Miracle in a Small Town

Many times I have driven through Monticello, Kentucky on Christmas morning on the way to my parents house. The quiet streets and the stillness of the moment let me know that people were indeed at home spending Christmas with their families. What remained, in all its serenity, revealed a simple, but humble, nostalgic quality of a town that is endearing. Kentucky These charming traits, combined with its history, is something sweet to cherish.

Seeing God's beauty in places like Monticello is a common theme across the world. Qualities that define God's nature are seen, not just in grand miracles, but in everyday creation. The Bible speaks of places where God's glory shines. Seeing the quiet beauty of my little corner of the world in trips to my parents' home on Christmas morning reminds me of the story of that first Christmas morning.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:8-11).

The beautifulness of God's handiwork is not only seen in a drive through town, but you can also find it in a walk in the woods, or in a quiet sunset, or in a gentle breeze. Asking God to open your eyes to see His presence in everything will give you the perspective that God isn't just confined to grand events or holy buildings.

"O Little Town of Bethlehem" tells the story of Jesus' birth in a humble town, a small place on a quiet night for such a momentous event. The song was written in 1868 by Phillips Brooks, a minister at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia. The words resonated themes of stillness and peace, reflecting hope in the aftermath of the Civil War.

While Brooks was not Abraham Lincoln's pastor, when the president’s slain body arrived in Independence Hall in Philadelphia on April 22, 1865, he had delivered the eulogy. The event served as a massive emotional release for a grieving nation. Hundreds of thousands of mourners had filed past the open casket in the Assembly Room, the same place where the Declaration of Independence was signed,

After that, Brooks took a sabbatical to Bethlehem. It was Christmas Eve when he attended a service at the Church of the Nativity. The visit had a profound impact on him, and he was inspired by the peaceful, humble atmosphere of the town, and the world-changing birth that occurred there.

At first, the song was a poem. The church's organist, Lewis Redner, was asked to put it to music. Trying as he did, he could not come up with an appropriate melody. One night he went to bed feeling defeated. It was the night before the Christmas Eve service. During his fretful sleep it seemed that he heard music. Immediately, he got up and wrote it down just as we sing it today. When he presented it to Rev. Brooks he said, "I think it was a gift from heaven."

The carol emphasizes that Jesus entered this world through a small, seemingly insignificant town, fulfilling prophecy found in Micah 5:2, and showing God's plan often works through humble means...the peaceful, quiet night of the first Christmas.

"O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

Merry Christmas!

(A story that I wrote for the Wayne Weekly)

Hymns of Hope: Fanny Crosby

Fanny Crosby, the prolific hymn writer, wrote several Christmas-themed songs. Though she's more famous for hymns like "Blessed Assurance" and "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior," which she wrote after hearing the cry of a prison inmate, some of her notable Christmas works include "Christmas Carol (Cheerily Hail the Christmas Morn)," a joyful carol celebrating the birth of Jesus....

"Merrily now the bells we hear
Chiming in chorus sweet and clear
Gather and sing, gather and sing
Welcome the children's King"

Another one, "Sing Hallelujah," encourages praise for the infant Redeemer....

"Come to the feet of our infant Redeemer
Come where today in a manger He lies
Lift up our hearts in a song of devotion
Let our hosannas with gladness arise"

I encourage you to find and listen to her Christmas hymns. At six weeks old, Fanny developed an eye infection, and a doctor applied the wrong medication, which causing permanent blindness. Later, she would say that she believed it was God's plan, and that she would thank the doctor if she met him, as it led to her profound spiritual life and prolific writing.

While attending a Christian camp near Lake Erie, she said to Pastor John Sweney, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition to my Creator, it would have been that I should be born blind?” When he asked why, she said “Because, when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.”

In her diary, she wrote, "It seemed intended by the blessed Providence of God that I should be blind all my life. I could not have written thousands of hymns if I had been hindered by the distractions of seeing all the interesting and beautiful objects ther would have been presented to my notice."

Fanny Jane Crosb - mission worker, poet, lyricist, composer, prolific hymnist - lived from 1820 to 1915. By the end of the 19th century, she had become a household name.

Hymns of Hope: O Holy Night (the origins)

The first major radio broadcast with voice and music was by Canadian inventor and radio pioneer Reginald Fessenden. It was on Christmas Eve in 1906, in Brant Rock, Massachusetts. It was heard by radio operators on ships along the Atlantic Coast. During the transmission, he played a piece of music on his violin and followed it by reading from Luke chapter 2. The song he played was John Sullivan Dwight's 'O Holy Night.'

Dwight lived and died in Boston, MA. The Harvard graduate became an ordained a minister, but ministry proved not to be his vocation. It was music. In 1852, he founded Dwight's Journal of Music, which became one of the most respected and influential periodicals in country. In 1855, he wrote English lyrics for the Christmas carol "O Holy Night,".which was originally written in French.

The origins of this beloved song began eight years earlier when the local priest in French Village asked worldly poet Placide Cappeau to write a poem for Christmas mass.

Not knowing exactly where to turn, he opened a bible to the book of Luke and put himself into the wonder of that night and imagined all the emotions and miracles he might have seen. He was so pleased with Cantique De Noel,” he asked musician friend, Adolphe Charles Adams, a Jew, to write music for it. The French village immediately embraced it. Years later, upon discovering Cappeau was a worldly man and Adams was a Jew, the church banned the song, but parishioners continued to sing it in their own homes behind closed doors.

Fast forward several decades to when John Sullivan Dwight discovered the song and fell in love with it. He published his rewritten version in his magazine and the nation quickly embraced it.

So, there you have it. Upon finishing his reading of Luke 2, Fessenden picked up his violin and played the strains of “O Holy Night,” not only marking the moment as the first broadcast of a man’s voice, but the first song ever to be played over the airwaves.

O holy night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and e’er pining
‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees
O hear the Angels voices
O night divine O night when Christ was born
O night divine, O night, O night divine

Hymns of Hope: O to be Like Thee

The words for this hymn were written by Thomas Obadiah Chisholm, who lived from 1866 to 1960. He was born in a log cabin near Franklin, Kentucky. He was educated in a one room school and became a teacher at the age of 16. By the age of 21 he was an associate editor of the local newspaper. He was saved at age 27, afterwhich he penned the words to "Oh, To Be Like Thee."

The basis for his words was his desire to shape himself in the image of Christ. Soon, poor health would challenge his efforts to become a newspaper editor and an ordained minister, however he would continue writing poetry. He wrote "Living for Jesus," (Living for Jesus, a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do), but perhaps his most famous hymn is "Great Is Thy Faithfulness."

The words to "O to be Like Him" and "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" might be his personal diary. He started his spiritual journey with a desire to be like Jesus and as he neared the end of his journey on this earth he proclaimed God's greatness and faithfulness. What a testimony. May this be our experience and testimony as well. As we enter 2026, why not make it your prayer to be like Jesus in all that you do?

"O to be like Thee, O to be like Thee
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art
Come in Thy sweetness
Come in Thy fullness
Stamp Thine own image
Deep on my heart"

"O to be like Thee! full of compassion
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting
Seeking the wand’ring sinners to find"

Hymns of Hope: What a Day That Will Be

This hymn was written in 1955 by gospel singer Jim Hill of Middletown, Ohio. The inspiration for it came from two people who were in his life. One person was an orphan girl who had sung at his church. She concluded her song with the words, “What a day that will be,” a phrase that resonated deeply with Hill and stayed with him over the years. The second inspiration came from a personal family tragedy, when his mother-in-law suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed. Hill struggled to comprehend why such a terrible thing would happen to such a kind and devout woman as his mother-in-law was.

One day while sitting on his porch, he founded himself reflecting on the trials she had faced, when the words to the hymn began to flow into his mind. Despite having never written a song before, he shared the words with his family. On their next visit to see his mother-in-law, Hill, his wife, and sister-in-law sang it to her and for the first time in three years, she smiled. To Hill, it was a divine confirmation that his song was blessed by God.

“What a Day That Will Be” is a song of encouragement and hope. Its message of a future without sorrow, pain or death, draws on the promise found in Revelation 21:4: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

“What a Day That Will Be” is a beautiful reminder of the eternal peace promised to believers. The second verse says it all:

"There'll be no sorrows there
No more burdens to bear
No more sickness, no pain
No more parting over there
And forever I will be
With the one who died for me
What a day, glorious day that will be"

Jim Hill sang with the Stamps and Statesmen quartets. In later years he was part of the Gaither “Homecoming Series.” He was also the worship minister and choir director at Towne Blvd Church of God in Middletown, where he was a long-time member. He passed away on Jan. 9, 2018.