January 1 - O Little Town of Bethlehem

It is quite odd for the subject of a Christian hymn to be a small town as opposed to God or Christ or the Holy Spirit, but such is the case with the famous hymn that was written by Episcopal minister Phillip Brooks in 1868. Rev. Brooks had just returned from a trip to the Holy Land where he visited the ancient town of Bethlehem and was inspired to write the lyrics to the hymn that many have come to love. Legend has it that after Rev. Brooks wrote the lyrics he turned it over to the church's music director Lewis Radner who added the slow, irregular melody just in time for the church's annual Sunday School Christmas pageant. The melody that Radner created for the hymn rises ever so slightly mid-stanza and then slips back in to a quieter mood by the end of each verse, which forces us to feel the weight of the words and the depth of their meaning as we sing.

One of my favorite things about the history of this hymn is that it was a collaborative effort between a Pastor and Music Director--just like this Christmas devotional! Stephen and I have collaborated on a few hymns together and there is truly something magical about the process of co-creating a piece of spiritual art with a friend and colleague. The process of co-creating a hymn is a wonderful analogy for the way that God entered into the world in Bethlehem and continues to enter the world today. As Brooks wrote in verse 2 of O Little Town of Bethlehem "Christ is born of Mary", which means that God and Mary worked together in the act of co-creating the Messiah and bringing salvation into the world. As it says in the Apostle's Creed, Jesus was "conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary." This means that Mary most certainly had a unique and special role in co-creating Jesus with God, but the Spirit also continues to invite us all to be partners with God in the incredible process of co-creating the kingdom. 

Rev. Brook's hymn about that little town reminds us that in order to partner with God in the process of giving birth to the kingdom we must first make room in our hearts for Christ to be born in us. Throughout history many Christians have called this process being "born again" or "getting saved." In fact, in recent years the litmus test for the faith of political candidates in America was whether or not they were "born again." But too often Christians have assumed that being "born again" was an event that happened only once and that afterward there was no need to be "born again." Some have called this the "once saved always saved" approach to Christianity. The reality is, however, that salvation is not something we can lock in with a prayer but something we need to work out (as Paul tells us) with fear and trembling. Just from experience most of us know that we really need to be "born again" each and every day, and sometimes each and every hour!

This is one of the reasons why we spend so much time preparing for the coming of Christ during the season of Advent--so that we can be ready to receive Jesus into our hearts and be born anew each and every Christmas. The only reason we would not want to be born again is if we think that we are perfect just the way we are, but if we think that then we will be hard pressed to hear the message of salvation at Christmas. As Rev. Brooks put it so eloquently, "no ear may hear his coming but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in."

Today is the 8th day of Christmas and as we stand on the eve of another year on the world's calendar let us all make a resolution to find more ways to co-create with God in the coming months. But first, let us open our ears and humble ourselves to that we will be meek enough to receive the Savior Jesus Christ as he seeks to find room inside our hearts this Christmas. There was no room in Bethlehem on the first Christmas, but the question remains...will our hearts be as inhospitable as that tiny town or will we make room for Christ to be born in us and through us this year?

Let the fourth verse be our most fervent Christmas prayer: "O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray, cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today." Amen. 

O Little Town of Bethlehem (Celebrating Grace #107)

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 giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Where children pure and happy pray to the blessèd Child,
Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.

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!

Rev. Benjamin Boswell