I first encountered Charles Wesley while delivering newspapers when I was 12. It was a cold winter morning, still dark. I was out, alone, crunching through snowy drifts, tossing the Reporter Herald on neighborhood porches. The solitude, snow and break of day inspired me with thoughts of Christmas and Jesus. I started to sing Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Somehow I surprised myself by remembering all the words to the first three verses. Over and over I sang the song and noticed the poetry and profundity and illusion to scripture.
The song and moment led me into deep reflection about the coming, the emptying, the holiness and the work of Jesus. In particular I noticed the references to Jesus as revealed by John– born to give us second birth.
The experience was all at once a catechism, lectio divina and worship in song. The teacher and worship leader was obviously, and only, the Holy Spirit of God; and the text, as donated by Charles Wesley, was the tool the Spirit used for revelation.
We humans are, at once, both insignificant and indispensable to the work of God. Thanks be to God for the work of John and Charles Wesley. For Charles who penned the glorious hymns and for John who offers us the theological distinctive: The necessity of new birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new born King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with th’ angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new born King!”Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
late in time behold him come,
offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail th’ incarnate Deity,
pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new born King!”Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen 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 us second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new born King!”
