September 2022

THE BENEFITS OF SINGING SCRIPTURE

“One time, Dad took me to a string quartet concert, and I remember we had a really close seat, right up at the front, and I just loved it… When we were driving home, I said to my dad, ‘You know what, Dad, I really think I’d like to play the violin.’ He was like: ‘Okay, I’ll buy you one!’ That shocked me because we didn’t have a lot of money…but my dad was very resourceful, and so he contacted a music guild and put in a sealed bid for $101 on this old violin.” Craig Cleveland remembers. “I played that violin for many, many years, and ultimately it was used by my oldest son, who is now the music director at Fountainview Academy. That violin was appraised at somewhere between five and ten thousand dollars, and the bow that came with it was appraised at two to three thousand dollars. So, it was a very well-spent $101.”

Over the years, Craig Cleveland has used his musical talents to draw people to Christ through playing, writing, orchestrating, and conducting music. Along with the help of musicians, film makers, and computer specialists, Craig has also created Scripture Singer, an app and web site (www.ScriptureSinger.com) that helps people commit scripture to memory by putting it to music.

“All the power to re-create a new heart within me every single day is in God’s Word, so what better way to have that re-creative, lifegiving power—the same power that made the world out of nothing—than to set the scriptures to song!” Craig explains.

“Most of my time listening to Scripture Singer is while I’m driving, so I can’t look at it or do anything but hear it. That’s why our tag line is ‘All you’ve got to do is listen!’” Craig’s animation grows as he expresses his confidence in listening to Scripture Singer. “It’s true! If people would just open the app and listen while they drive to work or while they’re jogging or while they’re doing laundry or while they’re eating dinner or any time they have downtime, they can just turn it on. There are easy playlists, so you can set it up to learn whatever verses you want to learn. All you’ve got to do is listen, and pretty soon you’ve got God’s Word memorized.”

Craig testifies to how Scripture Singer benefits his own life: “If I ever get discouraged, I just go and turn on the app and let it start playing; it’s God speaking, and God always speaks peace, and He always speaks hope, and He always speaks joy!”

His family also benefits: “A lot of time, as a family, we’d have worship in the dark, driving, and we’d just sing…. After singing along with the app, we’d discuss what we learned. Whatever passage you want to memorize, it’s all there in the Word of God, and once you’ve got it in your mind, it’s such a blessing…Jesus sang the scriptures. David sang the scriptures. The Israelites sang the scriptures. So, this is biblical, and it’s so much easier to store up God’s Word in your heart when you’re listening to it as a song.”

To hear Craig share more of the benefits of singing scripture, watch It Is Written Canada this month on CTV, 3ABN, Hope Channel, Yes-TV, Miracle Channel, or any of the dozens other networks where It Is Written Canada is aired. Or simply go to iiw.ca or It Is Written Canada’s YouTube videos and click on the program entitled: “The Benefits of Singing Scripture.”

Thanks to your generous contributions, It Is Written Canada’s film crew was able to film Craig on location in British Columbia and capture his story.

~ Mike Lemon