Come, Spirit, Come

A Song and an Invitation

Dear Fellow Pilgrims,

With the Pentecost Spirit about to blow through us this Sunday, I thought I would share a song and an invitation.

The song is Come, Spirit, Come (Psalm 144 set to The King’s Shilling by Scottish songwriter Ian Sinclair). The original song tells the story of young lads who are sent off to war, in all glory, but by the end you realize that many of them never make it home again. The song takes us on a journey, from the glorification of war to its perils. The Psalm takes us on a similar journey, beginning with a call to battle but ending with a call for peace.

This week I watched the beginning of an excellent, and moving and heart-wrenching, BBC documentary series about the Troubles called “Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland.” It occurred to me that a few decades ago, it would not have been possible to do the music we do, bringing people together across community divides.

This insight makes next Friday’s concert all the more meaningful. We will be celebrating 10 years of singing Celtic Psalms music together, but we’ll also be launching something new - a nonprofit dedicated to connecting communities through music.

We’re so excited about this next step, and I feel fortunate to be living in Northern Ireland at a time when it’s possible to bring people together in this beautiful way. But it’s still a tender space to be in, and a courageous space too. I would appreciate your prayerful support as we continue this journey together.

If you’re anywhere nearby, I invite you to join us. It would mean so much if you could join us in person, but even if you’re on the other side of the world, you can join us from wherever you are through the live stream link - and of course, this video will be available to view whenever you like, after the concert is over.

And if you’d like to show your support for bringing people together through music, you could click the link to donate to our new nonprofit, Celtic Pilgrims - which will allow more concerts and events to bring people together into the future, as we work toward healing divisions through the beauty, joy, and depth of music.

A blessing for us all today…

May the Spirit fill us with all tenderness and courage

as we learn to walk in the way of peace

Come, Spirit, Come

Rescue us from our divisions

Shield us from the fears that hold us back

Save us from complacency

And come down to stay.

Amen