("New Songs" in China and beyond)
We recorded the "Canaan Hymn" you hear playing during a worship time at one of our pastor training events in China. It was one of the most beautiful times of worship we have ever experienced! -Perhaps you had to be there. Then again, maybe not, listen with your heart. God is looking to put "New Songs" in us all the time!!
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. (Ps 96:1)
Praise the LORD! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints.
(Ps 149:1 )
Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth. (Isa 42:10a)
I will sing a new song to You, O God.
(Ps 144:9a )
Please read on; it is well worth the read.
Xiao Min & the Canaan Songs
(abridged)
This is the fantastic story that God has been writing these past years with the simple peasant girl Xiao Min in China. Xiao Min dropped out of Junior High and couldn't read music. Nevertheless, by the Holy Spirit, she wrote nearly 1000 songs which in the meantime, like wildfire, spread in all the country and are being sung by all Christians in China.
Canaan Hymns are fast becoming the holy songs of the Chinese nation. Whether in remote villages or prosperous cities, the joyful voices of believers express their love for the Lord through these hymns, often without instruments or the ability to read words or musical scores.
It’s hard to believe that all the melodies and lyrics of the Canaan Hymns were written by a peasant girl named Xiao Min, a girl who can’t even read music! They are sung not only in the Home-church assemblies, but also in the official “Three-self” Churches. Some are sung in Chinese congregations all around the world. These glorious songs are God’s gift to today’s China. They are the pulse of one hundred million Chinese Christians!
by Chinese Author
Xiao Min & the Canaan Songs
This is the fantastic story that God is writing these past years with the simple peasant girl Xiao Min in China. Xiao Min dropped out of Junior High and couldn't read music. Nevertheless, by the Holy Spirit, she wrote nearly 1000 songs which in the meantime, like wildfire, spread in all the country and are being sung by all Christians in China. Even in the Chinese Three-Self-Church her songs are sung, which is truly a big miracle for me as Xiao Min's songs all contain the pure gospel and express faith, testimony and experiences of the faithful. This is really amazing for a country like China. Even outside the country, the Canaan Hymns are being sung in many Chinese churches.
They are having an impact that you can hardly get away from. In remote villages and prosperous cities, wherever there are Christians you will hear joyful voices of the faithful expressing their devotion through their hymns. Without instruments or the ability to read words or musical scores, these people are able to sing dozens of hymns without ever taking a rest. Like this, they feel One as Chinese Christians and are rejoicing in the Great Love that unites all the peoples of the world.
These songs have been assembled in what is called The Canaan Hymns. There are almost 1000 songs. It's hard to believe that all the melodies and lyrics were written by a peasant girl named Xiao Min, a girl who can't even read music.
Xiao Min grew up in a little village in Henan. She says: "I was born into a family of farmers; my parents are simple farming folks. My mother never went to school and my Dad studied for only a year or two. He barely reads. They were very poor.While I was in Junior High, I suffered sinus infection. Every day, about noon, I felt dizzy and nauseous. I couldn't finish the day. Soon, I just quit school all together. So often, during prayer time, quiet time or time of meditating on God's Word, the Holy Spirit would come and bring me a verse or two. Usually within five or ten minutes, I'll be singing the hymn with melody and lyrics."
Later, Xiao Min was given a little recorder. She records what comes into her mind, whether it's day or night. Later, she writes down the words, and someone else writes down the scores.
During walks in the field or during prayer meetings, Xiao Min finds inspiration from the world around her. Her heart is always open to be touched by the Lord. The Canaan Hymns came down to this golden land from the deep blue sky.
They are an eternal gift from the timeless beauty of the heavens, a gift of love to those who inhabit our precious earth. These hymns have spread over the immense land of China in the blink of an eye.
A missionary said: "We once were on a mission to the tribal villages in the province of Yunnan. There we needed inspiration from the hymns more than ever. When we were feeling hopeless and weak, it was Xiao Min's hymns that gave us strength."
People who are deeply moved by the songs in the Canaan Hymns may be curious about the peasant songwriter. There is a deep spiritual connection between her and God. Since she became a Christian, Xiao Min's life was no longer hers alone. She is the messenger that God chose for China.
Jesus is walking on the land of China. He walks with grace and supreme power but in simple clothes. He walks into poor and desolate villages, through main streets and narrow lanes. He is followed by groups of Chinese people. Among them is the singer Xiao Min.
Many years ago, Xiao Min became a mother, but her life still belongs to God and His Church. She is a beloved daughter of China. Her songs continue to flow from her heart.
Canaan Hymns are becoming the holy songs of the Chinese nation. They are the pulse of seventy million Chinese Christians. They reflect the path where so many missionaries walked in the past century. They prophesy the inescapable destiny of the Chinese nation.
Of course, Chinese authorities are not just standing by. So, also Xiao Min is on their black list. She was already imprisoned for quite some time, where other inmates came to Christ while listening to Xiao Min singing in complete devotion. Up to now, God did not allow the authorities to take her to prison again.
by Chinese Author