Philip Brooks (1835-1893) wanted a new carol for the children to sing at their annual Christmas Eve program at Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia. Philip recalled his visit to the Holy Land in 1865, when he traveled by horseback on Christmas Eve to the place where it was reported that shepherds saw the star over Bethlehem. Although it was now three years later, he distinctly recalled his ride to the tranquil village and the words came to him, “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.” He gave the lyrics to the church organist, Lewis Redner, and asked for a simple melody to accompany them. Lewis struggled to find the right tune and went to bed the evening before Christmas Eve without music to fit the verses. “My mind was all confused,” he wrote of the moment. He woke from a fitful sleep with a tune playing in his mind. He copied it down and the children sang the carol with the tune Lewis provided the following evening. Neither Philip nor Lewis thought the carol would live beyond Christmas Eve of 1868. Instead, the song circulated among neighboring churches and spread rapidly.
Philip first gained prominence for his eulogy of Abraham Lincoln and became a powerful preacher in Boston. He said in an 1886 sermon, “Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men [and women]. Do not pray for tasks equal to your strength; pray for strength equal to your tasks.” What great counsel to lead us into prayer: