Sharing before the Church Music Revival Meeting
Mrs. Helen Wan is the choir conductor of this year’s Church Music Revival Meeting. What she shares with you will enable you to understand the essence and services of a music minister.
Anticipation
Helen Wan (Associate Professor of Church Music)My heart is filled with excitement when I think of the Church Music Revival Meeting on April 23. This is the second time that a group of my colleagues comes together and designs the content for the service. This year’s theme is “Be Strong and of Courage, Dare to March on the Road Ahead.” As the name reflects, we will proclaim our Lord’s faithfulness and sing praises to our Lord who cares, comforts us and keeps His promises. We will look into our weaknesses and pray that God will strengthen us through His almightiness to face the life challenge with courage.
I anticipate that this is an outcome of the cooperation of a community. In fact, it is not easy to mobilize the majority of the Seminary’s manpower to prepare for the event. As I feel that we have not yet tried our best, I have to wait for God’s provision with fear. I try to remain calm as I go over every procedure, every song and every scripture verse to ensure they are apt for the service. As I have worked with Dr. Andres Tang, Dr. Desmond Choi and Mr. Sanson Lau, we exchange ideas for reaching a consensus. The selection of the theme, scripture verses and hymns are all group decisions. When anything is lacking, someone always give appropriate suggestions. Through the process I have experienced the joy of serving the Lord with one heart. The joy overcomes the stress of the work. Those who like working on their own should think twice.
Most seminary students have never sung in a choir before. This poses a problem in choosing the appropriate anthems for the event. In principle, I wanted to choose the anthems that are somewhat different in style from the ones that people used to hear in their churches. Yet, I told myself that the anthems must be suitable for the seminary choir to sing. Thus, I tended to choose the relatively modern (but not popular) anthems. Still, the anthems should be challenging, albeit not difficult for the students. And I also thought that the anthems should carry variety of expression, melody, rhythm and harmony. Only then can we encourage and motivate our students to learn the anthems. What is most important is that the lyrics must be in line with the biblical truth and in step with the theme of the meeting. I anticipate that these anthems can nurture students’ lives spiritually. Meanwhile, through frequent practices, they can have the confidence to sing joyful praise, humble prayers, honest admonition and truthful testimony from their hearts.
I remember that in the previous years, the student would always like to take a picture before the service. They put on their choir robes; the girls applied light make-up, while the men combed their hair properly. And then, they took a picture with their hearty smile. Then, choir members checked one another’s uniform, lined up and waited eagerly for the service to begin. I saw their natural smile and the overwhelming joy! Just because of the smiles and joyfulness, my nervous heart would suddenly calm down as I turned my eyes upon Jesus and entrusted myself wholly to Him. I anticipate that this year’s cooperation will be better than that of last year. I also anticipate that this year we will unreservedly entrust everything to God, and allow Him to be our conductor as we submit to His leadership. I anticipate that the Holy Spirit will move freely in our hearts and our voices so that we can give the highest glory to God.
The only thing I find a bit sad is that some brothers and sisters in the churches misunderstand the objective of this music service: they wrongly assume that a service of choir music is suitable for choir members only. As a result, many churches that do not have choir ministry would not encourage their members to participate in the event. Also, some brothers and sisters act as “gate-keepers,” inviting only those they consider suitable (some brothers and sisters like to attend Praise and Worship kind of service only). We want to clarify this wrong concept. Choir members are certainly welcome to attend, but so are those who have never sung in a choir! The meeting on April 23 is neither a concert for music appreciation nor a model performance for singers to emulate; instead, it is intended to be a true worship service which highlights the preacher’s sermon, the student’s testimony and the proclamation of God’s glory and power! I anticipate that more brothers and sisters will attend this year. I pray that with an open heart, a prayerful heart and a heart questing to grow, the word of our God will dwell deeply in our hearts. Last but not least, “we may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:2).
The following are more sharing from a number of brothers and sisters, including an alumnus, the monitress of the Alumni Choir, a choir member, the piano accompanist, the sister giving her testimony in the meeting, a student who responded to the commitment call in the previous meeting and later applied to study in HKBTS, and a member of the Faculty Men’s Choir.
The HKBTS Alumni Choir was founded over five years ago. The intention was to gather together a group of ministers to practice singing for two hours on the first Monday of every month. The choir would be taught and conducted by Mrs. Helen Wan. In years that follow, we members have not only fallen in love with singing hymns, but we have also been willing to serve God in the choir. It is not at all easy for a group of busy ministers to continue practicing every month. However, we all treasure this opportunity as we can sing together with co-walkers, bond spiritually, discipline our lives through singing, and be moved and taught by God Himself even as we sing together.
Two years ago, an alumna shared her feelings after the HKBTS’s Annual Concert. She said that she was touched by the singing of the Alumni Choir! Our choir does not sing very well, but we are a group of God’s servants blessed with God’s grace in the singing ministry and desiring to sing hymns of different levels. This encourages me to continue serving God in my present position and allows me to appreciate the distinctiveness of the Alumni Choir. I hope more of our alumni join us to discipline ourselves in practice and to praise God together!
I am a first year B.A.P.S. student and I thank God for granting me the opportunity to share my testimony at the Church Music Revival Meeting on April 23. When a teacher invited me to share my testimony, I was both flattered and shocked. I was afraid I could not bear the responsibility, unable to explain clearly the Lord’s call and His step-by-step guidance. But as God is willing to manifest His grace and power through such a lowly person as me, I have nothing to fear.
However, whenever I picture myself standing on stage before more than a thousand people, my old fear returns. The only way to conquer my fear is to seek God’s help. The Holy Spirit also continues to remind me that the main character is not me but the Lord who is worthy to be praised. When I remember I am just a vessel to be used by God, my fear gradually subsides.
In the evening of the meeting, I will recount how God helped me rebuild my relationship with my husband when he lost his eyesight, how God led me to minister to the elderly and through the ministry and different experiences I came to affirm God’s call. I am glad to take part in this meeting, in which the Lord is the main character, and I will do my best without self-conceit. I hope that God can use my testimony to bless the audience with joy and encouragement!
To be able to serve in the choir ministry is an immense blessing from God. God created beautiful music and allows humans to experience God’s magnificence through beautiful music. I thank God for allowing me to take part in this year’s Church Music Revival Meeting and also to have the opportunity to be a student leader in some of the practices. As we have practiced for half a year, I do not find it easy to grasp each hymn and always sing on tune and that is why we choir members treasure the singing practice.
Indeed, since we are not a professional choir, what we sing may not be up to professional standards. But I am convinced that each choir member is called by God and learns to be a faithful servant of Christ committed for life with a sense of mission. That is why I firmly believe that singing of hymns is a way to express our joy and strong sense of God’s call. My prayer is that everyone present can experience God’s magnificence and may God Himself speak to you and me in this meeting.
Wong Siu-leung (an a alumnus)
Thank God for His grace, I had participated in the ministry of the “Hill Singers” as I studied in two programs at HKBTS over the past five years. In the past, I participated in the church music ministry of different churches, and I had prepared and led a number of worship services. Although I am now responsible for the overall pastoral ministry of a church, it is my heart’s desire to promote a life of worship for Christ’s disciples. The Seminary’s Annual Concert is a great opportunity for brothers and sisters in our churches to join HKBTS’s faculty and students to worship God. I have sometimes sung in the choir and at other times I would enjoy being a member of the audience. From my experience and understanding, choral singing is not a musical performance but a moment when brothers and sisters in Christ, ministers, alumni, the Seminary’s faculty, staff and students altogether experience God’s presence!
In previous HKBTS’s annual music meetings, when every time I saw familiar faces, I was reminded of the times when we served, studied and worshipped together. Every time when I heard HKBTS’s students sharing on stage how they experienced God’s presence and how their lives were changed and renewed, my heart would be filled with praise and I thanked God for how He had blessed them. Of course, there were joint choirs of a variety of group combinations, singing hymns on the stage. Despite the fact that they are not professional choirs, they glorify the Lord with their lives as they offer up to God hymns and songs that touch people’s heart. The songs they sing may not be perfect, but I strongly believe that the Lord will accept with delight what they offer. For seminary students, this is a precious learning opportunity.
On April 4, 2008 HKBTS held its Annual Concert. At that time I had been a Christian for three years, and with no psychological preparation I had accepted a church sister’s invitation to attend the concert. The theme for that year’s concert was “Take My Life.” That evening, God used students’ testimonies and the sermon, together with a number of hymns to touch my heart deeply. The meditation periods between the music allowed me to experience God’s presence. Before the meeting began, I had boldly prayed to God, asking: “What should I do with my life? Can I be used wholeheartedly by you? If I am willing to offer my life to you, can I be of use to you?” In the meeting, God asked me directly and clearly: “Are you willing to forsake your present comfortable life style? I ask you to come, follow me on a new road!” That evening, I stood up when the preacher made the commitment call.
In the following half year, God verified His call to me time and again through many different experiences, enabled me to deepen my relationship with God. He consolidated my faith by speaking to me personally so that I did not falter despite my weak faith. Last August, trusting God’s promise, I applied to study in HKBTS to get equipped and learn to walk on God’s blessed road.
Abba Father in Heaven,
Today is Wednesday, I can do a pleasant thing!
I am grateful to you for it. I thank you, dear Father, with all my heart for allowing me to go to HKBTS to practice with a group of lovely young seminary students who offer up their music to you. Although at present we are just practicing and not actually singing and piano playing before an audience, I still enjoy such beautiful moments! Abba, thank you that I am blessed to be with the choir and to witness how they are learning and improving in singing. Thank you for allowing me to be of use to help in their midst by being their piano accompanist. How grateful I am for your grace! You are the one I will have to sing praise all my life. I will proclaim your great virtue. Hope that what I do will be pleasing to you.
Your loving child,
Lan
I like singing hymns: Singing along with the congregation in the worship service, singing while walking in the corridor outside the faculty offices, singing softly in personal devotion time with Century of Praise (Baptist Hymnal) in my hand, singing along with the Youtube short films about hymns while watching, listening and responding to the lyrics and melodies.
I like singing hymns as they captivate my heart and soul: they express the praise or repentance that I could not express on my own; they both touch the innermost of my heart and the finger tips of God.
In addition, I like to sing in HKBTS’s Church Music Revival Meetings together with my fellow seminary teachers.
I am a “student of God,” both an alumnus and a faculty member, and even the planning committee member of this year’s Revival Meeting. But it is not out of duty that I sing in the meeting. I earnestly anticipate the meeting to come — anticipate that the hymns that touch my heart can also touch the hearts of others. The professors’ singing may not be outstanding but at least we have tried our best to practice and sing from our hearts, hoping that our voices can be used by God. May we as professors experience God’s great work and see how God Himself works in the hearts of those present (including ourselves) by touching, calling, stimulating, guiding, and granting us faith, hope and love. May we all then be strong and courageous, daring to march on the road ahead in response to His love.
I pray that God will use the Church Music Revival Meeting to His glory and I have no doubt that He will use it for His glory.