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O Little Town of Bethlehem

Songs of the Season, part 4

John 1:1-14

December 24, 2006 - Fourth Sunday in Advent

Pastor Libby Boatwright

This is the fourth Sunday in Advent and we continue with our series on the “Songs of the Season” – wonderful Christmas carols that inspire and encourage us. It’s our prayer that as we study their history and the powerful truths they convey, that we will understand the meaning of Advent and the impact of Christ entering in to our world. 

We started out with O Come, O Come Emmanuel, then Joy to the World, and last week we studied the profound words of Charles Wesley’s Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.  Today, we’ll look at Phillip Brooks’, O Little Town of Bethlehem.  Now most people would assume the scripture would be the birth narrative of Luke, but today, we’ll be reading from the Gospel of John, chapter one. Here the apostle proclaims that Christ entered into this world as light that shines in the darkness – as flesh – and dwelt among us.

John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

What I love about this verse is the revelation that God knew the plans for His Son from the beginning of time. That the primeval darkness was pierced even then by the light of Christ and the darkness has not overcome that light, and God’s son was and is the word that became flesh and pierced the darkness here on earth. Christ lived among us, and we beheld his glory, and will experience this grace and truth again when He comes.

The author of our carol, Phillip Brooks knew what it was to experience the glory of Christ.  On Christmas Eve in Jerusalem in 1865, this American preacher felt an urge to get away from the hundreds of pilgrims that converged on the Holy Land and set out across the desolate and (even then) dangerous countryside to the find the land much the same as it was in the first century.  He needed that time, for he was on burn-out. The years of the Civil War (including the Eulogy at Lincoln’s funeral), his responsibilities as an Episcopal priest in Philadelphia, and the expectation of being one of the most powerful and dramatic orators of his time, had taken its toll. So this sabbatical would be a time of spiritual rebirth. And under a clear sky, a sudden sense of awe fell over Brooks as he experienced this remote village of Bethlehem. He recalled the birth of the Savior, and felt surrounded by the spirit of the first Christmas. He would later tell his family and friends, that the experience was so overpowering, that it would forever be “singing in my soul.”   Returning to his congregation with renewed vigor, Brooks tried to relate the incredible experience of walking in the path of the Savior. But for months, inspiration was lacking. Then three years later, Brooks again recalled the moment when he rode into Bethlehem at dusk and the church service that followed, and decided to write those thoughts in the form of a poem.  He shared it with his friend, Lewis Redner, who was also the Sunday School Superintendent and organist. So Redner began the process of adding a melody to the words, but couldn’t come up with the tune for the Sunday School class. By December 24th he admitted his failure and went to bed. But just as Brooks was able to find the words to describe what his experience in Bethlehem was like, Redner found the simple unadorned tune in his sleep. By Christmas morning the tune was complete and has become one of the most beloved carols of all time.  So lets take a look at the song on page 44 in your hymnal. At the top left you’ll see Brooks’ name and on the right Redner’s.  And note that the tune is called “St. Louis.” This was a play on Redner’s first name, as Brooks nominated him to sainthood for finally finding a tune that would work! 1

So the carol represents a journey of spiritual acceptance and renewal in four verses.  The first stanza or verse is about the town of Bethlehem, the place where this miracle will occur.

O Little Town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie

Above thy deep and dreamless streets 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.

In Micah 5 we hear of Bethlehem of Ephrathah, 2 the ancient city of prophecy where this ruler, this King of Kings will emerge. But the key line here is “Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light.” This reflects on the brokenness of our world – the dark streets not only of Brooks’ world in the Civil War – but what Bethlehem represents now, the crossroads of a war that continues even to this day over land, the apex of a tragedy between the Israelis and Palestinians. And I’m sure many of us could articulate immense fears of terrorism, of the loss of a job or loved ones, health, or emotional stability.  But into all of these dark streets shines the Savior, the light of the world.  Into the dark primeval world of nothingness and pitch black is a pin hole of hope, and as John says, “the darkness has not overcome it.” This is the moment of convergence when all the hopes and fears of the past meet with those of the future and in the middle is Christ Jesus, descending from heaven as Savior in human form.  The light emanating from the stable meets the star of Bethlehem and we realize as it notes in Revelation, 3 there is no more night.

Then the second verse brings us to the miracle, the actual birth of Christ,

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 all on earth

The one line that rings for me is that while we sleep, when all the world is unaware, this amazing miracle is happening, and there are angels, God’s messengers guarding and singing, delighting in the event – a reminder of Psalm 91:11 “...and he will send his angels to guard you in all their ways.” And this “wondering love” – a mix of awe and amazement and sheer joy and love for this little baby, born of a virgin, come to earth… and stars converging above. That’s a party in heaven. All the pieces of the prophecy coming together in this one moment and there is rejoicing.

Then from the joyful choruses of the angels, the song takes a sudden turn, and we come to the verse that is the meditative stanza, the invitation, to ponder the immenseness of this gift.

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given

So God imparts to human hearts the blessing 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.

You can almost hear voices sing this verse in a hush – how silently, how silently.  So many carols at Christmas time are quiet lullabies,  soft prayers, and reverence. Perhaps the best known of all, Silent Night is certainly a good example. God doesn’t always come with a shout, but often with a whisper, in a prayer, in a desolate little town on the edge of the world. And our world (as it was for Brooks) was and is full of sin. Brooks knew the ravages of war, and looked out over a sea of widows and broken, disabled soldiers every week. He understood what it was like to have a world in economic chaos and he despaired over a country that had not healed. But he also understood what it was to receive the blessing of God’s heaven and knew that God offers the gift of Christ and eternal life freely to all who would receive it – if we would only humble ourselves before the Creator.  Our verse in John 1 tells us, the word became flesh and dwelt among us; the dear Christ entered in. And so we know hope.

Finally, the song ends in a prayer of acceptance.

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.

When I hear this last verse I imagine the hundreds of Sunday School kids gathered on the floor of Brooks’ parish, hands folded, learning this prayer. We call on Jesus Christ, the one who comes to earth, and we ask forgiveness; for him to clean out all the sin that separates us from a full and joyful life.  We ask that Christ be born in us, renew us and ask that His spirit abide in us forever, for Christ is Emmanuel – God with us. In a word, we make room for Christ in our hearts. It’s like the song, “Come into my heart Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for you.” In John 14, Jesus says I go to prepare a place for you, but have we prepared a room for him?  Maybe there’s no room because all we see is darkness, for fears we cannot even explain and our hopes are lost.   Or maybe there’s no room because we can’t feel peace in our hearts; unresolved conflict and relationships are running high and we’re not sure Christ can handle the problem.  Or maybe we know Christ, but we simply have set him outside on the back porch of our soul.  We put him in storage, made him an option instead of a priority. We need to rekindle that first light, that moment when the dear Christ enters in and we are no longer afraid.

This song assists us with that process of accepting Christ. The light shines in the darkness and we are in awe of the glory. The angels protect and bring good news and we are captured by their message. Christ enters the earth and embodies the good news and finally we allow him to abide in us; He takes up residence in our heart.   So the question is Where is there room in your heart for Jesus? Have you saved a place for him at your table, in the pew, in your home as you welcome the stranger, in your daytimer or PDA, in your visits and conversations at school or business meetings, in your quiet time?   My prayer this moment is that you won’t wait any longer, because the light of the world has come and is waiting for you to open the door. 

I’m going to take a moment to pray for those who want to accept Christ, this light in their heart, and for those who would like to add some oil to their lamp, this prayer will be for you too. Dear Lord, I have been searching for a long time for some light in my life. And I’ve remained in darkness and sin and have done some things I need forgiveness for. Please forgive me and clean out the room where you will reside. Come into my heart and take up residence, fill it with your light. Thank you Lord, for you are my Savior. AMEN

1. For the history of this carol I’m indebted to Ace Collins, Stories Behind the Best Loved Songs of Christmas (Zondervan, 2001, Kenneth Osbeck’s  101 Hymn Stories, (Kregel, 1982) and Dale Nobbman’s Christmas Music Companion Fact Book (Centerstream Publishing, 2000).
2. Micah 5:2
3. Revelation 21:25