What has changed us in 55 years?!
 

Today I was pondering...

Fifty five, nigh onto fifty six years ago when I was born, they sang a lot of songs that we don't sing now. Well, okay...times they are a changing and new is good, too.

But let me try and get to the point...just ask some of my friends and family...I sometimes take time getting there.

Anyway, I recollect that we sang a song back in the day called Meeting in the Air...any of y'all remember it?!

The closing lines of the chorus are as follows...

Such singing you will hear
Never heard by mortal ear
Twill be glorious I do declare
And God’s own Son
Will be the leading one
At that meeting in the air

We sang another one that even as a young'un I loved...

O sweet Wonder
O sweet Wonder
Jesus the Son of God
How I adore thee
O how I love thee
Jesus the Son of God

Later on, in the early 60s when Bill and Gloria began to write, we sang...

God sent His Son
They called Him "Jesus"...

I'm sure there were other songs which mentioned "Son," but I can't recall then all right now...the point is, I don't recall anyone questioning us singing those lyrics.

No one said, "Well, we know He is the Son, but a visitor might think we believe in more than One in the Godhead!!"

Someone actually told me that, and when he sings solos, he will change the lyric so as to not mention "Son."

You know, I don't recall being confused about who Jesus is or the Godhead at all for that matter, and I think those songs are great.

So I'm wondering, what has happened in the last fifty + years to cause this "trinitarianoia?"

I mean, Bishop GT Haywood wrote Jesus the Son of God (O Sweet Wonder) and he was one of the greatest Oneness minds of his time.

Over and over the Bible makes mention of "the Son of God..."

So when did we change and why?! Or is the view of the person mentioned above unique?! Should the visitor be considered when selecting a song, making sure the lyric fits our doctrine?!

What think ye?!

I think you've come up with a great word. It would have gone into the famous dictionary of forum words we used to have!

Hon, it is not my word...wish I could take credit for it.

Felicity invented it some time ago...dost thou have any insight into by questions, Sis. C...?!

Well, since I'm basically out of the loop, having left UPC 16 years ago, I'm a little removed from all of this. But I do agree that there is a fear of trinitarianism, even though people don't like to admit it. Some of these were great old songs, and I never thought of them as being trinitarian. The one song that I have heard in the past few years that I figured would not go over in UPC was "Midnight Cry" where it says the Father says, "Son, go get your children". Other than that one line, it's a powerful song. But I always wondered if it was ever sung in UPC churches.

Having said that, Barb, you know I still get the heebie-jeebies when I hear the Doxology and we don' ever sing it at our churches.:hypercoffee

God love ya, girl...you know, it's funny. When I asked you to comment here, y'all not being onboard the Mothership never entered my mind. :nah

I never thought of those old song as being Trinitarian and don't believe they are.

And I think Midnight Cry is an awesome song, too. Seems like I heard it sung, "I'm going to get my children..."

I guess it's been an issue ever since it became an issue. ;)

Well, God Himself said, "This is My Son in whom I am well pleased". So why can't we use the term "the Son of God"?

I don't think I've ever heard calling Jesus the "Son of God" as a problem or an issue.

It became a problem when the Oneness people became like the Trinitarians and could not defend their Godhead believes.

I agree...why can't we?! Why the "trinitarianoia?!"

because...

when you spend 50 years attacking anything that sounds remotely trinitarian without even really stopping and listening to what is being said, you stop being able to use the same terms that they use, even if the terms are proper....

We have spent so much time attacking trinitarians (rather than simply stating what we believe and moving on) that we no longer can say things like "son of God" because it sounds too trinitarian...

There are those who at times will reflexively "correct" you or try to finish your sentence when you say things that show the distinctions between Father and Son. I don't know that it's a phobia or paranoia like what you mean by "trinitarianoia."

It seems more like a conditioned reflex - some folks just being so eager to speak up that at certain cues they will predictibly respond.