Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God

We sung this hymn in church last Sunday. I’ve been reflecting on it all week:

Holy Spirit, living Breath of God,
Breathe new life into my willing soul.
Bring the presence of the risen Lord
To renew my heart and make me whole.
Cause Your Word to come alive in me;
Give me faith for what I cannot see;
Give me passion for Your purity.
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.

Holy Spirit, come abide within;
May Your joy be seen in all I do—
Love enough to cover ev’ry sin
In each thought and deed and attitude,
Kindness to the greatest and the least,
Gentleness that sows the path of peace.
Turn my striving into works of grace.
Breath of God, show Christ in all I do.

Holy Spirit, from creation’s birth,
Giving life to all that God has made,
Show Your power once again on earth;
Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways.
Let the fragrance of our prayers arise.
Lead us on the road of sacrifice
That in unity the face of Christ
Will be clear for all the world to see.

In this period between Easter and Pentecost we think of the risen, life-giving Jesus, we think of his Spirit living with us and within us. This song is a prayer expressing my aspirations.

In the first  verse I pray that God’s Breath, His Spirit, His Word will come into me, changing me from the inside, transforming me, renewing me. This will result in the faith, the love, the purity that makes me the man I should be, the best me I can be.

In the second verse I pray that God’s Spirit living in me, producing His character – love joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, that St Paul describes as ‘fruit’. The prayer to ‘show Christ in all I do’ is challenging but real, heartfelt.

Verse three is my prayer for the church. I pray that we, God’s church, will hunger for His ways and show His power. It’s a great inspiration and aspiration!

How we do that isn’t easy. We pray, we follow the path of sacrifice, we display unity. This can’t be man-made; it’s the work of God’s Breath, God’s Spirit.  It’s only then that, together, the face of Christ is ‘clear for all the world to see’.