Thought for December 25, 2023

• 800: Charlemagne crowned Roman Emperor
• 1066: William the Conqueror crowned King of England
• 1741: Anders Celsius introduces Centigrade temperature scale
• 1868: Andrew Jonson pardons to all involved in the "Southern rebellion"
• 1896: John Philip Sousa writes "Stars and Stripes Forever"
• 1914: Christmas Truce of WWI
• 1962: The movie "To Kill a Mockingbird" is released
• Born: Humphrey Bogart, Anwar Sadat, Barbara Mandrell, Rickey Henderson, Justin Trudeau, Charlene Wilson, Brenda Hauk
• Died: Samuel de Champlain, Charlie Chaplin, Billy Martin, Dean Martin, George Michael

Thought:

Merry Christmas! 

A couple of carols to celebrate Christ's birth. We sand two of these yesterday at Church.

"What Child is This?"--The tune "Greensleeves" dates back to the 1500's and the words are about lost love. In the late 1800's the tune was paired with a poem by William Dix, an insurance salesman to provide the song we sing today. Think about the words--what child is this that is sleeping in Mary's arms, guarded by shepherds and praised by angels. What child is this who lays in the place where ox and ass are feeding? What child is this who is pierced by nails and spear on the cross? What child is this that men worship with gold, myrrh, and incense? THIS IS CHRIST THE KING WHO SALVATION BRINGS. JOY, JOY FOR CHRIST IS BORN!

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a Harvard professor of literature. He lost his wife when her dress caoght fire in 1861. A couple of years later, his 17 year-old son, Charley, ran away to join the army. On November 27, 1863 he was shot during the battle of New Hope Church in Virginia and sent to Washington to recuperate. Henry went to Washington and brought Charley home to Boston on December 8. Charley had almost been paralyzed by the bullet and Henry sat by his bed for weeks as he healed. Henry wrote the words to this hymn on Christmas Day 1863 amid war and strife. In the third verse, he writes, "in despair I bowed my head; 'There is no peace on earth' I said, 'for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth good will to men'." Maybe this morning we feel that way too--division, hatred, war, strife, brokenness. But Henry wrote more--"God is not dead nor doth He sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth good will to men." That is what the birth of Christ meant after 400 years of silence--God is not dead, He will keep all His promises, His plan cannot fail--so today is born Immanuel, God with us, the Prince of Peace. 

"Go Tell it on the Mountain"--This spiritual has a Nashville connection. John Wesley Work, Jr. was born in Nashville about 1871 to a father who was a choir director at a local church. John attended Fisk studying history and Latin and was hired as professor of Greek and Latin after graduation. "Go Tell it on the Mountain" had been performed by the Jubilee Singers since 1879 but was little known otherwise. John wrote two new verses and began the tradition of leading students around campus on Christmas morning singing this song. It was finally published in 1907. Think about this song today, developed by slaves of the South and passed down through the generations. The verses changed over the years, some added, some lost, but the chorus proclaims the unchanging truth---go tell everybody about somebody who can save anybody--Jesus Christ is born! And that is our song to the nations today--rejoice, Jesus Christ is alive.

Merry Christmas!

Blessings

Larry