Praise the Lord…American Idol ?
Okay, so what did you think about the American Idol contestants singing “Shout to the Lord?” Not once but twice, presumably because of the lyric change in Wednesday night’s performance. Did they think no one would notice or care? Fortunately, I didn’t see that performance, so I was spared a day’s irritation. I had read they were planning to do the song, so it wasn’t a total shock Thursday when the show kicked off. I made up my mind not the be judgmental and think, “okay, which of them really means what they’re singing? Why is one of them bearing her tummy?” etc. But it still felt strange. Part of me kept expecting someone to raise his or her hand. Seriously, the thought did enter my mind.
After reading posts on Collide Magazine, Christian Post, and Bob Kauflin’s Worship Matters, I came to this conclusion. “Shout to the Lord” like any Christian song is not an ordinary song. They are all sacred because they are about our God; therefore they shouldn’t be sung out of context. Isn’t there a commandment that addresses that (Ex 20:7)? If the performance was for strictly entertainment/performance purposes, it was out of line. I will suggest the action was more out of lack of understanding than malicious intent toward Christians (see 1 Cor 13:5).
from my notebook 