Does the Holy Spirit REALLY Move?

"Does the Holy Spirit REALLY move?"

I've pondered this question for some time now. The short answer: Yes, the Holy Spirit moves. But my point of view may differ than yours. 

Over the years, I've seen it all—everything from dancing, altar calls, and rapid intensity of congregants literally crying out in worship to reserved, controlled, and almost motionless church members singing timeless hymns of old. Each end of this spectrum seems to be in stark contrast to the other, but the one commonality they have is the moving of the Holy Spirit during their times of worship. 

And the way we make music is a means by which the Holy Spirit sharpens His message within us.

The Place of Aesthetics

I briefly touched on this last week in "The Directions of Our Singing," but I wanted to dive into the aesthetics of worship and how it seems (to me at least) that the Holy Spirit works through this to intensify His word within our hearts, or emotions. 

For a long time, I held the view that when people heard well-produced music in worship, they often wrongly ascribed their emotional response to the working of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, a powerful orchestration draws out any number of intense responses, ranging from euphoria to rage. (You should read about the riots over Stravinsky's Rite of Spring some time.) Today, modern medical practice regularly uses music as a therapy tool. So we know that by musical design, man can influence the emotional response of his fellows. 

For me, knowing this created cynicism within my view of worship. After all, I was trained to be a music educator, arranger, orchestrator—all the roles that come with making music. I knew exactly how to create all kinds of feelings:

• Swellings of pride through thundering crescendos and driving rhythms

• Rushing of joy in upbeat grooves that swirled with activity

• Soothing intimacy through soft dynamics and light textures

You get the idea.

When congregants would approach me after the service, they would praise my work, saying that God REALLY moved in that day's music. Inwardly, I thought, "Ummm... no? Maybe? All I did was put together a good arrangement."

This cynicism led to dissolution, and it bothered me... a lot. I felt like perhaps I wasn't being a "good enough" Christian, but hearing this praise for something that I had the power to direct and manipulate, along with a growing discomfort for any sort of intense, animated worship led me to wrestle with the question that I had mentioned at the start of this article. 

It was just recently that I feel I came to a resolution, and it was really only after intentionally studying what savoring God's word was that it clicked. My musical choices were an act of glorifying God, and He had the power to work through those moments DESPITE my sterile, stoic view of orchestration and its influence on emotion. As I sang lyrics about Jesus' triumph over death, and accompanied those words with crescendos, building with intensity, the stirring within my heart would often prove to be almost overwhelming, stopping me dead mid-singing, trying to maintain my composure. This carried over into other themes, like singing about my failures being carried by God's perseverance, His providence in the midst of want and need, His promise of redemption and restoration for a fallen world.

I truly believe that the Holy Spirit was in each of those moments—He's actually never away in any moment—but the resonance of His truth felt so much more tangible when all of the elements came together: singing lyrics with a pleasing accompaniment.

So... What Next?

Inevitably, the questions take another turn: How should we conduct ourselves in worship? 

It's hard to say. Personally, I shy away from frenzy, opting for being reserved—but I've been known to unashamedly raise my hands and lift my voice as loud as I'm able. Generally, I would say that self-control in our worship is evidence of that same divine fruit spoken of in Galatians. But self-control doesn't mean ignoring how to appropriately express our emotions; after all, our emotions are an intrinsic aspect of being God's creation.   

I'll leave you with this: Delight in the Lord, in His truth, mercy, and grace, lifting unashamed praise with thanksgiving that reflects His character. Sing and make music in a way that sharpens the Holy Spirit's message as He quickens you to receive it.

Be blessed 👊✌️