First Person with Wayne Shepherd

First Person: Christmas Hymn Stories

Instead of an interview at Christmastime, we present a few Christmas carols and the stories behind them. Merry Christmas! Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company: FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting Company P.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007 Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

Duration:: 23m
Broadcast on:: 24 Dec 2010
Audio Format:: other

Instead of an interview at Christmastime, we present a few Christmas carols and the stories behind them. Merry Christmas!

Send your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:
FEBC National Processing Center
Far East Broadcasting Company
P.O. Box 6020
Albert Lea, MN 56007

Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Merry Christmas everyone, and welcome to First Person, I'm Wayne Shefford. Primarily we would talk with a guest or two here on the program, but today we're celebrating Christmas by telling some of the stories behind a few of your favorite Christmas carols. What you'll hear today is taken from an audiobook production called "101 Hymn Stories" by Kenneth Osbeck. Joe Carlson and I produce the audiobook for Oasis Audio, and have permission to play some of it for you today. By the way, you'll find more information about 101 Hymn Stories at firstpersoninterview.com. We'll have time for a few Christmas Hymn Stories today, along with selected Scripture, and each story will feature the beautiful melody played by one of several artists. We'll be hearing from Steve Wick on guitar, John Ketchings with his cello and Jeff Taylor on accordion. So, let's get started with this unique celebration of the incarnation. "Thou did sleeve thy throne, thou did sleeve thy throne and thy kingly crown when thou came us 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." Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang, proclaiming thy royal degree, but of lowly birth didst thou come to earth, and in great humility? O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for thee." Thou did sleeve thy throne was written by Emily E. S. Eliot, the composer Timothy R. Matthews. Emily Eliot was born at Brighton, England on July 22, 1836. Not her life, she was associated with the evangelical faction of the Anglican Church. She gave of herself tirelessly in working with the rescue missions and Sunday schools in her area. Emily was a niece of Charlotte Eliot, author of The Hymn, just as I Am. For a six year, she edited a magazine called "The Church Missionary Juvenile Instructor." 48 of her hymns were published in a book entitled "Under the Pillow," a book of verse for the special use of people who are ill in hospitals, infirmaries, or at home. This particular text was printed by Miss Eliot privately for the choir, and for the school children of her father's church, St. Mark's at Brighton, England. It was written for the purpose of teaching children the truths of the Advent and Nativity season. The text for this hymn was based on the haunting phrase taken from Luke 2, verse 7. There was but no room for them in the inn. It is interesting to note the vivid contrast that Miss Eliot achieved in the first four verses of this hymn, with a contrasting phrase of each verse beginning with the word "but." Stanza 1, Heaven's throne and crown, but no room in Bethlehem. Stanza 2, Heaven's royal degree, but Earth's great humiliation. Stanza 3, Earth's creatures have their homes, but for him the desert. Since of four, he came bringing redemption, but men gave him Calvary. And stanza 5, here the contrast is reversed. Death is changed into victory, and Heaven's arches of stanza 2 will ring again when he comes for his second advent. The refrain is the personalizing of the truth expressed in each stanza. The tune Margaret was composed especially for this text by Timothy Richard Matthews. Matthews was born at Bedford, England on November 4, 1826, and was recognized in Great Britain as one of the leading organists of his day. He was also a clergyman and the composer of more than 100 hymn tunes. Expectation has and always will be a necessary part of a believer's life. In the Old Testament there was the anxious expectancy of a coming Messiah. More expectancy is the sound of the trumpet meeting the Lord and the prospect of an eternal home with our Savior. When the heavens shall ring and the angels sing at thy coming to victory, let thy voice call me home, saying yet there is room, there is room at my side for thee. My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus, without comest and callest for me. O little town of Bethlehem, 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 street china the everlasting light the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. This beloved Christmas Carol is from the pen of one of America's outstanding preachers of the past century Philip Brooks, the music by Louis H. Redner. In his day Brooks was often referred to as the Prince of the pulpit. His many published volumes of sermons have since become classics of American literature. He is said to have had won the hearts of people with his preaching and writing as few clergymen have ever done. O little town of Bethlehem was written in 1868, several years after Brooks had returned from a trip to the Holy Land. The experience of spending Christmas Eve and Bethlehem and worshipping in the Church of the Nativity thought to be the place of Christ's birth made an indelible impression upon the young preacher. Three years later, while pastor at the Holy Trinity Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was searching for a new Carol for his children to sing in their Sunday School Christmas program. The still vivid memory of his Holy Land visit inspired Brooks to write this text. Brooks gave a copy of the newly written Carol to his organist and Sunday School Superintendent Louis H. Redner and asked him to compose a simple melody that children could sing easily. Redner was known throughout the Philadelphia area as a devoted Christian leader in Sunday School work as well as one deeply interested in church music. He struggled for a considerable time to contrive just the right tune for his pastor's text. On the evening before the program was to be given, he suddenly awakened from his sleep and quickly composed the present melody. Redner always insisted that the tune was a gift from heaven. The Carol was an immediate favorite with the children as it has been with children and adults around the world to the present time. It was first published in 1874. Although Brooks wrote a number of other Christmas and Easter Carols, especially for children, this is the only one to survive the test of time. Philip Brooks was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1835. After graduation from Harvard and the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia in 1859, he began a long and distinguished career in the ministry serving his pastor in Philadelphia from 1859 to '69 and at the Trinity Church in Boston from 1869 to '91. He was appointed bishop of all the Episcopal churches in the Massachusetts area shortly before his untimely death in 1893. Brooks was known as an impressive and gifted man, giant in body as well as in mind and heart. His forceful yet eloquent evangelical preaching estimated to have been delivered at the rate of 250 words per minute did much to stem the tide of the Unitarian movement, especially rampant in the New England area during that time. Friends sedate Harvard University, which had been virtually taken over by the Unitarians, was stirred by Brooks preaching. Though a bachelor, Brooks was especially fond of children. It is said that he kept a supply of toys, dolls and other objects of interest for children in his study so that youngsters would be encouraged to stop in and chat with him. A familiar sight was this important man of the pulpit sitting on the floor of a study sharing a fun time with a group of youngsters. His sudden death was greatly mourned by everyone who knew him. The story is told of a five-year-old girl who was upset because she hadn't seen her preacher friend in several days. When told by her mother that Bishop Brooks had gone to heaven, the child exclaimed, "O mama, how happy the angels will be!" A holy child of Bethlehem to send 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." You're listening to a special edition of First Person. Today we're celebrating the message of Christmas through telling stories of a few favorite Christmas hymns, taken from the audiobook production "101 hymn stories" by Kenneth Osbeck, published as a book by Kregal, and published as an audiobook by Oasis Audio. Coming up we'll hear angels from the realms of glory and, while shepherds watch their flocks by night. Before that though, let's listen to the Word of God, Luke chapter 2 from the ESV Bible. In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quinerius was governor Syria, and all went to be registered each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea, the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth, and she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night, and an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear, and the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you, you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and line in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased." When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherd said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us," and they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child, and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard as it had been told them. Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight over all of the earth, ye who sang creation's story now proclaim Messiah's birth. Come and worship, come and worship worship Christ, the newborn king. The Author James Montgomery, the composer Henry Smart, the tune name Regent Square. When one recalls important contributors to the development of English hymnody, the names of Isaac Watts, generally titled the father of English hymnody, and Charles Wesley, provider of approximately 6,500 hymn texts, are usually acclaimed the most important. Next to these two spiritual leaders, however, it is commonly agreed by students of hymnology that no writer has made a greater contribution to English hymnody than has James Montgomery. For most authority in hymnology, John Julian has written. But Montgomery's devotional spirit was of the noblest type. With the faith of a strong man, he united the beauty and simplicity of a child. Richly poetic without exuberance, dogmatic without uncharitableness, tender without sentimentality, elaborate without defusiveness, richly musical without apparent effort, he has bequeathed to the church wealth which could only come from true genius and a sanctified heart. James Montgomery's parents were Moravian missionaries to the West Indies. While attending a Moravian seminary in England, young James received word to the sudden death of both of his parents on the mission field. James left the seminary suddenly and, for a period, lived a life of aimless discouragement. Soon he became interested in newspaper work and writing. At the age of 23 he was appointed editor of the weekly Sheffield Register in London, maintaining this position for the next 31 years. As editor of this paper, Montgomery championed many different causes such as the abolition of slavery. He was ever ready to assist the poor and defend the rights of the downtrodden. Twice he was in prison for writing on controversial issues. In 1797 he published a volume of poems called "Prison Amusements," so named from the fact that many of these works had been written in prison. In 1825 he gave up his paper to devote himself solely to literary and philanthropic pursuits, including the promotion of foreign missions, a cause always dear to his heart. By 1833 his integrity and worth were widely recognized throughout his homeland, and he was awarded an annual pension of $1,000 by the government as a reward for his many contributions to English society. Angels from the realms of glory first appeared as a poem in Montgomery's newspaper on December 24, 1816. Later it was published in a hymnal entitled Montgomery's Original Hymns, and was known as good tidings of great joy to all people. Many students of Hymnity have acclaimed this as one of our finest Advent hymns. The composer of this tune, known as Regent Square, was Henry Smart, born on October 26, 1813 in London, England. Although largely self-taught, Smart was recognized as one of the finest organists and composers in the British Isles in his day. He was totally blind for the last 15 years of his life, yet he continued to play and write some of his finest music. Regent Square was written during this period of blindness. The tune was composed especially for a hymnal being compiled by Dr. Hamilton, pastor of London's Regent Square Presbyterian Church, known as the Cathedral of Presbyterianism in London. Smart dedicated his new tune to this church. Smart's advice in new organ installations was also frequently sought in both England and Scotland. He designed and built some of England's finest organs. Henry Smart is also the composer of the Lancashire tune, used for the hymn text "Lead on O King Eternal". Verse 4 of this Advent hymn, Saints before the altar bending, watching long in hope and fear, suddenly the Lord descending in his temple shall appear. Long and worship, common worship, worship Christ, the newborn king. While shepherds watched their flocks, 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, said he, for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind, glad tidings of great joy I bring to you and all mankind, to you and all mankind. This song of Christmas was written by Nehem Tate. The music arranged from George F. Handel to the tune "Christmas". The singing of hymns, as we know it today, was practically nonexistent in England and the United States from the beginning of the 16th century Protestant Reformation until the dawn of the 18th century. During this time, congregational singing consisted almost entirely of versified settings of the Psalms. The Psalter used exclusively during this entire period was the Sternhold Hopkin Psalter published in 1562. This is a portion of Psalm 1 from that Psalter. The man is blessed that hath not lent to wicked men his ear, nor led his life as sinners do, nor sat in scorners' chair. He shall be like a tree that has planted the river's nigh, which in due season bringeth forth its fruit abundantly. Whose leaf shall never fade, nor fail, but flourishing shall stand, even so all things shall prosper well that this man takes in hand. Though the Sternhold Hopkin Psalter was known for its faithfulness to the original Hebrew, the crude, unpoetic character of its text became increasingly offensive to many congregations. Finally, in 1696 during the reign of William and Mary, two Irishmen, Nehem Tate and Nicholas Brady collaborated in undertaking a new metrical version of the Psalms, more in keeping with the literary tastes of the day. This new Psalter, known as the New Version, was met with widespread popular resistance. Percite Dear Mere in His Songs of Praise Disgust illustrates this typical prejudice against change by relating to incidents that occurred at the time. A pastor who asked a villager why he no longer participated in the singing in church received a reply, "Well, sir, David speaks so plain that us cannot mistaken, but as for Mr. Tate and Brady, they have taken the Lord away." And Tate himself explains that when he was present at family prayers at the home of a friend, one of the maids explained her refusal to sing by saying, "If you must know the plain truth, sir, as long as you sung Jesus Christ Psalms, I sung along with ye, but now that you sing Psalms of your own invention, you may sing by yourselves." With the official endorsement by King William III, the New Version supplanted the old Stern Hold Hopkin Psalter throughout the Church of England. From England it came to America, where it was adopted by the American Episcopal Church in 1789. In 1700, Tate and Brady had already published a supplement to their new version. The supplement contained sixteen hymns in addition to the metrical Psalms. One of these original hymns was Tate's Christmas Carol description of the angel's appearance to the shepherds, as described in Luke II verses 8 through 14, while shepherds watched their flocks. All of Tate's other hymns from this collection have since been forgotten. Nahum Tate was born in Dublin in 1652, the son of an Irish clergyman. He was educated at Trinity College, and in 1690 was proclaimed to be the poet laureate of England for the court of William and Mary during their reign from 1689 to 1702. His intemperate living as a drunkard and a spendthrift eventually led to his downfall, and he died in 1715 at a debtor's refuge in Southwark, London. Nicholas Brady, another Irishman and Tate's personal friend, was educated at both Oxford and Trinity Colleges, and later served at the Anglican Church in Cork, England. While shepherds watched their flocks, ranks as one of our most popular Christmas carols, and is found in nearly every Protestant hymnal. Its purely narrative account about the shepherds is on a level that even children can visualize and understand easily. The music for this carol has been adapted from a work by master composer George Frederick Handel. Handel was born in Germany on February 23, 1685. After 1713 he made his home in England and became a naturalized English citizen in 1727. He is best known for his oratorio the Messiah, composed in 1741 and completed in just 24 days. Though Handel wrote several tunes for a specific hymn text, his best known hymn tunes, like this one, have been arranged from his major works. All glory be to God on high and to the earth be peace. Good will henceforth from heaven to man, begin and never cease, begin and never cease. The Christmas hymns and stories you've heard today on First Person are from the audiobook 101 hymn stories, written by Kenneth Osbeck and published by Oasis Audio. Special thanks to Joe Carlson who produced both the audiobook as well as today's program. And there's more information about 101 hymn stories on our website, firstpersoninterview.com. You'll also find the schedule of upcoming programs there online at firstpersoninterview.com. As we close today, a final reading from God's word, Philippians chapter 2 beginning at verse 8. "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." Thank you for joining us for this special edition of First Person. Both Joe Carlson and his wife Katie, and for me and my wife Becky, have a joyous Christmas celebration. of the Lord.