A Song for Pentecost Sunday

This is set for a tune called "Beach Spring", from the Sacred Harp (1844), the source of many well-loved hymns that feel like "early American" hymns. "Sacred Harp Singing" also goes by the name "Shape Note Singing" because of the unusual notation used:(That's not the melody for this song that's pictured above, just an example of shape notation).

The melody I wrote te text for is set to the text "As we Gather at Your Table" in the Covenant Hymnal: A Worship Book, and has also been used for the text "Come ye Sinners poor and needy". (If it doesn't ring a bell, you can hear a pretty cheesy and slightly fast MIDI arrangement of it here.) I arranged it with block chords in the key of F.

Anyway the idea here was to write a text for Pentecost Sunday that placed the ministry of the Holy Spirit in a biblical context.

Holy Spirit, sent to fill us by the Father and the Son,

You were promised by our Savior, He who died to make us one.

Come and make your home within us; come and claim us as your own,

Come reveal to all your people Jesus reigning on His throne.

Come and teach us how to follow and upon you to rely.

Show to us the face of Jesus, Christ our Savior, born to die.

He came down to dwell among us, with His mighty power to save,

Gave His life for our salvation, and is risen from the grave.

In the faith may we be guided, to the truth may we be led.

Spirit cause us to remember all the words that Jesus said.

May the Love of God our father come to us and never part;

May the beauty of the Savior enter into every heart.

© 2008 Rick Lindholtz