Are You Quenching the Holy Spirit?

"Worship was good... but the Holy Spirit was quenched today."

That phrase stopped me in my tracks a couple months ago after experiencing one of our most engaging Sunday services of this past year. 

It was one of those Sundays that every worship leader dreams of:

• Nearly every voice and hand raised.

• Perfect execution from the band.

• Going off the "beaten path" and letting the moment flow.

And still, in someone else's eyes... We missed the mark—we missed God. 

But I couldn't disagree more. 

Let's go down the rabbit hole, shall we?

What Do We Mean by "Quenching" the Holy Spirit?

You don't hear this term often these days, but generally, I've seen it used mainly in charismatic leaning circles where "experiential" worship is the norm. The idea is the Holy Spirit is "moving," which is collectively recognized as stirring people to become more physically expressive, whether in raising hands or even dancing, and some instances of "speaking in tongues." It may even escalate to signs of healing and other miracles being performed. (It's important to note that not ALL churches hold to this view, even if they emphasize an experiential form of worship.)

This definition relies mainly on a view that's influenced from Pentecostalism, which took root in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This view, along with several outgrowths that have chiefly led to the charismatic movement, emphasizes the active presence of the Holy Spirit that is heightened during times of corporate worship, with a particular focus on music and singing. They point to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the miracles that followed as the model to follow in worship and in the church's work in the world. 

If the Holy Spirit is "quenched," this means that someone or something is introduced into the service that cuts off the "flow," much like a fire hydrant being shut off. Those who are "in tune" with the Spirit can sense His presence "leaving," and the congregation is left wanting or unaware of the Holy Spirit's power.

But is this Biblical? 

Where Is "Quenching" in the Bible?

In the apostle Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, he says this:

1 Thessalonians 5:19 (ESV) 

Do not quench the Spirit.

In the larger context, Paul is encouraging the early church to grow further in the good work that was established in Paul's prior visits, along with that of Timothy. It's a sort of "spurring on," and at the end of the letter, he gives them instructions for how to work and live as they await Christ's return:

1 Thessalonians 5:12–22 (ESV)

12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

To my knowledge, this is the only passage that directly mentions "quenching," but there is another passage that talks of "grieving" the Holy Spirit, found in Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus:

Ephesians 4:30–32 (ESV)

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

In all these passages, we see that quenching the Holy Spirit is more directly applied to Christian living, rather than our corporate gatherings. The Spirit is quenched when we ignore His voice and act and think in ways that directly oppose His fruit that we are called to bear. 

Still, there's something to be said of addressing the disruption of "flow" in a worship service. How can we rightly view this, talk about it, and find a solution for it?

Looking at "Flow"

"Flow" is one of those words that gets used a lot, but isn't strongly defined. We "feel" it more than we can articulate it. 

And it's not confined to only worship services. As a gigging musician, especially in the secular world, I've observed and experienced countless moments of "flow," whether that's in a jazz club with endless improvisations taking the experience to unexplored sonic territories, or in other venues where the band keeps the crowd entertained with lots of reprises of their favorite tunes. 

In a worship service, we experience "flow" through the dynamic intensity of each song, and as a worship leader, you must observe how the congregation is responding to each moment and lead them accordingly. Is the Holy Spirit present in all of this? Yes. Do our choices in leading worship affect His work? Maybe. 

When we take the view that the Holy Spirit is always acting and working to realize His will, then the quantity of our worship (how many times we sing a chorus, or if we respond spontaneously, etc.) doesn't matter as much than our quality of worship. The Holy Spirit works despite how many times we sing a song, or how long we worship. As long as the Word is preached, sung, prayed, and ministered, then the Holy Spirit will work to awaken us to a deeper understanding of God and our relationship with Him. 

So "flow" then becomes a matter of ministering to the needs of the people, rather than solely accomplishing the work of the Holy Spirit for Him. And in this case, worship leaders must be attentive to the people's needs and accommodate that within their means, which are limited by time and energy. 

And here's the thing: If your congregation is left "wanting more" when you bring the singing to a close, then that's OK! Our personal worship doesn't have to be limited to Sunday morning at 10:00am in the sanctuary of a building. On the contrary, leaving the people wanting more spurs them on to pursue God more fully throughout the week, rather than confining worship to a specific time and place. 

But, I think we can all agree that there are times that call for the "flow" to follow a different path than what might've been predetermined, and if we ignore that, then we've missed the chance to most effectively and faithfully serve the people whom we lead. So instead of quenching the Holy Spirit, we instead quench to opportunity for God's people to worship Him most satisfyingly. 

So Where Do We Go?

Going back to our original issue, the only time where I would agree that the Holy Spirit is "quenched" in a worship service is when:

• The Gospel isn't communicated.

• The people aren't given the chance to participate. 

When the Word is faithfully taught and confessed through preaching, singing, praying, and ministering, then we can rely on the promise of the Holy Spirit to fulfill His good work. Our job as worship leaders is to faithfully lead our congregations in those acts, and to allow space for the congregation to rejoice and respond sufficiently.

Be blessed 👊✌️