Putting it Together: Hip-Hop in the Woods

Christian hip-hop artist, CZ (Curtis Zachery), generously accepted our offer to come to Teen Week to sing and to teach. CZ lives, worships, and makes music in Nashville, TN. His ministerial work singing for and speaking to urban youth is backed by Strong Tower Bible Church in Franklin, where CZ attends when he is home. Sunshine and CZ have been in friendship for four years (and counting).

This summer's camp theme is "Who's The King?" pulls from I Timothy 1:17, which reads:

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God,

be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

CZ stopped in to our city office before leaving town and I was able to grab a few moments of his time for reflection. In a different way each day, he answered this question in a way that would carry meaning and relevance for this 13-18-year old crowd. I, for one, was interested to hear how he'd broken it down.

CZ began his week's teaching with a look at King Saul, a notably "bad" king, who lost the Lord's favor by being self-centered, self-willed, and falsely believing in his own autonomy. In a similar way, CZ related how many of the qualities of this ancient king compare to today's self-described "kings" in the American hip-hop culture, who have taken the genre away from its socially conscious roots as they have proclaimed kingship in their own eyes. To contrast, CZ later taught on the life of a "good" king - David - who, though he was a humble shepherd, ascended to kingship because the Lord saw his inward motives were pure and anointed him to reign over Israel - God's people.

CZ left our teens with a message on the traits of a godly king, imparting the ways in which the Lord bestows honor, authority, and responsibility to his children as explained in Scripture. He noted that godly authority figures are led by the Lord because they know the sound of their Father's voice and can not help be drawn to it. Godly "kings" are then (immediately) obedient to the words and direction of their heavenly master and see themselves, not in a position to be served, but to be of service to others. Finally, god-honoring leaders seek their authority and identity from the Lord, who through his life and words, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" clarified that Christ Jesus is the only one who can validate a person's life and worth.

When I asked CZ what this week of teaching meant for him, he answered that "overall, it was a good opportunity to examine this own life." He acknowledges that his teaching retains its integrity only if his own life exemplifies a non-guilt driven search for the things of the Lord. CZ relates that each challenge or charge to urban teens is also, in fact, a charge and challenge to himself to live a life "worthy of the calling", as Scripture states, marked by confession, faith, and a continual resting in the goodness of the Lord.

I encourage you to check out CZ's website.

[written by Lauren Dillon, Sunshine's Communications and Development Coordinator. Lauren came on staff in October of last year. Beside posting updates on this blog and other such communication work, she enjoys reading and exploring Chicago's underground art & music culture.]