'O Holy Night', near and dear to my heart

I originally wrote this on Christmas Eve 2010, in giving thanks and praise to our Heavenly Father for His son and in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, I came to put on some christian carols. 'O Holy Night' is and has been for so long one of my favorites carols and I'd like to share with you some history on it.

The words and lyrics of the old carol 'O Holy Night' were written by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure in 1847. Cappeau was a wine seller by trade but was asked by the parish priest to write a poem for Christmas. He obliged and wrote the beautiful words of the hymn. He then realised that it should have music to accompany the words and he approached his friend Adolphe Charles Adams(1803-1856). He agreed and the music for the poem was therefore composed by Adolphe Charles Adams. Adolphe had attended the Paris conservatoire and forged a brilliant career as a composer. It was translated into English by John Sullivan Dwight (1812-1893).


"O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

His power and glory ever more proclaim!"



I've come to realize that no matter how many years pass and how much the "music scene" changes I am still drawn and can feel a powerful anointing on our christian hymns and carols of old.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love contemporary christian and worship music. However, I do believe the reason why the anointing on these old hymns is still so powerful after even hundreds of years is because of how theologically sound they are and that it is absolutely ridiculous to do away with them. These hymns and carols are works of art that lovingly and wonderfully worship our Almighty God. If they were pleasing to Him then, they are still pleasing to Him now.