Three Christmas Hymns

This week we are singing three Christmas hymns that aren’t as familiar to 21st century American ears, but are rich in beauty & theological depth. See, amid the Winter’s Snow was written by Edward Caswall in 1851. Caswall was an Anglican convert to Catholicism who is much more famous in Catholic circles as a translator of Latin texts. However, we often sing two of his famous translations: When Morning Gilds the Skies (167) and Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee (645). Note how Caswall’s text focuses on the humiliation of Christ: “Lo, within a manger lies he who build the starry skies” and “… thus to come from highest bliss down to such a world as this.” His final verse and chorus calls us (as does our recent study in Philippians) to imitate Christ is his humility (“teach us to resemble thee, in thy sweet humility”) and to proclaim the good news of his birth through the world.

Twentieth century missionary Frank Houghton (1894 – 1972) spent his entire career working to advance the kingdom in China. He wrote Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Spendor in 1934, a particularly difficult time for the China Inland Mission (founded by Hudson Taylor). While visiting churches there, he contemplated 2 Cor. 8:9, “Christ … was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor” and later wrote this contemplative Christmas hymn. Note the stark contrast between Christ’s rightful glory and his willing humiliation for our sake: “thrones for a manger didst surrender”, “sapphire paved courts for stable floor”, and “stooping so low, but sinners raising heavenward by thine eternal plan.”

As with Gladness Men of Old by William Chatterton Dix is a poetic call to imitate the shepherds pursuit and proclamation of Christ. Unlike many hymn writers, Dix was not a clergyman. He sold insurance for his entire career, but he inherited a love of poetry from his surgeon father who wrote a biography of the poet Thomas Chatterton (the source of William’s middle name.) Dix wrote more than 40 hymns , including What Child Is This (213) and Come unto Me, Ye Weary (462) which are included in our hymnal. Verses 1-3 encourage us to pursue Jesus in this life (“As with joyful steps they sped to that lowly cradle bed … so may we with willing feet ever seek thy mercy seat”) while the final two verses point us to heaven where we will find rest in him and “there forever may we sing alleluias to our king.”

Kenneth Jackson