WEDNESDAYS WITH WESLEY -CHARLES, THAT IS

“Is that a welkin?” asked Caspar innocently.  “No, my friend, that is clearly an angel!” said Melchior.  “Is it ringing?” asked Balthazar.  “No, clearly, it is singing.” said Melchior growing more and more exasperated.  Melchior was growing apoplectic.  “IT SHOULD BE A WELKIN AND IT SHOULD SAY GLORY TO THE KING OF KINGS!”  Of course, those were Charles Wesley’s original opening lyrics to Hymn for Christmas Day.  But then George Whitefield, a fine Methodist minister in his own right, changed the lyrics to “Hark!  The Herald angel sings/Glory to the the newborn king.”  100 years later, William Cummings took the music from a Mendelssohn cantata for Gutenberg that the current carol of as we sing it today existed.  Of course, all this made the purist in Melchior furious.  He couldn’t understand how Charles could let somebody change his precious lyrics to the Christ child.  He wouldn’t have let George Whitefield do that, and he would have been very jealous of his version being more accepted.  He also felt that music for the invention of the printing press wasn’t pure enough for a hymn to the Christ child.  Luckily, all this was happening at Charles Wesley’s 218th birthday party (tomorrow!  December 18!)  Melchior said, “Charles, you are a great artist, how can you stand it?”  Charles looked at Melchior and said, “My dear Melchior, a great artist is sensitive, you are describing being touchy.”  Melchior frowned and said, “What does that mean?”  Said Charles, “ It simply means, dear Melchior, that it doesn’t bother me the way it bothers you,” and he blew his candles out.

WESLEY’S QUESTION:  Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

SCRIPTURE:  In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:8-14)

FOOLISH WISDOM:  Listen to “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”