Taiwan Church News 3816 Edition April 14 ~ 20, 2025 Weekly Topical From a Pastor’s Prison Poem to a Girl’s Ward Words, A Book Launch Held forManual of PCT Hymnal: God Leads Us to Sing New Songs Reported by Dalul from Tainan A thanksgiving service for a new book,God Leads Us to Sing New Songs:Manual of PCTHymnal, was held at Taiwan Church Press and Chi-Nan Church of Chi-Hsin presbytery on April 9th and 13th respectively. Through praise and worship, the thanksgiving service aims to show the abundant significance of PCT Hymnal. Edited by TTCS Publishing House and published by Taiwan Church Press,Manual of PCTis introduced by Rev Dr Loh I-to and Rev Lee Ching-hsing to share why and how the book is written with a distinctive significance being diverse, ecumenical and inclusive. Rev Loh, who has been studying worship and church music for decades, says that hymns are precious treasures of the Christian faith of laymen, theologians, pastors, poets and musicians of generations handed down in a long stream of church history. Adapting to local culture, art, milieu and style of their particular eras, Christians interpret the Bible, reflect their relationship with God, and go deep into their struggles to proclaim the faith in the hymn. These works in the past hymnal allow people to see God’s actions and glories in history, and showcase the believers’ inspiration, experience and witness to our Lord God. He points out thatPCT Hymnal(2009 edition) comprises a total of 650 poems from 77 countries and regions, of which both Europe and the United States accounted for 50%, and both the third world countries and Taiwan accounted for 25% respectively. Such a diverse and wide-range selection of hymnal materials not only tries its utmost reflects various historical traditions of Christian churches, but also integrates concrete contexts and confession of faith in Taiwan, in order to showcase rich cultural backdrops, theological reflection and faithful teaching. He hopes thatGod Leads Us to Sing New Songs:Manual of PCT Hymnalcan help PCT members understand the lyric contents, author’s backgrounds, music style and singing ways of each hymn. For example, when he composed a hymn based on the witness by Rev Kao Chun-ming, late general secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, who was arrested, persecuted and imprisoned after the Formosa Magazine Incident in 1979. In that very hymn, Rev Loh composes the melody with a“leitmotif”, i.e. through a surprised change in music, fusing the power of suffering and hope in the lyrics, and then amazingly transforms the originally sad melody into a rooting-deep witness of faith to stand by Formosa Taiwan. Another example is the 599th hymnDonna toki demo (No Matter What Time it is)ofPCT Hymnal(2009 version) of, the lyrics are from Junko Takahashi (1959-1967), a seven-year-old girl in Japan who is bravely struggling in a deadly diseases. With an extraordinary compassion to care her mother’s sadness, Junko Takahashi wrote this poem to deliver her compassion and comfort. Rev Loh says that if the backdrop story of the hymn is not written down, people will be very difficult to appreciate the deep force and divine compassion behind the very hymn. “If you know this story, the more you think about it, the more you will be touched and you will be inspired and become faithful!”, he says. Rev Loh says that the purpose ofGod Leads Us to Sing New Songs:Manual of PCT Hymnalhopes to encourage Taiwan church to love our neighbors more, care the marginalized, do justice, and seek ecumenical peace through singing these hymns in our homeland or around the world. “Many beautiful musics, imaginary literatures and fantastic stories are included in theManual of PCT Hymnalto guide users to learn the heart of the Creator and to be encouraged by it,” Rev Loh stresses. Rev Lee Chin-hsing shares that the edition ofManual of PCT Hymnalis full of challenges, involving language translation, data verification and many complicated miscellaneous works. She mentions that in the first publication ofPCT Hymnal(2009 edition), an idea of writing a commentary manual of PCT Hymnal was immediately emerged. “After years of preparation and discussion, it is now finally published,” says Rev Lee. She also gives her thanksgiving to God for His compassionate guidance, and hopes that the manual could lead more people to experience the beauty of hymns, think deep into the faith and build a wonderful life via hymn singing. At 11 a.m. on May 24, the third book launch event forGod Leads Us to Sing New Songs:Manual of PCT Hymnalwill be held at Liu-Yuan Church in Taichung. You are very much welcome to enjoy such an abundant and amazing musical feast! Translated by Peter Wolfe |