Activities of singing the scriptures with Chinese rhythm were held in Fujian on December 12, 2021, Chinese Bible Day.
In the early 1990s, China Christian Council & Three-Self Patriotic Movement (CCC&TSPM) set the second Sunday (including Saturday) in December as the Bible Day of Chinese churches.
Sponsored by CCC&TSPM and co-organized by Fujian CC&TSPM and Fujian Theological Seminary (FTS), the 2021 Bible Day activities were launched in the chapel of FTS with the theme of "Rhymes and Verses: Singing the Word out with Chinese Rhythms", according to CCC&TSPM.
Rev. Yue Qinghua, chairman of Fujian CC&TSPM and president of FTS, pointed out that in the early years of the Republic of China, the Bible had been translated into a variety of Fujian dialects and circulated throughout the southeastern Chinese province. Since 2016, Fujian churches had launched three collections of original sacred music works. In this year’s campaign, attendees interpreted God's words in Fujian’s local languages and music.
Rev. Shan Weixiang, vice president and general-secretary of CCC, preached a sermon titled "We Want to Sing Words of God", citing Psalms 119:172 and Colossians 3:16. He stated that as Christianity was a religion of music, believers worshipped God through hymns and music, which helped them remember His word. The theme of the 2019 Bible Day was "Copying the Bible in Chinese Character", and last year’s "Reading the Bible From the Perspective of Chinese People", while activities of singing the scriptures with Chinese rhythm were conducted this year in Fuzhou. Shan finally shared that Christians should not only "copy", "read" or "sing out" the Bible verses, but more importantly, "act out" God's words, which was the foundation foothold for the copying, reading, and singing of the scriptures.
Next, the choir of the seminary performed three hymns to interpret Psalms in a rhythm reflecting Chinese taste. Later, three songs in Southern Fujian dialects were presented, including "The Lord is My Shepherd" from the Minnan singing team of Gulangyu Trinity Church, the solo song "The Heaven Declares God's Glory" from the faculty of FTS, and the chorus "Praise the Lord All Ye People" by the choir of FTS, which combined the characteristics of Han folk songs, Foochow opera, and western tunes.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
2021年12月12日，由基督教全国两会主办，福建省基督教两会、福建神学院协办的2021年圣经日“华韵经曲——用中国韵律将圣言唱出来”活动在福建神学院举行。
上午九时，圣经日活动在福神堂正式开幕.福建省基督教三自爱国运动委员会主席、福建神学院院长岳清华牧师指出，在民国初年，圣经已被译为多种福建方言，并在八闽各地发行传诵。福建教会自2016年以来，已举办三届原创圣乐作品征集活动。这次“华韵经曲”圣经日活动，大家以福建特有的地方语言和音乐，将上帝的话语演绎出来。
中国基督教协会副会长兼总干事单渭祥牧师引用《诗篇》119篇172节和《歌罗西书》3章16节，以“我们要歌唱神的话”为题证道。他说：基督教是歌唱之宗教，藉诗歌和音乐的翅膀，将敬拜献给神，同时也将主的话带入人的心里。继前年（杭州）圣经日主题“将圣言（用中国文字）抄下来”、去年（广州）主题“将圣言（用中国人视角）读出来”。今年在福州，圣经日主题为“将圣言（用中国韵律）唱出来”！单牧师最后鼓励大家，上帝的圣言，人们不仅得“抄下来”“读出来”“唱出来”，更重要的是将神的话语“行出来”，这才是抄经、读经、唱经最重要的根本落脚点。
“华韵经曲”活动的重要一环，由福建神学院唱诗班用三首诗歌以中华文化特色的韵律演绎圣经《诗篇》的信息。鼓浪屿三一堂歌颂团的闽南语小组演唱的《主耶和华是我牧者》，福建神学院老师以闽剧元素为基调的独唱曲目《造化的荣耀》，福建神学院诗班的大合唱《你们要赞美耶和华》，融汉族民歌、闽剧风格及西洋调式的特点
单渭祥牧师将印有福建神学院图样的定制版圣经赠送给福建神学院做纪念。
基督教全国两会在上世纪90年代初将每年12月的第二主日设定为中国教会的圣经日。
http://www.gospeltimes.cn/article/index/id/59665
经文唱出华韵味，圣诗探索中国化 ——2021年圣经日活动在闽举行
Activities of singing the scriptures with Chinese rhythm were held in Fujian on December 12, 2021, Chinese Bible Day.
In the early 1990s, China Christian Council & Three-Self Patriotic Movement (CCC&TSPM) set the second Sunday (including Saturday) in December as the Bible Day of Chinese churches.
Sponsored by CCC&TSPM and co-organized by Fujian CC&TSPM and Fujian Theological Seminary (FTS), the 2021 Bible Day activities were launched in the chapel of FTS with the theme of "Rhymes and Verses: Singing the Word out with Chinese Rhythms", according to CCC&TSPM.
Rev. Yue Qinghua, chairman of Fujian CC&TSPM and president of FTS, pointed out that in the early years of the Republic of China, the Bible had been translated into a variety of Fujian dialects and circulated throughout the southeastern Chinese province. Since 2016, Fujian churches had launched three collections of original sacred music works. In this year’s campaign, attendees interpreted God's words in Fujian’s local languages and music.
Rev. Shan Weixiang, vice president and general-secretary of CCC, preached a sermon titled "We Want to Sing Words of God", citing Psalms 119:172 and Colossians 3:16. He stated that as Christianity was a religion of music, believers worshipped God through hymns and music, which helped them remember His word. The theme of the 2019 Bible Day was "Copying the Bible in Chinese Character", and last year’s "Reading the Bible From the Perspective of Chinese People", while activities of singing the scriptures with Chinese rhythm were conducted this year in Fuzhou. Shan finally shared that Christians should not only "copy", "read" or "sing out" the Bible verses, but more importantly, "act out" God's words, which was the foundation foothold for the copying, reading, and singing of the scriptures.
Next, the choir of the seminary performed three hymns to interpret Psalms in a rhythm reflecting Chinese taste. Later, three songs in Southern Fujian dialects were presented, including "The Lord is My Shepherd" from the Minnan singing team of Gulangyu Trinity Church, the solo song "The Heaven Declares God's Glory" from the faculty of FTS, and the chorus "Praise the Lord All Ye People" by the choir of FTS, which combined the characteristics of Han folk songs, Foochow opera, and western tunes.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Bible Day: 'Singing Scriptures With Chinese Rhythms'
