Worship Songs On American Idol

"God is with the vulnerable and the poor. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunities and lives. And God is with us, if we are with them."-Bono

It's no secret that I am obsessed with American Idol. I watch every year, vote for my favorites, and then throw things at the television when my favorites are prematurely kicked off. Last year, when people were knocking of Idol Gives Back, I was up in arms! OK, or I just made a few snarky comments. But I actually admire American Idol going to the poorest places around the world and using their clout to bring attention to the poor. I know big corporations are probably in it for their own publication and indirect profit, but the actual participants (the hosts and past American Idol contestants) who physically visited these impoverished places, I KNOW it affected them and changed they way they view the world. I always think of Jeremiah 22:16:

"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, so all went well. Is that not what it means to know Me,' declares the Lord."

It is a mark of searching for God, when people take an interest in the poor by using their influence to obtain justice for them, giving of their own resources to provide for them, and personally interacting with the poor as fellow human beings of equal worth, who should not be left in the shadows to starve or die alone in their illness. I don't care how rich they are, how famous they are, how ludicrous they appear, when any person's heart is stirred with compassion and cries out for true justice for the poor, I truly believe that could be the beginning of their journey with God. After all, is that not what it means to know Him?

Anyway, as I watched both rich and poor be transformed through American Idol Gives Back, I was still surprised when this year's remaining American Idol contestants sang Shout to The Lord, not once, but twice! Even American Idol can recognize God's unrelenting heart for the poor. I hope we in the church see this as clearly, too.



Here are some other compelling moments.

This promo for Idol Gives Back 2008 showed some instances of transformation for both poor and rich. Interactions like these narrow the vast gap that usually keeps the rich isolated from a world of poverty and all it's ugly realities.


"If I am honest I'm rebelling against my own indifference. I am rebelling against the idea that the world is the way the world is and there's not a damned thing I can do about it. So I'm trying to do some damned thing."-Bono

Carrie Underwood covering "Praying For Time." These sharp lyrics cut right through me.



“The test of our progress is not whether we add to the abundance of those who have much. It is whether we provide enough to those who have little.”-Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Daughtry's Trip To Africa



Favorite Moments from Idol Gives Back 2007


NOTE: Since I now have music on my site that plays automatically, you won't be able to watch videos and HEAR them without first turning off the music. To do this, scroll DOWN to the very bottom of my blog. There, you will see my playlist. Just hit stop or pause. :)

Desperate Housewives Go To Church?

"The church is a place for answers, not for questions."--Bree Van De Camp, Desperate Housewives.


Yes, it's true. I learned something insightful from the usually shallow-and-smutty-Desperate Housewives. My ears perked up when I heard one of the main characters declare to her family that they should go to church.

Lynette Scavo; mother of five, a surviving cancer victim, AND a surviving tornado victim; watches her neighbors leave for church on a Sunday morning, and realizes that she has a lot to be thankful for, as well as a lot of unanswered questions. This unbelieving, unchurched woman for the first time in her life wants to go to church. Lynette did not grow up in a religious family and has never attended a church. When she tells her family she wants to go to church, the husband says, "Why? What did we do?" She admits she knows nothing about God or Jesus and feels she needs to find out. Her son confidently declares that he knows plenty about Jesus. "Jesus is the guy who helps Santa at Christmas." Realizing their children's ignorance, they decide to head straight to church.

Lynette seeks out her best friend, Bree Vandecamp, the most "religious" person she knows, and asks if she and her family can tag along to her church. As Lynette walks away, she asks, "So, what are we now?" Bree answers, "Presbyterian!" and Lynette's eyes sort of glaze over, obviously puzzled because she is unfamiliar with the plethora of denominations out there.

The next scene shows Lynette and her family sitting in the pews, listening to the preacher finish his sermon on God's unfailing love. Just as he finishes speaking and is about to lead a hymn, Lynette shoots her hand in the air, eager to ask some pertinent questions about the sermon she just heard. Bree, mortified, frantically whispers, "We don't do that here!" Lynette persists, and the preacher uncomfortably calls on her. She stands up and says she's enjoyed the sermon, but did not understand how God's love could be unfailing when there are so many wars, school shootings, and natural disasters. The congregation looks uncomfortable. People look down at the floor. Men adjust their ties. Eyebrows descend toward squinting eyes. The pastor graciously responds about free will and living in fallen world. Just as the congregation breathes a sigh of relief, Lynette shoots her hand up with another question. The preacher invites her to the midweek bible study; a better place to discuss such deep theological questions.

Lynette, thrilled, accepts and rushes out to buy a bible. Lynette tells Bree that she's breaking in her bible and can't wait to ask all the questions brewing inside of her. Bree gently informs Lynette that "church isn't a place for questions, it's a place for answers." She then explains that church and bible study are a time to listen and eventually, if you have any questions, they will be answered by listening. A discouraged and hurt Lynette decides to give the Catholic church down the street a try instead, describing herself as a "free agent," and the church that will allow some Q & A can have her.

Meanwhile Bree is competing for a prestigious position as committee leader and thinks Lynette's improper behavior may have cost her the spot. But when Bree realizes her pastor was refreshed by Lynette's honest questions, she sets out to get Lynette back. But a still hurting Lynette lashes out at Bree, confessing she used to admire Bree's faith. That she thought Bree had a "real relationship with God," and that's how Bree got through the difficult times. But when she got cancer and her family was nearly killed in a tornado, she was puzzled that Bree never shared her faith. It was as if Bree kept the secret that gave her strength all to herself.



Lynette says, "I have survived cancer and a tornado and I don't understand why I survived and so many others didn't." She needs to understand how God fits into all of this.


Bree, stunned, says "Why didn't you ever tell me this?" Lynette shoots back, "Why didn't you ask? Oh that's right, you don't like asking questions."

In the end Bree apologizes. Bree says, "Faith shouldn't be blind. You don't threaten it by asking questions, you make it stronger." The episode ends with them on the porch reading the Bible together.


Throughout the episode, I kept thinking about the growing number of the population that is completely "unchurched." How many people do not know anything about God or Jesus, let alone how church is done. I wonder how the few curious seekers that do wander into churches see our services? Do they feel the way Lynette felt? Do even Christians sometimes feel the way Lynette felt? Like they are trouble-makers or lacking in faith if they ask the hard questions plaguing their hearts and minds? If they don't just sit back and hope one day their answers will come?


Are our churches a place for questions? I realize that in larger churches, it would be quite impractical to have the congregation asking their questions during those meetings. But I think the nature of Lynette's questions is what really made everyone uncomfortable. I've been part of several bible studies where similar questions were posed and the mood immediately changed. The tension was thick and people scrambled to dismiss the questions with simple pat answers and cliches before changing the subject. Slap a scripture on it and move on!

It seemed perfectly natural to Lynette (a representative of the unchurched segment of America) to voice her concerns and ask her questions once the preacher was done speaking. But when such questions are asked, does the church come off fearful or bothered by questions that have no easy answers? Do we make a place for such questions to be asked, whether from new comers or longtime members of the body? If our faith is real and our God is Truth, are there really any uncomfortable questions that can change that?

This episode of Desperate Housewives portrayed a valuable lessen, at least for me. It put me in the shoes of a person seeking God with no knowledge of the institutional church and how confusing it must all be for them.

BTW, I should return soon with more on the women series. These in depth posts on scriptures are wearing me out, because they involve so much and real life keeps getting in the way. So I thought I'd interrupt with a less studious post. But the women series will continue to march on.

This Week's American Idol Pick!

Here are my picks for the best female and male American Idol performances

Carly Smithson

Dave Archuleta

My American Idol Picks!

Ahhh....The competition part of American Idol has finally begun! So every week, I am going to post the best performances from one guy and one girl.

This week, the best male performance goes to Michael Johns!


I actually hate this next song and it's not the best overall performance from this girl, Carly Smithson, throughout the entire show, but I really like her and think she's going to do amazing things with her voice....

Insight From Reality TV?

Reality TV has earned a reputation for being the lowest form of television entertainment. It has become a goldmine of cheaply-produced programming that rakes in billions, heavily relying on exploiting everyday people (or washed-up celebrities) by setting up outrageous destined-to-fail dating shows, humiliating competition-driven shows (i.e. eating cow testicles for 50 grand) where participants are encouraged to sell each other out, cut each other down, and be as ruthless as possible. But every now and then, a show or a moment on a show can capture something real. A moment that teaches you something about people as well as yourself.

This is the case with Vh1's Celebrity Rehab

VH1 teamed up with Dr. Drew Pinskey, a renowned drug counselor, to create Celebrity Rehab, a reality show documenting the raw process a group of celebrities go through when they enter an alcohol and drug rehab. The show attempts to de-glamorize the allure of drugs by revealing where drug addiction leads, the unbelievable pain an addict must go through to get sober, and the deeper issues they must face to maintain sobriety.

When I first saw the preview for Celebrity Rehab, my initial thought was, "Oh boy, a bunch of spoiled celebrities whining about how hard it is to be rich." I figured these people had silver spoons in their mouths, never heard the word 'no', and lacked self-control. (I was really on a high horse that day...geesh). But as I watched, I found myself moved by the stories of these fallen celebrities, crying along with them and empathizing with their pain. Their addictions have little to do with an over-indulgent life of debauchery, but are more the external manifestation of their horrendous pasts, filled with abuse, illness, and abandonment. Most of them utilize their addictions as a means of escape.

Here are just a few of the back stories from some of the cast...

Jessica Sierra, a former American Idol contender, was busted for two DUIs and cocaine possession. She was a mess when she entered rehab, difficult and filled with despair. As the group therapy session progressed, Dr. Pinskey encouraged her to share about her past. Her mother abandoned her as a baby and didn't come back to see her until Jessica was thirteen. It was then that Jessica learned her mother was hooked on drugs and prostituting herself to pay for her habit. Jessica lashed out and told her mother she hated her. A few months later, Jessica's mom was found dead in a ditch, dying from a drug overdose.

Jeff Conaway, famous for his role as Kenickie in the 1970s hit musical Grease and as Bobby Wheeler in the sitcom Taxi. Conaway, an addict for nearly 30 years, has been reduced to a shaking, tempermental, stuttering man, confined to a wheelchair most the time as a result of chronic pain. It turns out at the age of four, he was tortured: locked in trunks, hung from buildings, and beaten severely. At age seven, he became the victim of child pornography. Ever since he's used drugs to numb his pain and escape reality, and has battled suicidal thoughts.

Mary Ellen, a porn star, was abandoned by her father, left to care for her bi-polar mother. A few years ago, her mother attempted suicide by flinging herself off a four-story building. Mary Ellen prayed to God and said if He let her mother survive she would quit porn and turn her life around, which is why she entered rehab.

Watching this show made me realize how judgmental I can be. It is so easy to look at the outward behavior of people and think we know what's going on underneath. As I was thinking about my first impressions of these drug-addicted celebrities and how drastically it changed after taking the time to listen to their experiences, I wondered how many other people I have made snap judgments about, thinking I know exactly why they are the way they are. The reason shallow judgmentalism is so dangerous is because it strips us of the opportunity and call to have compassion for others. The author over at the Tree Reach blog wrote this insightful post on compassion versus judgementalism. This post sums up perfectly the need to put ourselves in each other's shoes and to exercise compassion instead of judgment.

Kudos to VH1 for taking on a show that reveals the truth about drug use: the dire consequences and the long, long road to recovery.

Semi-Good Theology From Stephen Colbert?

Stephen Colbert, host of the Colbert Report, is an outrageous satirically-sharp late-night comedian. He coined the term "truthiness," which is perfect when discussing the kind of truth that's involved in politics. Most people think he's actually parodying Bill O'Reilly, it's very funny indeed.

The other night, he sat down with Phillip Zimbardo, author of The Lucifer Effect, who has an "alternate" take on how things went down between God and Lucifer. Colbert schools Zimbardo with a theology similar to that of many in the Christian church. However, just when you want to applaud Colbert for doing so, he promptly finishes with an ironic expletive, which I totally confess to cracking up over. Most cussing doesn't really offend me (there are a select few words that make me wince), but for my friends with "virgin ears," I wanted to give you fair warning. The video bleeps it out. Inappropriate or not, it still made me laugh. :)

I always find "theological" discussions in unexpected forums, especially on national television and on a "secular" comedy show, to be of interest. It's a unique window into the perceptions of outsiders (really, just the kind of people most church folks never take the time to know in real life or listen to their perspectives). Plus, Colbert counters this guy pretty well. So, I thought I'd share....

LOST is BACK!!!

Ahh... The best show on television, LOST, returned with more mystery and excitement than ever! The long-term mystery of the show frustrates some, but I love it. The complexity of the characters and their interactions with each other is the real meat of the show anyhow, and the mystery aspects are just a means for each individual character to face the demons of their past and hopefully experience redemption.

Plus, my middle-eastern man, Sayid, is back in full force! (My, how I have missed you!) And I have a soft spot in my heart for the ever-so complicated Saywer.

So, watch Lost on Thursday nights on ABC. Catch up on episodes by renting seasons 1-3 on DVD. You won't be disappointed!

Love Is In The Air!

I'm in love with Anderson Cooper, there I said it!

I used to love Bill O'Reilly, umm, in a more, shall we say, platonic sort of way? :) But sadly, Bill has lost his ever-loving mind with the war on christmas (that gets longer and longer every year) and sensationalizes the "culture war," becoming a polarizing force, instead of a balanced one.

So, lately I've been watching some Anderson Cooper over at CNN, and well, I loveth him. He's smart, articulate, passionate but respectful, and he let's his guests talk (a novel idea!). He consistently puts forth multiple points of view and questions positions and issues without belittling or demonizing people. Oh, and he's not just a talking head that sits behind a desk and reads from a prompter. He's brave. He's been all over the world, voluntarily going into war zones and unstable regions to shed light on pressing current events.

And seriously, look at those eyes! :)

So, he might be going into my top five. (Friends fans, you know what that means, wink).

Anyway, that's my plug for A-Coop. He's breath of fresh air among the increasingly sensational, slanted, and cowardly mainstream media.

Shake That Groove Thing!

"Dancers are the athletes of God." ~Albert Einstein

I just wanted to share my favorite dance routines from the last season of So You Think You Can Dance. I am the whitest, non-rhythmic gal you will ever meet, but I love watching other people dance and when it's done right, it is so powerful and moving.

This is a contemporary piece choreographed by the gifted Mia Michaels. She constructs such beautiful movements.


The video below is Lauren Gottlieb, one of my favorite girl dancers this season, performing a Wade Robson creation to Waiting on the World To Change, by John Mayer



This is a Danny Tidwell's solo of the same dance. This boy can JUMP!



This is a really funky dance created by Wade Robson. It's a contemporary jazz piece with a good ole' fashioned "good vs. evil" theme.



I love the two dancers in this piece...the moves are really intricate and different.


OK, I don't like to interpret art for other people, but if a viewer doesn't know the background to this piece, it could be perceived as a little cheesy. The choreographer, Mia Michaels, lost her father to cancer a few months ago, and this piece is an homage to her father, how she envisions reuniting with him in heaven....very sweet.


"To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking." ~Agnes De Mille

Best Show!

The last few months, Will and I have been watching ABC's LOST on DVD. We had heard really good things about it from some friends and wanted to watch a show that would interest us both. We were not disappointed. It's definitely one of my favorite shows ever!

Forty-eight people survive a plane crash and are stranded on an island somewhere in the South Pacific, but they come to find out, it is no ordinary island. What's sounds to be a bit of a silly Gilligan's Island theme, is really so much better. From the first moment of the very first episode, it is immediate action and intrigue, beginning with the survivors waking up to a fiery plane on a beach with mass chaos all around. LOST is in the mystery/suspense/fantasy genre with REALLY complex characters whose pasts intertwine with the present and whose storyline's intersect. They are constantly struggling with their own humanity and battling with their past identities and their chances for change. Even though some of the circumstances, twists, and storylines are far-fetched, the "reality" or "relevance" lies within the raw humanity and inner conflicts of the characters. So, the fanciful elements actually compliment the characters and what seems to be bizarre nonsense at first, eventually makes more sense and serves a meaningful purpose.

Since the cast is so large, each episode singles out a particular character and reveals part of their past and how it connects to what is occurring in the present on the island through inserting a series of flashbacks. The island itself becomes a character, shrouded in mystery and possibility. The writing tends to have dark undercurrents (not horror movie dark), but there is always MORE going on or something DIFFERENT going on than how it first appears. It keeps the viewer guessing, surprised, and invested in the characters. The cast is SO good, featuring diverse characters of different nationalities, ethnicity, and worldviews. There are Americans, Australians, English, an Iraqi, a wise-cracking smart redneck, a rock star, a pregnant girl, a Korean couple that can't speak English, and a slue of other interesting characters that all stretch far beyond these simple descriptions. The contrasting identities play off each other and help develop and change each character.

WARNING: I never like to recommend something without also telling what could be possibly offensive, so I don't have to hear about later :) There are some supernatural elements to the show, which offend some people, but it doesn't enter into the 'demonic realm' or anything. There are good, bad, and in between characters, thus these characters, even the good ones, tend to mess up, make complicated decisions, and do some bad things. There are elements of violence (although not gory), betrayal, deception, etc. But there are also elements of redemption, forgiveness, restitution, and change. In three seasons, there has only been a handful of inappropriate sexual moments. It's on ABC, so there is no nudity or actual sex happening, but there are some innuendos, suggestions, and alluding to the fact that sex has occurred. But this show is not driven by characters sleeping around or even "love stories," but there are a handful of storylines that do deal with subject of sex.

The cast is so intriguing and so complex....Here are some pics, some character you might recognize such as Matthew Fox, from Party Of Five and Dominic Monaghan, who played Pippin in Lord of the Rings

This is my absolute favorite character, Sayid! I have such a crush on him. :)




Here's the promo for season 1. I would post promos or clips from season 2 and 3, but I don't want to spoil it for people who might want to start watching! :)


This is my favorite LOST montage
WARNING: The following montage contains clips from ALL 3 Seasons of Lost, so there are a MAJOR SPOILERS. If you are planning on watching the show (Marissa Lawrence, I'm talking to YOU!), you definetely SHOULD NOT watch the following clip.

If interested in watching this show, most Blockbusters or Movie Galleries have seasons 1 and 2 available to rent. Amazon also sells them fairly cheap, especially if you buy it used.

American Idol Gives Back

These are my two favorite montages from American Idol Gives Back (the huge fundraiser concert that raised over $70 million dollars for AIDS and Malaria victims in Africa).