“Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem” was written by Phillips Brooks, the pastor who spoke at Abraham Lincoln’s funeral service. Before becoming a pastor, Brooks taught at Boston’s Latin School. Brooks was discouraged by his students lack of interest and left his position to attend the Episcopal Theological Seminary. After Brooks graduated in 1859 he was asked to pastor the Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia.
Brooks was very successful. He was widely known as a powerful and persuasive speaker. Under his guidance the church grew and prospered. But as the Civil War began to take a tole on the entire country, members of the church began to fall away and Brooks found it harder and harder to offer them the peace they so desperately needed.
When the war finally ended, Brooks thought the healing of his church and the country might began, however the unexpected death of Lincoln shattered his dreams.
After speaking at Lincoln’s funeral Brooks took a sabbatical to the Holy Land in an effort to reconnect with his God and to allow his mind and body to rest. He visited during the Christmas season and was able to ride a horse along the route Joseph and Mary took from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.
As he rode alone in the darkness with the stars shining above him he was moved in an overpowering manner. He felt like he was able to experience a small taste of the magic and wonder that must have been alive on that very first Christmas.
Once Brooks returned from his trip abroad he had a renewed strength to pastor his church. He wanted to share his Christmas in Bethlehem experience with his congregation and the world at large but he always seemed to fall short when he tried to convey the feelings of awe and wonder he experienced.
A few years later, as the Christmas season quickly approached, Brooks tried once more to put his experience into the most meaningful words. Proceeding differently than he had in the past, he simply wrote down what came to mind and as he did “Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem” was born.
He shared his newly written poem with his friend, Lewis Redner.
Redner was moved by the poem and finally understood the breadth of what his friend had experienced while visiting the Holy Land.
Redner tried in vain to compose a line of music that would fit the words Brooks had penned. On December 24 Redner accepted defeat and went to bed. But all was not lost, the perfect tune came to him in his sleep. The tune fit the poem perfectly.
The song become an instant hit in the Philadelphia area and by the time Brooks died in 1893 “Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem” had become a favorite Christmas Carol across the country and beyond.
A quote from the book Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas gives us an interesting view of both Brooks and the song:
“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.” On a horse, in a tiny village, a half a world away form his home and family, the meaning of Phillips Brooks’s life and the purpose behind his work were brought into sharp focus.”
I like the quote from Brooks. I firmly believe the little bits of every day life are what make life so precious. Click below to hear Pap and Paul’s version of the song.
“Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem” is my all time favorite Christmas Song and I love Pap and Paul’s version of it. The song is on Pap and Paul’s cd Songs of Christmas.
You can go here Pap and Paul’s Songs of Christmas to purchase a cd of your own.
Tipper
*Source: Collins, Ace. Stories behind the best-loved songs of Christmas. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2001. Print.
Tipper I really enjoy reading about the back story of the Christmas songs. What a treasure you have of your dad on video.
One of my favorites. Thank you for sharing the history of it. I never knew the story. I love my Christmas cd of your dear daddy and brother singing my favorite songs.
It’s a lovely song and a favorite of many people. Thank you for sharing the story behind the words and the music.
Tipper, that is such a beautiful song. Thank you for sharing it with us. I love Christmas songs and sometimes the tears flow as I try to visualize the beautiful words of the Christmas songs. “The Little Drummer Boy” is another favorite of mine that brings me to tears. And I love the Christmas song that your family sings about “The Friendly Beasts” the animals that were in the stable the night when Jesus was born. That brings me to tears too. Not sad tears, but loving, joyous, heart touching tears that helps to bring Heaven a little closer to me while I’m here on earth. How loving and wonderful that our Great God sent us His Own Son in such a humble, loving way, and shows us that the Plan of Salvation is to all from the lowest estate to the highest estate here on earth. God is no respecter of man, God loves us all and He is Fair and Good to us all. I’m so thankful that as low as I am, He has saved my soul and I will live with Him in Heaven Eternally all because of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I love you dear friend. May God bless you and all your loved ones. Merry Christmas.
What a wonderful story of how this beautiful song we enjoy singing each Christmas came about. Inspired by God and written by His faithful servant. Phillips Brooks probably had no idea God would give him a legacy for generations to sing as we celebrate our savior’s birth. Enjoyed hearing the recording of Pap and Paul sing it. Thank you for sharing the story and the song with us.
Thank you for your beautiful informative post. Such a lovely song for the Christmas Season and so well done by Pap and Paul.
Thank you for sharing the story about this song. I have my CD that I bought a couple of years ago and we are thoroughly enjoying it. Have a blessed Sunday everyone!!
Wonderful song, beautifully done! Thank you for the back story, too!
What great harmony by Pap and Paul! It brought to mind the time I worked in an assisted living facility for a few years after retirement. I gave our Activities Director a CD of “Smoky Mountain Memories” to play for the residents in the Memory Unit. It had many of the old traditional tunes on it. One of the residents was a gentleman who was a former pastor. After playing the CD to them one Sunday morning, he told his daughter that afternoon when she came to visit that he had been to church that morning. So, like this gentleman, I felt like I had been to church this morning after listening to Pap & Paul sing “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Thanks so much for sharing Pap & Paul’s version of this beautiful song that brought back such wonderful memories!
Well, once again, Tipper, you have educated your many fans about this song. It is one of my all time favorites, maybe my favorite, Christmas carol. I think you are doing just what our Lord wants. You share knowledge of His beautiful Appalachian mountains, our beloved Christmas carols singing about His birth, oh yes, you are in the perfect place right now! I keep Granny in my prayers every night, and hope our Lord blesses her with every comfort!
Knowing the story behind the song makes it even more beautiful. Pap and Paul’s version of the song would make Brooks happy.
I hear you Paul, you sing it well, Little Town of Bethlehem, the place where our Lord and savior was born, praise God, God bless you and your family, my comment might show up twice, I don’t think it got uploaded the first time, God bless you
Thank you so much for the back story of that beautiful song. I’ve started listening to my CD of Paul & Paps that I purchased from you last year & really enjoy it. Of course, I love anything they sang together.
Merry Christmas & special prayers for Granny this Christmas.
I love the stories of two or more people being given their parts of a whole. Just that alone is a lesson in itself. And I love knowing that the experience of being unable to do something by one’s own efforts is common in the Lord’s work. As the bible asks, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” I agree with you also that being grateful for the so-called ‘little things’ blesses daily life and somehow sums to much greater things. BP&A illustrates that. It is greater than its parts because it has become a large fellowship of kindred minds.
Thank you for sharing this story, Tipper. I hadn’t heard it before. It’s such a lovely song, and it’s nice to know its history. Many blessings to you and yours!
I didn’t know the history behind the writing of “O Little Town of Bethlehem “. Thank you for sharing it with us and that beautiful recording of Pap and Paul.
Learning about how this song came to life makes it even more special. Thank you for letting us hear your dad and brother sing it this morning. It was beautiful.
What a beautiful way to begin Sunday!
I loved hereing the history of one of my favorite Christmas songs. Thank you!
Tipper thank you for sharing Phillips Brooks incredible story of writing this beautiful Christmas song. It’s one of my favorites also. Of course Paul and your dad did a splendid job.
In 2014 I was fortunate to visit Bethlehem and it does give one a spirit of renewal that’s unexplainable.
Everyone have a wonderful Sunday. Prayers and blessings sent.
I’ve heard this version but I grew up with this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etNO-8lh7a8. I think it’s a British tune.
Beautiful story!
Wonderful post thank you so much
I enjoyed reading about how this Carol came to be written. I love all of the old time traditional Christmas Carols. I think my favorite would be “Silent Night.” I got very upset a while back when this Carol was being sung on tv in an ad or commercial for something else. I would either change channels or turn the volume off to keep from seeing or hearing it.