There are a variety of praise and worship styles within the Church in China, which have always sparked controversy.
A male believer named Gu Hua (pseudonym), who has served as a worship ministry worker in East China for nearly twenty years, shared with an online Chinese Christian newspaper, the Christian Times, his perspective on how to view different styles of church music.
Gu Hua introduced the idea that in Western countries, church music is often not distinctly separated from secular music. Only music professionals could discern some subtle differences, such as church music being lighter in style and the arrangement of instruments being somewhat different from secular music.
However, in China, there is still a very clear distinction between church music and secular music. Gu believed that the music style of Stream of Praise (SOP) Music Ministries maintained a strong religious character, while it was challenging to determine whether Joshua Band's style leaned more towards pop or church music.
Regarding the Hillsong Worship in the West, Gu Hua said once he attended one worship service they hosted, and almost all the hymns were rock-style. But not all of their songs are like that, as some are quieter. He also thought that Hillsong Worship had some very well-written lyrics.
Gu Hua believed that church songs are meant to glorify God, but at the same time, they serve as a bridge for people to approach God. He said that some well-written hymns make people reflect on themselves just by listening to them. For example, they can reflect on the quality of their relationship with God or issues related to sin. He stated that some of the songs from the Taiwanese ministry Heavenly Melody were written excellently, and even though they might be considered outdated by now, many people continued to sing them.
He said, "Although I personally may not like one style or another, it doesn't mean I don't support them. As long as it's a Christian ministry and contributes to the development of the Church of China, I will support it."
"Furthermore, music itself is subjective; some people like one style, while others prefer another. This is all acceptable. You can't say that because you don't like a certain style, it's not good; it just may not be your preference or style," he commented.
Some church members sing mostly classic hymns, while others focus on very modern ones, but both styles are good and can touch the hearts of those attending the gatherings, he added.
Elderly church members might prefer classic hymns with slower rhythms, while young people might like to sing faster and more intense songs, such as songs from Hillsong Worship.
Gu mentioned that the leadership during praise and worship is also crucial. Some leaders sing very well and are skilled, but they do it solely for performance, lacking the anointing and the work of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, some individuals might have limited vocal singing skills, but when they lead worship, they can deeply move people, leading to profound repentance and reflection. Gu Hua declared that this is genuine worship.
In his view, humans do not possess the ability to bring people back to God, no matter how technically proficient they are or how well they convey emotions. He emphasized that whether it is the preaching of pastors or the worship of believers, their ultimate goal is to lead people to repentance. If a person can only find the songs enjoyable during worship but don't experience repentance, then, at least for that person, it is not true worship.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
中国教会当中存在着多种不同类型的敬拜赞美风格，所以在敬拜赞美方面一直有很多的争议。
华东某地服事了将近二十年的一位敬拜服事者顾华弟兄（化名）和中国一网络基督教报纸基督时报分享了他是怎么看待不同风格的教会音乐。
顾华弟兄介绍说，在欧美国家其实很多时候不太区分教会音乐和社会音乐。只有音乐领域的专业人士才能够稍微听出来一些细微的区别——教会音乐偏向轻型，乐器的编配也跟社会音乐不太一样。
但在中国的教会音乐和社会音乐还是有非常明显的区别。顾华弟兄认为赞美之泉他们的音乐风格的宗教性还是比较强，约书亚他们的音乐风格，已经很难听出来到底是流行音乐还是教会音乐。
对于欧美那边非常流行的Hillsong的音乐风格，顾华说他参加的那场赞美会几乎全部都是摇滚风格，但它们也不是所有歌都闹。也有一些歌是比较安静，他也认为Hillsong有几首歌的歌词写的是非常好的。
顾华弟兄认为教会歌曲是为了荣耀上帝，但是同时它也是一道桥梁，让人通过这首歌走到上帝面前。他说有的写的非常好的歌曲，让人只是看着歌词就能够想到自己的一些问题。比如反映出来自己跟上帝的关系好不好，或者是关于罪的问题。他认为天韵的一些歌曲就写得非常棒，虽然到现在已经十多年了，可以说已经“过时”了，但是很多人依然在传唱。
他说：“虽然我个人并不太喜欢这种或那种的音乐风格，但是并不代表我不支持他们。只要是基督教的事工，只要是有助于中国教会发展的，我都会支持。”
"另外，音乐这个东西本身就是比较主观性的，有的人喜欢这种风格，也有人喜欢另外一种风格，这个都可以。不能够说因为你不喜欢某种风格然后就说它们不好，只是你不太喜欢或者说不太适合你。”
有的教会他们唱得很多诗歌都是比较古典的，有的教会他们唱得很多诗歌是非常现代的。这两种风格都很好，都能够给参加聚会的人们很多的感动。
如果一所教会老人很多的话，那么很可能这所教会更加适合唱比较古典、节奏也比较慢的诗歌。而如果一所教会以年轻人为主的话，那么这所教会就很可能适合唱一些节奏比较快、比较激烈的诗歌，比如Hillsong等。
顾华说在敬拜赞美的时候，带领的人也非常重要。有的带领的人唱得很好，非常有水平，但是却只是为了表演，即便唱得再好但是没有恩膏和圣灵的工作。也有的人他们可能本身功底有限、水平有限，但是他们带领赞美的时候却能够让人有很多的感动。能够给人带来深刻的悔改和反思。顾华弟兄认为这才是真正的敬拜。
在他看来，人是完全没有这种能力的，就算技术再高，再会传达情感，但是也没有办法让人回转到上帝面前。顾华强调说，无论是牧者证道还是敬拜者的敬拜，其最终目的都是引导人们悔改。如果一个人在参加敬拜的时候，只是觉得歌曲很好听，但是却没有悔改的话，那至少对这个人来说，这并不是真正的敬拜。
观点|华东一敬拜服事者：如何看待不同风格的教会音乐？
There are a variety of praise and worship styles within the Church in China, which have always sparked controversy.
A male believer named Gu Hua (pseudonym), who has served as a worship ministry worker in East China for nearly twenty years, shared with an online Chinese Christian newspaper, the Christian Times, his perspective on how to view different styles of church music.
Gu Hua introduced the idea that in Western countries, church music is often not distinctly separated from secular music. Only music professionals could discern some subtle differences, such as church music being lighter in style and the arrangement of instruments being somewhat different from secular music.
However, in China, there is still a very clear distinction between church music and secular music. Gu believed that the music style of Stream of Praise (SOP) Music Ministries maintained a strong religious character, while it was challenging to determine whether Joshua Band's style leaned more towards pop or church music.
Regarding the Hillsong Worship in the West, Gu Hua said once he attended one worship service they hosted, and almost all the hymns were rock-style. But not all of their songs are like that, as some are quieter. He also thought that Hillsong Worship had some very well-written lyrics.
Gu Hua believed that church songs are meant to glorify God, but at the same time, they serve as a bridge for people to approach God. He said that some well-written hymns make people reflect on themselves just by listening to them. For example, they can reflect on the quality of their relationship with God or issues related to sin. He stated that some of the songs from the Taiwanese ministry Heavenly Melody were written excellently, and even though they might be considered outdated by now, many people continued to sing them.
He said, "Although I personally may not like one style or another, it doesn't mean I don't support them. As long as it's a Christian ministry and contributes to the development of the Church of China, I will support it."
"Furthermore, music itself is subjective; some people like one style, while others prefer another. This is all acceptable. You can't say that because you don't like a certain style, it's not good; it just may not be your preference or style," he commented.
Some church members sing mostly classic hymns, while others focus on very modern ones, but both styles are good and can touch the hearts of those attending the gatherings, he added.
Elderly church members might prefer classic hymns with slower rhythms, while young people might like to sing faster and more intense songs, such as songs from Hillsong Worship.
Gu mentioned that the leadership during praise and worship is also crucial. Some leaders sing very well and are skilled, but they do it solely for performance, lacking the anointing and the work of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, some individuals might have limited vocal singing skills, but when they lead worship, they can deeply move people, leading to profound repentance and reflection. Gu Hua declared that this is genuine worship.
In his view, humans do not possess the ability to bring people back to God, no matter how technically proficient they are or how well they convey emotions. He emphasized that whether it is the preaching of pastors or the worship of believers, their ultimate goal is to lead people to repentance. If a person can only find the songs enjoyable during worship but don't experience repentance, then, at least for that person, it is not true worship.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Worship Ministry Worker Says Different Styles of Church Music That Aid Churches Growth Are Beneficial
