Holy Are You Lord

Holy Are You Lord is one of Terry MacAlmon's most recognizable compositions because it does something that lies at the center of his worship ministry: it turns the attention of the congregation from the room they are standing in toward the worship that is already taking place around the throne of God. The song draws on the imagery of Revelation - the sound of many waters, people from every nation, elders and angels bowing, and the redeemed joining the cry of holiness.

For Terry, heavenly worship has never been an abstract theological idea. It is a pattern for worship on earth. The purpose is not to create an impressive musical moment but to join a greater song that did not begin with us and will not end with us. Holy Are You Lord gives a congregation language for that. The repetition is deliberate. Rather than filling every moment with new phrases, the song leaves room for the truth of God's holiness to become more than a statement. It becomes the focus.

The song was copyrighted in 1997 and became a central moment on Live Worship from the World Prayer Center. Terry has continued to return to it in worship gatherings around the world. That longevity says something about the song's place in his ministry. Some songs belong to a particular season; Holy Are You Lord continues to express the central direction of Terry's worship: away from the platform, away from personality, and toward the throne. It reminds the worshipper that the sound of heaven is not merely something to admire. The redeemed are invited to become part of it.