Alleluia, Sing Noel! (English)

“Alleluia, Sing Noel!” is a Christmas concert theme combining Hallelujah Oratorio Society and SBC Chorale in the Esplanade on 30 November 2008. Before the concert was begun, I really prayed and asked God that I could really sing all the songs in the concert from the bottom of my heart.

When the introduction of the song ““Tapestry of Carols” was played by the small orchestra, I really wanted to cry (but of course I could not do it because I still have to sing right?) This introduction was so grand and it is a call for the Christians to come and worship God joyfully because Jesus is born for us. “Tapestry of Carols” is a medley song of some Christmas carols such as “O Come, All Ye Faithful”, “Joy to the World”, “The First Noel”, “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”.

There is one song that touches my heart since the first rehearsal until the performance which is “Sleep, Little Lamb”. The melody of this song is so beautiful and talks about the shepherds who were keeping watch over the flocks at night but they were joyful after seeing and meeting Jesus who was born in Bethlehem. This song also asks us to worship Him, the King and shout “Hosanna” for the mighty King.

Each song was sung beautifully by the choir until we reached the last and closing song which is “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel Messiah. When the choir started to sing this song, the audience started to stand up and my tears dropped. I saw the greatness of God through this song. Every heart is praising the Lord and saying “Hallelujah, He is King of Kings!” Finally this song was sung 2 times as encore.

After the concert, we gave thanks to the Lord. Once again, my tears dropped. This tear was a thanksgiving tear for the blessings that God has given since the rehearsal until the concert. God has given opportunity for me and all the choir members to take part in this Christmas concert and shared the blessings with those who heard it especially for us who sang it.

One thing that reminds me and each of us to always pray to God whole heartedly and it will be given to us according to His will.

Alleluia, Sing Noel! (Indonesia)

“Alleluia, Sing Noel!” adalah tema konser natal Hallelujah Oratorio Society dan SBC Chorale concert di Esplanade, 30 November 2008. Sebelum konser, saya benar-benar doa sama Tuhan agar saya bisa menyanyikan semua lagu dari dengan sepenuh hati saya.

Ketika intro lagu “Tapestry of Carols” dimainkan oleh instrument piano, trompet, & orkestra, saya benar2 merasa ingin menangis (tapi saya tahan2 untuk tidak menangis soalnya kan harus menyanyi). Intro lagu ini begitu megah dan merupakan sebuah ajakan atau panggilan bagi setiap orang Kristen untuk berhimpun dan menyembah Tuhan dengan penuh sukacita karena Yesus telah lahir bagi manusia. “Tapestry of Carols” ini medley dari beberapa lagu natal “Hai, Mari Berhimpun”, “Dunia Gemar & Soraklah”, “Noel”, dan “Dengar Malaikat Nyanyi”.

Ada sebuah lagu yang paling berkesan buat saya dari selama latihan hingga konser yaitu “Sleep, Little Lamb”. Melodi lagu ini sangat indah dan kata-katanya berbicara tentang para gembala yang menjaga domba-dombanya di malam yang gelap dan dingin tapi mereka bersukacita karena telah melihat Yesus yang telah lahir. Lagu ini juga mengajak setiap kita untuk menyembah Dia, Sang Raja yang baru lahir dan berseru “Hosana!” bagi Yesus yang teragung.

Lagu demi lagu dinyanyikan oleh Paduan Suara, solois, dan orkestra hingga lagu terakhir sebagai lagu penutupan yaitu “Hallelujah Chorus” dari Handel Messiah. Ketika PS mulai menyanyikan lagu ini, semua penonton perlahan-lahan mulai berdiri, saya benar-benar menitikkan air mata. Saya melihat kebesaran dan keagungan Tuhan melalui lagu ini. Setiap hati memuji Tuhan dan berkata “Haleluyah, Dialah Raja Segala Raja”. Akhirnya lagu ini dinyanyikan 2x sebagai encore.

Selesai konser, kami berdoa bersama. Sekali lagi, saya menitikkan air mata ucapan syukur terbesar kepada Tuhan karena Tuhan telah memberkati konser ini dari persiapannya hingga malam konser. Tuhan juga telah memberi kesempatan kepada saya & setiap anggota PS untuk dapat menyanyikan lagu natal dan memberi berkat kepada setiap mereka yang mendengarnya dan terlebih lagi ketika lagu-lagu ini juga boleh menjadi berkat bagi setiap kita yang menyanyikannya.

Satu hal yang juga mengingatkan saya dan setiap kita yaitu untuk selalu berdoa dengan sungguh-sungguh kepada Tuhan, minta kepada Tuhan dan Tuhan akan memberikannya kepada kita sesuai dengan rencana-Nya.

Biblical Foundations

Part 4: Biblical Foundations

Biblical foundation is very important because the Word of God is the principle of every Christian’s living. Music ministry should be based on the Biblical foundations because the church can not run the music ministry without tracing what the Bible says about music ministry and the importance of music ministry in the Bible. In the Biblical foundations, we can see from three different aspects how the music ministry relates to the Bible and how the music ministry based on the Bible.

Firstly is the Biblical foundation in God’s creativity. The Bible records many passages for God’s creativity in His works. God created everything for both aesthetics and functional (Genesis 1, 2 and Colossians 1:16-17). He creates things for men to enjoy and to show that God has provided the creations to fulfill the need of men (Genesis 15:5; Job 12:7-10). It also reminds men for God’s faithfulness and caring for men. The Bible tells us the first people who created the art and became the musician (Genesis 4:21-22). Knowing about God’s creativity and the original of the music are important because the Bible does not only record it for the sake of literature and knowledge but it gives us understanding and different view for who God is and why God creates and gives art for men.

Secondly is the Biblical foundation in the Old Testament. The Old Testament helps us to understand how music was presented in the history. It also gives us knowledge of the social functions of music and the use of liturgical in life of the people in the Old Testament. It also gives us knowledge of the origin of the music ministry. It is important to know because God is actually who planned and ordered for establishment in the music ministry.

Thirdly is the Biblical foundation in the New Testament. This Biblical foundations show us that music was a significant part of the culture and the New Testament Christian church and the goal of music is not aesthetics, but as vehicles of spiritual expression. It also tells us about the function of church music and the variety of songs that we can use in the worship service in the church which are Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19).

Understanding the Biblical foundation is very important. It reminds us to always return to the principle of music ministry which is the Bible. It also helps us to us see the history and the development of the church music and how God’s hands are in the history of the church music.

Theological Foundations

Part 3: Theological Foundations

In theology we talk and study about God. This is another important foundation in the music ministry. Music ministry can not be separated from God who has created the music. Music ministry needs God as the Source of music.

God is the Creator. He finished His creations in six days and every creation which He created was good but when He created Adam and Eve according to His own image, it was very good. He gives men brain to think and to appreciate beauty even to create the beauty itself regardless the men are Christians or not.

When men create the human art and the beauty, the purpose is to glorify God because God is the One who has given this gift to human being and the gift from Him is worthy. The creation that God made does not only for beauty but it also has function and benefits for human beings (“And the LORD God made all kinds of tress grow out of the ground-trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food” Genesis 2:9a).

After God created Adam and Eve, He said to them to fill the earth and to subdue it. He asked them to rule over the creation (Genesis 1:28). Christians also have to rule over the music. They have the control toward music and not the music which controls them. Christians do not worship the music, the creation but the music is used to worship God, the Creator and giving the best to God as their offering.

Church music is a functional art-created and used by human beings to serve the purposes of God. Five areas where the music could serve to fulfill the purposes of God: Music serves in the worship. Music is an aid to the act of worship. Music serves for evangelism. It supports the Word of God that being preached in the evangelistic service. Music also serves for education or nurture. A music minister can teach or edify the congregation through music such as singing hymns or ministry in the choir. Music also serves for pastoral care, in the ministry, and in the fellowship. Music helps one community to serve the Lord together, to serve each other, and to have fellowship with each other. Church music should fulfill for these functions because we do not only see the church music from the view of art and beauty but it should function correctly to glorify God who has created the music for us.

Foundations of Music Ministry: Sociological Foundations

Foundations of Music Ministry
Part 2: Sociological Foundations

Music is not a universal language. People in the world have their own musical language to communicate within their community and culture and it is different from our culture and language. Music is meant for expression or communication for the people in their own culture and it is understood only by themselves. The meaning of music in each culture is different to other culture.

According to Hustad in his book Jubilate II, music is a gift of God which both glorifies God and edifies human beings.[1] Music is given for everybody in everywhere. People who are not Christians have different god from the God Whom the Christians have. We worship our God and they also worship their gods with their expression and this expression is expressed through their musical language. This is the first meaning of music in the society. Music is used as Divine expression. People use music to express who God is who has given music as a gift for human being and also used as communication between human being and God.

The second meaning of music in the society which music gives pleasure. It means that music give enjoyment for the people who use it. Music can be used by people in different ways, some examples: some people go to concert to enjoy the music, some people in some cultures make music after they have finished their works or met their basic needs of food, shelter, and protection from hostile forces[2] or some places like shopping malls use music to entertain people.

Music expresses people’s emotion. Music has a close relationship with people’s emotion. People’s emotion can be moved by music. It could affect the emotion and reveal the emotion of a person through the outward expression or even through the character. For the latter, the revealing of music which relates to emotion, the two Greek philosophers in fourth century B. C. (Plato and Aristotle) developed a doctrine called the doctrine of ethos, a concept which the artist or the music has the power to change the character of the audience.[3]

When the music is used by certain culture or society, the music gives identity to that culture or society. Each society has a unique musical style and language and music expresses their uniqueness. Here music is used as preference for different group of people in different era and place or culture groups and the music gives identities of the group of people who use the music. Certain music symbolizes with certain meaning. When the music is used by the culture, the music adds meaning onto the ritual life of the culture because music expresses their characters in many ways of their life. This is the fourth meaning of music in the society which music reinforces the culture of the society.

Music in the society has the same functions with music in the ministry. Firstly, music is used as an aid to the act of worship to express about God who has given the music as a gift for the Christians. It is a tool of communication between God and God’s people.

Secondly, music is used as emotional expression of the Christians to God. Christians participate in the congregational singing in the worship and through music, they express their feeling and emotion to God but it has to be grounded in God Himself through the faith.

Thirdly, Christian music also gives pleasure or enjoyment for other Christians or even to the non-Christians. Nowadays, many recordings of Christian music are in the market place. People can easily buy and listen to the music and it gives enjoyment for them. Concerts of Christian music also give pleasure into the people’s life.

Fourthly, the music which is used in the church could unite the people. The music could integrate the people in the society with similar values of way of life and value of art forms. Christians in the same group in the church could feel closer and be united with other Christians in the same group because they have found the same communication which is music and singing as their languages and these languages give them meaning and value.


[1] Donald P. Hustad, Jubilate II: Church Music in Worship and Renewal (Carol Stream. IL: Hope, 1993), 20.
[2] Ibid., 12.
[3] Myrleene Grace Yap, “Church Music History Part 2: Baroque through Romantic Era” [lecture notes, Singapore Bible College, January 2008].

“Why should there be music ministry in the church?” (A Reflection for Music Minister - Forming A Philosophy of Music Ministry)

“Why should there be music ministry in the church?” This question might be asked by the pastor, the deacon, the worship leader or even by the musician in the church to the students who just graduated with Church music degree. What and how will the students or music ministers answer and explain about this? This question is also addressed for the pastors of the church as a reflection to see the importance and the need of having music ministry in the church.

This question sounds simple but yet it is difficult to answer because firstly it needs profound explanation, strong philosophy, and strong foundation of music ministry. These philosophy and foundations are important firstly to help the church or pastors to realize the need and the importance of music ministry in the church.

Secondly, a music minister need to develop a comprehensive, integrated, and consistent knowledge and application of music in Christian ministry in order to approach the issues and practice of church music.[1]


Part 1: Forming a Philosophy of Music Ministry

Philosophy of music ministry is a rational inquiry into the fundamental facts and principles of church music and its ministry in order to develop a comprehensive, integrated, and consistent knowledge and application of music in Christian ministry.[2]

God has created the whole human being perfectly with his totality in five different aspects which are mental or intellectual, emotional, spiritual, physical, and social. In the understanding of the philosophy of music ministry, the approach comes from the intellectual. It needs our rational thinking in our philosophy. Philosophy is not about emotional, what we like or what we do not like but it is something which is absolute.

In our rational, we also use our thinking process. It is a process when we inquire many questions regarding music ministry. It takes analytical thinking to process our questions and to reason about our questions.

Three reasons why forming a philosophy of music ministry is very important. Firstly, forming a philosophy of music ministry enables the music minister not to be based on the feeling but to use the rational thinking consistently in every decision-making they need to make. Philosophy is not about emotional but it is about thinking and rational. Secondly, forming a philosophy of music ministry helps to strengthen the understanding on church music and its ministry.[3] The music minister has a basic ground to step-on which is the fundamental facts and the principles in church music and its ministry. Thirdly, forming a philosophy of music ministry creates standard for integrity in the use of music.[4] This is where the knowledge integrates in the application. A music minister applies what he or she has leant in the seminary or school of church music and apply it in the music ministry.

Music ministry should have integrity which relates to the truth of music ministry itself and the truth of the life of a music minister because it is not only the music ministry which should have the integrity but a music minister should have integrity before God as a whole person in his or her personal life and in the ministry.


[1] Myrleene Grace Yap, “Foundation and Issues in Music Ministry” [lecture notes, Singapore Bible College, July 2008].
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.

The White Lily Children Choir

Mother's Day Service

The White Lily Teachers

Our Gathering

Psalm 1

This week is the 1st week of the new semester. New semester has started, almost all the classes have begun, new syllabus has been given, new assignments, readings, exams are coming to be done.

I thank God that He has blessed my 2 months of holiday back in Jakarta. I could meet and take care of my dad and had funs with all my friends. Now as I start a new journey in this semester, God reminded me again through Dr. Albert Ting’s sermon in the opening chapel. He preached from Psalm 1 about “1 choice but 2 styles of life”. Live to walk with God and it’s called a blessed man of live as a wicked man. I pray that I really journey and walk with God and I want my life to have integrity before God as God uses me as His servant to serve Him.

My assignments and my ministries are not easy in this semester but I really have to rely on God to give me strength and grace to finish this semester. Book of Jeremiah which I read in my quiet time also reminds me a lot to depend on God and have faith in Him through I don’t’ know what is my future. One hymn that I sang this week in the Holy Communion service in school (and I almost couldn’t sing it because it’s too beautiful and touched my heart) is “He Lives”. In the refrain part, it’s said “He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.” It’s God’s promise to me and to all His children that God will walk and talk with me.

Thank God to let me learn your Word….