I have been reviewing some modern worship songs, but I’ve taken a break to explore some Advent and Christmas hymns. 😀. Today, I’ve chosen O Little Town of Bethlehem. This one has two tunes:
And we mustn’t forget Cliff Richard’s 1982 version. I generally hate people modernizing hymns 😀, but I always liked this version. Maybe it reminds me of my year with London City Mission. I met so many wonderful people that year.
What about the hymn itself? It was written in 1868 by Phillips Brooks, an American Episcopal priest who was inspired after visiting Bethlehem on Christmas Eve in 1865.
He rode on horseback from Jerusalem and attended a midnight service at the Church of the Nativity. Like so many other hymns, it was originally written for children. The lyrics were originally a poem created for a children’s Christmas service at his Philadelphia church.
Let’s examine the lyrics:
1 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.
2 For Christ is born of Mary;
and, gathered all above,
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wond'ring love.
O morning stars, together
proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the King,
and peace to men on earth.
3 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.
4 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!
My favourite verse is verse three, where it speaks of our personal experience of Jesus. When we celebrate Christmas, it’s very hard to tell how many people have come to a true and living faith. It’s a very quiet personal thing for most I would think. But the key point is that He is here and wanting us to repent and believe. And when we do that, he comes into our lives and stays.
John 10:27-30
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Here are some interesting cover versions of the hymn:
Barbra Streisand
Hibernia Gospel 