Articles

What Is “In the Bleak Midwinter” About? Beginning with a stark description of winter, this carol is a study in contrasts. The author and poet Christina Rosetti uses vivid imagery to draw us from the weight of spiritual darkness before Christ’s birth, to the majesty of heaven, and back down

Where Did “O Little Town of Bethlehem” Come From? “O Little Town of Bethlehem” began as a poem, written by Rector Phillips Brooks in 1868 for his church’s Sunday School class in Philadelphia. The church organist Lewis H. Redner set the poem to music, and congregations have sung about the

What can we learn from “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”? As the Christmas season draws near, the timeless carol “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” echoes in churches and homes, inviting us to pause and reflect on the incredible gift of Christ’s birth. Written by Charles Wesley in 1739, this hymn