^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You bring the Hymnal, I'll bring the History
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Phillips Brooks needed a special song for the Christmas Sunday school program. He wanted something special that would challenge the folks about Christ’s birth - the place, manner of birth, the reason and the necessity of His birth. But he could not find that special hymn. Then he started to reminisce on his former visit to the Holy Land in 1865. He especially remembered his visit to the city of Bethlehem. It was then that he wrote the words to the hymn “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” He gave the words to the church organist, Lewis Redner, but by Christmas eve he still had no tune for the beautiful words. That night as he slept he thought he heard angels singing, he awoke and wrote the melody he heard, knowing that he had received a gift from heaven.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 in Bethlehem, 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 given!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him, still the dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem! descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in u today!
We hear the Christmas angles the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~