No, he had not intended to compose yet another special piece. John Rodriques recounts the story behind the concluding hymn of the 2026 Pentecost celebrations.
“Spirit renewed” was the anthem that was sung at the conclusion of the 2023 Pentecost service in Cape Town. Since then, it has resonated with tens of thousands of people and has become the de facto Pentecost anthem among New Apostolic Christians.
Now, for Pentecost 2026—and to mark his retirement—Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider wished to return to South Africa. The question arose: should there be a new musical finale for the divine service? For “Spirit renewed” composer John Rodriques, head of the music department at the New Apostolic Church Southern Africa, this did not seem strictly necessary. District Apostle Peter Lambert, however, felt otherwise.
The search for the right tone
John Rodriques had actually intended to begin much earlier this time. Back in 2023, the choir and orchestra had had only six weeks to rehearse the new work. But his good intentions soon ran into obstacles. Speaking to nac.today, he recalls that the fear of disappointing people made it difficult for him to get started.
Then, after much praying and soul-searching, inspiration finally struck: the new anthem is called “Send forth Your Spirit”. Its text is essentially drawn from Psalm 104—specifically verses 30, 31, and 35—while its music is shaped by a rich variety of cultural influences.
In threes: verses, themes, choirs, soundscapes
The work is built around three verses, each with its own distinct character—both in terms of text and music. The individual sections are woven together by a unifying refrain. The first verse centres on God the Creator, the second on the Holy Spirit, the third on the triune God, while the refrain points to Jesus Christ.
Children, youth, and adults: each verse was led by a different choir. Musically, the piece unfolds across a broad spectrum of styles: from the classical-sounding first verse, to the dance-like vitality of the second, and finally to the African-inspired energy of the third verse, which introduces a new arrangement of the Zulu traditional “Siyahamba” (“We are marching in the light of God”).
In the end, the music spoke for itself
Even though rehearsal time was once again short, there was one thing John Rodriques could rely on. He was certain that the choir and instrumentalists would quickly rise to the challenge of mastering a custom-composed piece for 2026. “They move to the music like fish in water,” he remarked.
And that was unmistakably evident during the grand finale of the Pentecost service. Deeply moved, the new Chief Apostle, Helge Mutschler, expressed his gratitude: “How wonderful was that?”