Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord, With All Your Graces Now Outpoured

It is wonderful that Mother's Day falls on Pentecost Sunday this year, for what could be a better way to celebrate Mother's Day than to do so on Pentecost Sunday, which we often refer to as the birthday of the Holy Christian Church. We confess as Lutherans that the Church is the "mother that begets and bears every Christian through the Word of God" (Large Catechism, Creed III.45) so as we thank God for our earthly mothers, we do so on the Sunday when we thank and praise the Holy Spirit for His graces, so lavishly poured into our lives and into our hearts through our spiritual mother, the Church, the bride of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

One of my favorite hymns is Martin Luther's Come, Holy Ghost.

1. Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord!
        Be all Thy graces now out poured
        On each believer's mind and heart;
        Thy fervent love to them impart.
        Lord, by the brightness of Thy light,
        Thou in the faith dost men unite
        Of every land and every tongue;
        This to Thy praise, O Lord, our God, be sung.
        Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

        2. Thou holy Light, Guide Divine,
        Oh, cause the Word of Life to shine!
        Teach us to know our God aright
        And call Him Father with delight.
        From every error keep us free;
        Let none but Christ our Master be
        That we in living faith abide,
        In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.
        Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

        3. Thou holy Fire, Comfort true,
        Grant us the will Thy work to do
        And in Thy service to abide;
        Let trials turn us not aside.
        Lord, by Thy power prepare each heart
        And to our weakness strength impart
        That bravely here we may contend,
        Through life and death to Thee, our Lord, ascend.
        Hallelujah! Hallelujah!