The Bible...in Rap?

So The Bible in Rhyme was posted on a few blogs and tweets yesterday which was pretty cool. Except they all seemed to be relating back to a post about how The Bible in Rhyme was doggerel garbage. Ouch.

And the headline was "A Rhyming Bible. Can the Rap Version Be Far Behind?"

It hurt my feelings for about 10 minutes, and then I realized, "Wait...this is the goal! To get people talking about, thinking about, and opening their Bibles!"

So I read Mr. Gibson's post again, and I enjoyed it much more. It got me thinking about the possibility of a rap version...again. This is not the first time. In fact, I had two people in different areas of the publishing industry recommend that I change the title of the book to "The Bible in Rap" before publication. Of course, I did not. But they thought it would make for quite the publicity.

I didn't want it to be The Bible in Rap. Mainly because I can't rap. But also because even though there is Christian rap, the genre is generally regarded as violent and misogynistic. Now that I think about it, the Bible can actually come across that way too.

But let's pretend somebody does come out with a rap version of the Bible. So what? If it reaches people where they are, gets them interested enough to open up the real Bible, and learn what the holy scriptures say, how is that a bad thing?

Jesus went to Samaria and converted the sworn enemies of the Jews. He healed and comforted the Romans who ruled over and oppressed them. Why on earth would we not want ANYTHING that reaches those who need it most? Just because they don't look like us, don't talk like us, and don't listen to the same music as us, should we excommunicate them? If we do so, aren't we really excommunicating ourselves from what Jesus called us to do?

Whether we rhyme, rap, rock, yodel, dance, sign, sing, sneeze, cough, or lip sync something that helps bring people to a place of hope and faith doesn't matter. What matters is that we pour out our hearts to help expand the kingdom of heaven on earth.

Somebody else can take rap. I call dibs on The Bible in Yodel.

Three Versions of Psalm 23

I was at a funeral today for a woman who truly lived a full and wonderful life. During the funeral, as it seems in all funerals, Psalm 23 was read. And the power of it hit me more than usual (which I guess is why it is always read at funerals). It made me think about how Psalm 23 reads in The Bible, in The Bible in Rhyme, and in one of my favorite books ever, Stephen King's The Stand. So here are three versions of Psalm 23.

From The Bible in Rhyme:

The Lord is my shepherd, and I want for naught.

He leads me beside quiet waters in thought.

He leads me in ways in which my soul’s restored.

He shows me the righteous way. He is my Lord.

I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

and I fear no evil, as God’s in each breath.

I am protected by His staff and rod,

for He is my savior as He is my God.

My table is set in the presence of foes.

I’m anointed by God. My cup overflows.

Goodness and love follow me where I roam.

Forever I’ll dwell in the Lord’s holy home.

From The King James Version:

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.

From Stephen King's The Stand:

(This is a quote from the character Tom Cullen, who is

mentally handicapped)

The lord is my shepherd

I shall not want for nothing.

He makes me lie down in the green pastures.

He greases up my head with oil.

He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies.

Amen

If you haven't read The Stand, you should. If you have, then you know that Tom Cullen is probably the most likable character ever (M-O-O-N...that spells Tom Cullen). And when I read his version of the 23rd Psalm, I can't help but feel that King got closer to the real fervor of that prayer than even the original.

In the Cullen prayer, there's nothing but fear of the unknown and faith that God will see him through. And that in the end, there's nothing to fear at all, because that kung fu is going to come out of nowhere and save him. That's faith. That's the kind of faith I want to have! I can rally behind that.

Go ahead, Lord, grease up my head with oil. And give me the simple faith to know that You are my shepherd and that Your kung fu is unstoppable!

Keeping Score

Since The Bible in Rhyme was published, it's been really interesting as we try to keep score on how it's doing. We've kept track of downloads, sales, site visits, blog views, Amazon rank, Barnesandnoble.com rank, etc.

But I was reminded of John Ortburg's book It All Goes Back in the Box. He makes a great point that all the ways that we keep score - money, houses, cars, status...and yes, Amazon Rankings - don't count in God's eyes. He wants to see how we have worked for the betterment of those around us, and for our communities as a whole.

My hope with The Bible in Rhyme is that it will open up the scriptures to someone who needed it, who would not have otherwise read the Bible, and to people who were looking for another way to worship God.

I won't stop looking at my Amazon ranking. I won't stop keeping track of how many books I have sold or given away. I can't. Because no matter what, that IS a way that we keep score, and a game with no score is no fun. But I am going to commit myself to look at the score in a different way. I need to remember that it's not how fast the score can be run up. It's how many people can I reach with God's word.

We are not to put our lamp under a bowl and hide it. We are to shine it to the world. And when we do, we are supposed to remember how to keep score the right way. If I falter, I hope God helps me remember why it is that I'm doing this...for God's glorification, not my own.

Officially Launched

So October 6th marked the "Official" launch day for The Bible In Rhyme. It was pretty uneventful, actually, as the book has already been on Amazon for almost a month. And we have a PR campaign that is scheduled (how cool is that?!), but it just needs to get going.

What's also exciting is that my brother's website is up, www.bryceholt.com, and his book also hit Amazon & BN.com. Hooray! What a great day!

As an aside, I've been doing a lot of book signing lately, and I try to put in a passage that I think can resonate with someone. I've got 2 in particular that I really like. I figured I'd share them.

Isaiah 9:1 - 9:7

The gloom shall be lifted. Believers shall see.

In the future God’s glory comes from Galilee.

For those who have lived in the shadow of death,

the yoke shall be lifted. I shout with each breath,

unto the world a child is born!

A son shall be given. Great titles adorn:

Counselor, Mighty God, and Prince of Peace.

His greatness increases. His love shall not cease.

On David’s throne he shall reign and uphold

a righteousness that is both honest and bold,

and justice that no man upon Earth may sever.

And so he shall reign forever and ever.

(Read this section from the Bible)

Matthew 9:9 - 9:13

Jesus left and as he passed a tax booth,

he told the man there, “I tell you the truth,

follow me and you’ll gain much more than here.”

And so Matthew gave up his taxing career.

Then Matthew asked Jesus to come in and eat

with him so his friends could come there and meet

the Messiah. But when all the Pharisees saw,

they said, “Jesus scoffs and curses the law.

Look at this man who dines amongst sin.”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “Doctors treat men

who are sick, not the healthy. So let me be clear.

I want mercy, not sacrifice. That’s why I’m here.”

(Read this section from the Bible)

I'm so excited for what's to come - and I hope these passages speak to you like they do to me.

What a response!

I'm amazed. About 24 hours ago we posted the link so that people can download The Bible in Rhyme, and I've already had more than 75 downloads! I've had people download it from across the U.S., South America, and Asia already.

Thanks for all the thoughts and comments. You guys are amazing! It's awesome to see the spiritual power that this is causing just by making it available. I hope that people feel God speaking to them in new and powerful ways as they read it.

Today I took the list and prayed for each person individually that God would speak to them in a new way that touches their heart.

God bless you all!

Download The Bible in Rhyme

I just posted a link on www.thebibleinrhyme.com so that anyone can register to be emailed the download link for the PDF files. Go to www.thebibleinrhyme.com or go here to register and download The Bible in Rhyme.

Looking forward to seeing what you guys think!

The Bible In Rhyme Update

I apologize for my delay, but I am nearing the finish of all the development of the Bible in Rhyme. Please email me at kyle.holt@poweredbyu.com if you want a copy of it emailed to you. I want all to who love the Lord to have access to it. Email me if you're interested at all!!!