December 17, 2024 
 
Beloveds in Christ,  
 
Writer Jason Boyett recently posted on social media, “Christmas rule: Don’t sing the first verse of ‘O Holy Night’ if you’re not willing to live out the third verse of ‘O Holy Night.’” In case you could use a refresher, here is that verse as most English-speakers know it:  

Truly He taught us to love one another;                                             
His law is love and His gospel is peace.                                       
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,                   
​And in His name all oppression shall cease. 
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we; 
Let all within us praise His holy name. 
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever! 
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim! 
​His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim! 

Annunciation, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56722 [retrieved December 17, 2024]. Original source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/2052404610/ - Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P..

That version comes from Rev. John Sullivan Dwight’s translation from the original French, which he first shared in this country in 1855, when conflict over the United States’ reliance on the immoral institution of chattel slavery was coming to a head. As I have shared before, this hymn quickly grew in popularity among Christian abolitionists. Those Christians who wanted to justify owning, abusing, and trafficking other humans cared much less for it. You see, they were paying attention to the third verse. And, found themselves indicted by it.  
 
Not every hymn has such a powerful reminder that God’s hope for the world is an end to oppression. But plenty point to a Reign of God marked by emancipation, mutual care, and love. As I plan worship this week, I am considering the hymn “My Heart Sings Out with Joyful Praise.” Ruth Duck’s lyrics from the third verse invite us to remember the foundation of love and liberation at the heart of the Incarnation: “The promise made in ages past at last has come to be/ for God has come in power to save, to set all people free./ Remembering those who wait to see salvation’s dawning day,/ Our Savior comes to all who weep to wipe their tears away.” This is a verse worth singing and taking to heart.  
 
May the songs you sing this Advent both remind you of God’s promises and inspire you to live them out.  
 
I’m glad to be waiting and working with you this season,  

Pastor Chrissy 
​
- Where I found Boyett’s post about “O Holy Night”: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/DsgfmvZhkxhbTH9M/ 
-An article about the history of “O, Holy Night”: https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2023/11/26/o-holy-night-history-slavery-246556 

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