O little town of Bethlehem

by JANE SCHROEDER

A visit to the village of Bethlehem in Israel in 1886 inspired the words to the familiar Christmas carol—but the tune did not come as easily. © iStockphoto

Phillips Brooks had only been in the ministry six years when he was asked to give the funeral message for President Lincoln. He was given this distinguished honor because of his reputation as a powerful speaker.

Digging deep, he found words fitting for this solemn occasion. However, seeing the great leader senselessly slain and the exhaustion of this emotional undertaking, Brooks felt drained of everything he needed to pastor his flock. With the hope of renewing his own faith, the 30-year-old Harvard graduate left his congregation of Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia and took a trip to the Holy Land.

Riding horseback into the still tiny, remote village of Bethlehem and seeing the humble beginnings of Jesus’ life, Brooks was speechless. Standing on the streets, almost unchanged since Biblical times, he felt as if he were surrounded by the spirit of the first Christmas. He later told his family and friends that the experience was so overpowering it would forever be “singing in my soul.”

The trip had transformed the preacher’s life and renewed his calling. The dark days were gone and the joy of living had returned.

Returning to his pulpit with renewed vigor, Brooks tried to verbalize to his congregation the incredible experience he had of walking in Jesus’ footsteps. Yet he failed miserably. Not even this eloquent speaker was able to convey his feelings to his people. He tried reliving the experience of standing in the fields where the shepherds saw the star in the east, but words still failed him.

It wasn’t until after Brooks looked forward to the holiday season of 1868, and began thinking about Bethlehem, that he was able to jot down the words in poem form. After he finished writing it, he took it to Lewis Redner.

While reading the simple words, Redner was able to understand the power of what his friend had experienced in the Holy Land. In an attempt to share this message, the organist tried composing music for the poem. For hours he labored at the piano. Then, on December 24, while retiring for the night, he had to admit that he’d failed. It wasn’t until after he had given up his efforts that he found the tune while slumbering. It was a perfect fit for Brooks’ words. On Christmas morning, Redner finished writing “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

Printed in cheap leaflet form, almost every church in the city used it during the Christmas services. In 1874, William Huntington published Brooks’ impressions and Redner’s music in The Church Porch Music collections. By the time of Phillips Brooks’ death in 1893, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” had become one of the most beloved carols in the world.

Phillips Brooks is now recognized as the greatest American preacher of the nineteenth century. His first volume of sermons sold more than two hundred thousand copies when released in 1878, yet, it is the songwriter not the preacher whose simple words continue to touch lives today.

In a sermon Brooks once said, “It is while you are patiently toiling at the little tasks of life that the meaning and shape of the great whole of life dawns on you.”

It took a visit to the little town of Bethlehem, while searching for a spiritual renewal, for the meaning of this preacher’s life and purpose behind his work to be brought into focus. Since that time, millions have been blessed because of his ability to share his revelation.

JANE SCHROEDER is a freelance writer from Indiana.