Olivet Nazarene University Digital Commons @ Olivet Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today Church of the Nazarene 5-1-1998 Herald of Holiness Volume 87 Number 05 (1998) J. Wesley Eby (Editor) Nazarene Publishing House Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Eby, J. Wesley (Editor), "Herald of Holiness Volume 87 Number 05 (1998)" (1998). Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today. 5. https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh/5 This Journal Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Church of the Nazarene at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted for inclusion in Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information, please contact [email protected]. By Wesley Tracy and Stan Ingersol So you live next door to a Lutheran family. Do you know what they be­ Edited by Wes Tracy lieve? Do you know what your There are Christians haunted by the hunger for holiness of Methodist, Mormon, and Episco­ heart. And there are Christians who have discovered the deep palian friends believe? These post- er life—those who stand in the presence of His infinite glory. Christian times and cultural reali­ For every believer struggling with inner sin, for every Chris­ ties call Nazarenes to know who tian who is not yet whole—and knows it—for eveiy novice they are and ask Christians to redis­ disciple who seeks satisfaction for the deepest hungers of the cover what they have in common. heart, the Father has given a path to abundant living. HH083-411-5999 $9.99 HH083-411-7053 $9.99 To order from Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, call BEACON HILL P R E S S ® 1-800-877-0700. OF KANSAS CITY &ZU1 Contents MAY 1998 VOLUME 87, NO. 5 May 1998 • Whole No. 3627 • Vol. 87, No. 5 FEATURES Managing Editor, J. Wesley Eby 2 Why Celebrate Pentecost? Administrative Secretary RON McCLUNG Carolyn S. Hampton 4 Power and Pentecost Director Division of Communications /. GRANT SWANK JR. Michael R. Estep 8 Quiet Woman, Exuberant Song General Superintendents KEITH SCHWANZ John A. Knight William J. Prince James H. Diehl 12 A Tribute to Wesley D. Tracy Paul G. Cunningham Jerry D. Porter 18 God’s Love Is like a Boomerang Jim L Bond MARILYN J. WOODY Bible quotations in this issue: Unidentified quotations are from KJV. Quotations from the following translations are used by permis­ sion: (niv) From the Holy Bible, New International Versioif (niv®). Copyright© 1973,1978,1984 by CONTINUING COLUMNS international Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. (nrsv) From the New Revised Standard Version of 3 General Superintendent’s Viewpoint, the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Chris­ tian Education of the National Council of the PAUL G. CUNNINGHAM Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. 7 Guest Editorial, c. n e il s t r a it 11 Words of Faith, r o b l . s t a p l e s 16 The Unheralded, /. w e s l e y e b y 22 The Family Album, JERRY AND LYNDA COHAGAN 12 DEPARTMENTS Herald of Holiness is published monthly by the NAZARENE PUBLISHING HOUSE, 2923 6 The Readers Write Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO 64109. Editorial offices at 6401 The Paseo, Kansas City, MO 14-15,20-21 News 64131 (816-333-7000, ext. 2302). E-mail: <[email protected]>. Address all corre­ spondence concerning subscriptions to 23 Late News Nazarene Publishing House, P.O. Box 419527, Kansas City, MO 64141-6527 23 NCN Broadcast Schedule 16 (1-800-877-0700). E-mail: <[email protected]>. Copyright 1998 by Nazarene Publishing House. Subscription price: $12.00 per year. POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to Herald of Holiness, P.O. Box 419527, Kansas City, MO 64141- COVER PHOTO CREDIT: 6527. Periodical postage paid at Kansas City, Nazarene Communications Netuuork H. Armstrong Roberts Mo. Canadian GST No. R129017471. Why Celebrate Pentecost? by Ron McClunq hat are the major holidays the church cele­ What an opportunity for us to address this important brates? Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, Fa­ them e! ther’s Day, ... But wait! Whatever happened For instance, do our people understand that Pentecost to Pentecost Sunday? was a Jewish holiday long before the events that happened Seems strange that we don’t observe it, in the Book of Acts? Do they know it was a harvest cele­ doesn’t it? After all, we believe in the Spirit- bration for the Jews (Exodus 23:16)? Do they know it came filled life. If anyone should celebrate Pente­ seven weeks or 50 days after Passover, thus the name Pen­ cost and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, it tecost (“50th” in the should be those who have a Wesleyan-Holiness orientation. Greek language)? Do they So why don’t we observe Pentecost with as much fervor understand that Pentecost as we celebrate the other holidays? also came to be linked Pentecost Sunday One reason may be that it “interferes” with an emphasis with the giving of the Law on family themes around Mother’s Day. Pentecost Sunday on Mount Sinai (which is provides an is always seven weeks after Easter. So the chances are good said to have come 50 days that it will collide with a family emphasis if pastors are after the Exodus)? Are opportunity for us to preaching such a series between Mother’s Day and Father’s they aware of the unusual Day. phenomena that occurred Another reason that Pentecost Sunday slips by unnoticed when God gave the Law? address the person is that we have little or no tradition for observing it. Special (See Exodus 19:16-19.) days and seasons like Advent, Ash Wednesday, Lent, and Furthermore, why were and work of the Pentecost Sunday have long been the province of the more there strange phenomena liturgical churches. on the Day of Pentecost? Holy Spirit. Some churches may ignore Pentecost Sunday because Why the “sound like the they don’t want to blowing of a violent deal with controver­ wind” and “what seemed to be tongues of fire” and the sial topics, such as speaking “in tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:1- speaking in tongues. 4, NIV)? Furthermore, perhaps Pentecost Sunday is an ideal time to instruct our people some people have the in these matters. They should know that the cataclysmic idea that if we say too events at Mount Sinai marked the beginning of a new era in much about Pentecost, the life of Israel, the dispensation of the Law. Likewise, the we might leave the strange phenomena at Pentecost indicated the beginning of impression that we are the age of the Holy Spirit for the Church. a charismatic church. Another great reason for celebrating Pentecost is the in­ I talked with one spirational aspect. Pentecost Sunday provides an opportuni­ pastor who said he ty for us to address the person and work of the Holy Spirit. didn’t observe Pente­ After all, the Spirit did more than just come there and then. cost Sunday because He is present here and now! he perceived a lack of The same Holy Spirit who filled the 120 on the Day of consensus in the Pentecost wants to fill us now. The filling, cleansing, ener­ church over such sub­ gizing work of the Spirit is needed today just as it was jects as sanctification, needed then. holiness, and the Spir­ Those first disciples had a world to win for Christ; so do it-filled life. Do these we! They had many prejudices to overcome; so do we! terms mean different They could not accomplish their mission in their own H. Armstrong Roberts things to different strength; neither can we! people—even within our church? The apostle Paul, shortly before telling us to “be filled One very good reason why we should observe Pentecost with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), told us we should be Sunday is because of instructional potential. I am confident “making the most of every opportunity” (v. 16, niv). that many people in our churches do not know what Pente­ Let’s make the most of our opportunities by giving Pen­ cost is or what it means. Their understanding, if they think tecost Sunday its rightful place as a significant religious about it at all, has been shaped more by culture than by bib­ holiday! lical insights. Reprinted by permission of the Wesleyan Advocate. 2 H e r a l d o f H o lin ess h k General Superintendent’s VIEWPOINT Out of Control by Paul G. Cunningham o be honest with you, I was a Instead, we can surrender to Spirit con­ Just a few miles away, a mass grave little concerned. My wife, trol and relax in the certainty that the held 50,000 bodies. Unspeakable atroci­ Connie, and I were flying God who forgave our sins can also ties occurred through those months. One from Johannesburg, South guide us daily in victorious living. of our Nazarene ladies told me of hiding Africa, to London, on an 11- The Bible assures us we need not set­ her two youngest children in hopes of hour, all-night, British Air­ tle for a sinning religion but instead can saving them. She hid in a crawl space ways flight. The huge 747 had enjoy God’s grace, which is able to keep above a ceiling for a month, only com­ served us well, carrying us smoothlyus from falling.