Wha ... ?!?

I arrived home from class tonight, just in time to watch the last half of American Idol Gives Back. If you missed this fundraiser's inaugural show last year, I'm so sorry for your loss. It was an incredible showcase of the unforgivable needs and atrocities in Africa and here in the United States, as well as a celebration of the hard work that nonprofit and civic organizations have contributed to solving those problems. In one night, AI raised more than $70 million.

This year, Idol presented another impressive show with the help of a glittering slate of celebrities (including a bizarre but entertaining cameo by Robin Williams as the "Russian Idol"). Again, good show, deserves kudos for helping to raise awareness on issues that shouldn't require awareness-raising in the first place.

But. I. am. so. befuddled.

At the end of the show, Ryan Seacrest introduced the Idol contestants and their closing song -- "Shout to the Lord."

Wha ... huh? really?

Stunned, my roommate and I gawked at the TV and then promptly emitted small, high screams when the music proved that the song was, indeed, the very same praise and worship tune that churches around the world have been singing for, I don't know, a decade.

The ONLY edit made to the song was replacing the sole reference to "Jesus" with the word "shepherd." None of the other lyrics were tampered with: "Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing/Power and majesty, praise to the King" was sung just like that. By all the contestants. Backed up by the requisite black gospel choir.

Wha ...

Why?

No idea.

But it was kinda nice that God got a bit of a shout-out from one of TV's biggest shows ever and that millions of people heard it. I wonder how many pastors will mention this on Sunday ...



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Now playing: Hillsong - Shout To The Lord
via FoxyTunes

(yeah, of course I'm listening to the song while writing this!)