Kris Rasmussen: March 2007 Archives

With only three episodes left, NBC's small town drama "Friday Night Lights" still has yet to be picked up for another season. Despite numerous critical accolades, some television viewers are still reluctant to give the series a chance. But after another tour-de-force effort last week, I am throwing one more "hail mary" out into cyberspace in hopes of convincing our Idol Chatter readers to give the show a chance tonight.

Last week's episode focused on the theme of second chances with paralyzed ex-quarterback Jason Street. He faced another defeat when he didn't make the quad rugby team he tried out for, but he was able to help the new Dillon quarterback, Matt Sarancen, overcome his fears on the field. Other characters also were looking for another chance to set their lives right--one father tried to unite his family after his affair with a woman was discovered, and another ball player decided to give his relationship with a troubled girl with a bipolar disorder another chance.

Tonight's episode promises another opportunity for the folks of Dillon, Texas to work together and rise above yet another obstacle as the ball field is destroyed prior to state finals. Meanwhile Coach Taylor must finally decide whether or not to take a college coaching job and leave behind the students he has spiritually and emotionally fathered.

To skeptics, I know all of this sounds a little bit soap-operaish--but reall, it isn't. Well, at least most of the time it isn't. Very rarely does television celebrate community and the spiritual significance of the ordinary the way "Lights" does week after week. In a TV landscape being overrun by reality series, crime shows, and mediocre sitcoms, it would be a shame to see this "Light" be extinguished

If some of you "American Idol" fans out there still think that finalist Chris Sligh is playing coy about whether he is Christian enough, people from his past have spoken up with their thoughts on the pressing matter.

In a recent Associated Content article, a spokesperson for ultra-conservative Bob Jones University--the school Sligh once attended--has said he has been watching Sligh every week to check on the singer's progress and that the school was "somewhat disappointed with the direction he has gone musically." (Read: He needs to "Jesus" up his act and not be so worldly as to sing tacky 80s songs like "Endless Love." )

Meanwhile, the pastor over at Seacoast Church, Chris Surratt, has spoken up for Sligh’s Christian background, sighting the two years in which Sligh lead worship at the church as evidence of Sligh’s faith. Even a professor from another school Sligh attended, North Greenville University, was happy to be quoted for the article, saying she "worries" about the singer's spiritual journey.

I'm tuning out "American Idol" this season, so I can't really offer my expert opinion on this hugely important matter except to say this: Boring pseudo-controversies like this almost make me wish for the good old days of the Corey Clark scandal. Or maybe for the days when the show actually was about talent.

Since I returned to watching the screwball medical comedy "Scrubs," with new-found appreciation last season, I have learned to never underestimate the intelligent and touching ways in which the show tackles big questions about the meaning of life. Last night's episode was no exception, as the show took the glib cliché, "everything happens for a reason," and created an episode in which, once again, the acid-tongued, cynical Dr. Cox's, views on God were questioned.

Cox and his equally sarcastic, feisty wife Jordan are facing the bad news that their unborn baby will need surgery. Since Cox is not very adept at handling circumstances beyond his control, he, as usual, finds ways to take it out on his staff. When he goes off on one of his usual rants with the strong yet serene Nurse Roberts, she simply reminds him, "Everything happens for a reason."

Cox disagrees. But as the episode unfolds he does become aware of the good that is coming out of this crisis: His relationship with Jordan is deepening significantly.

But in true "Scrubs" fashion, just as Cox is thinking Nurse Roberts might be correct in her assertion, tragedy strikes. Nurse Roberts is injured in a car crash and is brought to the hospital in a coma. As the entire Scared Heart staff stares through the window at her lifeless body, the question lingers--and for last night's episode remains unanswered.

Next week's episode promises a continued reflection on this theme of the possibility of a divine connection between pain and personal growth, as Nurse Roberts life continues to hang in the balance. And with the delightful, irreverant nature of "Scrubs," I am not willing to make any predictions on whether or not either Nurse Roberts' body--or Dr. Cox's soul--will be revived.

In 1994, there were very few safe havens for the Tutsi people of Rwanda when the violent rebels of the Hutu race began killing hundreds of thousands of Tutsi in a brutal civil war. The Ecole Technique Officielle, a school in the capitol city of Kilgali, was one of those few safe havens. In the film "Beyond the Gates," currently in limited release, the school's bloody chapter as part of that war is documented with thoughtful precision, offering additional insight into one of the greatest humans rights tragedies in recent history.

The film primarily takes place during the first few days of the war, when Belgian officials used the school as a military outpost of sorts to monitor the crisis, while the workers at the school gave refuge to a few thousand Tutsis hoping to avoid being slaughtered. Unlike "Hotel Rwanda," which chronicled events from an African perspective, this film views the events more from the perspective of a British priest, Father Christopher, and a young, idealistic teacher, Joe. Together, they struggle to make sense of good and evil in a chaotic situation. As events unfold, Joe realizes he is woefully ignorant and unprepared to deal with the depth of this tragedy, while Father Christopher, amidst moments of doubt, is wearily resolute in his efforts to save any lives he can, at any cost.

"Beyond the Gates" has its flaws: The pace in the beginning is slow, and too many "important speeches" tell us what to think about the action as it is happens. However, the second hour of the film is gripping without being unnecessarily gory, and, in the end, it successfully poses important questions about the relationship between faith and sacrifice. Yet perhaps the most moving aspect of this film is the way the director bravely chooses to use survivors of the genocide in front of and behind the camera and then celebrates their stories during the end credits of the film.

In light of the ongoing events in Darfur, another cinematic look at the holocaust in Rwanda is, sadly, quite timely. For that reason alone, "Beyond the Gates" is worth viewing and discussing with those in your church community.

To watch an exclusive clip of "Beyond the Gates," click here.

It's impossible for me to think of a more oversaturated section of the contemporary Christian music market than the adult contemporary/worship genre, but John Waller--a worship leader and former member of the group "According to John"--has entered that arena with a respectable debut entitled "The Blessing." Fans of groups like Mercy Me and singers like Matt Redman will enjoy the tender, spiritual reflections on this CD, and I am guessing one or two of the songs are destined to become the latest worship hits in evangelical churches across the country.

While all of the songs have an intimate, personal feel to them, musically, many of the songs--like "Identity" and "Breathe on Me"--have a generic sound to them, and it was only after listening to them a second time that I was able to appreciate the lyrics fully. And when Waller tries to inflect a little pop music into songs like "Love to Say Your Name," the effect falls a little flat.

However, there are two songs on "The Blessing" that outshine the others by a mile: "Calling for A Flood" and "While I'm Waiting." Both are catchy without being cheesy or sappy. Both songs also capture a heartfelt cry for a deeper relationship with God that will surely inspire listeners to reflect on their own relationship with God.

So while I am not sure any of the songs on Waller's debut will have the miraculous radio crossover appeal that Mercy Me's "I Can Only Imagine" did, I am sure "The Blessing" will be welcomed in Christian bookstores everywhere.

In an industry where artists are increasingly trying to redefine themselves just to stay alive, contemporary Christian music artist TobyMac is the only singer from DC Talk, a Christian boy band of the early 90s, who has made a successful...

I've been hearing rave reviews about singer/songwriter Patty Griffin’s latest release, "Children Running Through" ever since it dropped into stores last month. So I was thrilled to have a chance this week to sit down at last and soak...

Britney's in and out of rehab. Everyone is still focusing on what might have happened to Anna Nicole. Maybe the media won’t notice if we adopt another kid. That’s what my more cynical side imagines the thought process might have...