“Holy Spirt, the life that gives life.
You are the cause of all movement;
You are the breath of all creatures . . .
Let all the world praise you.”
Hildegard of Bingen, (1098-1179)
God’s Spirit breathes life into all of us.
Hildegard was a remarkable woman. Some consider her the founder of scientific natural history in Germany. She was a medical practitioner, writer and composer. Her spirituality was rooted in umbra viventis lucis, reflection of the living Light.
2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)
All Scripture is God-breathed . . .
The Power that inspired God’s written Word breathes in me (and you).
Amazing!
The word “spirit” is tied to “breath.” The Old Testament Hebrew word ruach is translated breath, wind or spirit. The New Testament Greek pneuma also means wind or spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s breath in me.
It’s been that way from the beginning:
Genesis 2:7 (NIV)
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
No Spirit, no breath, no life.
Thank You, Spirit of God, for Your breath in me.
This week’s survey of Pentecost hymns led me to one I’ve never seen or heard before. It looks to be from an old hymnbook, just the words, no tune.
“Come, holy Spirit! now descend;
Most blessed gift which God can send;
Thou Fire of Love, and Fount of Life!
Consume our sin, and calm our strife.”
Unknown, 1864
What a gift!
“Calm our strife.” Please do, Lord!
Sooner rather than later.
Samuel Longfellow, younger brother to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote a few poems himself. This is one of them.
“Holy Spirit, Truth divine,
dawn upon this soul of mine.
Voice of God, and inward Light,
wake my spirit, clear my sight.”
Samuel Longfellow, 1864
Come, Voice of God! Teach me what I need to know.
“Spirit of God, descend upon my heart,
wean it from sin, through all its pulses move.”
George Croly, 1854
With every beat of my heart, my blood nourishes every cell in my body. Likewise, with every beath of my heart, the Breath of God nourishes every corner of my soul.
I have always liked the hymn Come, Thou Almighty King (anonymous, published in 1753). Let’s focus on verse 3 and the Spirit:
“Come, holy Comforter,
thy sacred witness bear . . .”
The Holy Spirit bears witness? You bet!
Often, He witnesses through Scripture, making it personal:
All this, and more. His witness comforts me.
This week, I’m pondering my favorite Pentecost hymns, looking for the wisdom that speaks to my heart, year after year.
“Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove,
With all Thy quickening powers;
Kindle a flame of sacred love
In these cold hearts of ours.”
Isaac Watts, 1707
Hymn-writer Watts (>750 hymns < 75 years) put my heart condition to poetic verse. He diagnosed the state of my soul and prescribed the cure — more 300+ years ago.
Come Holy Spirit, transform my couch-potato lethargy into righteous action. Light a fire in and under me. Fill me with sacred love — love for You, love for others.
The Holy Spirit connects us to God and to each other.
1 Corinthians 12:13 (TLB)
Each of us is a part of the one body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But the Holy Spirit has fitted us all together into one body. We have been baptized into Christ’s body by the one Spirit, and have all been given that same Holy Spirit.
We are one in the Spirit, one in the Lord.
2 Samuel 23:2 (GW)
The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me.
His words were on my tongue.
The words of this Old Testament verse were spoken by David, but it’s happened to me too. When I’m at a loss for words (which isn’t often), I sometimes surprise myself with words I didn’t know to say. It can happen when I’m talking to God or when I’m face-to-face with another person. And sometimes I sense the Spirit saying, “Shush! Let Me do the talking.“
Let it be, Spirit of God. Your words are always better than mine.
