Songs for Pentecost and Trinity Sunday
What will your church be singing on the next two Sundays? Pentecost and Trinity Sunday are both significant in the church calendar, focusing on the sending of the Holy Spirit and, flowing from that, the full trinitarian nature of the work of God. For those in the free churches like myself who don’t follow the finer points of the church calendar, we can be in danger of focusing our worship entirely on Christ, to the neglect of the Father and the Holy Spirit. How often does your church call on the Holy Spirit to come among you? How genuinely trinitarian are the songs that you sing? Here is a list of suggestions that may help you enrich your worship.
Hymns and songs for Pentecost
Breathe on me, breath of God
The Bible often uses the word ‘breath’ for the Spirit of God. Edwin Hatch captured this in this famous Victorian hymn, which, updated into modern English, continues to be valued and loved as a devotional classic.
Come down O Love Divine
A classic 15th century hymn translated by Richard Littledale, with a Vaughan Williams tune, this rich hymn has lasted because it is so passionate about our communion with God the Holy Spirit. Surprisingly, the Holy Spirit isn’t named until the final line.
For your gift of God the Spirit
In this hymn, Margaret Clarkson covers the work of the Holy Spirit in creation, in the inspiration of Scripture, the giving of new life and the strength to live the Christian life. Set to the magnificent Welsh tune Sanctus.
Holy Spirit living breath of God
Keith Getty and Stuart Townend’s song is a perfect response for someone to sing when they first hear the gospel. As the Holy Spirit breathes new life into us, so our lives respond, and our churches should be changed as well!
Spirit of holiness
Set to the flowing melody of ‘Blow the wind southerly’, Christopher Idle’s hymn builds on the idea of the Spirit as breath/wind, crying out for the Holy Spirit to be sent in the refrain, while setting out the work of the Spirit in each verse as he is ‘now with us and in us’.
The Spirit came as promised
A hymn by James Seddon, using the rich language of Ephesians to explore the Holy Spirit’s work in the Christian and the local church.
Hymns and songs for Trinity Sunday
All praise to him, the God of light
Originally a Horatius Bonar Hymn, sensitively revised by Matt Merker with Bob Kauflin, the Trinitarian shape of the words makes this an uplifting beginning to church worship.
As morning dawns and day awakes
Another Sovereign Grace Worship collaboration, this song seeks the father’s help in the morning, to live like Christ in the daytime, and to rest in the Spirit’s presence: ‘I rest in you; abide in me.’
Father, God of mission
World mission is God’s mission, involving all three persons of the Trinity. It is the work of God as he gathers his people that sends us on our mission, serving like Christ and equipped by the Holy Spirit.
Glory be to God the Father
Another Horatius Bonar classic, this hymn is not to be sung quietly! This is doxology at its best, and a fine way to finish a church service.
Holy Father, rich in mercy
This Trinitarian song by Colin Webster and Phil Moore explores the work of each person of the Godhead, as we are led by the Father, held by Christ and drawn back by the Holy Spirit, with a strong trinitarian chorus.
We believe in God Almighty
In the year of the 1700 anniversary of the Council of Nicea, will your church be singing the Nicene creed? This is a modern setting by Andrew King that deserves wide usage in this anniversary year.
Jim Sayers
Chairman, Praise Trust