Holiness and the Songbook

Breathe in this could be a long one.

Also before you read any further this is not a blog about worship songs versus songbook songs. I am fed up with that discussion. This is a blog about changing attitudes towards holiness as revealed in the reprints of the SA songbook.

Under the title The life of holiness, the current SA songbook (1986) has the following contents listed,
Challenge
Consecration and service
Praise and thanksgiving

The previous songbook (1955) under the same title lists the contents as:
The call to holiness
Seeking holiness
Consecration and service
Holiness enjoyed.

We have the 1930 edition and an even earlier edition than that and under the life of holiness the following contents are listed
The call to holiness
Seeking holiness
Consecration
Faith and trust
The Holy Spirit
Holiness enjoyed.

Somewhere over the years the direct call to be holy has become just a challenge for the adventurous. We no longer seek holiness as an experience to claim. Crisis has become process rather than crisis and process. Consecration is still there with the addition of service. That's Ok I suppose but there is a danger here. It is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that service is consecration. I believe it is impossible to be fully consecrated to God and not serve him and others but it is perfectly possible to serve without our hearts and lives belonging totally to God.

What about faith and trust? There is still a section in the songbook with this title but it now comes under the Salvation Soldier section which gives the idea that faith and trust are needed in order to keep going in the battle. That is absolutely true but faith and trust are also bound up with living the life of holiness. The old songbooks put faith and trust under holiness, and the ability to stay firm and true in the fight under comfort and guidance.

FB Meyer, gets it right when he says, "There are three steps to this blessed state, wholeness of the soul. First we must believe that it is attainable, for we will never feel morally bound to do, attempt or choose what we do not believe to be within our reach, Second we must consecrate our selves to God. We must resolve to break off from every known sin and we must believe that God does accept the consecration we have made and will do what he has promised by infilling us with the Holy Spirit and working in us that which is pleasing in his sight."

As for holiness enjoyed? Well we do have praise and thanksgiving and actually most of the songs are the same. So am I going to complain? Well yes I am because the songs express a holiness enjoyed and if they do why not say so? Giving the title praise and thanksgiving could cover a million subjects and I feel that the title reveals a nervousness about declaring an experience of the blessing of holiness. Either that or we kept the songs in for nostalgia sake.

What to do?

Well the old songbooks reflected what God was doing in their day. They were songs written in response to preaching, teaching and experience. So I am not advocating a petition to re-instate the 1900 edition of the Songbook but praying for the day when God's people are hearing a clear call to holiness, are seeking it, consecrating themselves, believing for it and enjoying it. Then I believe the Salvation Army, Kingsway, Mayhew and the rest will all have to include holiness sections in their musical publications for the new songs that will be written out of the expectation and the experience that is all around.

God bless

Carol