There is an age-old practice known as singing the Scriptures that aids in memory retention.
As Phil Collins (sadly, no, not that Phil Collins) writes for Bible Gateway:
Memorizing Scripture is at the heart of Scripture engagement. Memorizing allows a passage to be on your heart and mind at all times. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” Memorizing Scripture is intentionally sowing your thoughts on God’s Word. Having Scripture memorized in song form both helps in the memorizing process and, if the tune is well done, enhances the emotions of the passage as well.
He’s right, ya know.
It strikes me that, in terms of worship music, it would be hard to imagine music any more worshipful than the Scriptures themselves!
That I know, maybe with the exception of one or two common children’s songs, this is not done very widely in the context of the church. At least, not here in the Western world.
For myself, though, I am working on changing that trend. Guess what?
There’s an app for that.
Actually, there are a few.
But here’s a link to the one I found most recently that I am REALLY enjoying: https://www.scripturesinger.com/app.html
Here are some reasons why I like this app:
- The music is not distracting; it’s very tasteful and serves the words of Scripture, rather than bending the words of Scripture to fit a musical genre as some other options do.
- Although this is not stated anywhere that I can find, the app follows the KJV except where, for musical necessity, a line is added or slightly altered. (It’s always intentionally obvious when they do that.) I like this because I think it is easier than modern translations to memorize thanks its natural lyricism.
- There are topical playlists to choose from. This is a new feature, and HUGE in my opinion. This takes the question of “where do I start” out of the picture. Start with a playlist that is most applicable to your walk with God right now.
Anyway—
What I would recommend is working this practice in your corporate worship context if at all possible.
We all know that we should hide God’s Word in our heart, yet we all know how difficult that can be from day to day.
This is a GREAT way to make it a natural part of the worship experience—and, of the life of your church members.
Btw, you may desire to come up with your own arrangements. If so, I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of using a system like Worship By Numbers to guide the process.
It makes composition SO much easier; and if the whole band is on board, easier still.
Check it out here: www.WorshipByNumbers.com
Steve Schramm