.png)
WELCOME
Welcome to the opening service of Spiritfest 2026! Thank you so much for joining us, and for being part of this multi-denominational celebration of the Holy Spirit.
The service will proceed largely without announcement. The congregation is invited to join in saying the words in bold type. The words for the hymns and choruses are all on this page.
A collection plate will be available near the door after the service for any donations towards the running of Spiritfest.
Please join us in the hall across the road after the service for tea, snacks and glühwein to share in community and fellowship.
We look forward to welcoming you to events throughout Spiritfest – the full programme is available at the bottom of this page.
Thank you to all of the readers and musicians and to Rev. Vic Graham and the Christ Church family for hosting this service.
RECORDING
Please note that this service will be recorded and uploaded to YouTube. Although we will not deliberately take any close-ups of the congregation, photographs or video footage in which you may appear could be used by Spiritfest at any time in the public domain including social media.
If you have any concerns, please speak to a member of the Spiritfest team.
ORDER OF SERVICE
Hymn:
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And lighten with celestial fire;
Thou the anointing Spirit art
Who dost thy seven-fold gifts impart.
Thy blessèd unction from above
Is comfort, life, and fire of love;
Enable with perpetual light
The dullness of our blinded sight.
Anoint and cheer our soiled face
With the abundance of thy grace:
Keep far our foes, give peace at home;
Where thou art guide no ill can come.
Teach us to know the Father, Son,
And thee, of both, to be but one;
That through the ages all along
This may be our endless song:
Praise to thy eternal merit,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
INTRODUCTORY PRAYERS
Prayers are said for the presence and aid of the Holy Spirit
The following response is said:
V. With our whole selves we pray:
R. Come, Holy Spirit of God.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven
hallowed by thy name
thy kingdom, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
Hymn:
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 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.
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.
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.
THE FIRST LESSON: Proverbs 8: 12-31
Divine Wisdom is God's agent of creation, the source of our prosperity, and our guide for right-living.
Chorus:
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me,
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me:
Break me, melt me, mould me, fill me,
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. (Sing twice)
ORGAN REFLECTION
THE SECOND LESSON: Psalm 104: 24-36
The Holy Spirit is the source of life for all creation.
Hymn:
Lord of beauty, thine the splendour
Shown in earth and sky and sea,
Burning sun and moonlight tender,
Hill and river, flower and tree:
Lest we fail our praise to render
Touch our eyes that they may see.
Lord of wisdom, whom obeying
Mighty waters ebb and flow,
While unhasting, undelaying,
Planets on their courses go:
In thy laws thyself displaying,
Teach our minds thyself to know.
Lord of life, alone sustaining
All below and all above,
Lord of love, by whose ordaining
Sun and stars sublimely move:
In our earthly spirits reigning,
Lift our hearts that we may love.
Lord of beauty, bid us own thee,
Lord of truth, our footsteps guide,
Till as Love our hearts enthrone thee,
And, with vision purified,
Lord of all, when all have known thee,
Thou in all art glorified.
THE THIRD LESSON: Numbers 11: 24-30
The Holy Spirit is poured out on the elders appointed to help Moses.
Chorus:
Be still, for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One, is here.
Come, bow before him now, with reverence and fear.
In him no sin is found, we stand on holy ground. .
Be still, for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One, is here.
Be still, for the glory of the Lord is shining all around;
He burns with holy fire, with splendour he is crowned.
How awesome is the sight, our radiant King of light!
Be still, for the glory of the Lord is shining all around.
Be still, for the power of the Lord is moving in this place,
He comes to cleanse and heal, to minister his grace.
No work too hard for him, in faith receive from him;
Be still, for the power of the Lord is moving in this place.
THE FOURTH LESSON: Isaiah 11: 1-9
Isaiah prophesies the coming of the Messiah, in the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who shall inaugurate an age of holiness and universal peace, for both human society and for creation itself.
Hymn:
Be present, Spirit of the Lord,
Let sounds of earth be dumb;
The Father’s love be spread abroad,
The dew of blessing on us poured:
O silent Spirit, come!
O silent Spirit, come!
In power unseen upon us rest,
Your gracious gifts impart:
A mind renewed, a spirit plessed,
A life where Christ is manifest,
An understanding heart.
An understanding heart.
Love’s sovereign work of grace fulfil,
Our souls to Christ incline,
Intent to do the Father’s will
And stand by faith before him still
In righteousness divine.
In righteousness divine.
O Spirit come, and with us stay;
Make every heart your home.
So work in us that we who pray
May walk with Christ in wisdom’s way:
O Holy Spirit, come!
O Holy Spirit, come!
THE FIFTH LESSON: John 14: 15-21, 25-27; 16: 5-15
Jesus foretells the coming of the Holy Spirit.
CHORAL ANTHEM: If ye love me – Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585)
Hymn:
There is a Redeemer,
Jesus, God’s own Son,
precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
Holy One.
Thank you, O my Father,
for giving us your Son,
and leaving us you Spirit
till your work on earth is done.
Jesus, my Redeemer,
name above all names,
precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
once for sinners slain:
Chorus
When I stand in glory
I will see his face,
and there I’ll serve my King for ever
in that holy place.
Chorus
THE SIXTH LESSON: Acts 2: 1-21
The Holy Spirit is poured out upon the Disciples on the Day of Pentecost.
Hymn:
Come down, O Love divine,
Seek thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with thine own ardour glowing:
O Comforter, draw near,
Within my heart appear,
And kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing
O let it freely burn,
Till earthly passions turn͜
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let thy glorious light
Shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.
Let holy charity
Mine outward vesture be,
And lowliness become mine inner clothing:
True lowliness of heart,
Which takes the humbler part,
And o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.
And so the yearning strong,
With which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the power of human telling;
For none can guess its grace,
Till he become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.
CHORAL REFLECTION: Come Holy Ghost – Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625)
THE SEVENTH LESSON: 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-13, 28-31a
The Holy Spirit distributes various gifts to different people, so that we may each contribute in our own unique ways to the ministry of Christ’s Church.
Hymn:
Moved by the Gospel, let us move
with every gift and art
The image of creative love
indwells each human heart.
The Maker calls creation good,
so let us now express
with sound and colour, stone and wood,
the shape of holiness.
Let weavers form from broken strands
a tapestry of prayer
Let artists paint with skilful hands
their joy, lament, and care.
Then mime the story: Christ is come.
With reverence dance the word.
With flute and organ, gong and drum
God’s praise be ever heard.
O Spirit, breathe among us here;
inspire the work we do.
May hands and voices, eye and ear
attest to life made new.
In worship and in daily strife
create among us still.
Great Artist, form our common life
according to your will.
THE EIGHTH LESSON: Romans 8: 14-27
Through the work of the Holy Spirit we are adopted as children of God.
Hymn:
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
Inflame our souls with love,
transforming every heart and home
with wisdom from above.
Let none of us despise
the humble path Christ trod
but choose, to shame the worldly wise,
the foolishness of God.
Spirit of truth, arise;
inspire the prophet’s voice;
expose to scorn the tyrant’s lies,
and bid the poor rejoice.
O Spirit, clear our sight,
all prejudice remove,
and help us to discern the right,
and covet only love.
Give us the tongues to speak,
the word of love and grace
to rich and poor, to strong and weak,
in every time and place.
Enable us to hear
the words that others bring,
interpreting with open ear
the special song they sing.
Come, Holy Spirit, dance
within our hearts today,
our earthbound spirits to entrance
our mortal fears allay.
And teach us to desire,
all other things above,
that self-consuming holy fire,
the perfect gift of love.
INSTRUMENTAL REFLECTION
THE NINTH LESSON: John 4: 4-26
Jesus promises to give the gift of living water, and teaches us that those who worship the Father must worship in spirit and in truth.
Hymn:
O thou who camest from above
The fire celestial to impart,
Kindle a flame of sacred love
On the mean altar of my heart!
There let it for thy glory burn
With inextinguishable blaze,
And trembling to its source return
In humble prayer and fervent praise.
Jesus, confirm my heart’s desire
To work, and think, and speak for thee;
Still let me guard the holy fire,
And still stir up the gift in me.
Ready for all thy perfect will,
My acts of faith and love repeat;
Till death thy endless mercies seal,
And make the sacrifice complete.
FINAL PRAYERS
Prayers are said for wisdom, faith, peace, and creativity
The following response is said:
V. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God:
R. Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
The Prayer of St Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen
Blessing
Hymn:
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
Into every troubled breast;
Let us all in thee inherit,
Let us find thy promised rest;
Take away the love of sinning,
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.
Come, almighty to deliver,
Let us all thy grace receive;
Suddenly return, and never,
Never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve thee as thy hosts above,
Pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
Glory in thy perfect love.
Finish, then, thy new creation:
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see thy great salvation,
Perfectly restored in thee,
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
