie night.

*Postscript:

Quite possibly what we have been facing is not about worship style at all. But about something else. Power? Theology?

I thought this was just brilliant.

It helps to know this is a remix of a rather good song “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z with Alicia Keys. Which itself incorporates an original song “Empire State of Mind” by only Alicia Keys.

H/T Ace of Spaces HQ.

Finally something the entire Wright family enjoys.

Yes I admit it. I am addicted to “Glee”.

First heard on the radio about this weird quirky show about a show choir at a fictional high school in Ohio. Did not grab my attention. Then my wife and daughters rented first season DVD of “Gee” from Blockbusters. Watched an episode with them. Then two. Three. And four.

I was hooked.

It is quite funny. Despite the painful awkward situations. Overbearing wife tries to keep her husband’s attention by faking pregnancy. Cheerleader and active member of the “Abstinence Club” is pregnant. Tells her boyfriend he is the father. Which he isn’t. Choir director and Spanish teacher with overbearing wife attracted to guidance counselor. Coach of national championship winning cheerleading squad resents school resources going to show choir and sets out to undermine and destroy it by any means necessary. And so on and so on.

To a large extent the show is about misfits. Everyone is different. But some of us are considered hip and cool (cheerleaders and football players) while others are at the bottom of the social totem pole. But they find their place in show choir. Including a few cheerleaders and football players. In show choir the misfits rejects and outcasts along with the cool kids are accepted for who they are.

But even within show choir there are still misfits. The boy in the wheelchair. The African-American girl. Sure enough Mr Schuster finds ways to include and celebrate them. An entire wheelchair number. More “chocolate” numbers. There is one deeply moving scene when the show choir from the school for the deaf comes by for a scrimmage. At first the hearing students squirm with discomfort. But soon they walk up and stand next to these deaf students to sing and sign with them.

The writers may not have this in mind but is that not what the kingdom of God is all about?

After this I looked, and there was a multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages [including sign language? and all different abilities?], standing before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,

“Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

One small thing I have had difficulty is the student who insists he’s not gay but finally comes out. Not that he is gay. But man is he flamboyant and effeminate. He can even sing an F whatever that means. Surely there are plenty of gay men who wear flannel and jeans and sneakers rather than angora sweaters with “sensible” shoes.

But then that would defeat the whole purpose of his presence in the show. The issue is not that he is gay. The issue is that he is different. A misfit. But he finds his place in show choir. For dramatic reasons he has to be flaming gay and dress ten times above his mechanic dad’s income. So his character does make sense.

But I think our whole family enjoys the show because the visual and performing arts run strong in the Wright family.

Mom’s side:

• Mom did music and art and got her degree in art and art history
• Aunt did art and won a national competition
• Uncle did music and his teachers wanted him to go to music school but he wanted to be an engineer
• Other uncle – well okay not everyone got the genes but two of his kids are artists

Dad’s side:

• Dad did acting and music and played in a band for years
• His dad sang and played guitar and called dances
• Aunt – no idea

My immediate family:

• Brother did drama and music and still plays with local bands
• Sister did music drama and dance and majored in dance and teaches dance and is an increasingly well known choreographer and producer in the Twin Cities
• Other sister did music drama singing and dance and majored in dance but is working on becoming a zoologist
• I did music drama and art and my teacher wanted me to go to art school

My own family:

• Wife studied dance for years
• Both daughters went to McKinley Middle Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts
• First daughter does dance and singing but now is in talented art program
• Second daughter does dance singing and drama but now is in talented drama program

So while we enjoy the show as a whole what really moves us is the numbers. When the kids break into dance and song.

Preface (partly for William): I have for months been planning on at least two long posts on “The Gospel According to Puccini”. (Remotely similar to Donald Miller’s Christian interpretation of “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare.) One interpreting “Turandot” terms of the passionate love of God (Calaf) for humanity (Turandot). Another interpreting the aria “Nessun Dorma” in terms of the Passion of Christ (the Triduum). So in a sense the first part of this sermon is little more than an “introductory sketch” – sort of like giving you cookie dough rather than finished cookies.

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“The Gospel According to Puccini”
Song of Songs 2
13th Sunday Pentecost (B) or 22nd Sunday Ordinary (B)
August 30, 2009
Church of the Nations
Richard M. Wright

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No one can perform this opera in the People’s Republic of China until 1998.

That opera is “Turandot” by the great Italian composer Giacomo Puccini.

It is long and difficult to explain the story. Set in ancient China. Anyone who wants to marry the princess Turandot must answer three riddles. If he fails then they cut off his head.

The prince of Tartary comes to Beijing. He must not let anyone know who he is because China has conquered his nation. (This is not historical.) Sees the cold cruel beautiful princess and immediately falls in love with her.

He steps forward and announces he wants to marry her. Ha ha! Foolish prince! You will fail and die!

Later at the palace she asks her riddles.

What is born each night and dies each morning? Hope.

What is red and warm but is not fire? <Sangue> Blood. The princess now is scared.

<Gelo che ti da foco> What is like ice but burns like fire? The prince thinks for a minute. Turandot!

No! The princess asks her father the emperor do not let this prince have me! But he says she must keep her promise. She must marry the prince.

And here is the mystery of the story. The part that does not make sense. Although what does not make sense is often where we will find the deeper truth.

The prince makes an offer. “You do not know my name. Bring me my name before morning – and when the sun rises I will die”.

Why does this not make sense?

Mark Lew writes that if we interpret the story literally – this is a stupid thing to do. The prince already has won. He already will marry the princess. Why give her a chance to escape?

Because he does not only want to marry her. He wants her to love him. [http://home.earthlink.net/~markdlew/comm/turandot.htm]

And that is when the prince goes through the streets of Beijing and sings:

Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma! Let no one sleep. Let no one sleep!

Tu pure o principessa nella tua freda stanza guardi le stelle che tremana d’amore e di’speranza. And you O princess alone in your cold room watch the stars that tremble with love and with hope.

Ma il mistero e chiuso i me. But my mystery is hidden in me. My name no one will know. No! No! Only upon your lips shall I say it when the light shines forth and my kiss breaks the silence that makes you mine.

I am not sure this opera is really about ancient China at all.

Love. Desiring love. Love that says “I want you. I want to be with you. But I do not only want to have you and be with you. I want you to love me too”. The kind of love that brings human beings together. But surely not the kind of love we expect from God or return to God.

At the back of my prayer book is something called the “Thirty Nine Articles of Religion” that are part of the Anglican tradition of the Christian movement. Article one states, “There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions…” Without passions. Perhaps… without passion?

Are we sure about that? Although it is possible the English word “passion” meant something different more than four hundred years ago.

Is it possible that we receive and experience and return the love of God that is accepting love… compassionate love… sacrificial love… but even passionate and desiring love? Does God desire us? Can our relationship with God be passionate?

One of the Bible readings for this Sunday would be from the Song of Songs – and according to my research this happens only once every three years. So I wanted to take this rare opportunity to talk more about the passionate and desiring love of God that we encounter best of all in this short strange book from the Old Testament called the Song of Songs.

Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes! Leaping across the mountains… jumping over the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young deer.

The Song of Songs looks like passionate love poetry between a man and a woman – in which sometimes other people also speak. Very physical passionate love poetry in which they describe each other in detail. How much they desire each other. Want to be together – although it does not seem to happen very much… as if there is something or someone who often keeps them from meeting together. There is not a single mention of God in the entire book. Does not sound very… religious. Why is there a short book of very physical passionate love poetry that does not mention God… here in the Bible?

In fact the Song of Songs is one of those books that almost did not get into the Bible. There was some debate about it. Fortunately one of the greatest Jewish rabbis Rabbi Akiba stood up and proclaimed, “Holy is the day God gave the Bible! But holiest of all is the day he gave us the Song of Songs”. The people of God for centuries have interpreted this book in terms of the passionate desiring love between God and his people. First – between the Lord and the people of Israel. Later – between Jesus and the Christian church. Sometimes as well – the love between God and individual human beings.

So what is it? It is human love poetry that someone put in the Bible that later people interpreted it as being about God and his people? For years that is what I believed. Robert Jenson is a scholar of the Old Testament who points out at least two things. That if this is purely human love poetry there are certain physical details missing. And that much of the language and symbolism can be found in other places in the Old Testament – as if the person who wrote it had the Old Testament and was reading it and using it as a source. Therefore Jenson concludes that this book of love poetry was and is originally about God and us. Although it also has much to say about human love as well.

Look! There he stands behind our wall… looking through the windows… watching through the screen. My lover spoke and said to me, Get up, my darling, my beautiful one and come with me.

If the beloved is us… and the lover in this book is God… then God is the one who takes the initiative. Who acts first. Who comes to us. Just like we read in the book of First John, “This is what love is. Not that we loved God but God first loved us”. God proclaims to us our beloved-ness – my darling. Proclaims to us that we are beautiful in his sight – even though yes we are broken and struggle and sin and suffer – but still each of us is unique in the universe that God has made. My beautiful one. And God invites us to let go of our fear… come out of the places where we hide behind not locked doors here but behind a window behind a screen. And come with me…

God pursues us with desire. Just as once I desired a young woman from Tennessee although she did not realize that I was in love with her. She did not realize but still I did what I had to in order to get her attention. This time I did not have to read words from a book – I baked chocolate chip cookies for her birthday. And even though I burned them! I had to give them to her. I would rather give her burned cookies that not give her anything at all. “Why is he giving me cookies? And am I really supposed to eat burned cookies?”

But that is how desiring love is. That is the true meaning of the Greek word eros – not physical love so much as desiring love that with human beings does express itself physically. And what did God do to get our attention? “This is what love is. Not that we loved God but God first loved us and gave himself as a sacrifice for us”. My favorite verse of the Bible from the book of Galatians ends, “The life I live in the body I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me”. Not burned cookies – but the son of God broken and bleeding on a cross. Yes – God loves us so much that he is willing to die to break the silence that makes us his.

Do you believe that God is in love with you? That he sees you as beautiful? As precious? As someone he desires to be with? I do not fully understand the passionate desiring love of God. But the first step in knowing and experiencing something is knowing that it is there.

In his book Life of the Beloved Henri Nouwen writes that in this world we hear voices of blessing and voices of cursing – voices that tell us “you are no good… you are not good enough… ugly and a failure”. Sometimes that voice is our own. But in the Song of Songs we hear the voice of God that is a voice of blessing and of love that says we are precious as we are. He desires relationship with us. And we only need to hear that voice… get up and come with God.

How embarrassing. I am starting to like country music. Not only have a set one of the stations in my car to 101.5 FM – I actually turn to it sometimes when I am tired of NPR. This is largely because of a general characteristic of country music songs which my wife first pointed out to me.

Most country music songs tell a story.

Think about it. How many country music songs tell – in some form – a story?

“Where were you when the world stopped turning?” That was the last song before I arrived at the church this morning. Is it cheesy and sentimental? Sure. But it tells the story of September 11 and the various ways that people reacted or responded.

“You’re gonna miss this some day”. About what it is like to watch your children grow up. I happen to rather like this one. But then I am a parent and remember well what it was like to pace back and forth in our apartment in the wee hours of the morning wondering when this crying baby would ever get back to sleep. Strangely enough – I miss those days.

That “Love Story” song by Taylor Swift that drives me up a tree. But it tells the story of a young man courting a young woman and how eventually they can get married.

And so on.

Even when the story is about betrayal or getting drunk or broken relationships – there is a story. Something happens. It reflects real life and real situations that real broken human beings face. Therein we find glimmers of providence and grace.

There are exceptions – and these are worth noting. My kids sometimes watch country music videos on CMT. Have you noticed and heard that popular song “Wild at Heart” by “Gloriana”? Basically about going out with your buds and getting wild and that cute girl does not want you to stop at kissing.

Uh… what?!?

There is no story here that I can tell.

I am not prepared to say “songs with stories are good – those without are bad”. Nor am I quite able yet to articulate why this makes a difference. But is that not part of criticism – in the good sense of the word? Look at art music dance drama literature and so on and being able to look carefully at what is there? and to understand why some art seems more enjoyable/meaningful/powerful?

Compare this to much of what passes for “popular music” – which I can no longer stomach much at all. (And unfortunately this applies to much of “classic rock” which I do and still enjoy.)

My wife threatened to tell everyone at the church that “my husband has gone country”.

Nooooooo!

Well – sort of. There is a serious point coming. See below.

Got back last night – whole trip back on one day – from our first purely fun family holiday and to Branson Missouri. We had a fantastic time. One performer (showboat) described Branson as being “like Mayberry – except with a cover charge”.

I had never had any interest in going to Branson. Sounded like some over-commercialized country music drag strip. I have not cared for country music. Or crowded places. Or spending lots of money. Or heavy traffic.

There is a place in Harrison Arkansas you must stop at whether it is time for lunch/dinner or not. Their slogan is “we knead your dough”. Har har. No seriously. Fantastic food. Good prices. Killer muffins. Had Asiago Cheese Bisque on way up there and Five Star Mushroom on the way back. Yummy soup with two pieces of bread for about $4. Booyah.

Dinner first day at Ruby Tuesday’s. Why do I keep ordering big calorie laden burgers? Why?!? Excellent service. Worth paying $2 to watch my kids have a blast playing “Guitar Hero” at arcade. Strange that I should learn to enjoy KISS songs so late in life.

First night the show was New Shanghai Circus. Very good. Performers looked rather uncomfortable afterwards standing around for autographs and pictures. Apparently ta-men bu hui shuo ying-wen hao (they do not speak English well). Exchanged a few words in zhong-guo-hua with a young man. For some reason I enjoyed the drums most. Most people in the audience liked that the least.

Second day rode the “Ducks” (amphibious vehicles from World War Two) after first moving to our new place at Wyndham Resorts. (Family in church graciously let us use their unused timeshare points. In fact this is why we made the trip on short notice – free accommodations for four nights.) Thought $17 was too much for a one hour ride. No – it was a blast and lasted 1 1/2 hours. Well worth it. Make sure Bubba is your driver/guide or it ain’t worth going.

Second evening dinner at Danna’s. Eat there. Do not fail. Great food at reasonable prices. Pulled pork. No it was not kosher but it was yummy.

Next night saw Shoji Tabuchi. If you visit Branson – see it. Do not fail. It was outstanding. Very professional. Very entertaining. Bought some Japanese chopsticks in the gift shop because they are the best. Even Chinese people prefer them. Bring cash. Loved the drums.

One thought crossed my mind. Shoji learned to love country music while in Japan. And eventually became an American citizen. Everyone cheered. “What a great guy! He became a citizen of this great country!” How often do Americans become citizens of other nations? Would we cheer or label that person a feckless traitor? Imagine how difficult it would be for someone like me to become a citizen of the People’s Republic of China. We cheer when others do what we cannot imagine ourselves doing.

The segment in which he honored his son (who died age 19) and was for anyone who has “lost someone close to your heart” was touching and interesting. (Except for that wretched “If I Could Only Imagine” song.) Last year Jay Hogewood and I led a Jahrzeit worship gathering – one of the most significant things we have done here I think. It is important to acknowledge publicly death and loss and grief in ways that are appropriate and constructive.

Next day spent at Silver Dollar City. We got in for free. How? Some guy with season tickets had four unused guess tickets… waited for a family of four to show up… collared us (thought he might be a scalper)… offered us the four tickets. We saved $200. Then promptly waste(?) $60 on fast-passes (skip line at most popular rides) which we basically did not need or use. Had a great time. Enjoyed the toboggan ride (water slide in a raft) the most and did that about five times. Almost never a long line. I chickened out and would not go on the Powderkeg. (Zero to sixty in two seconds followed by… it looked absolutely freaking terrifying.) Wish I had gone for it just to show I could. Next time make sure you do the cave before you get too tired in the day. I would love to see some caverns.

No show that evening. Luigi’s Pizza for dinner. Excellent.

Last day we road the go-carts. This was the only “bad” experience of the trip. Basically not worth the money. Almost ten dollars per five minute ride on the track. You have got to be kidding me. We spent forty bucks and got the heck out of there.

Last night we were on the “Branson Belle” showboat. Fun performances. Excellent service. Dreadful food – do note! Severe stomach problems meant multiple trips to restroom and even missed some of the featured show by nationally known (animal) ventriloquist. Twenty nine Broadway songs in ten minutes with about as many costume changes was spectacular.

The one thing that was a bit hard to take was the “faith and freedom” schtick at the end. Complete with “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” and pictures of an American flag waving next to a cross. Eegads. A bit much. And there was an Orthodox Jewish family a few rows in front of me. (Yes it was that obvious.) Do they have to club us over the head with God and Jesus and the American Flag?!?

A few general observations.

Service and hospitality are always exceptional in Branson. I wish it was like that in other places. We have had some royally bad restaurant experiences – including one in which after one hour we still did not have our food and not only did we leave we refused coupons for free meals from the manager. But in Branson they do everything in their power to take care of you and with a friendly attitude. Even when they “scold” you – like a ride operator explaining to a small boy why he should not unhook the safety bar of his flying chair before the ride is over I am not making that up – they do so politely and respectfully.

Good service means good tips and returning customers. They get that in Branson.

They did not jack up prices even though they could have. Meals in Branson are pretty much what meals cost anywhere else.

But at the same time they used every opportunity they had to encourage a few more dollars our of their guests. I was not offended but you start to roll your eyes after a while. Make sure you visit the gift shop! Twenty dollars for the picture of your family getting onto the boat! Fifteen percent is appreciated! Buy a compact disc or video disc before you leave!

Branson is extremely family friendly and family oriented. You can take your kids to pretty much everything and not worry about “adult” or off-color humor. In fact they make a point of this. “We believe in wholesome entertainment” is a direct quote from one master-of-ceremonies. I happen to appreciate this point and think Hollywood and New York City and Popular Culture in general should sit up and take note. Much of what passes for “entertainment” on the television less so the radio less so the movies is vulgar trash that more or less insults “middle America” its lifestyle and its values.

A few more specific observations

Branson is very very country. That does not mean people who are not country music fans cannot find fun things to see and do. But dang is it country. Hardly a drop of urban(e) sophistication to be found anywhere. Finding a bookstore took some effort.

I wonder if you could have rock shows or classical music or opera or “high” theater (stage drama) in Branson.

I admit being an elite snob in this respect. I sometimes looked around a souvenir shop and thought “what a bunch of tasteless kitsch”. Or looked at other visitors and – unfortunately – thought to myself “what a bunch of hicks from the sticks”.

Branson is also very very white. I did not say racist. What I mean is that you see predominantly white  people in Branson as workers and as visitors. Although a fair number of Hispanics/Latinos which is interesting. Few African-American people. Sometimes I was worried and wondered if people of color would not be comfortable there. But I think it has to do more with the “culture” (types of musical and other offerings) in Branson.

(Last night during the Country Music Awards my children came to get me all excited because there was an African-American country singer on at the moment. He was excellent and we were thrilled to see that.)

Some will find this next part a bit offensive.

Americans are fat. Not everyone. But when you go to the water park and see people in their bathing suits or go to the amusement park and see all these people walking around – some riding around because they are so ginormous they can barely walk – you think “good night people – what do you eat?!? do you ever exercise?!?” Are we an overfed nation? Do we eat more than we need? Do we eat just to have something to do?

And yes I could stand to lose a few myself.

But that also led me to think about nakedness and sex and desire between people – in a positive way. “No I may not be super handsome and yeah maybe I could stand to lose a few and I am pasty white but still you love me and want me just the way I am” is part of the purpose of marriage. Donald Miller nailed the significance of nakedness in his book {NEED REFERENCE}. It is also why pornography is so pernicious and destructive – it is not just about “sin” or “sex is dirty”. It is quintessentially anti-Trinitarian.

What does Branson suggest about American society and culture – and about the emerging urban-rural tension?

I am increasingly convinced that American society may be entering a period of increased civil tension.

Have you seen the map of the 2008 Presidential election results by county? The nation – geographically speaking – is mostly red for Republican. The blue for Democrat counties are primarily in urban areas. (Please do not assume I mean Republican-good and Democrat-bad although I confess favoring Republican at this point in time.)

2008 Presidential election results by county

Not a black-white thing. Not a North-South thing. Although there is a black-white dimension and a North-South dimension.

I am convinced that right now the American people are increasingly divided along urban-rural lines. City versus country.

And the lifestyles and values that – for reasons I do not really understand – seem to go with that.

And where does Popular Culture – television and popular music and movies – come from primarily? From the cities. From urban culture. When people like David Letterman or Katie Couric or Jon Stewart take shot after shot against (political or social) conservative figures – they reflect the urban culture of which they are a part.

See – when you listen to country music it generally reflects a different way of looking at the world and at life. God. Country. Family. Work. Money. And so on.

And Branson is very country. Almost single show and tour at some point made a big deal about honoring veterans – quite astonishing. (New Shanghai Circus was an obvious exception.) And most shows and places to visit at some point make reference to “faith” (unfortunately to faith of a particularly Protestant Christian variety).

I do not think African-American people are so missing from Branson because of their ethnicity. I think it has to do with the extent to which African-Americans may be part of “urban” culture.

Let me explain that a bit. My second year at Cornell University I lived in a special dorm called Ujamaa. About 130+ people. And I was one of three white people.

White students sometimes expressed surprise that I lived there. “You live in the black dorm? Did they make a mistake?” First of all no mistake – you have to apply to live there. I chose to live there and generally enjoyed it and learned a great deal.

Second – and more importantly – although about 95+% African-American I honestly did not think “black dorm” was as accurate as “the New York City dorm”. What gave Ujamaa its peculiar culture was not – in my opinion – the ethnicity of its residents. It was that most of them were from New York City.

I sincerely believe that two New York City people – one white and one African-American – will have more in common than two African-Americans – one from the city and one from the country. Some will say that is nuts. I could be wrong. But so far that is what I have observed.

I am on thin ice here. Because biblically speaking cities have a special significance. How often does the Bible refer to cities in a positive way? More than you might think. See Culture Making by Andy Crouch. Cities are especially important as places where culture is generated.

I am not entirely comfortable with these thoughts and observations. Because it sounds as if I am arguing “city bad – country good”. Cities are supposed to be holy and dynamic places where the kingdom of God happens in high gear. It troubles me deeply to think that in the year 2009 in the United States we have a growing conflict/tension between urban and rural. And urban is winning – largely because that is where much of our news and popular culture come from.

I could be wrong. What do you think?