June 11 2008
Can we sing songs of worship to the Holy Spirit?
Tagged Under : Holy Spirit, lyrics, Tim Hughes, worship
Tim Hughes has posted an interesting question on his blog raising the question, “Can we sing songs of worship directed to the Holy Spirit?.” I think the question is more interesting in its choice of phrasing and inference then the actual answer to the question. We should all agree that we can’t sing any songs of redeemed worship but through the empowering of the Holy Spirit. And if we can agree that worship is a response to God rather than self instigated, than the direction of our worship becomes evident by whom we are responding to.
The question posed implies a dissection of our theological view on the trinity. But to me that question is working of an improper assumption that redeemed worship(I quite purposefully distinguish between redeemed/fallen worship) could be “directed”, employed, engaged in, taught or experienced by, to or through anyone but the Holy Spirit. Our model of a perfect life of worship is of course Jesus Christ and Luke 10:21Luke 10:21
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea, Father; for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight.
gives us insight into how Jesus worshiped in a trinitarian life:
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.”
The Son worshiping the Father, full of joy, through the Holy Spirit. Jesus was also full of and led by the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1-2Luke 4:1-2
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
4
1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led in the Spirit in the wilderness
2 during forty days, being tempted of the devil. And he did eat nothing in those days: and when they were completed, he hungered.
). I don’t think we should be fearful of addressing the spirit of God we are to be filled with and led by. For it’s the same spirit that gives us the ability to worship the Father, Son and Spirit at all.
Tim does acknowledge this in his blog and points to more of a practical question of lyrical content.
“…can we sing ‘Holy Spirit, glorify Your name?’”
I don’t think we have any basis for removing worship of 1 part of the trinity. From a trinitarian view that would be to deny the worship of God entirely, and that my friends, I don’t intend to do.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed ![]()


![[del.icio.us]](http://www.ourrisingsound.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://www.ourrisingsound.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://www.ourrisingsound.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Google]](http://www.ourrisingsound.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[MySpace]](http://www.ourrisingsound.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/myspace.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://www.ourrisingsound.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://www.ourrisingsound.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://www.ourrisingsound.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Email]](http://www.ourrisingsound.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)


Twitter
Stumbleupon

