Unshackling an Idol

If you got to catch this week's American Idol, you got to hear Mandisa bring the house down with her version of MaryMary's Shackles (Praise You). This was her strongest performance so far this season because she was doing exactly what the judges were advising everyone to do: be authentic. How much more authentic could she have been? Mandisa is a part of the Beth Moore worship team. She was in her element and it seemed like the audience was digging it.

But when it came time for the critiques, it was obvious that the judges were clueless. They simply did not know how to respond to such a direct message of God's goodness. So, they did the only thing they knew to do, criticize the song selection. There was absolutely no talk about her delivery. Shackles was just as much a hit in the new millennium as the other songs that were sung this week.

Here's how I am picturing what went into the song choice: Mandisa saw her chance to testify and went for it, no matter the cost. If this had been the last week she was in the show, she would have gone out in a blaze of glory. I'm proud of her for representing so well. And apparently a lot of others felt the same way, because she's still in.

That reminds me of one of my favorite verses: Colossians 4:5, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, make the most of every opportunity."

Today I had a girl from a newspaper call to say they were going to be doing a story on what local churches were doing to reach out to the community. She said, "I don't want to be rude." I wondered out loud, "What do you mean rude?" Her response was, "Well, like your church is just out looking for new members." I said, "Well, that's good, because that's exactly what we are doing. We want to reach as many people as possible any way we can."

Our message is too important to keep it to ourselves, even when people sometimes don't understand. We must be wise, and we must also be clear. When there is an open door, we walk on through it, unshackled and free.On a side note, we are planning our own unshackling of sorts at our Big Hunt Easter event, where Zak is going to do an upside down, straight-jacket escape. Whatever it takes!