It is difficult to define worship music of Korean church in the 21st Century. Hymn has been the most dominant music form used for worship in Korean church. Problems with church music hardly occurred since hymns were properly used including identifying...
It is difficult to define worship music of Korean church in the 21st Century. Hymn has been the most dominant music form used for worship in Korean church. Problems with church music hardly occurred since hymns were properly used including identifying and correcting easily detectable problems therewith. Moreover pastors with little musical knowledge could easily detect strong and weak points of certain hymns. However hymns are not the most representative worship music in contemporary Korea anymore. Increasing number of churches replaced recitations and congregational songs with various gospel songs and CCM music according to unique characteristics of individual church. Thus even music experts have difficulties establishing judgement and criteria to distinguish myriads of worship music in various genres from appropriate music for God based on theological verification. The contemporary churches in Korea tend to desire superficial growth and imitate successful churches. For example large churches started to use beam projectors as their size increased in the mid 1990s. Ignoring the purpose and necessity for such beam projector, small churches, where the congregations could see the face of a pastor without the projector, blindly copied such practice of the big churches and bought expensive projectors. As if the projectors symbolize a success, small churches use them to transmit sermons, quotes from the bible, and lyrics of worship music. As a result, the modern congregations do not necessarily need the Bibles and hymn books in a service. However, there is hardly an articulate answer to the necessity for such projectors. Instead, the use of projectors is justified that congregations can now face the podium throughout the service instead of lowing their heads to look at the Bibles and hymn books. Regarding the form of worship, new forms of worship departing from the traditional format such as open worship, seeker worship and praise worship emerged and the traditional worship style with a long history disappeared within the last few years. It is the reality of the Korean church nowadays. There is hardly a system nor device within the Korean church to contemplate on adopting certain culture and to verify the judgement and criteria for such phenomena. Consequent1y the judgement and criteria lie mainly in individual pastors in charge of the ministry based on their own theological standard and evaluation. As for the worship music, some pastors with no training and knowledge in music caused various problems. In this study, definitions of worship and worship music were reviewed to identify an appropriate form of worship that can truly serve God. Moreover a historical review on the use of music in worship for each period was made based on the biblical studies. In addition. case studies and problems of misusing music in Christian worship were examined and the cause of such problems was investigated as a main research task of this study. To solve such problems of the above phenomena. suggestions were made as follows. It is necessary to secure expert workers specialized in church music and a reform is needed for pastors in charge of individual church to change their current mind-set. They need to recognize the importance of the worship music, discover and train personnel among congregations. Suggestions for the development of worship music in Korean church were as follows. First, each paster in charge of the church needs to recognize the importance of the worship music and subsequent1y each church needs to train personnel specialized in church music. Second, the current workers who are not expert in church music should receive a proper training and learn from their mistakes and shortcomings. Third, each church should provide administerial and financial support to reeducate the workers in charge of music. Fourth. expert workers formally trained in church music should be rewarded well so that they can concentrate on the dedication and service to God like the Tribe of Levi. Fifth, each church should be reminded of the importance of the worship music with consistent attention. Sixth, a large number of workers specialized in church music should be trained through prayer and continuing investment for the spiritual growth of church. Seventh, unorthodox worship practice caused by abusing music should be recognized and corrected since it is not what pleases God. Eighth, religious reformers keep asserting that only God should be worshipped. Ninth, the curriculum for worship in Theological Seminaries needs to be improved in many aspects. In particular, secular and unorthodox elements of music are currently infiltrated in church music. Non-biblical features in selecting certain music, using gospel music, CCM, and instrument need to be changed. Tenth, tenacious efforts must be made to cultivate experts in church music and musicians following spiritual path.