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It has been 201 years since first performance of my favorite Christmas carol, “Silent Night”. It was in 1818 in Oberndorf, Austria that the song written by Father Joseph Mohr with music by Franz Xaver Gruber was sung in church. The music was provided by a guitar as a flood had damaged the church organ. The name of the church that provided this wonderful gift to us all was, of course, St. Nicholas.
It has also been 151 years since the debut of “O Little Town of Bethlehem”. In 1868 Phillip Brooks, the future Episcopal Bishop of Boston, asked his church organist to write some music for a poem he had written to be performed by the Sunday School students the next Sunday. Lewis Redner went to bed on Saturday night and the tune was still not written. However, as he later wrote, "I was roused from sleep late in the night hearing an angel-strain whispering in my ear, and seizing a piece of music paper I jotted down the treble of the tune as we now have it, and on Sunday morning before going to church I filled in the harmony." Merry Christmas to you all.
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There was a time in my life when I asked myself if my life were a prayer what would it be. With a laugh I realized the answer was, “Help me.”
Well, one thing led to another and soon I was saying, “Help me Jesus” as a prayer. After that came singing it in the shower to the tune of the Beach Boys’ song “Help Me Rhonda.” Both of my children would laugh at that, because they know I could never actually sing on tune. While I enjoy listening to music, I have no talent. So, while in my head I was singing to the tune of “Help Me Rhonda” what was coming out of my mouth was nowhere close to that. Luckily the only one listening was God, who fortunately has a good sense of humor. My singing consisted of a lot of help me’s. Mostly because I didn’t know the full words to the song by heart. But, even if I did know all the words, my ability to sing and count the number of help me’s is rather dubious. Eventually, I pulled the full lyrics off the internet and wrote the full prayer and I have included it below. The Beach Boys Prayer (to the tune of Help Me Rhonda) Well since life put me down I've been out doin' in my head Come in late at night and in the mornin' I just lay in bed Well, Jesus you look so fine (look so fine) And I know it wouldn't take much time For you to help me Jesus Help me get you into my heart Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus now Get you into my heart It was gonna be my life And I was doin’ what I can But life set a problem right down before me And it ruined my plan Well, Jesus you caught my eye (caught my eye) And I can give you lotsa reasons why You gotta help me Jesus Help me get you into my heart Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus now Get you into my heart Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus now Get you into my heart Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus Help me Jesus Help, help me Jesus |
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