Breathe on me, breath of God

Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit…” John 20:21

… be filled with the Spirit… Ephesians 5:18

Is the Holy Spirit (a) an article of Christian doctrine to be analysed, discussed and possibly fallen out over, or (b) the very life, energy and breath of God living inside us and inspiring us to live holy, Christlike lives?

All right, that’s not an entirely serious question (if anybody answered (a) I would suggest that you fix up a chat with your minister pretty sharpish, because you have a serious problem).

Of course, the Holy Spirit is God himself living within us! Yet sadly he has too often become a battleground between different Christian factions each of which is convinced that they are right and that anyone who disagrees with them is wrong.

As we come to Whit Sunday – Pentecost – I suggest that a good way to think about the Holy Spirit is through worship, and not least through the songs and hymns that have been written in effect as prayers either about him or perhaps to him. I want to share a handful that have meant a lot to me in over fifty years of seeking to live this wonderful Christian life. You may not know them – certainly not all of them – but, whether you do or not, you might find it helpful to turn them into your own prayers.

Here’s one which takes its cue from that momentous meeting in which the risen Jesus met with his disciples on the evening of Easter Sunday (John 20:21-22)…

Breathe on me, Breath of God,/ fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,/ and do what thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,/ until my heart is pure;
until with thee I will one will,/ to do and to endure.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,/ till I am wholly thine;
until this earthly part of me/ glows with thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, Breath of God:/ so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life/ of thine eternity.

I say it takes its cue from Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit on the disciples. But there’s another Bible verse also that comes to mind: when God created the first man (according to Genesis 2:7) he “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being”.

This suggests that when Jesus rose from the dead, he was a new Adam, bringing into being a whole new human race – so that everyone who receives the gift of the Spirit is a member of that new humanity. I hope that makes us feel both wonderfully privileged and deeply humble.

Here’s one of the most beautiful sung prayers I know. I love it for its childlike simplicity. It doesn’t in fact mention the Holy Spirit by name, but there’s no doubt that each verse reflects a different aspect of his work within us…

May the mind of Christ, my Saviour,/ live in me from day to day,
by his love and power controlling/ all I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly/ in my heart from hour to hour,
so that all may see I triumph/ only through his power.

May the peace of God my Father/ rule my life in everything,
that I may be calm to comfort/ sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me/ as the waters fill the sea;
him exalting, self abasing:/ this is victory.

May I run the race before me,/ strong and brave to face the foe,
looking only unto Jesus/ as I onward go.

May his beauty rest upon me/ as I seek the lost to win,
and may they forget the channel,/ seeing only him.

Both those songs are prayers for the Spirit to work in us as individuals. But the Day of Pentecost, of course, is much more about the church as a body.

So here are two more which plead with God to come upon the church today in the power of the Spirit…

O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,/ revive your church with life and power;
O Breath of Life, come, cleanse, renew us,/ and fit your church to meet this hour.

O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,/ till humbly we confess our need;
then in your tenderness remake us,/ revive, restore, for this we plead.

O Breath of love, come breathe within us,/ renewing thought and will and heart;
come, Love of Christ, afresh to win us,/ revive your church in every part.

Revive us, Lord! Is zeal abating/ while harvest fields are vast and white?
Revive us, Lord, the world is waiting,/ equip your church to spread the light.

And then this: a rousing cry to God to give his church a whole new Pentecost…

Great is the darkness/ that covers the earth,
Oppression, injustice and pain. Nations are slipping/ in hopeless despair,
Though many have come in Your name,
Watching while sanity dies,/ touched by the madness and lies.

          Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus,
Pour out Your Spirit we pray.
Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus,
Pour out Your Spirit on us today.

May now Your church rise/ With power and love,
This glorious gospel proclaim./ In every nation/ Salvation will come
To those who believe in Your name.
Help us bring light to this world/ That we might speed Your return.

          Come, Lord Jesus…

Great celebrations/ On that final day/ When out of the heavens You come.
Darkness will vanish,/ All sorrow will end,/And rulers will bow at Your throne.
Our great commission complete,/ Then face to face we shall meet.

          Come, Lord Jesus…

Please don’t gallop through those songs or just skim them – they’re worth giving time to in drawing near to God.

And may God enable us, by his Holy Spirit, to add a heart-felt Amen to each of these beautiful prayers!

Dear Father, thank you for giving me the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help me day by to become more worthy of this privilege. Amen.

(The writers quoted are, in order, Edwin Hatch, Kate Wilkinson, Elizabeth Head, and Gerald Coates/Noel Richards.)