JoelH
September 11th, 2007, 01:48 AM
Worship Music: Traditional or Contemporary?
By Samuel Ling
http://www.chinahorizon.org/Articles/0800ChallengerWorshipMusic(part1).doc
For many Christians, particularly those who live in the West, contemporary Christian music is part of their lives-they love it, they listen to it every day, and they incorporate it into their ministry. English worship services among overseas Chinese churches (and Chinese ones as well) increasingly use a worship team, featuring contemporary worship music. However, many church leaders, raised on the traditional diet of "gospel songs," often harbor questions of doubt concerning contemporary Christian music. Others trained in classical music or in the liturgical traditions of the church voice even stronger objections. For them, contemporary Christian music, like rock music and all other post-rock forms, is meaningless noise. Parents shudder when teenagers turn on their radio. They can hardly wait until it is turned off. "It gives me a headache!" many complain. They even wonder: do the rhythms of rock music come from the Devil?
When the English congregation wants to organize a worship team and bring contemporary worship music into the church, often the board or the congregation is divided. Is contemporary worship music legitimate worship music? Is it only suitable for evangelism, but not for worship? Some lovers of classical music (and I count myself one of them) may lament that we are witnessing the death of classical music, classical sacred music, and traditional hymns? Is civilization going down the tubes?
Another very serious question is where do we draw the line between sacred music and secular music? What makes sacred music "sacred"? Should Christian musicians break into the world of secular music? What is our response, when see that while 20 years ago it would be a remote dream for Christian singers to appear on the top 40 charts, today it is a reality? Is this a good trend?
In the West, English-speaking Christians often form worship teams, and they are able to find ample resources for training, as well as in selecting new music. In Los Angeles, a very helpful website is www.worshipinfo.com. Training seminars in contemporary worship music have spread outside of the West. An example of this is the visit of Don Moen in Hong Kong. Asian churches are catching the fire of "praise and worship," and many leaders are worried if not alarmed.
...
What is worship? Biblical worship is God-centered, directed toward God, not toward ourselves. Fellowship, teaching, intercession, serving those in need-these are ministries directed at each other. Evangelism and mission are directed toward the world. But worship is directed toward God. Worship is also about God: praising God for who He is, what He has done, what He has said. Thirdly, worship is for God: we worship God and praise Him solely for His pleasure, and for His glory.
The Chinese church has much to learn about God-centered worship. In many traditional evangelical churches, we often make our worship services so man-centered, cluttered with announcements, celebrations, thanksgiving (not to God, but to each other), and other man-centered elements, that God's glory and majesty is often hidden. The style of music used, and more importantly, the words used in our hymns and songs, should also be scrutinized. Are we concentrating on God? Do the words of our hymns and songs encourage the singer to direct his/her heart toward God, about God, and for God? Or are we too preoccupied about our needs? We often are very concerned about what we get out of the worship service. We ask ourselves if we feel emotionally fulfilled as a result of attending worship? Have we put ourselves at the center of worship, rather than God?
An important challenge for the Chinese church is restoring God-centered worship, God-centered preaching, God-centered thinking, and God-centered living-and in that order! We live out what we think; and what we think can be heavily influenced by preaching and worship.
...
What the Chinese church often calls "traditional hymns" are not hymns in the strict sense of the word. Hymns reached their peak with Watts and Wesley. Later, many Anglican writers wrote beautiful hymns in the 19th century. What we call "traditional hymns" are technically called "gospel songs" by historians of church music. Hymns usually have no choruses; they usually focus on the three persons of the Godhead: Father, Son and Spirit, and their work of creation and/or salvation. Gospel songs, on the other hand, usually come with choruses; the masters of gospel songs in the 19th century included Fannie Crosby and Ira Sankey. They focus on the individual's personal relationship with Jesus Christ, including salvation and sanctification.
...
Why has the Chinese church taken the form of the gospel song, and enshrined it as her "traditional music"?
This was partly due to the historical context in which the Chinese church initially grew. The development of the Protestant church in China really did not take off until after the Treaty of Tianjin (1858) and the Treaty of Beijing (1860), two "unequal treaties" signed after the second Opium War. After 1860, thousands of Protestant missionaries came to China from Europe and North America. After 1900, more missionaries came from the United States than from any other country. By 1926 there were 8,000 Protestant missionaries in China. Most of the American missionaries came from rural towns and villages in central and southern U.S.A. Most of them received four years of liberal arts training in a small town Christian college (note: many did not go to seminary). They took a few Bible courses. Many of them responded to the appeals of Mr. Dwight L. Moody and Mr. John R. Mott, and dedicated themselves to become missionaries to China, India and Africa.
When they got to China, many of the evangelical-minded missionaries worked in rural towns and villages in the hinterland. The gospel message they brought to the Chinese people was often packaged in 19th century rural American culture. This culture included many gospel songs beloved by Chinese Christians today. Even though these tunes and words were not created by Chinese, the Chinese church has passed on the tradition of singing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," "I Love to Tell the Story," "The Old Rugged Cross," and "It Pays to Serve Jesus."
Once the Chinese church "received" this tradition of gospel songs, she maintained it until today. The American evangelical music of the 1950s and 1960s by and large confirmed and reinforced this "tradition." John W. Peterson, for example, rejoices that "Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul." In the 1960s, young people in Hong Kong's churches and fellowships loved the 12 volumes of Youth Hymns, later compiled into three volumes, I (the revered navy blue), II (the red) and III (the green). Many Christians who are mature adults today have these gospel songs engrained in their souls! Hong Kong in the 1960s was evolving from a refugee culture to a modern, urban culture. Many young people rebelled against what they saw were the unfair and hypocritical practices of their church leaders. They left and formed new "gospel chapel" churches (fu ying tang) in Hong Kong. Yet these young people maintained the music of late 19th century rural America: the gospel song tradition lived on. Although Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian leader, wrote many hymns, these were set to gospel song tunes.
Gospel songs tend to emphasize the Christian's individual, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, rather than the whole church worshipping and praising the Triune Godhead. Other themes which gospel songs often neglected were the doctrine of God's creation, God's providence (His care over the universe), and God's plan for the church in history. During the Puritan period, Cowper wrote a hymn affirming faith in God's providence and sovereignty: "God moves in a mysterious way/His wonders to perform." This hymn teaches us that even though sometimes God's guidance seems to be a frowning cloud, behind this "frowning providence" hides His smiling face. What profound thoughts! Today we prefer to sing how Jesus loves me. What we need to learn afresh is to adore God's character, God's Word, God's kingdom, God's church and God's claim on our lives as Lord and King.
...
In the 1970s, many young people from the counter-culture ("Hippies") movement in the United States became Christians. Rejected by many traditional American churches, they began to use rock music to write their own Christian music, and eventually formed their own churches. These musicians included the founders of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship and Calvary Chapel movements (both headquartered in Southern California). By the 1980s, young people were catching on to this kind of music as music to listen to, music used in youth group meetings, and by the 1990s, music for worship. This trend spread worldwide through a marketing and distribution system of contemporary music and deeply influenced the Christian music of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia in the 1980s and 1990s. Today Taiwan and Hong Kong-born Christian composers are producing dozens of new songs each year, often emphasizing the individual's experience of God's tender loving care for him/her.
It is encouraging to see the emergence of indigenous Chinese authors and composers in the church. However, one must voice a note of caution. The words are often shallow and self-centered; sometimes the doctrine is flawed, for example, the song teaching that prayer shakes the arm of God (a challenge to God's sovereign purposes, in my view). Cantonese contemporary Christian songs often use words like ching (qing) to describe God's love or the Christian's love for Christ. The use of popular words can encourage a concentration on one's emotions and desires (qing yu), but they are often very ambiguous, sounding far too similar to love songs in the secular media. As a result, an entire generation of young people have been brought up to think of Jesus only as their friend, seldom as their Lord and object of worship. Where has awe and reverence gone?
Christians need to exercise discernment when using Chinese (or English) contemporary worship songs. Do the words center on the Christian self? Or do they center on God? Do we select songs for our services simply because they sound good? Or do they perform a teaching and leading function, focusing our minds and hearts on our sovereign, holy, eternal and gracious God?
By Samuel Ling
http://www.chinahorizon.org/Articles/0800ChallengerWorshipMusic(part1).doc
For many Christians, particularly those who live in the West, contemporary Christian music is part of their lives-they love it, they listen to it every day, and they incorporate it into their ministry. English worship services among overseas Chinese churches (and Chinese ones as well) increasingly use a worship team, featuring contemporary worship music. However, many church leaders, raised on the traditional diet of "gospel songs," often harbor questions of doubt concerning contemporary Christian music. Others trained in classical music or in the liturgical traditions of the church voice even stronger objections. For them, contemporary Christian music, like rock music and all other post-rock forms, is meaningless noise. Parents shudder when teenagers turn on their radio. They can hardly wait until it is turned off. "It gives me a headache!" many complain. They even wonder: do the rhythms of rock music come from the Devil?
When the English congregation wants to organize a worship team and bring contemporary worship music into the church, often the board or the congregation is divided. Is contemporary worship music legitimate worship music? Is it only suitable for evangelism, but not for worship? Some lovers of classical music (and I count myself one of them) may lament that we are witnessing the death of classical music, classical sacred music, and traditional hymns? Is civilization going down the tubes?
Another very serious question is where do we draw the line between sacred music and secular music? What makes sacred music "sacred"? Should Christian musicians break into the world of secular music? What is our response, when see that while 20 years ago it would be a remote dream for Christian singers to appear on the top 40 charts, today it is a reality? Is this a good trend?
In the West, English-speaking Christians often form worship teams, and they are able to find ample resources for training, as well as in selecting new music. In Los Angeles, a very helpful website is www.worshipinfo.com. Training seminars in contemporary worship music have spread outside of the West. An example of this is the visit of Don Moen in Hong Kong. Asian churches are catching the fire of "praise and worship," and many leaders are worried if not alarmed.
...
What is worship? Biblical worship is God-centered, directed toward God, not toward ourselves. Fellowship, teaching, intercession, serving those in need-these are ministries directed at each other. Evangelism and mission are directed toward the world. But worship is directed toward God. Worship is also about God: praising God for who He is, what He has done, what He has said. Thirdly, worship is for God: we worship God and praise Him solely for His pleasure, and for His glory.
The Chinese church has much to learn about God-centered worship. In many traditional evangelical churches, we often make our worship services so man-centered, cluttered with announcements, celebrations, thanksgiving (not to God, but to each other), and other man-centered elements, that God's glory and majesty is often hidden. The style of music used, and more importantly, the words used in our hymns and songs, should also be scrutinized. Are we concentrating on God? Do the words of our hymns and songs encourage the singer to direct his/her heart toward God, about God, and for God? Or are we too preoccupied about our needs? We often are very concerned about what we get out of the worship service. We ask ourselves if we feel emotionally fulfilled as a result of attending worship? Have we put ourselves at the center of worship, rather than God?
An important challenge for the Chinese church is restoring God-centered worship, God-centered preaching, God-centered thinking, and God-centered living-and in that order! We live out what we think; and what we think can be heavily influenced by preaching and worship.
...
What the Chinese church often calls "traditional hymns" are not hymns in the strict sense of the word. Hymns reached their peak with Watts and Wesley. Later, many Anglican writers wrote beautiful hymns in the 19th century. What we call "traditional hymns" are technically called "gospel songs" by historians of church music. Hymns usually have no choruses; they usually focus on the three persons of the Godhead: Father, Son and Spirit, and their work of creation and/or salvation. Gospel songs, on the other hand, usually come with choruses; the masters of gospel songs in the 19th century included Fannie Crosby and Ira Sankey. They focus on the individual's personal relationship with Jesus Christ, including salvation and sanctification.
...
Why has the Chinese church taken the form of the gospel song, and enshrined it as her "traditional music"?
This was partly due to the historical context in which the Chinese church initially grew. The development of the Protestant church in China really did not take off until after the Treaty of Tianjin (1858) and the Treaty of Beijing (1860), two "unequal treaties" signed after the second Opium War. After 1860, thousands of Protestant missionaries came to China from Europe and North America. After 1900, more missionaries came from the United States than from any other country. By 1926 there were 8,000 Protestant missionaries in China. Most of the American missionaries came from rural towns and villages in central and southern U.S.A. Most of them received four years of liberal arts training in a small town Christian college (note: many did not go to seminary). They took a few Bible courses. Many of them responded to the appeals of Mr. Dwight L. Moody and Mr. John R. Mott, and dedicated themselves to become missionaries to China, India and Africa.
When they got to China, many of the evangelical-minded missionaries worked in rural towns and villages in the hinterland. The gospel message they brought to the Chinese people was often packaged in 19th century rural American culture. This culture included many gospel songs beloved by Chinese Christians today. Even though these tunes and words were not created by Chinese, the Chinese church has passed on the tradition of singing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," "I Love to Tell the Story," "The Old Rugged Cross," and "It Pays to Serve Jesus."
Once the Chinese church "received" this tradition of gospel songs, she maintained it until today. The American evangelical music of the 1950s and 1960s by and large confirmed and reinforced this "tradition." John W. Peterson, for example, rejoices that "Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul." In the 1960s, young people in Hong Kong's churches and fellowships loved the 12 volumes of Youth Hymns, later compiled into three volumes, I (the revered navy blue), II (the red) and III (the green). Many Christians who are mature adults today have these gospel songs engrained in their souls! Hong Kong in the 1960s was evolving from a refugee culture to a modern, urban culture. Many young people rebelled against what they saw were the unfair and hypocritical practices of their church leaders. They left and formed new "gospel chapel" churches (fu ying tang) in Hong Kong. Yet these young people maintained the music of late 19th century rural America: the gospel song tradition lived on. Although Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian leader, wrote many hymns, these were set to gospel song tunes.
Gospel songs tend to emphasize the Christian's individual, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, rather than the whole church worshipping and praising the Triune Godhead. Other themes which gospel songs often neglected were the doctrine of God's creation, God's providence (His care over the universe), and God's plan for the church in history. During the Puritan period, Cowper wrote a hymn affirming faith in God's providence and sovereignty: "God moves in a mysterious way/His wonders to perform." This hymn teaches us that even though sometimes God's guidance seems to be a frowning cloud, behind this "frowning providence" hides His smiling face. What profound thoughts! Today we prefer to sing how Jesus loves me. What we need to learn afresh is to adore God's character, God's Word, God's kingdom, God's church and God's claim on our lives as Lord and King.
...
In the 1970s, many young people from the counter-culture ("Hippies") movement in the United States became Christians. Rejected by many traditional American churches, they began to use rock music to write their own Christian music, and eventually formed their own churches. These musicians included the founders of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship and Calvary Chapel movements (both headquartered in Southern California). By the 1980s, young people were catching on to this kind of music as music to listen to, music used in youth group meetings, and by the 1990s, music for worship. This trend spread worldwide through a marketing and distribution system of contemporary music and deeply influenced the Christian music of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia in the 1980s and 1990s. Today Taiwan and Hong Kong-born Christian composers are producing dozens of new songs each year, often emphasizing the individual's experience of God's tender loving care for him/her.
It is encouraging to see the emergence of indigenous Chinese authors and composers in the church. However, one must voice a note of caution. The words are often shallow and self-centered; sometimes the doctrine is flawed, for example, the song teaching that prayer shakes the arm of God (a challenge to God's sovereign purposes, in my view). Cantonese contemporary Christian songs often use words like ching (qing) to describe God's love or the Christian's love for Christ. The use of popular words can encourage a concentration on one's emotions and desires (qing yu), but they are often very ambiguous, sounding far too similar to love songs in the secular media. As a result, an entire generation of young people have been brought up to think of Jesus only as their friend, seldom as their Lord and object of worship. Where has awe and reverence gone?
Christians need to exercise discernment when using Chinese (or English) contemporary worship songs. Do the words center on the Christian self? Or do they center on God? Do we select songs for our services simply because they sound good? Or do they perform a teaching and leading function, focusing our minds and hearts on our sovereign, holy, eternal and gracious God?