Some websites for the Christmas holidays

In the spirit of the season, here are a few Christmas-related Methodist links:

All of Charles Wesley's hymns in the current United Methodist Hymnal (words and midi sound files), where you can find "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" and "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing," among others

The complete text of Charles's Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord (1745)

Charles Wesley honored with a Christmas stamp in Britain in 1999

Reflections on offering worship services on Christmas day from the UMC's General Board of Discipleship

Some images from exhibits on the Changing Faces of Santa Claus and Toys of the Past at the historical Society of Ocean Grove museum (Ocean Grove is a historic Methodist camp meeting town in New Jersey; check out the HSOG's newly revamped website for more photos and historical tidbits).

Blessed Christmas to all....

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that men no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new born King!"

As promised, more "digital Wesley"

From time to time, I will be posting some of the images created from our Wesley manuscripts digitizing project. Here's one: the last letter John Wesley ever wrote. In it he urges young abolitionist and member of the British Parliament William Wilberforce (1759-1833) to continue his fight against slavery until even American slavery, the "vilest that ever saw the sun,"was vanquished.