Day 95 - Be present, Spirit of the Lord

I have mentioned previously that I have a new hymnbook to devour. It contains a few Pentecost hymns that are new to me but I have chosen to examine Be present, Spirit of the Lord by Timothy Dudley-Smith, first published in 2013. The main reason for selecting this particular hymn is that it is sung to a familiar tune Repton – the tune used for Dear Lord and Father of mankind. As an enthusiastic but not very good singer, a familiar tune seems the ideal way to introduce a new hymn to a congregation. However, a quick Internet search has thrown up no rendition with lyrics attached and at least two choral versions sung to a different tune!

The first verse seems to echo the sentiments of Whittier’s Dear Lord and Father, as its second line reads “let sounds of earth be dumb” and the repeated last line of the first verse is “O silent Spirit, come”.

The second verse, having reminded us that the power of the Holy Spirit arrives unseen – no doves descending nowadays – we find our minds renewed, our life displaying that God lives in us and above all “an understanding heart”. Pentecost should be an emotional time; just as the grief and unexpected relief of that grief pierces our hearts at Easter and the generosity and foolishness of Emmanuel at Christmas tugs at our emotions, so should Pentecost be a time for hearts as well as heads. Paul spends hundreds of words explaining in his letters what the power of the Holy Spirit unleashed on the early church achieved – but that head knowledge needs to flow into our lives.

The third verse, for me, hinges on its third line: “intent to do the Father’s will”. We regularly pray “Your will be done”, but Timothy Dudley-Smith reminds us that without the power of the Holy Spirit we cannot “Love’s sovereign work of grace fulfil”.

The fourth, and last, verse invites the Spirit to come – but also to stay: “make every heart your home”. When the Holy Spirit is truly at work in our lives we are enabled to “walk with Christ in wisdom’s way”.

(It is probably too late to include this thoughtful and thought-provoking hymn in services tomorrow, but Pentecost is an annual event, so store it away for next year!)

Come Emmanuel, come Christmas child, and teach us how to trust in our Father’s grace and provision.

Come Holy Spirit, come Heavenly Comforter, and live in us so that doing our Father’s will, showing love to others and opening our hearts to them become natural to us, our first response.

As the worldwide church celebrates Pentecost, Father God, shower us all with your blessing. Amen.

1 Be present, Spirit of the Lord,

Let sounds of earth be dumb;

The Father's love be shed abroad,

The dew of blessing on us poured:

O silent Spirit, come!

O silent Spirit, come!

2 In pow'r unseen upon us rest,

Your gracious gifts impart:

A mind renewed, a spirit blessed,

A life where Christ is manifest,

An understanding heart,

An understanding heart.

3 Love's sov'reign work of grace fulfill,

Our souls to Christ incline,

Intent to do the Father's will

And stand by faith before him still

In righteousness divine,

In righteousness divine.

4 O Spirit, come, and with us stay;

Make every heart your home.

So work in us that we who pray

May walk with Christ in wisdom's way:

O Holy Spirit, come!

O Holy Spirit, come!

Elaine Kinchin