The Trinity almost never comes up in the songs sung by American Christians, according to a new study of the 30 most popular hymns and the 30 most popular worship songs over the past five years.

Like improvising musicians, the Holy Spirit is the energy that makes the transcendent connection and divine co-creation necessary for beautiful music, says Fr. Daniel Horan.

But the Holy Spirit itself resists being pictured, because its essence is so mysterious. It performs no acts and yet it’s active all the time, as the interface between God and humanity.