St. John's United Church: Not your Parent's House of Worship

The United Church of Canada was a pillar, and a goodly pillar, of my childhood and adolescence. I bowled under their banner, I learned about critical thinking from their clergy, and I plucked my wife from their ranks. Even during the times in my life when I've been pretty hostile towards organized religion in general, I always prefaced it with the fact that I did alright by them. So I've been backandforthing the idea of a return to regular attendance for a year or two, and having been invited to St. John's United by a cat hawking coffee at the Georgetown Fall Fair I decided to give it a try. A week ago I showed up for Sunday service, and having not burst into flames upon entering, enjoyed a great service and a warm welcome that made me glad I went through with it.

This week I showed up same bat time same bat channel, was warmly received once again, had a lovely time, and was exposed to a U2 video that displayed animated genitals flashed with a degree of abandon that while arguably tasteful struck me as, well, striking. I should preface this by saying that St. John's, like most churches I am led to believe, has taken their audio\video game well into the twenty first century. The clergy wear head-set microphones (shades of Tony Robbins) the hymns are broadcast from an overhead projector that hangs in front of an ornate chandelier like it has every right to be there, and during the sermon that same projector shines pictures of canoes on the Canadian Shield, Children with their parents watching the tides come in, puppies, doves, etc etc. I am tempted to suggest it's a step away from congregating at Chucky Cheese, but actually it's not so weird.

Now I can't find the video to post, but it opens with a naked fellow flashing his manhood before turning into a dove or something, and later a vagina is displayed in such a way as to evoke that crazy flower scene from The Wall. On top of the softcore, this video suggests repeatedly through an admittedly clever spelling of Coexist that Islam, Judaism, old faithful Christianity and whatever religion worships a giant burning eye (Sauronism?) are all equal and cool. As for the latter sentiment, I don't think I'm exactly comfortable, but I'll let it go for now. Now this place was maybe 60 percent filled, and the median age was firmly set in the golden years, and not so much as a eyebrow was raised by this video save mine.

I would have never guessed that would have been copacetic amongst protestants of any persuasion, but I was made to feel uncomfortable and thinking myself a pretty with it dude I resented being made to feel like Pat Robertson in a pride parade. It got me thinking though, there must have been a change that happened in the decade I played hooky from church, a cultural upheaval that has left me rushing to catch up. Faith, or my denomination's faith, has not remained static and it has not waited for me, it has moved and it is moving. I think maybe it's not entirely bad being made to feel uncomfortable once in a while. I am in a small part, moved and shaken. I may still dislike Bono, but I'll be back for more.