Paul tells us that we are temples where the Holy Spirit can dwell. Sadly, most of our sanctuaries are empty, bereft of any sound except the sigh of our beleaguered souls. It is only when our temples are filled with the Holy Spirit that our inarticulate groaning can become a choir. Just as each human voice box has a unique anatomy which creates a different sounding voice as our breath passes over it, so too our unique image-bearing is displayed when the breath of the Holy Spirit passes through our sacred halls.

Today’s youth are obsessed with individuality, but without the Holy Spirit they become breathless, incapable of expressing their true selves, and end up becoming cultural ventriloquist dummies. We need to warn our young people that if they board up their temples, they will become dilapidated haunted houses where demons dwell. However, if they open up the doors to the Holy Spirit, they will be transformed into houses of worship where the unique spiritual acoustics of their temples will resound with a one-of-a-kind praise that will touch the heart of God.

It’s Your breath in our lungs

So we pour out our praise

We pour out our praise

It’s Your breath in our lungs

So we pour out our praise to You only. (Great are you Lord)

Photo by Jyotirmoy Gupta on Unsplash