Come thou long expected Jesus

When Charles Wesley wrote the words of the hymn 'Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus', in 1744, I wonder if he grasped the legacy of his words. I am sure he wanted Christians to proclaim their desire for the return of Jesus, but did he think that we would still be singing his words in 2023? I am not so sure!

Anway, regardless of Charles Wesley's wishes, we are still singing this powerful song and I believe that each word holds the incredible grace and truth of God's love for us all. 

As we read these words again today, may they become our deepest prayer for this Advent season. 

Come, thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee
Israel's Strength and Consolation
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart

Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

Living in Grace

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O Come all Ye Faithful

There is always a special invitation for all people to come and worship Jesus and to celebrate his birth. However, for me, there is something even more overwhelming and that is to worship Christ, in the presence of the ‘faithful.’ It is almost as if we can let all our inhibitions go and worship as freely as we choose.

O Come all ye Faithful is just that special invitation, and as the song progresses, verse by verse, we feel as if we are joining in with shepherds, angels, Magi and generations of faithful followers who have come to Adore the King of Angels.

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord!

 

God of God, Light of Light
Lo, He abhors not the Virgin's womb
Very God
Begotten, not created

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God
All glory in the highest

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning
Jesus, to Thee be glory given
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing

This beautiful hymn as had a long list of potential authors, including Cistercian Monks, Saint Bonaventure in the 13^th Century, as well as the king of Portugal, John IV (1604–1656), John Reading (1604–1656) and John Francis Wade (1711–1786).

Although most modern hymn books attribute the words to Wade, this is more than likely due to the fact that his name appears on the earliest English printed versions of the song. Even then, it is believed that Wade was such a gifted copyist, that people often requested him to write out lyrics, poems and other manuscripts due to his beautiful hand-writing.

For me, it doesn’t matter in the end. The Hymn stirs up a great emotion in me and urges all of us to ‘greet our Saviour’ on this happy morning. Christmas Day is the watershed moment in the history of the world that constantly reassure us that God loved us enough to appear to all humanity. There is no greater gift than that!

I wish you a Blessed Christmas and Hopeful New Year.

Living in the Grace of Jesus

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As with gladness men of old

As far as hymn writers go, William Chatterton Dix breaks the mould, especially in his home country of Great Britain. Most of the British hymn writers in the nineteenth century were clergymen, but William was not – he was trained in the business world and worked as a manager of a marine insurance company. He is the author of the wonderful Christmas song As with gladness men of old.

I think this is an important reminder for all of us, that it is not just the clergy who are called to share God’s love and the Gospel, but we all carry that privilege. William Dix chose to use his personal encounter with Christ as a motivation to write his own lyrics and music. He was born in Bristol in 1837 and died in Cheddar (Somerset) in 1898.

In a week where we have been excited to see our own Bethlehem star rising (21 December – Jupiter and Saturn), it is fitting that we note the references to the star in this hymn. As a family we went in search of the star on Monday evening and it was so exciting to get a glimpse of it – it reminded me of the original Bethlehem star and the hope that star gave to all of us.

As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold,
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright:
so, most gracious Lord, may we
evermore your splendour see.

 

As with joyful steps they sped
Saviour, to your lowly bed,
there to bend the knee before
you, whom heaven and earth adore:
so with ever-quickening pace
may we seek your throne of grace.

 

As they offered gifts most rare
at your cradle plain and bare,
so may we with holy joy
pure and free from sin's alloy,
all our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to you, our heavenly king.

 

Holy Jesus, every day
keep us in the narrow way,
and when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed souls at last:
where they need no star to guide,
where no clouds your glory hide.

 

In the heavenly city bright
none shall need created light
you, it’s light, its joy, its crown,
you its sun which goes not down;
there for ever may we sing
alleluias to our king.

Let us follow the light of Christ's love this Christmas.  

Living in Grace

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Away in a Manger

Away in a Manger is definitely one of the most popular Christmas Carols of all time and perhaps for many of us, brings back loads of childhood memories. There has been a fair amount of debate on the origins of the carol, with initial thoughts suggesting it was the work of Martin Luther and was often referred to as Luther’s Cradle Song. However, it seems that most scholars now agree that the lyrics are not the words of Luther and may have to remain as anonymous. The music (tune) was the work of two men in the late 1800’s - William J. Kirkpatrick (1895) and James Ramsey Murray (1887). This version of the song is attributed to William Kirkpatrick’s adaption:

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven to live with thee there.

Regardless of who the author is, I feel that the song offers us all a great deal of hope and it seeks to remind us to have a childlike faith in coming to Christ. Jesus is the ‘word made flesh’ and through his life we are given a glimpse of the nature of the Almighty! We can ask Jesus to be with us and to keep loving us throughout the complexities of our lives.

Having had 3 boys of our own, I am still not sure about the line ‘no crying he makes’! Although it was probably an attempt to show the divinity of the Christ-child, it would make all parents feel a lot better to know that even Jesus cried when he was an infant. If he wept when his friend, Lazarus died, I am sure that he cried when he was hungry and thirsty as a tiny baby.

What do you think?

Living in Grace

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While Shepherds watched

 

While shepherds watched their flocks by night has arguably been one of the Christmas Carols that has had many “lyrical adjustments” over the years. Many of us know this song as the one about the Shepherds washing their socks at night J Although it has nothing to do with the dirty socks of the Shepherds, it does have a lot to do with the annunciation of the Angels (Luke 2:8-14).

The song was first seen in a print in 1700, which suggests it was composed a few years before this date. It was written by Nahum Tate (1652 – 1715), an Irish poet and was apparently the first Christmas hymn allowed to be sung in the Anglican church. All songs before then were taken directly from the Psalms of David. This should have given Nahum much prestige, but sadly it didn’t seem to change his fortunes very much – it is thought he died in relative obscurity.

The part of the carol that stands out for me today is the last verse – this is in particular respect to the public holiday “The Day of Reconciliation”, which was celebrated yesterday in South Africa. How amazing would it be if there was truly ‘peace on earth’ and ‘goodwill’ shown to all people?

While shepherds watched
Their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around
And glory shone around

“Fear not,” he said,
For mighty dread
Had seized their troubled minds
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind,
To you and all mankind.”

“To you in David’s
Town this day
Is born of David’s line
The Saviour who is Christ the Lord
And this shall be the sign
And this shall be the sign.”

“The heavenly Babe
You there shall find
To human view displayed
And meanly wrapped
In swathing bands
And in a manger laid
And in a manger laid.”

Thus spake the seraph,
And forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song
Addressed their joyful song

“All glory be to
God on high
And to the earth be peace;
Goodwill henceforth
From heaven to men
Begin and never cease
Begin and never cease!”

Living in Grace

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Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Charles Wesley is often overlooked in favour of his more illustrious brother, John. However, we should not ignore the huge impact that he made on the corporate worship on the English Church of the 18^th Century. Initially his hymns, poems and songs were made famous in England, but later on they gained international prestige as Christians took the catchy tunes all over the world.

The first printed version of Come Thou Long Expected Jesus was found in a collection of Hymns that Charles put together for Advent in 1744. Therefore it is very likely that he wrote the words a while before this date. The lyrics remind us of two pivotal events in the Christian experience – the First Coming of Christ (Jesus’ birth) and his Second Coming. Wesley often used his songs to help the ‘ordinary person’ understand theology in a simpler way.

It is thought that Wesley may have taken some inspiration from many Old Testament passages which referred to the promise of freedom for the oppressed. The Lord (Messiah) was spoken of as Israel’s consolation.

Another unlikely source of inspiration may have come from Blaise Pascal, who is often quoted as arguing: "There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every person that cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator.” If you read the last line of verse 1, you will see the connection to this point.

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart

Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.

I am grateful that Jesus has already come to offer us freedom, consolation and strength. We are certainly going through so many times of trial at the moment and it reassures me to know that my King reigns and will rule in my heart.

Living in Grace

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You left your Throne (Thou didst leave thy throne)

Thanks for the feedback I received from a few of you regarding the songs/hymns you would like me to write about this advent season. One of the requests concerns this beautiful song:

“Thou didst leave thy throne
And thy kingly crown
When thou camest to earth for me
But in Bethlehem’s home
Was there found no room
For thy holy nativity:
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus!
There is room in my heart for thee.” – Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliott

When Emily wrote the words of this song she was trying to use music to teach young children the powerful story of Christ’s birth. It is thought that she wrote the song for the church her dad (Rev. Edward Elliott) was leading – St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Brighton, England. She based this song on the words from Luke’s gospel: Luke 2:7 “but there was no room for them in the inn.”

It seems as if writing and music was in the Elliott blood. Emily’s famous aunt was Charlotte Elliott, who wrote the well-known hymn ‘Just as I am.’ One of Emily’s works ‘Under the Pillow’ was a collection of her hymns, which was used especially to bring encouragement and hope to those who found themselves in hospitals and infirmaries.

For me there are 2 powerful statements that I am left contemplating today:

1. Jesus left his throne (and Kingdom) to come and live among us. Although the kingdom of God has no boundaries and is limitless, Jesus was initially given no room to sleep in, except for the dusty stable in Bethlehem.

 2.      Is there room in my heart for the Christ-child this year? Or have I allowed all the complications of this world to take up all the space in my spirit and therefore given God no room to bring me peace, joy, love and hope?

What do you think?

Living in Grace

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We Three Kings

The beloved Christmas carol, We Three Kings was written by an extremely gifted minister by the name of John Henry Hopkins Jnr. Not only was John an author, but he was also a book illustrator, a stained glass window designer, clergyman, songwriter and editor of the New York Church Journal. It is believed that Rev. Hopkins wrote We Three Kings for an 1857 Christmas pageant put on by the General Theological Seminary of New York City. In 1863, he also published this carol in his book Carols, Hymns and Song.

The story line of the song is based on a story from Matthews Gospel, telling of the Magi who travelled a long distance (most likely from Persia), guided by a bright star to see the child Jesus, the one who was hailed as the promised Messiah.

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” - (Matthew 2:1-2)

We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star
We three kings, we three kings

Oh, star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light
We three kings, we three kings

I am challenged by the fact that Jesus drew all kinds of people to himself and the Magi in this story are no exception. There were/are so many people looking for some kind of light and salvation in their troubled lives. As I reflect on the Christmas story again I am humbled that it is in the Christ Child that I have found the perfect light.

NOTE: If there is a Christmas song/carol you would like me to blog about please send me a message - I would love to hear your favourites and share them with others.

Living in Grace

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Once in Royal David's City

I have many childhood memories of Christmas and especially of the songs and carols we used to sing. I think that Once in Royal David’s City must take me back around 40 years or so.

Once in royal David’s city, stood a lowly cattle shed, where a mother laid her baby,
In a manger for His bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ, her little Child.

There is something equally majestic and intriguing about this hymn and if I were to choose the ‘best’ verse from this song, I would suggest that the last verse is the most profound (for me).

And our eyes at last shall see Him, Through His own redeeming love; For that Child so dear and gentle, Is our Lord in heaven above: And He leads His children on, To the place where He is gone.

It is the thought that Christ leads us all to the place he has gone that fills me with hope and expectation. This resonates with the words of John 14, where Jesus reassures his disciples that he has gone ahead to prepare a place for them. I don’t know what that place will actually look like, but it is enough for me that Christ himself will be there.

Once in Royal David’s City first appeared in a collection, Hymns for Little Children in 1848. What makes this hymn unique is that it is one of only a few hymns to be written by a woman and to be recognised for its true merits. In an era when many women struggled to receive a public platform, Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895) succeeded.

“She was born in Dublin, Ireland, and began writing in verse from an early age. She became so adept that by the age of 22, several of her hymn texts made it into the hymnbook of the Church of Ireland. Alexander [née Humphreys] married William Alexander, both a clergyman and a poet in his own right who later became the bishop of the Church of Ireland in Derry and later archbishop. Aside from her prolific hymn writing, Cecil Alexander gave much of her life to charitable work and social causes, something rather rare for women of her day” (www.umcdiscipleship.org)

Living in Grace

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Silent Night

The story behind the popular Christmas carol Silent Night, reminds me that God works in ways that are beyond our human understanding. This song was initially written as a poem and then set to music for a Christmas Eve service in a small Austrian village. The country had endured years of wars, suffering and constant strife. There was a deep longing for the peace of God to prevail, which sounds almost exactly the same as living in 2020.

I am struck by the fact that when I confront obstacles in my life I usually feel as if ‘my plans’ are being messed up. However, I need to develop the faith to know that God is always up to something and that God can truly bring order out of our chaos.

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
'Round yon virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

This simple hymn has gone on to bring much solace and encouragement to many broken spirits over the last 202 years. It has been translated into over 140 languages and will surely be sung well into the next Century.

Living in Grace

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If you are interested, here is the story of Silent Night as told by the author on www.german-way.com

On a cold Christmas Eve in 1818 pastor Joseph Franz Mohr walked the three kilometers from his home in the Austrian village of Oberndorf bei Salzburg to visit his friend Franz Xaver Gruber in the neighbouring town of Arnsdorf bei Laufen. Mohr brought with him a poem he had written some two years earlier. He desperately needed a carol for the Christmas Eve midnight mass that was only hours away. He hoped his friend, a school teacher who also served as the church’s choir master and organist, could set his poem to music. And one of the many amazing things about this carol is that Franz Gruber composed the “Stille Nacht” melody for Mohr in just a few hours on that December 24, 1818.

Recent flooding of the nearby Salzach river had put the church organ out of commission, so Gruber composed the music for guitar accompaniment. A few hours after Gruber finished his composition, he and Mohr stood before the altar of the St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf to perform their own work. A local choir group backed them up as the sounds of the brand new carol broke the silence of that “Stille Nacht.”

Mary's Boy child

Mary’s Boy Child can be considered a modern Christmas Carol in some senses, as it was written and recorded in 1956. The song was written by Jester Hairston and first sung by the legendary Harry Belefonte. The song performed remarkably well from the moment it was released and continued to have success into the future.

It regained more popularity in the late 1970’s (1978) when Boney-M recorded their version of the song. Sadly, Jester Hairston has not received the kind of credit his song deserves, but when he died at the age of 98 in 2000, Jester did get credit for his tireless work to preserve the historical Negro spiritual. Part of the work that he did to preserve this genre of music was to direct and work with choral groups throughout his career. Hairston will be remembered for years to come for the excellent contribution he made to the world.

These are the words of the delightful carol. I have underlined the words that mean a lot to me during this Advent Season.

“Long time ago in Bethlehem, so the Holy Bible say, Mary's boy child Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day. 

Hark, now hear the angels sing, a new king was born today, And man will live for evermore, because of Christmas Day. Trumpets sound and angels sing, listen to what they say.  That man will live for evermore, because of Christmas day. 

While shepherds watch their flocks by night, they see a bright new shining star, they hear a choir sing a song, the music seem to come from afar. Now Joseph and his wife, Mary, came to Bethlehem that night, they found no place to bear her child, not a single room was in sight. 

By and by they find a little nook in a stable all forlorn, and in a manger, cold and dark, Mary’s little boy was born, long time ago in Bethlehem, so the Holy Bible say, Mary’s boy child Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day.”

What a gift it is to comprehend that Christmas Day gives us the right and privilege to live forevermore. Eternity is given to us through the miracle of the child of Bethlehem. That is truly amazing!

“Each and every one of you has the power, the will and the capacity to make a difference in the world in which you live in..” – Harry Belefonte

Living in Grace

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The First Noel

The word, Noel, often catches us by surprise in that it has a variety of different versions of the spelling – Nowell, being one of the popular alternatives. It is a French/Gaelic word that has Latin roots (natalis), which means “birthday.”

The following information about the "The First Noel" comes from a very interesting website www.galaxymusicnotes.com. This beloved Christmas carol is regarded to be of Cornish origin. It bloomed at a time when the Medieval civilization of Europe was experiencing "Proto-Renaissance," and could be as old as the 14th century. The story told in the song was inspired by the dramatizations of "Miracle Plays," and it tells the story of "Noel" or "Jesus", depicting the night of his birth in Bethlehem.

The structure of the First Noel bears stark resemblance with medieval French poems, which sadly were never recorded. Thankfully, “The First Noel" was first transcribed around 1823, and was later published in "Gilbert and Sandy’s Carols" in 1833.Williams Sandy’s arranged and edited the carol, while Davies Gilbert pitched in with additional lyrics. Gilbert is also credited for the revival of the song in modern times. 

It was only around 1929, that the English version made an appearance in the "The Cornish Songbook." In modern times, "The First Noel" is performed utilizing a 4 part hymn arrangement created by John Stainer.

For me, the part of the song that stands out during this Advent are these lines:

Then entered in those Wise Men three,

Full reverently upon their knee,
And offered there in his presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense:

It begs the question – What am I bringing to the Lord this Christmas? What do I have to offer my King?

Living in Grace

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From heaven you came...

I am not sure if the song The Servant King is officially considered to be a Christmas Carol, but I truly believe it shares the incarnational message of Jesus, as well as Christ’s painful journey to the cross. The opening line reminds us of how God became one of us (John 1) even though his glory was initially veiled.

Graham Kendrick wrote this song in 1984 as the theme song for the Spring Harvest Bible teaching event. Graham, who is now 70 years old, found the theme of Jesus being a servant king very inspiring. He writes: 'It was a challenge to explore the vision of Christ as the servant who would wash the disciples' feet but who was also the Creator of the universe.'

Graham Kendrick is one of the well-known worship leaders of our generation and some of his most loved songs include: Shine Jesus Shine, Meekness and Majesty, Let the Flame burn brighter, God of the poor and Amazing Love. Enjoy these lyrics of the song and if you don't know the song please google it :)

From heaven you came helpless babe
Entered our world, your glory veiled
Not to be served but to serve
And give Your life that we might live

This is our God, The Servant King
He calls us now to follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering
Of worship to The Servant King

There in the garden of tears
My heavy load he chose to bear
His heart with sorrow was torn
'Yet not My will but Yours, ' He said

Chorus

Come see His hands and His feet
The scars that speak of sacrifice
Hands that flung stars into space
To cruel nails surrendered

Chorus

We bring our lives to you
A sacrifice for you
In view of love so true
We are changed, renewed

Let us remember that the innocent child, reaching up to the voice of Mary and Joseph on that cold evening in Bethlehem, was the same man who humbly surrendered as soldiers nailed this same hands to the cross.

Living in Grace

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Joy to the World

Three hundred years old! That is how old the song Joy to the World is. That's incredible!

Written in 1719 by Isaac Watts, this beloved song/hymn still echoes through our churches, schools and carol services across the planet. What is even more interesting is that apparently Isaac Watts didn't even write the words as a song at all. He was busy working on a poetic reflection of the Psalms and was trying to create a modern paraphrase of each Psalm. These were compiled into a book called "The Psalms of David". 

When Isaac read Psalm 98 he was inspired to write the words we sing today (mostly) and when you look at the Psalm in the light of his song, we can see the deep connection. 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare him room And heaven and nature sing!
And heaven and nature sing!
And heaven . . . and heaven . . . and nature sing.

One of the other interesting facts about Isaac Watts' work on the Psalms was that he was trying to read each Psalm in the light of Jesus Christ - the promised Messiah. This is why I love his words even more! As many of you know that was the title of one of my books (Jesus in the Psalms) - I am convinced that the words of the Old Testament become so much more meaningful when read in the light of Christ.

The Challenge for us this Advent is to 'prepare room in our hearts for the coming of Christ.' 

We can only truly sing that 'The Lord is come', if we have made a decision to treat Jesus as our Lord.

Thoughts?

Living in Grace
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It came upon the midnight clear

When Edmund Sears wrote the words of It came upon the midnight clear I am sure he had no clue that we would still be singing this song 200 years later. Rev. Sears, along with many other people, was dealing with great social strife in America as the Civil loomed in their future. His words in the poem, which became a hymn, sought to offer a solace to people and to point them back to the comforting words of God.  

It came upon a midnight clear was first printed in a Boston publication, Christian Register, which was published on 29 December 1849. I think verse three (3) gives us a clear insight in his concerns about the social situation in the U.S.A and likewise speaking into our own times:

“Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song, which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing!”

The gift of this song is that it speaks directly into our context, as much as it did in Edmund’s time. How sad that we are still at war with each other and with God (man, at war with man, hears not), so the challenge to hear the voices of Angels is just as relevant.

Advent gives us the opportunity to listen to the call of God and to respond to God’s overtures of love. The glorious song of old is there to remind us that God can still bring Peace on Earth to all people.

Luke 2:14 - At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises: Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

Living in Grace

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Love came down at Christmas

"Love came down at Christmas,

Love all lovely, Love Divine;

Love was born at Christmas,

Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,

Love incarnate, Love Divine;

Worship we our Jesus;

But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,

Love be yours and love be mine,

Love to God and all the world,

Love for plea and gift and sign."

Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894) penned numerous poems in her lifetime. This particular poem, written in 1885, has been put to music by many musicians over the years, including John Rutter and more recently by Christian rock-band, Jars of Clay (in 2007). 

Although this carol is not as popular as many other Christmas hymns, the words are profound in their simplicity. I love the idea of referring to the Incarnation as 'Love coming down.' What better way to describe the act of God, choosing to come to earth in the form of a child? Divine love conjures up the miraculous in order to break through into our brokenness.

I am challenged by the line "Love shall be our token" as this is the call for all Christians to heed. Love is the token of currency we should be using and it is the sure sign of being changed by the Divine Love of Jesus.

John 1:14 (The Message) - 

"The Word became flesh and blood,

    and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
    the one-of-a-kind glory,
    like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
    true from start to finish."

Living in Grace

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Go tell it on the Mountain

It is fascinating that we grow up singing songs, carols and hymns without fully knowing the story behind the words. A beautiful song like God Tell it on the Mountain is often sung during our Christmas worship services and although the words are easy enough to interpret, there is a remarkable story behind the words:

Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere;
go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.

While shepherds kept their watching, Over silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens, There shone a holy light:

The hymn has its origins in the slave communities of the deep South in America. It is believed to have been composed by a humble slave who expressed his innermost thoughts in the words of a song. He would have been illiterate, yet would have held onto the incredible stories of Jesus’ birth, retold ever Christmas. With no opportunity of visiting Bethlehem in real life, he imagined a scene that transcended his own pain and suffering, and called others to pass on the message of hope and peace.  

Many of the spiritual songs like Go Tell It On the Mountain could have been lost to our ears, if it weren’t for people like John Work and his son John Wesley Work Jnr. As a family, they were instrumental in saving numerous songs from this era and subsequently compiled many of the African-American spirituals into famous collections.  

John Work was the driving force behind his local church choir and he used their remarkable singing gifts to keep the music alive. The choir boasted a number of singers from the Fisk Jubilee Singers, who helped spread the popularity of these songs as they were given opportunity to travel the world. If it weren’t for this miracle, Go Tell It On the Mountains may have remained a local song, sung only on a small farm in rural Tennessee.

As Jane Schroeder says, “it is the spirit of the words that provides the song's real power. As an unknown, humble slave revealed his own prayers and faith, he had little knowledge that the inspiration he felt—probably the only thing of value he ever possessed—would touch millions with the news not only on the mountain, but “over the hills and everywhere.”

We are challenged to remember that the Good News of Christ’s birth transcends our circumstances and the present sufferings we face. There is always Hope where Jesus is found. 

Living in Grace

D3LM3