Day 95 - Come, Holy Spirit, come!
- Congregational Federation
- May 23
- 2 min read
This afternoon, in my capacity as Ecumenical Facilitator for Greater Manchester Churches Together, I will be leading worship at a Pentecost Eve Service at Sale Salvation Army Citadel, which will include participants from different Chistian traditions from across Greater Manchester. The final hymn will be “Come, Holy Spirit, come” by Michael Forster.
Michael Lindsay Forster grew up in an Anglican family but became a member of the Baptist Church. After studying and practising as a musician, he studied for the ministry at Regent’s Park College, Oxford. He later left the Baptist Church for the United Reformed Church. He became a prolific hymn writer, with a particular interest in providing hymns for the Lectionary and for all-age worship. Perhaps his best-known text is ‘Come, Holy Spirit, come! inflame our souls with love’.
I was initially attracted by the words, before I read the following on the Church of Scotland`s website, which confirmed my admiration of his composition.
“Michael Forster was provoked into writing this hymn after hearing a visiting speaker expound the gifts of the Holy Spirit entirely in terms of their edification for worshippers with no reference to the benefit they might have for others.”
To quote a Christian speaker I heard many years ago on the Holy Spirit, “It`s not all about the church having a `bless-up`!”
Forster puts it much more poetically and powerfully in this great hymn, set to the stirring and majestic Diademata. (I have included 4 out of 6 verses for sake of brevity, but please do look up the complete version online.)
On this, the eve of Pentecost, may we seek the blessing of the coming Spirit, not for our own delectation and delight but for the good of society and the world into which Christ has called us to serve.
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
inflame our souls with love,
transforming every heart and home
with wisdom from above.
O let us not despise
the humble path Christ trod,
but choose, to shame the worldly-wise,
the foolishness of God.
Come with the gift to heal
the wounds of guilt and fear,
and to oppression’s face reveal
the kingdom drawing near.
Where chaos longs to reign,
descend, O holy dove,
and free us all to work again
the miracles of love.
Give us the tongues to speak,
in every time and place,
to rich and poor, to strong and weak,
the word of love and grace.
Enable us to hear
the words that others bring,
interpreting with open ear
the special song they sing.
Come, Holy Spirit, dance
within our hearts today,
our earth-bound spirits to entrance,
our mortal fears allay;
and teach us to desire
all other things above,
that self-consuming holy fire,
the perfect gift of love.
Alan Kennedy
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