Becoming Bono

amey Graves is an unlikely Bono. Resembling a tall teddy bear, the 32-year-old local musician is more suited for his role as The Beast in Thalian Association's upcoming production of Beauty and the Beast than that of U2's charismatic leading man.But give Graves his trusty acoustic guitar, and the classically trained tenor can belt out a version of U2's One with all the sensitivity and spirit that the recently-knighted Bono brings to the band's popular tune.

Graves and three of his friends will play 13 of U2's greatest hits during a church service called a U2charist at 7 p.m. Saturday in Kenan Auditorium at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

And, no, Graves won't be wearing any dark Bono shades. "We're not going to try to look like the band," he said, noting that the message in the music was the focus. The U2charist, an Episcopal Eucharist service, is a growing national movement within the Episcopal church and other denominations.

It's not just a concert, but a call to rally around the eight Millennium Development Goals, a United Nations initiative started in 2000 to cut extreme global poverty in half by 2015. Leaders from 191 nations, including the United States, agreed on the plan, and many churches have embraced the eight Millennium Goals as part of their mission work. Even Bono himself has made the goals a personal campaign.

U2charist started in 2005 at St. George's Episcopal Church in York Harbor, Maine, as the brain child of the church's rector, the Rev. Paige Blair, who recognized the powerful spiritual and humanitarian themes in U2's music.

It has since spread to about 70 Episcopal, Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Church of Christ, Catholic and Presbyterian churches worldwide. Wilmington's newest Episcopal church, Holy Cross Episcopal Church, and UNCW's Episcopal Campus Ministries are sponsoring the free local event. According to Blair's records, Holy Cross' service is the first of its kind in North Carolina.

Churches sponsoring U2charists don't need a license for U2 songs as long as the church promotes the Millennium Goals, isn't making money from the event and agrees to donate all proceeds to a relevant charity. Every penny raised from offerings at the Holy Cross event will go to Millennium Goal No. 1 - eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, said the Rev.

Deacon Andy Atkinson. Holy Cross will donate funds to the Episcopal Relief Development Fund in New York. "We wanted to do something that really impacts the church and the world," he said.

"We thought that this service would be for people who really want to help the world but are not churched." Many U2charist services just play U2 CDs, but Holy Cross decided to assemble a live band because of Graves' abilities to sing the songs. The church will project the words to the songs on screens in Kenan to encourage the audience to participate.

"One of the things about hymn singing in church is that you're singing and worshipping together. I hope with this music, people will know it well enough, that what I want to see in this service is everyone singing together," Graves said. Graves saw his first U2charist at the 2006 Episcopal General Convention in Columbus, Ohio, and found the concept interesting.

"I've always thought secular music has its place in church to help speak to the human condition," he said. His respect for U2's music encouraged him to take on this public worship service. Graves listened to U2's popular 1987 album, The Joshua Tree, so much growing up that he wore out one vinyl copy and two CD copies.

His favorite U2 tune - Running to Stand Still. But even though the name of Jesus Christ and God show up periodically in U2 songs, Graves didn't think of U2's lyrics as Christian. "The driving difference between U2 and contemporary Christian music is their (U2's) music is not in your face but more about being in a relationship with the world and with Christ," he said.

U2 fans know that the band's music centers on humanitarian themes such as global reconciliation, justice for the poor and oppressed, and the importance of caring for your neighbor. But, they're often surprised to learn about the spiritual and even Biblical focus. One, for example, makes a bid for God's universal love by telling the story of a gay son coming out to his father.

Psalm 40 was Bono's inspiration for 40, a song about faith. "For a long time, I didn't realize how spiritual the songs were. I think most people don't know that 40 is about the psalm," Atkinson added.

To get Holy Cross' congregation jazzed about Saturday's event, Graves has been playing some of the songs during Sunday liturgy services, held in Ashley High School's cafeteria. Atkinson said Graves has introduced U2 to many in the congregation of about 60 members. "I didn't know many of their songs.

Jamey got me interested in it," said 17-year-old Bladen Ward-Burns, the U2charist band's bassist. "I think it's a good experience for everybody. Helps them expand their horizons.

" In a recent service, Graves finished singing One and a guy in the audience was so moved he started clapping, "and you don't normally do that in an Episcopal church," Atkinson said, laughing. "But then the rest of the congregation started clapping." Graves said learning U2's music wasn't hard.

It was learning to put his heart into the spiritual meanings of the songs. He said this experience has deepened his resolve to raise awareness about world poverty. "As Americans, we don't see all the injustice in the world," he said.

"That's what this service is about - raising awareness and sparking a discussion on how we as a church should respond to the injustices that are in the world. Randy Newman said it best in his song Sail Away: 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

2. Achieve universal primary education for children. 3.

Promote gender equality and empower women. 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

8. Create a global partnership for development. Worried about your daily commute's damage to your car?

The wear on you might be worse.

m. Saturday at Cape Fear Museum, 814 Market St. .

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