How often does your church sing the Nazarene anthem? Holiness unto the Lord.

[Jim Franklin]

Perhaps it is time for Nelson to post it. We need to be reminded that we are, "called unto Holiness. Or am I being too old fashioned for this forum? If the gardners do not make sure the roots are strong and viable the plant could die or blow over.

[Brad Mercer]

Never, and glad of it. But we sing a lot of other songs designed to call us to holiness as effectively as that one did in its heyday.

You're right. We do need to be reminded that we're called unto holiness.

Brad

[Barb Bouldrey]

We sing it once at year at the ordination service on the district. Here in the local church? Maybe once a year.

But we sing songs like, "Holiness, holiness is what I long for, holiness is what I need. Holiness, holiness is what you want for me."

And other songs of cleansing and surrender and being led by the Holy Spirit as well as infilled.

Barb

[Kevin Rector]

I just don't know. I don't really keep tabs on which songs are sung. I'm sure we've sung it once or twice in the last year and a half though.

[Mike Schutz]

We do keep track of the hymns and songs we sing. Comes from my old job when we were audited by CCLI every year.

We have sung it 3 times in the last 51 months.

But we sing many other songs that point to holiness, and I preach it a lot.

[BobHunt]

Im not sure about that one chorus, Holiness is what I long for....it makes it sound like we long for it all our life and never find it. It seems to me that if God said "Be ye Holy as I am Holy" that He would not tell us that and then hold it just out of our reach. Do any of you think that the COTN is ever referred to as "oh, theres a Holiness church over there." Does this comment make you feel uncomfortabe? Do you think we have lost our reputation as a denomination as a Holiness church?

[Mike Schutz]

Im not sure about that one chorus, Holiness is what I long for....it makes it sound like we long for it all our life and never find it. It seems to me that if God said "Be ye Holy as I am Holy" that He would not tell us that and then hold it just out of our reach. Do any of you think that the COTN is ever referred to as "oh, theres a Holiness church over there." Does this comment make you feel uncomfortabe? Do you think we have lost our reputation as a denomination as a Holiness church?

I have only been a Nazarene for 30 years, so I don't qualify for knowing the "good, old days." But I know that when I told folks in 1974 that I would be attending a Nazarene college, they did not talk about the "holiness church." They talked about "that church that thinks you can be perfect and never sin," and "that church that believes you can lose your salvation if you sin."

So, if that's what we meant by holiness...

[Anne and Dwayne Hood]

Our church does not sing it, but I certainly wish they did.

[Barbara Moulton]

Im not sure about that one chorus, Holiness is what I long for....it makes it sound like we long for it all our life and never find it. It seems to me that if God said "Be ye Holy as I am Holy" that He would not tell us that and then hold it just out of our reach. Do any of you think that the COTN is ever referred to as "oh, theres a Holiness church over there." Does this comment make you feel uncomfortabe? Do you think we have lost our reputation as a denomination as a Holiness church?

Well, as a former Nazarene (now a Wesleyan) living in a far more secular country (Canada)...my experience is that 99% of the people I meet wouldn't know what I would mean if I said a "holiness church".

Personally, I am far more concerned with my reputation as an individual Christian and the reputation of my local church within a community. Whether or not anyone even knows what the word "holiness" means, I hope that they see it in me and in my local group of believers.

I heard the song "Called Unto Holiness" for the first time when Carl and I were received as ministers in the Nazarene Church. I think from then on, the only time I have sung it is at ordination services. Maybe I'll get to sing it when my brother Barry Clarke is received.

As far as the chorus "Holiness" goes, it speaks to me of the continuing transformation of the journey of holiness.

[Paul Whitaker]

Haven't heard it in a loooooong time. Last time was at General Assembly - some years ago. It's not the words - it's the feeling it gives one to be singing 'in concert' - just any hymn will do!

[BobHunt]

It just seemsto me, that if we have to sin once a day or once a week or twice a month, that we cease to be a Holiness church and become more of a Calvinistic church. The fact is, Holiness does not make us unable to sin, but takes away the desire to, and gives us power to stand during temptation.

[Barb Bouldrey]

When I sing "Holiness is what I long for," it comes from my heart that I desire to grow closer to God more and more each day. I have days when I feel that I fail the Lord and do not act like holiness.

Holiness is something I received when I was sanctified, but God is still working on me. Sanctification is just the beginning of a holy walk.

As I pray, I often sing "I Surrender All" to the Lord. I know I did that 41 years ago, but I still do that daily.

The song goes on to say, "Faithfulness, faithfulness..." because I want to continue to be faithful to God.

Barb

[Marsha Gupton]

never....I think the last time I heard Holiness Unto the Lord was at General Assembly. I love the song, but rarely hear it anymore.

[Steven Stone]

I love the hymn, but I have been waiting for someone to make a more modern contemporary arrangement of the song. There are many new arrangements of some of the older hymns that seem to draw me and others closer to God. Just listening to them done in a new and fresh way, you seem to focus on the words more. Maybe an innovative young composer could take "Holiness Unto the Lord" and rearrange it.

[David Pettigrew]

We sing it

1) on Pentecost Sunday. I know this is theologically incorrect, but that's when we sing it.

2) when the DS is present. Again, I have no idea why.

I tear up every time we get to the second verse b/c it reminds me of my ordination. That's the verse you march in on.

By far the most thrilling moment of M7 in Kansas City was when we sang the gospel arrangement of this song. Chill bumps!

[Hans Deventer]

I think we sang it during an ordination service once. The general wanted it on the program. But hardly anyone here knows it, so that didn't work out too well. Ever since, we tell a general that in advance.

[Marg Webb]

Never, and glad of it. But we sing a lot of other songs designed to call us to holiness as effectively as that one did in its heyday.

You're right. We do need to be reminded that we're called unto holiness.

Brad

Brad, why are you "glad of it". You have my curiosity up.??

[Brad Mercer]

Brad, why are you "glad of it". You have my curiosity up.??

Sorry, it probably wasn't necessary to say that. When I write hurriedly I'm probably a little more blunt. I'm still learning to be gentle and loving. When I'm rushed or distracted it's still easy for me to slip into the autopilot of old habits.

I just never really cared much for the tune. It sounds like John Phillip Sousa to me, and I don't really mean that in a good way. It doesn't make me want to be holy; it makes me feel like I'm in a marching band.

That's just my own personal taste in music, though. I never cared much for marching music. I understand that a lot of people do, and that's fine. I also understand that any song of the church can come to be special because of the memories and emotional responses it evokes in us from years of singing it during services in which we really encountered God and our hearts swelled and our minds captured his vision for us for a moment. This would certainly be one of those songs for many long-time Nazarenes.

I don't think it would have the same impact on most secular, completely unchurched people between the ages of 20-50 who are brand new to the church, and that's who I always have in mind when subjects come up on NazNet that relate to how we communicate the message of holiness.

Love,
Brad

[Nelson Bradford]

and that makes me sad.
-neb

[Joanne Vergin]

I like that song. We sing about twice a year.

[Gord Evans]

On August 10, 2003.

Our Scripture that day was Isaiah 6:1 - In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Our guest speaker, while our Pastor and family were on vacation, was Harold Cobb.

Our opening worship music consisted of:

Holy, Holy, Holy - hymn #2
Have Thine Own Way, Lord - hymn #480
Find Us Faithful - hymn #726
Holiness Unto The Lord - hymn #503
Rise Up, O Church of God - hymn #724

The offering song was:

I Surrender All - hymn #486

And, our closing song was:

Jesus Is Coming Again - hymn #281

[Jim Franklin]

When I was growing up it seems like we sang it almost every month and it is one of my favorites of all gospel anthems. As my dad used to say "the Bible is so full of holiness that the covers could not contain all of it so 'Holy Bible' is written on the outside."

[Jim Franklin]

Brad, martial music is among my favorite styles of music of all time. I remember during WWII many hours of radio time were filled with John Phillip Sousa's marches and I stood in front of the radio as a small tad and made the motions with my arms that I had seen the high school band director make at their concerts. For certain, my parents expected me to become a band director. Even now when I have classical or martial music on my car radio particularly at a stop light I let go of the steering wheel with my right hand and direct. I'm sure that people in nearby cars who see my arm in motion are thinking "that weird old man." but it is good exercise and I am enjoying the music.

[Brad Mercer]

Jim,

That's good. I've decided I should treat tastes in music like tastes in food. We should be all free to enjoy what is to our own tastes, and do our best to appreciate or at least graciously tolerate those with tastes different from our own. I'm still working on all that in my own life, as you can see, but so are those closest to me.

My wife comes into our bedroom and hears me listening to old black Gospel music like Mahalia Jackson or the Mighty Clouds of Joy or the Fairfield Four and just cringes, but it moves me into the presence of God like little else. I recognize that puts me in the position of the person with the beam in his own eye who should be careful about offering to help my brother remove the speck from his. ;-)

The aussies have expressions like "Good on ya" and "no worries, mate" that probably apply here. ;-)

Brad

Brad, martial music is among my favorite styles of music of all time. I remember during WWII many hours of radio time were filled with John Phillip Sousa's marches and I stood in front of the radio as a small tad and made the motions with my arms that I had seen the high school band director make at their concerts. For certain, my parents expected me to become a band director. Even now when I have classical or martial music on my car radio particularly at a stop light I let go of the steering wheel with my right hand and direct. I'm sure that people in nearby cars who see my arm in motion are thinking "that weird old man." but it is good exercise and I am enjoying the music.

[Barbara Moulton]

Brad, martial music is among my favorite styles of music of all time. I remember during WWII many hours of radio time were filled with John Phillip Sousa's marches and I stood in front of the radio as a small tad and made the motions with my arms that I had seen the high school band director make at their concerts. For certain, my parents expected me to become a band director. Even now when I have classical or martial music on my car radio particularly at a stop light I let go of the steering wheel with my right hand and direct. I'm sure that people in nearby cars who see my arm in motion are thinking "that weird old man." but it is good exercise and I am enjoying the music.

I'm curious...did you ever listen to Salvation Army band music?

I was raised with it of course. To this day, a brass arrangment of an old hymn will touch my heart.

[Wilson L. Deaton]

I don't recall singing it in church during the last seven years but we may have....

(I do hear it at assembly.)

Wilson

[Marg Webb]

I just never really cared much for the tune. It sounds like John Phillip Sousa to me, and I don't really mean that in a good way. It doesn't make me want to be holy; it makes me feel like I'm in a marching band.


.

I don't think it would have the same impact on most secular, completely unchurched people between the ages of 20-50 who are brand new to the church, and that's who I always have in mind when subjects come up on NazNet that relate to how we communicate the message of holiness.

Love,
Brad

Dearest Brad:
I am the one that introduced DRUMS (by paying for them) to our congregation.!!!!
We now have a much larger group of drums, but the first ones are in the Mosaic Sat. night service.
Don't judge a gray head by it's cover. Honey!! I love rhythm and the beat of a drum.
I DETEST repetition of a word going on it seems like forever!! That sours my stomach.:)
"Everyone to their own taste said the old lady as she kissed the cow". NOW who is above 50 and corney:)

[Paul Whitaker]

Sorry, it probably wasn't necessary to say that. When I write hurriedly I'm probably a little more blunt. I'm still learning to be gentle and loving. When I'm rushed or distracted it's still easy for me to slip into the autopilot of old habits.

I just never really cared much for the tune. It sounds like John Phillip Sousa to me, and I don't really mean that in a good way. It doesn't make me want to be holy; it makes me feel like I'm in a marching band.

That's just my own personal taste in music, though. I never cared much for marching music. I understand that a lot of people do, and that's fine. I also understand that any song of the church can come to be special because of the memories and emotional responses it evokes in us from years of singing it during services in which we really encountered God and our hearts swelled and our minds captured his vision for us for a moment. This would certainly be one of those songs for many long-time Nazarenes.

I don't think it would have the same impact on most secular, completely unchurched people between the ages of 20-50 who are brand new to the church, and that's who I always have in mind when subjects come up on NazNet that relate to how we communicate the message of holiness.

Love,
Brad

You said, "special because of the memories and emotional responses it evokes in us from years of singing it during services in which we really encountered God and our hearts swelled and our minds captured his vision for us for a moment."

That's the very reason so many of the old hymns resonate with me. In my younger days I dreaded to hear "How Firm a Foundation". However, during my year at SNU on the faculty I was moved to tears as a visiting song evangelist (a dying breed) sang all of the verses of that hymn. I was moved to tears realizing the words, the music were are to the Glory of God.

However, we no longer sing that hymn. Some will say - that's good but this old geezer is moved to tears each time I sing it or hear it.

I do not sing well by myself. Maybe that's why I enjoy singing 'in concert' when we can sing 'parts'. (SATB)

[Paul Whitaker]

I'm curious...did you ever listen to Salvation Army band music?

I was raised with it of course. To this day, a brass arrangment of an old hymn will touch my heart.

When younger and having heard Salvation Army band music on the street corner - I always hoped that some day I would be able to play in the Salvation Army Band. Still enjoy their music.