Fred D. Lynch III - The Script. A Hip-Hop Devotional Through the Book of John

INVERT YOUTH SPECIALTIES

THE SCRIPT: A HIP-HOP DEVOTIONAL THROUGH THE BOOK OF JOHN
Copyright 2008 byFred D. Lynch III

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ePub Edition June 2009 ISBN: 0-310-86387-2

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Cover design by SharpSeven Design

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CONTENTS

Day 34Jesus Prepares the Disciples for His Departure:
When I Leave, He Will Come

HOW TO USE THE SCRIPT

You can just read the verses and passages like you would a great novelor you can follow along with the accompanying disc and listen to the musical tracks while youre reading them on these pages.

You can read The Script devotionally, too, checking out portions of the Gospel of John each day over the course of 42 daysthats how the book is divided up.

But The Script is more than just a hip-hop translation of Scripture! Dont forget that along with verses you can dig in and explore deeper questions. For instance:

I provided a sidebar of word definitions and explanations called Say What? at the end of many of the 42 passages. Make sure you get a look at thisits amazing the power and multiple meaning

If you do decide to read The Script devotionally, I wrote a Devotional after each of the 42 passages. You can read a mini-commentary on the passage and journal and answer the questions provided (go aheadwrite directly on the page if you want!).

Finally, theres the Breathe Out exercise. Check out the following suggestions for making the most of Breathe Out.

BREATHE OUT CONCEPT

Each day an assignment is given to reinforce what you learned (breathed in). The assignments are simple and should take three to five minutes. Since this is a six-week program, the assignment categories repeat over consecutive days (days one through seven times six weeks). The assignments reflect things done in hip-hop culture to capture your hip-hop heart and minds that words carry.

Day 1: Write It (reflectively journal)

Day 2: Tag It (make graffiti or draw out, illustrate, and compare)

Day 3: Speak It (creatively compose in spoken-word form)

Day 4: Rap It (make up your own rap lyrics)

Day 5: Remix It (interpret)

Day 6: Flip It (discover)

Day 7: Go to God (pray)

Other breathe out ideas

Journal about a time when Gods love surprised you and made your day.

Go to God and ask him to surprise you with his love this week.

Draw five faces surrounding Jesus at a temple and what they probably looked like as he was preaching a passage.

Journal about the first time you experienced embarrassment for the sake of truth.

Imagine a visitor from another town coming and witnessing a surprising event from the weeks Scripture. Write out a freestyle spoken-word (non-rhyming) piece about that visitor explaining the event to his friends when he gets home.

WHY ANOTHER NEW VERSION OF SCRIPTURE?

Language changes. New words are formed. Old words take on new meanings. Every generation needs to keep the language of the gospel message current, fresh, and understandablethe way it was for its very first readers. Thats what TheScript accomplishes for todays readers and hearers.

The Gospel of John was originally written in koin Greek. That was the language of the common people. Today wed call it ghetto Greek. Why was the most important message of all time written in such a simple language? So it could be transferred to people easily and accurately. There were no misunderstandings due to canonically correct traditional writing styles that most people were unfamiliar with. As a result, the gospel spread like wildfire.

Today many people enjoy reading and memorizing, for example, the King James Version of the Bible because of its poetic flow. Others enjoy versions that offer close, word-for-word translations from the original languages to English. TheScript is designed to be experienced. In other words, it brings to life the spirit of the original manuscripts that can get played down in formal English translations (e.g., the rhythm of the voices, the flavor of the idiomatic expressions, the subtle connotations of meaning) and brings it home for todays teenage reader through the infusion of hip-hop culture and language.

DOES THE SCRIPT USE EBONICS?

No. While there is hip-hop flavor and the use of urban slang for accent points in the rhyme schemes, The Script employs a great deal of contemporary language and touchstones in order to provide greater overall understanding for teenage readers. The Script actually represents a conscious attempt to move away from the use of Ebonics.

Instead of sacrificing the continuity of thought from the original text for street cred, The Script bends the powerful descriptive language of the street to tell the honest tale of Scripture.

HOW MUCH OF THE SCRIPT IS DRIVEN BY SLANG?

We sought to develop a classical style of literature with The Script, not a slang-driven work. As already noted, the colloquialisms in The Script are more or less widespread in mainstream culture; but also we wanted to avoid the overuse of subcultural slang that marginalizes. Of course, slang and even socially descriptive words change over time. Which is why we went to great lengths to develop The Script in a way that recaptures the passion and potency of the unchanging truth of Gods Word in a language that teenagers use today. When looking at classic hip-hop, you find songs that employ serious poetryof the street or otherwiseand have become timeless: Rappers Delight by The Sugar Hill Gang (1979), The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (1982), I Aint No Joke by Eric B. & Rakim (1986), Nothin but a G Thang by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg (1992), and Jesus Walks by Kanye West (2004) all capture the cultural climates of their eras, but also transcend time and still speak to kids todayand will speak to future generations. And although we dont endorse all the lyrics in the aforementioned songs, the timelessness of these tunes is beyond question. And thats our hope for The Script.

The Script is a work of literature that reflects the truth of two major realities: The unchanging human condition and the constantly changing cultural conditions of our world.

RAP IS SO TRENDY; WILL THE SCRIPT BECOME OUT OF DATE?

The Script is part of a massive, growing culture thats long since taken the world by stormhip-hop. Its not going anywhere fast. But as stated previously, even the meaning behind some hip-hop words can change over time. Which is why we didnt rely solely on hip-hop terms to get our points across; we also employed unchanging truths from the emerging culture, as well as phrasing from several different Bible versions.