When you sing this carol from a hymnal, notice that the title of the tune is
"St. Louis." It's not named for a city or a saint, but for the composer of the
music, Lewis H. Redner (born December 15, 1830). Here's what happened: In 1865,
Phillips Brooks, the famed Boston pastor, visited the Holy Land and stopped in
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. He was so moved that, returning home, he
wrote this hymn for the children in his Sunday school. He handed the words to
his organist, Lewis Redner, asking him to compose the melody. "If it's a good
tune," added Brooks, "I'll name it 'St. Lewis' after you." Lewis couldn't come
up with a suitable tune until the evening before the song was to be performed;
but it was an instant hit, and Brooks did name if for the organist, changing the
spelling to avoid embarrassing him.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king. --Matthew 2:1 Today's reading is from Near to the Heart of God by Robert J. Morgan. Source: Bible Gateway |
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