Laurie and I went and saw U2 3D this weekend. Awesome! It was way better than I expected and even more lifelike than I had imagined it expected.
I told Laurie afterwards that I was conflicted during the 80 minute IMAX concert experience. It was real enough that I felt like I was right smack dab in the middle of this concert in Argentina with several thousand fans around me. I wanted to take part in everything – yet I felt like I had to be restrained and remind myself I’m in public – in a theater. Of course if you know me, you know I love U2. It doesn’t take much “realism” for me to want to sing along.
Yet during the entire 80 minutes I sat quietly taking it all in and trying not to disturb my neighbors – or everyone in the theater behind me (especially since we were on the front row). Afterwards I was disappointed it came to an end and I actually felt like I had missed out on something. I couldn’t place my finger on it until I realized it was the interaction I missed.
I’ve been to one U2 concert and it was by far my most favorite concert ever. It felt as much of a worship service as a concert. And after leaving U2 3D it almost felt like I had been at church but only as a fly on the wall. I didn’t get to participate. All these people on the screen were involved and participating yet I sat on the sidelines.
I wonder how often we miss out in church because we don’t want to annoy the people next to us. We don’t want them to think we’re odd for standing up and cheering. We don’t want to be the crazy guy on the front (or back) row who won’t sit down.
What if we’re missing out on interaction with God? What if worship was so much more?