For Your Gift of God the Spirit

We've been considering the spiritual gifts and their role, their necessity, in music ministry. A church music program that runs on musical talent alone will not fully - I would say, cannot adequately - be a ministry of the Word. Even if its materials are completely solid biblically and theologically, there will be that certain something missing. It is hard to define, but I think we know the difference. "Deep calls to deep," and worshipers will know in their hearts when the "spirit" is missing.

So, today, a prayer for church musicians. The author, Margaret Clarkson (1915-2008) was one of North America's finest and most prolific hymn writers. Here is today's hymn - a prayer of praise, thanksgiving, and commitment - a rather rich theology of the Holy Spirit. The hymn serves at so many levels: it is prayer; it is instruction; it is devotion. The hymn is affirmation (this we believe), affection (this changes our hearts, mind, will), and it is action (therefore we live).

For your gift of God the Spirit,
power to make our lives anew,
pledge of life and hope of glory,
Savior, we would worship you.
Crowning gift of resurrection
sent from your ascended throne;
fullness of the very Godhead
come to make your life our own.
    He, who in creation's dawning
    brooded on the lifeless deep,
    still across our nature's darkness
    moves to wake our souls from sleep;
    moves to stir, to draw, to quicken,
    thrusts us through with sense of sin;
    brings to birth and seals and fills us -
    saving Advocate within.
He, himself the living Author,
wakes to life the sacred Word;
reads with us its holy pages
and reveals our risen Lord.
he it is who works within us
teaching rebel hearts to pray,
he whose holy intercessions
rise for us both night and day.
    He, the mighty God, indwells us;
    his to strengthen, help, empower;
    his to overcome the tempter -
    ours to call in danger's hour.
    In his strength we dare to battle
    all the raging hosts of sin,
    and by him alone we conquer
    foes without and foes within.
Father, grant your Holy Spirit
in our hearts may rule today,
grieved not, quenched not, but unhindered,
work in us his sovereign way.
Fill us with your holy fullness,
God the Father, Spirit, Son;
in us, through us, then, forever
shall your perfect will be done.

Margaret Clarkson 1959, rev. 1984

(c) 1960, 1976 Hope Publishing Company

generally sung to the hym tune BLAENWERN, William Rowlands, 1905

We are not alone in this work, as we

Sing on!