January 14, 2026

In my sermon this Sunday, I shared the first and last first of a hymn entitled The Strong and Gentle Voice.* Below is the full text of the hymn which I invite you to read through and think about the meaning.  In Matthew’s Gospel account of Jesus’ baptism we hear God’s voice and see the Dove descend representing the Holy Spirit. The very next chapter is about Jesus’ temptation in the desert. In Matthew 4:1, we are told “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil.” (In reading the hymn, you might be struck by the use of the feminine pronoun for the Dove/Holy Spirit but just set that aside to look at the larger message.) The Spirit guided Jesus to the place of temptation where he remained faithful.

The hymn writer would remind us that even when the baptismal water dries, the Holy Spirit continues to be with us. We have no reason to fear, for God is with us. We, like Jesus, can face temptation and pain and fear and know that God through the Holy Spirit abides with us.

The strong and gentle voice,
The swift, descending Dove
And Jesus, rising from the stream,
Met joyfully in love.

The Three were found as One
By Jordan’s rugged shore
Where John the Baptist preached the way
Of justice for the poor.

And was the Dove content
By Jordan to remain?
She guided Jesus on to know
Temptation, thirst, and pain.

He faced a three-fold test
That no one else could bear.
The desert beasts remained with him
And angels gave him care.

Baptismal waters dry,
A moment’s bliss will fade,
But with the Dove to lead us on
We need not be afraid.

*Text: Adam M. L. Tice, b. 1979, © GIA Publications, Inc. Tune: NEW RESTORATION

Rachel Gonia