Verse is an album near and dear to worship artist Jami Smith. Having developed a passion for God’s Word at an early age through her church and family, she was encouraged by her brother Ryan to come up with a collection of music that draws completely from the Bible. After all, scripture is easier to memorize through a musical framework; Verse has the potential of teaching listeners 12 Bible verses (NIV version in most cases).

 

Setting scripture to songs (and hymns) is certainly nothing new, though it’s not always this intentional. Some artists lazily plagiarize the Bible because they have nothing else to say, while others adapt God’s Word to teach, and then there are those who use it in the context of worship. It’s never quite clear whether Smith intends these songs for congregational singing or for personal meditation and learning.—she only notes that she can’t add text to God’s Word, apparently taking Revelation 22:18 to heart.

 

The trick is to adapt scripture in such a way that either brings out the vibrant poetry inherent to the text, or else structure the text into the format of a song to make it singable and thus memorable. Smith tries a variety of approaches on Verse, some better than others. Teaming again with producer/percussionist Will Hunt (Shane & Shane, Apt.Core), Smith’s sound remains rooted in gentle acoustic pop akin to Jennifer Knapp, Amy Grant, and Shawn Colvin, her husky alto always clear and understandable.

 

“Beatitudes” is probably the most effective adaptation on the album, lifting directly from Matthew 5 while providing a good, straightforward acoustic pop setting for the familiar words. “Let the Little Children” is one of the most simplistic, but it’s also easy to pick up and learn the verse—and adding the cute children’s choir towards the end is a nice touch.

 

“Cast Your Cares,” however, shows the most thought, creatively utilizing 1 Peter 5:7 for the chorus while relying on John 14:27 and Matthew 11:28-30 to support the theme in the verses. That’s the kind of songcraft that not only teaches scripture, but also demonstrates how God’s Word works together as a whole—it’s theologically and artistically sound. Too bad more of these scripture songs aren’t written like this.

 

Most of the others are pretty direct. We’ve all heard songs based on 1 Corinthians 13 before, to the point where it’s almost become cliché, but “Love Never Fails” is a good example of choosing which verse—or which aspect of love in this case—Smith wants to emphasize by repeating it in the chorus. “Arise Shine” (featuring Ryan Smith on lead vocal with Jami harmonizing) works the same way, adapting Isaiah 60 into a strong verse and chorus format. But while “Give Thanks” works Psalm 107 into a cool-sounding meditative groove, there are many other songs that utilize the text in a more practical and accessible way. And “Shouts of Joy” is nice, but then Hillsong’s “Mighty to Save” probably instills parts of Zephaniah 3:17 more effectively.

 

Other choices for the songs seem a little misguided. “Remain in My Love” is okay if the goal is to memorize part of Jesus’s farewell sermon, but it feels a little odd to use his words in the context of worship. Same is true with “You Are the Christ,” a clunky adaptation of Peter’s confession from Luke 9, relying too heavily on Jesus’ question to the disciples. I’ve been waiting for a good song based on 1 Timothy 4, but the descending melody is too unusual and the title doesn’t reflect the song’s focus—it should have been called “Be an Example” or something. And “The Lord’s Prayer” has been done so many times before in music, but this new version just isn’t as musically compelling or memorable.

 

But the album’s biggest misstep is “Love Must Be Sincere”—an example of what not to do when setting scripture to song. Rather than keep to the verse/chorus structure of a typical song, Smith simply sets Romans 12 to music. The result is a rambling mouthful that never provides a repeated phrase for a foothold, or even consistent rhythmic phrasing for the text. I’d sooner just read the text if a song can’t be written around it.

 

Songwriters have been mining the Bible for years as a source for songwriting because it’s such an effective teaching tool. What better way to learn Psalm 136 than Chris Tomlin’s “Forever,” or Psalm 119 than Michael W. Smith’s “Thy Word”? Unfortunately, despite some appealing moments, Smith’s Verse is a good idea for an album that just never quite takes root like those other classic scripture songs.

 

Standouts: “Beatitudes,” “Cast Your Cares,” “Love Never Fails”