06 June 2006

The Hip Hop Prayer Book

Just as William Tyndale translated the bible into English and popularized it through print, The Hip Hop Prayer Book "offers a means to worship that will draw in the young and speak to those not generally spoken to by the Church" by presenting "daily prayers, psalms, a variety of services (including a Eucharist), and a selection of bible stories" through the filter of Ebonics and Hip Hop.

For example, here is a comparison of Psalm 23 between the King James and the Hip Hop Prayer book

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

The Lord is all that, I need for nothing.
He allows me to chill.
He keeps me from being heated
and allows me to breathe easy.
He guides my life so that
I can represent and give
shouts out in his Name.
And even though I walk through
the Hood of death,
I don't back down
for you have my back.
The fact that you have me covered
allows me to chill.
He provides me with back-up
in front of my player-haters
and I know that I am a baller
and life will be phat.
I fall back in the Lord's crib
for the rest of my life.

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