Good morning. In this week leading to Christmas, I thought that it would be interesting to do a little background work on some of our favorite Christmas Carols, those wonderful songs of Christmas. I wanted to get started with a song that has seemed to me as being “heart felt.” The song asks questions and gives answers, but ultimately gives a great encouragement. It is the Christmas Carol “What Child Is This?” written by William Chatterton Dix. While doing the research for “What Child Is This?” I found a poem written by the same author. He called it, “The Manger Throne.” “What Child Is This?” will wait for tomorrow.
In 1865, William Chatterton Dix was working as the manager of an insurance company. He came down with a very nasty illness, one that left him quite disabled for a time, which affected his work as well as all other areas of his life. When the illness became prolonged, he fell into a severe depression. This began as a dark and miserable period of his life, but God intervened. When he felt the darkness closing in and the hope of health not coming, he turned his attention to two things: First of all, he renewed his efforts in reading God’s Word, reading scripture throughout his days. Secondly, he felt inspired to put thoughts from God’s Word into poetry, and perhaps song. “What Child Is This?” Was written at this time, although it wasn’t published for another 5 years. But today, I wanted to direct our thoughts to another of his works from those same days of illness and Bible reading. It is the poem “The Manger Throne,” which I feel is quite lovely:
LIKE silver lamps in a distant shrine,
The stars are sparkling bright
The bells of the city of God ring out,
For the Son of Mary is born to-night.
The gloom is past and the morn at last
Is coming with orient light.
Never fell melodies half so sweet
As those which are filling the skies,
And never a palace shone half so fair,
As the manger bed where our Savior lies;
No night in the year is half so dear
As this which has ended our sighs.
Now a new Power has come on the earth,
A match for the armies of Hell:
A Child is born who shall conquer the foe,
And all the spirits of wickedness quell:
For Mary’s Son is the Mighty One
Whom the prophets of God foretell.
The stars of heaven still shine as at first
They gleamed on this wonderful night;
The bells of the city of God peal out
And the angels’ song still rings in the height;
And love still turns where the Godhead burns
Hid in flesh from fleshly sight.
Faith sees no longer the stable floor,
The pavement of sapphire is there
The clear light of heaven streams out to the world
And the angels of God are crowding the air,
And heaven and earth, through the spotless birth
Are at peace on this night so fair.
I hope that you, too, feel moved by this Christmas poem. This season has so much to share, so much that is inspired by God. The Holy Spirit is hard at work in these days to fill the hearts and minds of those who care to listen with His wonderful truths of our Savior. Enjoy the moments and the days. Cherish family and friends. Worship in Spirit and in truth. Let us enjoy with humbled hearts the words, songs, and wonders of Immanuel.
Vern