Nashville, for Christian music listeners, is a love-it-or-hate-it city.  In terms of launching the Christian music “industry”, Nashville was ground zero.  While Christian music afficianados have thanks to give to some brave, faithful folks there, the marriage of the recording business and Christian artists has always been a rocky one.
The late Rich Mullins had all sorts of uncharitable things to say about the recording industry there, most of which I thoroughly agreed with the more I got to know about it.  Record deals which removed most creative control of production from all but a few artists, bottom-line-driven practices contra to biblical teaching were just a few among a plethora of ways that the “Christian” music industry sold out the artists who worked in it.  Some, like Leslie Phillips (now Sam Phillips), became so disillusioned that they struggled with their own faith.  Others, like Mullins, spent as little time as possible in Nashville, using music as ‘tent-making’ for their passions in ministry, while still others escaped from the core of the industry, relying on alliances with other artists for promotion and other services usually provided by the industry.
The recording industry model, across most generes, has been noted as a key cause in the gradual decline in record company-produced musical quality over the past couple of decades.  Since much of Christian music was already late to the party, while production quality greatly improved over that same timeframe, most Christian radio suffers from bland, uninspired fare, with only a few notable exceptions like Third Day, Chris Tomlin and Mercy Me.

It appears that a change in business model may have reached a tipping point, for which Christian artists and their supporters should take heart.  It is being reported that U2 and Michael W. Smith are both poised to follow the lead of some other big-name artists by dumping the recording industry and going with a more DTC model, via Live Nation.

at least two more big acts are in talks with Live Nation along similar lines. The most surprising of these is U2, which has spent its entire career on either Island Records or a company connected to it, Interscope. They are all part of the Universal Music Group.

[...] The other artist I’m told is talking to Live Nation is Christian singer Michael W. Smith. The singer records for Franklin, Tenn.-based Reunion Records and has an enormous following in the Christian niche market.

As more and more music moves to a DTC model, like iTunes, and artists use distribution networks rather than recording studios, this bodes well for both quality, variety and content of music in the future.  While getting radio, particularly Christian radio, to respond to a shift in models may be hard coming, the liklihood of an improvement in artistic quality seems much nearer.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Such are the words of Paul in his letter to the Romans, as he describes ways we are to be loving of all of those around us, who walk with us in this life. In my days of working in Leadership Development, I became acquainted with all sorts of quotes, but one that stuck with me was one by Rudolph Guiliani in his book on leadership:

Weddings Optional, Funerals Mandatory

Basically, his advice was that when people are celebrating that it is important to let them know that you are happy for their good fortune, even if there are conflicts which prevent your physical presence. In the case of someone in mourning, though, not only is your empathy/sympathy important, but your physical presence is, as well. In Guiliani’s advice, your time and presence demonstrates to a mourner, far and above anything else, your love for them.

In the first century, when a loved one died, it was customary for them to be placed in a 2-chambered tomb. One chamber held the body of the deceased, and the other was for the close friends and family of the deceased to sit in mourning for a week after the death. In many cases, the burial chamber was sealed after three days (as was the case with Lazarus), due to the smell, but the mourner would still remain. This allowed time for news of the death to spread to the outlying communities, and for well-wishers to comfort those who were mourning.

Upon reaching the tomb, the comforters would weep with the grieved, and tear their clothes.

This is part of the image I believe Paul is painting in his advice for Christians.

Sadly, there are those who claim the Christian faith who have turned Paul’s advice on its head, out of a sense of Schadenfreude (taking pleasure in the misfortune of others), who mourn for those who rejoice and rejoice for those who mourn. If you want an example of an anti-Christ spirit of today, you need look no further when something like this happens.

What has become incredibly odious is the practice of using someone’s death as a political or religious platform – whether the death of soldiers overseas, a political figure, a religious leader (or the wife of a disgraced religious leader), or a famous actor. Such an occasion is NOT the time to score political points. Such an occasion is a time to demonstrate love.

Heath Ledger

Last night, I was heartened to find out that Chris Rosebrough was choosing to speak out againt the actions of some falsely acting in the name of Christ, specifically Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, in their plans to picket the funeral of actor Heath Ledger.  Why Ledger?  Because of a gay character he played in Brokeback Mountain (which I’ve not seen), and – most importantly – because his funeral will get lots of press coverage.

Here’s a video (HT: Chris R.) with Phelps’ own words:

Rosebrough writes:

Therefore, We’d like to ask you to pray AND find a way to combat this hate by sending messages that share Christ’s love with Heath Ledger’s family and loved ones. If we don’t take a stand against this type of hate done in the name of Christ then we will become silent accomplices to Westboro’s gross and inhuman sin.

I could not agree more, and I am doubly blessed that this was written by Chris R and that we agree on this matter.  I would hope that the message received by Ledger’s family about the love of Christ is not the one preached by Phelps and the WBC, but the one preached by Paul and affirmed by those truly demonstrating Jesus’ love…
If anyone has contact information of where to send condolences to Ledger’s family, please post it in the comments, as I couldn’t find any online.

Recently discovered document, from backstage at the REDACTED show.

_____________________

TO: “Christians” with Artistic Gifts
RE: Success and Doing Your Best

It has come to our attention that you are employed in the world of entertainment. While this, alone, should disqualify you from the book of life, since you claim the title “Christian”, please realize that we will be watching you like a hawk. At some point, you will fail, and when you do, you will get a foretaste of what your experience will be like in hell, as we will be the hands and feet of God to deliver it to you. So please, keep in mind the following:

1) If you are ever interviewed, our skepticism of the press will vanish to be replaced with an “absence detector”, which identifies anything and everything you never said in that interview. Even if you DID say what didn’t get printed, it does not matter – you must not have said it forcefully enough, or else they would have printed it.

2) If you are involved in an artistic venture that requires dancing, you are going to hell. Unless you are encased in a full-body cast, we will characterize your performance as “writhing around” and “fanny shaking” and “pelvic thrusting”. Fanny-shaking is of the devil.

3) If you’re a woman, it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a burkha. Your dress will always be called ‘immodest’, and characterized as “fleshly” or “worldly”. Deal with it.

4) If you’re an actor, you’d best marry another actor and ONLY perform with that person. Otherwise, do not take any part which requires you to so much as hold hands with another actor. If you do so, be prepared for an onslaught of criticism for your cavalier attitude toward sexuality.

5) If you are required to travel as part of your work, please realize that – unless you travel back to your home church EVERY week – we will exoriate you for your lack of faithfulness in attending your local church. NOTE: If you have support from your local church community while you’re on the road, that doesn’t mean you’ll get a free pass. We’ll just criticize you because of all of those people who can’t afford such nicities.

6) DO NOT, by any means, attain any level of ‘success‘. If you do, it will be evidence of your carnality and worldliness, which we will roast you for. If you are successful, that is a sign that you’re not being persecuted, and, therefore, not a Christian. Your best bet is to suck enough to prevent success, but not so much that your tithe won’t pay for the new educational wing at your “church”. Remember – the tallest blade of grass is always the one that gets cut down first.

7) If you do not mention “Jesus” (”God” doesn’t count) at every available opportunity, we will trumpet this as evidence of your fleshly, worldly motivations and your selling out on the altar of worldly success. We will thump our breasts to show what an awful hypocrite you are!

If you are a painter, we’d best not find any paintings of things outside of Christianity (or, worse yet, which depict anything apart from a modernist or romantic view of the Biblical account). If we can construe something to be anti-Christian, we will, and we will blame you.

9) If you are a singer, every song had best mention “Jesus” (not “God”), or you’re a worldly sell-out.

10) If you are an actor, never play the part of a villan or do anything that would be a sin. Additionally, do not ever act in a movie that gets a rating of PG or higher (unless it is a semi-realistic portrayal of the crucifixion, in which case we will only criticize you for being a Catholic instead of being a Christian). We may give you a pass, though, if you act in poorly-produced pre-mill dispensationalist fantasies.

11) At some point in your life, after you are on the public stage, you will sin. We will be there to point it out for you, just in case you don’t see it. After this, we will be sure to label you by your sin for the remainder of your life. If we could (and unfortunately, your lawyers would probably prevent it), we would engrave it on your tombstone. Regardless, we will bring it up at every turn to justify why were were right to hate critize you in the first place. If, by some chance, you don’t have publicly known sin after awhile, we will dig into your past to find it for you.

12) If you attend a church that is not on our short list of “approved” churches (like Grace Community Church in CA), then you don’t really count as “Christian”, as your pedigree is suspect. Should we ever see you in the same photo with Rick Warren, Erwin Mcmanus, Rob Bell or other “Christians” we hate disagree with, you can pretty much expect the ink to flow from our loving pens.

So, please realize that as a Christian artist, you have chosen a profession with more minefields in it than the Kuwaiti border. Your best bet would just be to turn back now. Should you decide to trudge on forward, remember – we will be watching you – like a hawk.

In Christian love,

The watchmen (and women)

While I can’t say that it is, stylistically, my cup of tea, I am somewhat familiar with Buckhead Church (one of the three Northpoint Church campuses in Atlanta, under the senior pastorship of Andy Stanley). Buckhead is located in urban Atlanta, and has a demographic similar to that of Mars Hill, Seattle (read – young, energetic, highly artistic, located in a highly unchurched area, etc.).

In November, they had a short series of messages called “Illusions”, which dealt with (Part I) being decieved by our own “goodness”, and (Part II) trying to project a spotless image contrary to your inner nature – including your sin. It was preached by the campus pastor, Jeff Henderson.

Here is a YouTube clip of the opening of the series (which is apparently beyond what is allowed by the gatekeepers of all that is ‘holy’):

Like I noted, stylistically it would probably not fit in with the worship services in my community, but I know a number of people who attend – or have attended – the Northpoint campus churches, and I praise God that He has raised up communities like these to serve him. Sadly, living, vibrant, God-loving churches are offensive to some folks who will pretty much find anything – no matter how petty – to criticize.

For all the debate on what is and is not a pelvic thrust:

Pelvic Thrust that wouldn’t even make Ingrid blush:

No Pelvic Thrusts (link):

Pelvic Thrusts (Updated – I pasted the wrong one the first time around):

No Pelvic Thrusts:

Pelvic Thrusts:

No Pelvic thrusts (the future of fundamentalist Christianity):

Just sayin’…

It seems that a lot of the themes the ODMs and us have been dealing with is our definition of “the flesh”. Ingrid displayed a video of some church teens dancing to “All I Want for Christmas”. While there was no context given for the video (it could have been for a talent show), I can understand why someone could become annoyed with that. Ingrid also doesn’t know if the church was evangelical to begin with. To claim that this is the future of evangelical churches is a stretch, at best.

In addition, the creator of the video later changed the title of the video (it was originally called something like “body worship”) and said “…too many people were having negativity that this isnt a “body worship” and it defiles the name of Jesus. When it was just a dance so i made a mistake on putting the title body worship on there so i changed it.” Ingrid has yet to express her gratitude that the title was changed. I also looked for the “tight jeans” that Ingrid referred to and didn’t see them. The girls were just wearing normal jeans.

So, ok, like I said, I can understand why someone might be annoyed by “All I Want for Christmas” being played in church. I get it. I really do.

But what about movement in worship? is any movement we make in worship “in the flesh” and wrong? This is a video from the same author who did the “All I want for Christmas”. The teens seem to be worshipping God. Like I said in a previous post, I don’t have a Motivation Detector. But it appears to be genuine worship.

The second question I have is this: is any movement we make in enjoyment “of the flesh?” I know this seems like a silly question. But I’m being serious. Let me give you an example.

I watched “Along Came Polly” this past weekend. It was a mediocre film at best so I don’t recommend it. Anyway, one of the scenes featured Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston salsa dancing. It was, in my opinion, a little more like dirty dancing. If that had been my only exposure to salsa dancing, then my first reaction would have been in shock and I would have thought how evil salsa dancing was. How very ODMey of me.

However, I have actually been exposed to real salsa dancing. I’ve been to the “hottest” salsa club in Boston. I’ve taken a month worth of lessons with my fiancée. I can tell you that what happened in “Along Came Polly” doesn’t happen in real life. Sure, you could turn somehow turn salsa into some sort of latino bump and grind. However, I just haven’t seen it in person. Sure, some people dress inappropriately in the club, however, the same percentage of people dress inappropriately in my office workplace.

Furthermore, I am thoroughly “white”. I don’t have an once of rhythm in me. If anyone should be shocked by latino dance, it should be me. But I’m not. And I kind of enjoy salsa dancing. I can also tell you that I’ve never “grinded” or touched inappropriately. So, is salsa dancing ontologically evil? Am I “in the flesh” when I’ve danced salsa?

I honestly think that a lot of it might be what we’ve been exposed to. I imagine Ingrid doesn’t have many people in her church that wear jeans every Sunday. I imagine that many of the ODMs, as they are locked in their basement with their tin foil hats, get their ideas about culture by what they see on television, movies or Youtube. However, that doesn’t necessarily equal reality. The ODMs sometimes point out the worst examples of culture and add in new (unbiblical) rules to basic Christian faith so we avoid not just being of the world, but being in the world.

What do you think? Is anything we enjoy with our bodies wrong? Is it wrong to dance for fun? Is it wrong to enjoy a good meal with friends? Is it wrong to do mixed bathing at the local swimming hole with your bible study group (thanks Joe Martino)? Is it wrong to go to a baseball game with your family? Where do we draw the line?

*Update

Ingrid added this:

**Update**The YouTube member who posted this video has since changed the title to “All I Want is You DANCE” instead of “All I Want is You Body Worship” which was the original title. Churches are using the term Body Worship to describe any group of nubile young women who stand up on stage and wriggle to pop music. Body Worship is actually a very accurate term when you think about it. It has nothing remotely to do with the worship of our thrice holy God. We know this because Scripture tell us that those who are in the flesh cannot please God.**

I was listening to the Mars Hill Seattle sermon this week and learned a lot about Isaac Watts. Here’s some info:

In this era hymns weren’t sung in English churches. German Lutherans had been singing hymns for over 100 years. Calvinists in France and Switzerland, however, had not. Calvin had wanted his people to sing only the psalms of scripture. English Protestants of Calvinist parentage had adopted the practice of singing only metrical psalms in worship. These metrical arrangements were awkward (”But we remember will the name/Of our Lord God alone”), the mood was ponderous, the tone of the entire service dreary. One day Watts discovered he couldn’t endure any of it a minute longer. Returning from the service one Sunday morning he complained vehemently to his father about the stodgy psalm-singing that put people off worship. “Why don’t you write a hymn suitable congregational singing?”, his father challenged him. Throughout the afternoon Watts did just that, and at evening worship that day the congregation sang hymn #1, “Behold the glories of the Lamb”. Six hundred and ninety-six followed.

Not everyone thanked him. Some of his contemporaries complained that his hymns were “too worldly” for the church. One critic fumed, “Christian congregations have shut out divinely inspired psalms and taken in Watts’s flights of fancy!”. His hymns outraged many people, split congregations (most notably the congregation whose pastor, years earlier, had been John Bunyan, the author of an English classic), and got pastors fired. Still, the multi-talented thinker knew what his preeminent gift was and why he had to employ it.

The Mars Hill audio also talks about his songs being called “whims” instead of hymns.

It’s nice to know that the ODMs were alive and well, even back then. There is nothing new under the sun.

*Update: Here’s the Mars Hill Seattle Video (thanks Brendt)

When I saw this post on SOL today, my first reaction after reading it was “wow, I actually agree with Ingrid on something”. Then I went and read the linked article, which seemed to really be a journalistic hit piece, and I started to feel a bit convicted. I read some of the reader comments from people who attend the church, and it seems that the vast majority of the people involved were volunteers, and the production did have a positive impact on the community. Was I too fast to judge this church?

I guess there’s part of me that really loathes these types of productions. It might be because of my experience in these types of things (on a much smaller scale). It seems that they really cause a lot of stress to people involved, and in the end I wonder what the lasting fruit is. I also wonder, is it worth the expense in money and time? I know we can’t put a price on someone coming to know Christ, but what if the hundreds of volunteers in a production this size focused their efforts on a different need in the community?

I guess my point is this. I certainly do not feel it is my place to judge a church over 1,000 miles away from me. What they do worth their money is between them and God. Seeing things like this does make me stop and think about the institution we call the church, though. Is this what we are called to do? Is putting on excellent dramatic productions a good thing? Should we compete with Broadway?

I guess I’m doing this as discussion starter more than anything, because I really don’t have all the answers. I look forward to hearing others’ input.

I daresay I am probably going to call down the wrath of the Sanhedrin of Laodicea for bringing this up, but the recent conversation about the anonymous version of “O Holy Night” raised some interesting points. I have to say I was rather surprised at the number of professing Christians who got their knickers in a twist, treating a song of questionable origin that was not sung for the purpose of dishonoring God as if it were holy writ being spat upon. Bizarre.

Perhaps one of the basic questions to come out of this is “Must a joyful noise be a beautiful one?” One of the Laodicean commenters wrote:

God is a God of order, and if He has not given the talent to sing, you should not try to sing.

To which I wondered where this view was scripturally supported (aside from the book of II Opinions). Of all the replies to this gentleman and a number of other Schleuterites, probably the best one was given by Julie:

I don’t get how this is seen as mocking the subject matter of the song, but rather, the singer either mocking himself or allowing his non-ability to be mocked.

If we’re going to open that little can of worms, fine.

Is every bad piece of Christian music a mockery? Every flawed, non-professional grade, fully orchestrated effort of music by a Christian a mockery of the Creator who perhaps didn’t bother to install a tuner on the voice box? What’s our little litmus test here, as to what’s “good enough” of a performance to be considered honoring, and what’s a mockery with demons cackling and shame following? Is it a matter of the heart? Can we determine that matter of heart, via MP3 playback, if this was a serious effort or not? Can we not all say we know some terrible singers who don’t care and just sing out joyfully and full-bore?

I know that Ingrid prides her husband for his classically trained trumpet efforts and all the work he’s put into it and how valuable all of this work and mastery is to God, as if that somehow makes it more pleasing an aroma as an offering to God. Cain* had some fine, lovely vegetables, I heard. Big whoop. I’ve yet to find a verse that delineates the definition of singing and praising and worshiping and anything else to only those who have mastered some musical instrument or skill or are determined by the human audience without a direct line to the heart and mind as to what they are thinking and feeling as they are making that music.

So, since we do not know the story behind this, and it makes us laugh because it sounds terrible but not because we enjoy some bizarre assumption of mockery, we are with cackling demons.

That’s just stupid.

Amen, Julie.

But perhaps we should look at some REAL examples and ask – must a joyful noise be a beautiful one? If it is not, is it ever acceptable to laugh?

Example #1: One of the commenters posted a link to the video below with the question “what do you do with this?”

I have to say, I was uncomfortable from the vast array of emotions this brought up. I felt embarrassed for the gentleman, imagining myself in his place. I felt moved because his heart seemed to be into the singing much more than a lot of Sunday morning pew-riders I’ve known over the years. I chuckled, because some of the added words were indeed humorous. I felt sheepishly guilty for chuckling. I felt myself agreeing a bit with the “amen”s in the congregation. The whole gamut. But in all of that, I could not even fathom agreeing with Ingrid’s lackey’s comment above.

Examples #2+: A music minister (the same one that gave me O Holy Night) gave me a disc he had received from a friend at a Christian recording studio. On that disc were a number of songs that had been submitted as ‘demos’ for consideration for publication. As such, the singers had to know (you would think) that their work would have to be critiqued. A number of them are hilarious from a “what were they thinking?” standpoint, but at the same time, I would say that a number of them were joyful (though poor quality as determined by human beings – even those that have never heard music before) noises to the Lord.

1. “Kill me, Kill me, Kill me” – You must listen through to the chorus
2. Hot Summer Nights – Really, what was he thinking, submitting this to a CHRISTIAN label?
3. I Am a Man – Yup
4. That’s Peculiar – And again, Yup
5. Oh Lord (with a LONG introduction from the artist) – You know the drill…
6. O Nightingale – O, indeed, I believe my ears are still bleeding
7. Our God is an Awesome God – I loved Rich Mullins, and I’m so glad he never heard this
8. We Are the Champions (of God) – Freddy Mercury, eat your heart out. No – really…
9. His Eye is on the Sparrow – I really had to wonder if they played this recording for any of their friends. If so, with friends like those…
10. Chock Full of Love – the first, and probably last, time you’ll ever hear the word “chock” in a song. The tune, itself, may end up playing on your ‘head radio’, so proceed with caution!
11. Satan, You Lost, Lost, Lost – Think “first week of American Idol”
12. Soul Saved Tonight – there are a plethora of reasons that secular songs should not be completely rewritten for Christian audiences. This is one of them. If you ever want to listen to your Eagles’ albums again with untarnished nostalgia, do not listen to this. Seriously. I warned you…
13. Amazing Grace – If you were going to submit a demo tape to a record company, wouldn’t you want to remember the words? And if you didn’t remember them, wouldn’t you want to record them over until you got them right? Hm?
14. We Want to Fish For Men – I am guessing this is part of a larger work. I hope I’m wrong.
15. God Give the Devil the Measles – This is actually a quality song with cheesy lyrics. I once put together a video of this with a friend and some staff members during break time as a way to entertain some campers (and demonstrate some video techniques). Here is that monstrosity (yes, that’s me with the guitar at the beginning, my wife popping out of the trailer, and my son with the painted stomach.)
16. Holy Jerusalem – Can anyone explain to me what happened here?
17. Come Back America – scary stuff
18. Safe Sex Rap – some words you never thought you’d hear in a Christian song (and not because they’re naughty)
19. Thank You, God – Really weirdness
20. Jesus is About to Rap This Up (Bonus Track) – Something to make dispensationalism just a little bit more wacky…

There were a few more, but I couldn’t find them online (and I don’t have the server space to host them), so you’ll just have to trust me that they’re more of the same.

What do y’all think? (NOTE: If you are going to be critical, please read this article first and couch your criticism/accusation as either an “Absolute”, a “Conviction” or a “Preference”. If you don’t do this, I probably won’t take you all that seriously, because you really are just wanting to self-righteously spout off and not dialog. If that’s what you’re looking for, start a blog and ask Ingrid for advice on your writing.)

From here:

Declared ‘unfit for church services’ in France and later embraced by U.S. abolitionists, the song continues to inspire.

The strange and fascinating story of “O Holy Night” began in France, yet eventually made its way around the world. This seemingly simple song, inspired by a request from a clergyman, would not only become one of the most beloved anthems of all time, it would mark a technological revolution that would forever change the way people were introduced to music.

In 1847, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure was the commissionaire of wines in a small French town. Known more for his poetry than his church attendance, it probably shocked Placide when his parish priest asked the commissionaire to pen a poem for Christmas mass. Nevertheless, the poet was honored to share his talents with the church.

In a dusty coach traveling down a bumpy road to France’s capital city, Placide Cappeau considered the priest’s request. Using the gospel of Luke as his guide, Cappeau imagined witnessing the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Thoughts of being present on the blessed night inspired him. By the time he arrived in Paris, “Cantique de Noel” had been completed.

Moved by his own work, Cappeau decided that his “Cantique de Noel” was not just a poem, but a song in need of a master musician’s hand. Not musically inclined himself, the poet turned to one of his friends, Adolphe Charles Adams, for help.

The son of a well-known classical musician, Adolphe had studied in the Paris conservatoire. His talent and fame brought requests to write works for orchestras and ballets all over the world. Yet the lyrics that his friend Cappeau gave him must have challenged the composer in a fashion unlike anything he received from London, Berlin, or St. Petersburg.

As a man of Jewish ancestry, for Adolphe the words of “Cantique de Noel” represented a day he didn’t celebrate and a man he did not view as the son of God. Nevertheless, Adams quickly went to work, attempting to marry an original score to Cappeau’s beautiful words. Adams’ finished work pleased both poet and priest. The song was performed just three weeks later at a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve

Initially, “Cantique de Noel” was wholeheartedly accepted by the church in France and the song quickly found its way into various Catholic Christmas services. But when Placide Cappeau walked away from the church and became a part of the socialist movement, and church leaders discovered that Adolphe Adams was a Jew, the song–which had quickly grown to be one of the most beloved Christmas songs in France–was suddenly and uniformly denounced by the church. The heads of the French Catholic church of the time deemed “Cantique de Noel” as unfit for church services because of its lack of musical taste and “total absence of the spirit of religion.” Yet even as the church tried to bury the Christmas song, the French people continued to sing it, and a decade later a reclusive American writer brought it to a whole new audience halfway around the world.

Not only did this American writer–John Sullivan Dwight–feel that this wonderful Christmas song needed to be introduced to America, he saw something else in the song that moved him beyond the story of the birth of Christ. An ardent abolitionist, Dwight strongly identified with the lines of the third verse: “Truly he taught us to love one another; his law is love and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother; and in his name all oppression shall cease.” The text supported Dwight’s own view of slavery in the South. Published in his magazine, Dwight’s English translation of “O Holy Night” quickly found favor in America, especially in the North during the Civil War.

Back in France, even though the song had been banned from the church for almost two decades, many commoners still sang “Cantique de Noel” at home. Legend has it that on Christmas Eve 1871, in the midst of fierce fighting between the armies of Germany and France, during the Franco-Prussian War, a French soldier suddenly jumped out of his muddy trench. Both sides stared at the seemingly crazed man. Boldly standing with no weapon in his hand or at his side, he lifted his eyes to the heavens and sang, “Minuit, Chretiens, c’est l’heure solennelle ou L’Homme Dieu descendit jusqu’a nous,” the beginning of “Cantique de Noel.”

After completing all three verses, a German infantryman climbed out his hiding place and answered with, “Vom Himmel noch, da komm’ ich her. Ich bring’ euch gute neue Mar, Der guten Mar bring’ ich so viel, Davon ich sing’n und sagen will,” the beginning of Martin Luther’s robust “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come.”

The story goes that the fighting stopped for the next twenty-four hours while the men on both sides observed a temporary peace in honor of Christmas day. Perhaps this story had a part in the French church once again embracing “Cantique de Noel” in holiday services.

Adams had been dead for many years and Cappeau and Dwight were old men when on Christmas Eve 1906, Reginald Fessenden–a 33-year-old university professor and former chief chemist for Thomas Edison–did something long thought impossible. Using a new type of generator, Fessenden spoke into a microphone and, for the first time in history, a man’s voice was broadcast over the airwaves: “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed,” he began in a clear, strong voice, hoping he was reaching across the distances he supposed he would.

Shocked radio operators on ships and astonished wireless owners at newspapers sat slack-jawed as their normal, coded impulses, heard over tiny speakers, were interrupted by a professor reading from the gospel of Luke. To the few who caught this broadcast, it must have seemed like a miracle–hearing a voice somehow transmitted to those far away. Some might have believed they were hearing the voice of an angel.

Fessenden was probably unaware of the sensation he was causing on ships and in offices; he couldn’t have known that men and women were rushing to their wireless units to catch this Christmas Eve miracle. After finishing his recitation of the birth of Christ, Fessenden picked up his violin and played “O Holy Night,” the first song ever sent through the air via radio waves. When the carol ended, so did the broadcast–but not before music had found a new medium that would take it around the world.

Since that first rendition at a small Christmas mass in 1847, “O Holy Night” has been sung millions of times in churches in every corner of the world. And since the moment a handful of people first heard it played over the radio, the carol has gone on to become one of the entertainment industry’s most recorded and played spiritual songs. This incredible work–requested by a forgotten parish priest, written by a poet who would later split from the church, given soaring music by a Jewish composer, and brought to Americans to serve as much as a tool to spotlight the sinful nature of slavery as tell the story of the birth of a Savior–has become one of the most beautiful, inspired pieces of music ever created.

There are so many issues that typically bother ODMs. The writer was a wine seller and didn’t regularly attend church. He later walked away from the church and became a socialist. The musician who wrote the music didn’t even believe Jesus was God. The song was commissioned by a Catholic priest and it’s first performance was in a Catholic church.

Photo by: krisdecurtis