Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

By Cheri Cowell –

At the end of the popular TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, which has aired during every Christmas season since 1965, the Peanuts characters all sing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”

Prolific hymn writer Charles Wesley, who helped his brother John begin the Methodist Church, wrote the original words to “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” in 1739. The first two lines were: “Hark, how the welkin [an old English word for heaven] rings/Glory to the king of kings.” But in 1753, Wesley’s friend and co-worker George Whitfield changed those lines to the ones we know today: “Hark! The herald angels sing/glory to the newborn king.”

“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” tells the story of the event recorded in the Book of Luke—that after Jesus Christ was born an angel appeared in the sky to announce Christ’s birth and shortly thereafter were joined by a huge chorus of angels singing out praises.

PRAYER: Lord, give me the courage this Christmas season to sing aloud Your praises, to join the triumph of the skies and sing glory to the newborn King in both words and deeds.

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:13-14 NIV).