Korean protestantism has turned the second century of its mission work and achieved a remarkable improvement. However, people still are fixed by the wrong idea that the worship music is merely a supplementary means to the pastor's sermon. They also fa...
Korean protestantism has turned the second century of its mission work and achieved a remarkable improvement. However, people still are fixed by the wrong idea that the worship music is merely a supplementary means to the pastor's sermon. They also fail to understand the differences of hymn, gopel hymn, and gospel song. Thus the establishment of righteous worship music and congregational hymn is urgently required.
The pastor, who is leading the attendants to God and who is preaching God's words, is responsible for their religious life including the service. So he should make a suitable choice of hymns in accordance with the subject of the sermon and also in accordance with the attendants' spiritual zeal.
At present service in Korean Church is prone to move away from sacred service and to take the shape of loose mission meeting. God is God of order, so he dose not want frivolous and loose serive to replace sacred sunday service. Hymn for sunday service should be clearly distinguished from hymn for misson meeting or revival service. It is a regret that congregational hymn on sunday service is mainly gospel hymn and gospel song, which are for mission work, than hymn. This has resulted from the pastor's poor understanding of worshiop music and also from the fact that there are too many gospel songs included in the hymn book. In order to help the pastors to understand church music better, a course for church music should be offered at theological colleges. At the same time, each religious body should take a special course for the pastors better understanding of church music. These suggestions are made from the understanding that the choice of suitable hymn is mainly the pastor's job.
Korean protestant churches should try to achieve their improvement in the aspect of their qualities as well as of their quantities. The recognition of righteous church music on the part of pastors and church music ministers, which makes possible the choice of suitable hymn and also upgrade the dignity of congregational hymn, is required for the growth of people's belief in God and for sacred worship.