O Little Town of Bethlehem (4 of 5)
Series: Christmas Carols
Tony Thomas
Micah 5:2
At the age of twenty-seven, Philip Brooks became the pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Boston, Massachusetts, and he became the most inspirational preacher of his day. His associate was Louis Redner, and together they led that church to unprecedented growth.
In 1862, Holy Trinity had thirty children attending Sunday School, but two years later their attendance swelled to over one-thousand each Lord’s Day! Although the nation was in the midst of a Civil War, the church was one of the fastest growing churches in the United States.
In spite of the growth, the mood of the church diminished as the war dragged on. Then, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Hundreds of women were already wearing black to church and Lincoln’s death was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.
Brooks and Redner did their best to remain positive in spite of the terrible losses our nation endured. But with so many deaths, and with so many families grieving for husbands, sons, dads, and brothers - the demand to meet so many needs was too much and the young pastor fell into a deep depression.
Mrs. Lincoln sent word asking Brooks to give the eulogy for her husband. Truth was, he didn’t have the energy, but he also couldn’t refuse the First Lady. He gathered his wits, summoning all of his energy to get through the funeral, and then we went home to resign.
Holy Trinity, however, refused to accept their Pastor’s resignation! Instead, they sent him overseas on a three-month vacation to the Holy Land and that trip was exactly what their burned-out pastor needed.
Several months later, on Christmas Eve, Brooks mounted his horse for an evening ride. Around dusk, just as the night’s first stars appeared, Brooks rode into the tiny village of Bethlehem. Even though eighteen centuries had passed, very little had changed in Bethlehem since the first century.
Brooks made the short jou ...
Series: Christmas Carols
Tony Thomas
Micah 5:2
At the age of twenty-seven, Philip Brooks became the pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Boston, Massachusetts, and he became the most inspirational preacher of his day. His associate was Louis Redner, and together they led that church to unprecedented growth.
In 1862, Holy Trinity had thirty children attending Sunday School, but two years later their attendance swelled to over one-thousand each Lord’s Day! Although the nation was in the midst of a Civil War, the church was one of the fastest growing churches in the United States.
In spite of the growth, the mood of the church diminished as the war dragged on. Then, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Hundreds of women were already wearing black to church and Lincoln’s death was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.
Brooks and Redner did their best to remain positive in spite of the terrible losses our nation endured. But with so many deaths, and with so many families grieving for husbands, sons, dads, and brothers - the demand to meet so many needs was too much and the young pastor fell into a deep depression.
Mrs. Lincoln sent word asking Brooks to give the eulogy for her husband. Truth was, he didn’t have the energy, but he also couldn’t refuse the First Lady. He gathered his wits, summoning all of his energy to get through the funeral, and then we went home to resign.
Holy Trinity, however, refused to accept their Pastor’s resignation! Instead, they sent him overseas on a three-month vacation to the Holy Land and that trip was exactly what their burned-out pastor needed.
Several months later, on Christmas Eve, Brooks mounted his horse for an evening ride. Around dusk, just as the night’s first stars appeared, Brooks rode into the tiny village of Bethlehem. Even though eighteen centuries had passed, very little had changed in Bethlehem since the first century.
Brooks made the short jou ...
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