Good morning. While it has been my practice to devote my Thursday “thought for the day” writings to Bible characters, I thought that on this day I would do things a bit differently. For this past week I have been directing our attention to some of our favorite hymns for Christmas, those which I felt have an interesting story and/or message. At one time I mentioned the prolific Christian composer and writer, Charles Wesley, to whom there are attributed at least 6,500 Christian hymns. Some prefer to include his shorter pieces, the kinds of songs we would now call “choruses,” and when they are included the number of musical pieces attributed to Wesley rises to as many as 9,989. That is a staggering number. It is all the more incredible, I think, when we realize that a good many of his hymns and songs continue to be Christian favorites, especially at Easter and Christmas.
Charles Wesley lived from 1707 to 1788. Along with his fame as a Christian composer, Wesley is also credited with joining forces with his brother John in developing the Methodist Movement from within the Anglican Church, into which he was ordained. Throughout his life he fought any attempt to divide the Methodist Movement from the Anglican Church. He was educated at Oxford University and in 1735 traveled to Georgia in America where he was appointed “Secretary to Indian Affairs.” After his return back to England a few years later he began to speak of his ”evangelical conversion.” He began going on evangelical tours that featured singing, preaching, and presented the need to form a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It was during this time that his hymn writing became a great part of his life.
While he wrote a few hundred songs and hymns for Christmas, one that we are very familiar with is “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” This Christmas hymn was written in 1739 and was one of the first Christmas Hymns that he wrote:
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King”
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
With angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of Earth
Born to give them second birth
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace
Hail the Sun of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings
Risen with healing in His wings
Christ, the highest heaven adore
Christ, the everlasting Lord
Come, Desire of Nations, come
Fix in us Thy humble home
Come, Desire of Nations, come
Fix in us Thy humble home
When I read the words of this hymn it seems to me that it is truly inspired. When I consider the hymn’s source, I feel all the more certain. While Charles Wesley’s spiritual journey was an interesting one, there is no doubt that our Lord used him mightily to share his Good News in song. I know that I shall never be a Charles Wesley, and I don’t suppose you will either, but that is OK. May the Lord our God and Savior use each of us in whatever way He might choose to use us to benefit His Kingdom. Perhaps we could gain a bit of inspiration from Charles Wesley and pray that we never tire, and never doubt, but that we live each day in prayer for the inspiration to know how best we may serve.
God Bless!
Vern