Sunday, December 23, 2018

Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Lyrics by Charles Wesley)





One of my favorite songs at Christmas (and you do know I love so many of them, don't you?) is "Hark The Herald Angels Sing".  The lyrics were written by Charles Wesley.  The Wesley brothers, John and Charles, I am sure that you know who they are!  They were both born in Epworth, England -  John in 1703 and Charles in 1707. John Wesley is considered the father of Methodism and you should know the name of Charles Wesley as the author of thousands of poems that were set to music. (Yes, you read that correctly, thousands of them. I have read 5000 or 6000. Regardless of the number, the quality of his writing is what truly impresses me.)

They were Anglicans of course, but they were called Methodists by their fellow students at Oxford due to their methodical approach to Bible study and daily prayer. (They never left the Anglican church but they were not allowed to preach in Anglican churches due to their evangelical ways. Instead, they preached in barns, private homes and outside, under the trees.)






John and Charles Wesley both traveled to Georgia in 1735 as missionaries! (John in Savannah and Charles at St. Simon's Island.) Things didn't go so well for them though and they returned to England.  I wish I could make a film about the Wesley brothers.  Then, I would have to do a follow up film about their mother, Susanna!  What an amazing woman.  It was their mother who educated her children, their father...well, their upbringing mainly fell to Susanna.  She had 19 children with nine of them dying as infants.  

The son of Charles Wesley is Samuel Wesley and he is known as the English Mozart! He was a child prodigy in music and from what I have read, we owe a lot to him since he was an early fan of Johann Sebastian Bach.  (He named his son Samuel Sebastian.)
Oh dear, that will have to be my THIRD movie that I make about the Wesleys!

Now, my friends, I have dozens of things to do before Christmas...and I am sorry if all of these facts might be a bit jumbled in my head!( My advice to you: don't be sick for a whole month before Christmas, it makes things very tough!) Please know that I wish all of you a most joyous Christmas and I am sending you all my best!
Leaving you with one of the verses from "Hark the Herald Angels Sing"...   LIGHT AND LIFE!


  1. Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
    Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
    Light and life to all He brings,
    Ris’n with healing in His wings.
    Mild He lays His glory by,
    Born that man no more may die;
    Born to raise the sons of earth,
    Born to give them second birth.



                   Merry Christmas!

29 comments:

  1. Oh yes, I know who the Wesleys are! My British/American/Canadian forebears were a mixture of Anglicans who then became Methodists. When my sister was little, she insisted that this carol was called "Hark the Bald Angels Sing."

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    1. Hee,hee... that's funny, the bald angels sing!
      Happy Christmas, Debra!

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  2. What a lovely post! If I remember rightly, Charles wrote "Hark! How all the welkin sings", the welkin being the universe. I think! I am definitely going to have to find out more about Susanna. Christmas blessings to you and your family. xx

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  3. The Wesleys were an amazing family and their love for The Lord was inspiring.

    Hope you and your family have a blessed and beautiful Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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  4. G'day from Down Under, Kay. My very best wishes go out to you and your family for a Merry, Wonderful Christmas. Enjoy your shared time together.

    And may 2019 treat you each and every one of you kindly...in every way. :)

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    1. Thank you and Happy Christmas to you! I thought of you today when Richard gave me a pack of TIM TAMS! I love those cookies. xx

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  5. There are so many Wesleyan chapels dotted around Yorkshire, it is impossible to visit there and NOT know who John Wesley was! The "rest" of the family is a different matter... I didn't know about Charles and his son Samuel, or Susanna. You really should go into the movie business, you know!

    Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones, dear Kay!

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    1. PS: Yes, of course I spotted the fox - and the black bear :-) Thank you!!

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    2. If only I had the money to make movies...AND the talent! LOL!
      I knew you would see the fox and the bear! Folks will wonder what we are talking about! LOL! Happy Christmas to you! xx

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  6. Friends of ours were staunch Methodists and, being childless, set up and ran a youth club in a deprived area and saved many souls. They called the club The Horseman after John Wesley. We later named our business on Lewis Fear an eich (which is Gaelic for The Horseman).

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    1. "The rich and poor would crowd around to listen to him". That is one quote that I read from the book, "Horseman of the King" by Cyril Davey. Now you have told me about another book I want to read!
      Your friends that set up that youth club...now, they could also be a subject for one of my movies! I mean it, we need more like them. Happy Christmas, Graham. God bless you.

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  7. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas, Kay! Take care of yourself and we'll 'see' you in 2019!

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    1. Dear Kay, I am wishing the exact same thing for you! xx

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  8. Merry Christmas! Glory to the new born King!

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  9. I LOVE this post! I LOVE Christmas carols and I LOVE this one especially. The words are so rich and yet, most of the old carols are filled with such good truth! Please do make a movie of their lives. Actually, I think I saw on Amazon prime videos a story about one of them. Merry Christmas to you and your family and a b,Essex new year!

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    1. I am sure you typed a "blessed" new year but I like to think of a b. Essex new year it sounds like I will be spending some time in England! LOL! Merry Christmas to you, enjoy your Christmas carols! x

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  10. Love this carol..one of my very favorites! Happy Christmas to you and your family! I'm glad you're feeling better but it is hard to bounce back and get it all done...take care!

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    1. You just don't know how much you do before Christmas until you get sick and aren't able to do things! Oh well, it all worked out anyway, it usually does, does it not? Happy Christmas to you too!

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  11. Merry and Blessed Christmas to you and all your family and friends, Kay! I am amazed that the Wesleys ever came to the American colonies...A fascinating family...You should make those movies! May 2019 be a very satisfying year for you and all you love.

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    1. The very same is wished for you and your family and friends! I meant to say that I lived near St. Simon's Island in the early 1970's and even then, it was very isolated...I can't imagine it in the 1730's! If only I could make my movies, I have so many interesting people to tell people about! All inspiring, all interesting. Happy New year to you also, my friend. xx

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  12. And the very same is wished to you.

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  13. Fabulous …
    Hope your Christmas was Merry, my good wishes for the coming New Year.

    All the best Jan

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