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Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost - Shenandoah Christian Music Camp

9,107 views • Sep 4, 2018

Description

"Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost" composed by Philip Stopford. Sung at the 13th Annual Choral Festival 2018 of Shenandoah Christian Music Camp (VA). Conducted by Lyle Stutzman.
The Historic Faith · Hymn Companion

Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost

Words by Christopher WordsworthMusic by Philip Stopford

Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost,
Taught by thee, we covet most
Of thy gifts at Pentecost,
Holy, heavenly love.

Love is kind, and suffers long,
Love is meek, and thinks no wrong,
Love than death itself more strong;
Therefore give us love.

Prophecy will fade away,
Melting in the light of day;
Love will ever with us stay;
Therefore give us love.

Faith will vanish into sight;
Hope be emptied in delight;
Love in heaven will shine more bright;
Therefore give us love.

Faith and hope and love we see
Joining hand in hand agree;
But the greatest of the three,
And the best, is love.

From the overshadowing
Of thy gold and silver wing
Shed on us, who to thee sing,
Holy, heavenly love.

Story Behind the Song

The text was written by Christopher Wordsworth, later Bishop of Lincoln, and published in his 1862 collection The Holy Year. It is a Pentecost hymn that turns Paul’s teaching on charity in 1 Corinthians 13 into a prayer for the Holy Spirit’s gift of love. Philip Stopford later made a modern choral setting of the traditional hymn text.

Scripture

Found In

The Holy Year, The Hymnal 1940, The Hymnal 1982