The Role of the Spirit in Worship
Suppose you have spent any time in Christian circles. In that case, you potentially are familiar with the theology regarding One God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This Trinitarian theology¹ is Biblically supported, beginning in Genesis 1:2: “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters,” and all three persons of our triune God are to be revered, worshiped, and glorified.
As an itinerant worship artist, I’ve witnessed multiple Christian liturgies with a consistent firm emphasis surrounding God, the Father, and Jesus, the son, in the various worship locations that I have visited. This two-fold focus seemingly leaves a deficit surrounding who the Holy Spirit is and his worth in our lives of worship. Pop culture also facilitates the lack of understanding by characterizing Christian extremists, who often reduce the Spirit to a mystical, comforting, power-yielding agent of God. These character exaggerations can oversimplify the Holy Spirit’s person to a force or power, leaving our congregations at a loss of liturgy and understanding surrounding the worship due to the Holy Spirit. Equally, the same deficit can arise when a church’s liturgy primarily focuses on the Holy Spirit.
My foundational years were within a pentecostal setting with a liturgy that frequently emphasized signs and wonders, faith, healing, discerning spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpreting tongues (i.e., unknown languages). The Holy Spirit was emphasized as our comforter and our intercessor, praying on our behalf when we do not know what to pray. During those years, my initial understanding of the Holy Spirit linked to a three-step conversion known as salvation, sanctification, and then a filling with the Holy Ghost. This filling or baptism in the Holy Spirit is a different experience from conversion and water baptism. I observed that this infilling of the Spirit was a rite of passage that every Christian was supposed to walk through. The receiving of the power of the Spirit would make me complete in Christ, and the proof of this spiritual impartation was the actual event of speaking in tongues. With such focus placed on the Spirit’s gifts, I never came to comprehend the Spirit of God as a person.
Please don’t misunderstand my intent with any of these words; I believe in the power of God’s Spirit. Also, I think the Spirit is our comforter and ever intercedes for us; Romans 8:26 alone emphasizes this truth, “In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.” But the Spirit of God is so much more than a pain-relieving, fire-yielding God. The Spirit of God is the connector of our humanity to the work of Jesus. His work rightsizes our humanity and keeps us grounded for the work ahead of us. There is nothing we can do within ourselves; Zechariah 4:6 reminds us that it is, ‘Not by strength or by might, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of Armies.
As liturgists, I believe that we are responsible for maintaining that the Holy Spirit is always in his rightful place in our worship gatherings. As we curate worship services, we need to remind our people that the Holy Spirit connects us to the heart of God on so many levels. For instance, John 16:13-14 teaches us that the Holy Spirit brings glory to Jesus.
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. He will glorify me because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” — John 16:13–14
As we explore the Holy Spirit’s person and his connection to worship, we must never forget that the Holy Spirit enables us to confess Jesus as Lord. 1 Corinthians 12:3, “Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. After we confess our belief in Jesus and receive the gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit dwells with us and fills us with His presence.
Romans 8:9–11, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. Now, if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.”
The Spirit of God helps us understand the Bible (1 Corinthians 2:10–14), bears witness that we are children of God (Romans 8:15–16), convicts of sin (John 16:8–11), and helps us kill sin in our lives (Romans 8:13). Scripture also reveals that the Holy Spirit inspired the Biblical authors to write God’s words (1 Peter 1:10–11, 2 Peter 1:21). These sixty-six inspired biblical books clarify the Holy Spirit’s presence and work by using eight distinct names: The Holy Spirit, Spirit of God, The Spirit, The Spirit of the Lord, The Spirit of truth, The Spirit of Jesus, Spirit of Adoption, and The helper².
As a community, we are to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. This filling leads to encouragement (i.e., building up) of our community and transforming worship. Look at these words from Ephesians 5:18–20, “And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” These words from Ephesians paint a picture that the Spirit and worship are continually intersecting, seemingly teaching us that it is impossible to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be without a heart of worship.
There is much spiritual depth within a congregation that fully embraces all facets of our triune God. Author G.K. Beale in his book We Become What We Worship³ states that “What people revere, they resemble.” Scripture aligns with this idea by noting that our union with the Holy Spirit yields attributes (or fruit) of his nature in our lives, those being “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” — Galatians 5:22–23.
As a worship leader, my pastoral commitment is to expand my understanding of the Holy Spirit and maintain the visible fruit of my union with Him. Through scripture, prayer, and music³, may the congregation’s voice echo a greater understanding of the heart of our triune God and bring our hearts to embrace the worship of the Holy Spirit.
“Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth. Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit, you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit, help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. — Amen⁴.”
- https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/trinity/
- Scriptures that define the eight names of the Holy Spirit: Genesis 1:2: “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Acts 8:29: “And the Spirit said to Philip,” Judges 3:10: “The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel.” John 14:17: “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,” Acts 16:7: “They attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” And Philippians 1:19: “For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance. “ Romans 8:15: “but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons,” John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name.”
- https://www.wtsbooks.com/products/we-become-what-we-worship-g-k-beale-9780830828777?variant=9783565713455
- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1bJK5pfB6hzAUOdCyU5ZWp?si=dUHBrfRySx-kjbzjvgMu8w
- https://www.bcponline.org/Misc/Prayers.html
