Why I Have a Velvet Elvis

I am not particularly a fan of Elvis—he is a little before my time, but I have been influenced by his fans, namely one of my pastors who was a big Elvis fan, and had a handful of sermons that he would preach about Elvis on the anniversary of his death.

As a long-time youth minister, you collect things—particularly items that make kids thing you are cool or just a little bit off (you want to keep kids on their toes). Well, one day, a good friend found an old Velvet Elvis in a garage sale and thought it would be a hoot to give it to me.

Part of me hangs it on the wall of my Pastor’s Study just because it is funny. Part of me hangs it on the wall to offset the other elements of ego on the wall (diplomas and such). Part of me hangs it on the wall to start conversation with people—it is a good ice-breaker. But mostly, I hang it on the wall to remind me of the mission God has given us

So how can Elvis, the King, remind me of God’s mission for me?

"Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things." (Acts 17:22-25, NRSV)

Did you know that Elvis Presley made more Gospel albums than Rock albums? Did you know that Elvis came from a family that was deeply religious—Pentecostal background—and the hip movements and gyrations he performed on stage he learned and in his church growing up? Did you know that Elvis often would perform “How Great Thou Art,” during his concerts, and that after the end of all his rehearsals and recording he would make people sing a hymn with him. Did you know that just before he died he made a promise to make only Gospel albums for the rest of his life.

Yet, the church pushed Elvis away, instead of clinging on to a person that had the ability and ear of so many people, the church railed against him and condemn him.

While Elvis Presley was a teen cataclysm with millions of American girls screaming at the sight of him, his own church viewed Presley's gyrations on stage as an affront, labelling it the Devil's work and a mocking of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Presley records were condemned as wicked and Pentecostal preachers thumped their pulpits with Bibles, warning congregations to keep heathen rock and roll music out of their homes and away from their children's ears (especially the music of "that backslidden Pentecostal pup, Elvis Presley"). People who decades later would be considered part of the religious right spoke out vigorously against Presley including Cardinal Spellman. In its weekly periodical, the Roman Catholic Church added to the criticism in an article titled "Beware Elvis Presley."[1]

What if the church instead of pushing Elvis away, latch on to him and used his arena of influence to further spread the gospel? Imagine a church this isn’t afraid of a few warts and is willing to be all things to all people. Imagine a church that is more interested in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, than its own public appearance.

The Apostle Paul on Mars Hill did just that. He wasn’t afraid of learning the culture or engaging it. In fact, Paul thought it his mission to learn and engage the culture so that we may engage people with the Gospel.

The picture of Elvis is a reminder of the failure of the church to grasp onto the opportunities that God provides. So often we put things into boxes of sacred and secular, instead of realizing we are all in the secular box in which God is trying to make sacred.
Let us not depend on our own wisdom and plan, but let’s see how God works and join Him in His plan—even if it might include someone as outrageous as Elvis.

[1] Wikipedia.org