My church finishes late on a Sunday evening, so I rarely get to see any TV shows scheduled during that ‘prime time’. This year Australian Idol has fallen into this category of shows I just can’t keep up with any longer.
So it was to my surprise this evening when my in-laws mentioned that Stan Walker last night chose to sing Chris Tomlin’s version of Amazing Grace. They described his performance as surprising for them to hear since they knew the song, it was a church/worship song, and his version was different to what they’re used to.
So I had a watch this evening and I felt a sense of dejavu. Early last year American Idol contestants sang ‘Shout to the Lord’ during a ‘Idol Gives Back’ charity show. Was this something similar? Bob Kauflin shares some thoughtful reflections on the American Idol performance which are worth reflecting upon.
I didn’t think Stan’s performance was all that bad myself. I did, however, note a few things:
1. The song’s lyrics were condensed (most likely for sake of time) so only verse 1 (which was repeated) and the chorus were sung. This was a shame since the song says so much more about Christian conversion.
2. Stan’s singing style brought immediate attention to himself and not the lyrics – it was probably a wonderful example of what not to do as a song leader (and why I appreciate groups like Sovereign Grace who are not only gifted musically, but know how to not draw attention to their vocals).
3. Stan seemed unprepared to share his thoughts on the song by pointing people to Christ or say anything meaningful about it. Dicko, who professed that he was no ‘God-botherer’ (sic) even gave him an opportunity to share his thoughts on singing that song, but the opportunity was lost.
Keep praying for Stan. Pray that he is personally clear on who Jesus is, and that he’ll be clear in proclaiming a crucified and resurrected Saviour, Jesus Christ.
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