Every year, the Church celebrates Pentecost Sunday. It is the last of five annual liturgical milestones of the Christian faith – Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. At Pentecost, we revel in the fulfilled promise of Jesus, in John 16:7, to give his people a “Helper,” who is the Holy Spirit. We remember Acts 2, when the Spirit of God descended on His people and empowered them to go into all of the world, despite overwhelming persecution and suffering, and preach the gospel of Jesus.
The song Holy Spirit is our prayer as we gather as the people of God, redeemed by the Son, empowered by the Spirit to proclaim the truth of the Gospel to ourselves and the world around us. As we gather together, the glory of God is at the forefront of our pursuit. The glory of God is not only our goal, it is our ultimate joy – to bask in the enjoyment of the overwhelming presence of God is to bring God glory.
In asking God to “flood this place,” we are not implying that He is not already here, as our God is everywhere, but we are acknowledging that when the people of God gather for the purpose of declaring His praises, He is present in a unique and beautiful way. He is convicting and comforting. He is encouraging and edifying. He is unifying and strengthening. He is empowering and emboldening.
As we recorded Holy Spirit, we wanted to infuse a desperate cry that would express our relentless longing for the consuming presence of the Holy Spirit. Set a Fire is a simple refrain that has massive implications. It’s a bold surrender. Despite whatever might escape the grasp of our control or our ability to contain, we want more of God. Though it might not be “safe,” we know that He is good. The reward far outweighs the risk, so we live in and by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Written by Worship Pastor Mike Price