One
of the great Christmas carols is O Little
Town of Bethlehem, written by Phillips Brooks. Here is the story of how this carol came to
be.
…
On Christmas Eve in 1865, Phillips Brooks rode through the dark streets of
Jerusalem on horseback. He was headed to
place above the town where he was told the shepherds had gathered with their
sheep some 1800 years earlier.
After
returning to his church in Philadelphia, he wanted to capture his thoughts from
that night in Jerusalem and the result was this poem.
A
few days before Christmas in
1868, he asked an organist, Lewis Redner, to put the poem to music. He wanted to use it at their Christmas service.
Redner
tried but failed to successfully create a melody for these lyrics. On Christmas Eve, feeling he had utterly
failed, he went to bed.
Mr.
Redner later related, “I was aroused from sleep in the night. I heard what I consider to be an
angel-strain. I picked up a piece of
score paper and jotted down the melody of this tune as I heard it in my head.”
And
that is how this song came to be. It was
a moment of inspiration that inspired the lyrics upon reflection, and it was a
divine moment when the melody suddenly came to Mr. Redner.
Those
are the two elements we think of most when we consider the Christmas message –
inspiration meeting a divine moment.
Merry
Christmas!
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven
No ear may hear His coming
But in this world of sin
Where meek souls will receive Him still
the dear Christ enters in
O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel!
Words of Hope
Encouragement Inspiration
One Word at a Time
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