Week 4 2016 Walk to Bethlehem, PA Fitness Challenge

Week 4 2016 Walk to Bethlehem PA Fitness Challenge - What Child Is This

Welcome to Week 4 of the Walk to Bethlehem, PA fitness challenge sponsored by the Woodleaf UMC health ministry program! If you have ever wished for more time to exercise, this is your week. We "fell back" last night, giving us the chance to enjoy an extra hour this weekend.

"What Child Is This" holds a special place in my heart. The hymn's words were from William Chatterton Dix's poem entitled "The Manger Throne" and set to the tune called Greensleaves. Lindsay Sterling has an instrumental violin version of "What Child Is This" here. Listen to a trio of guitarists, Don and Wendy Francisco and Jerry Palmer, playing the carol here. Or hear the beautiful lyrics to "What Child Is This" by listening to Johnny Mathis here.

If you go outside and simply sit and listen to nature, you may discover that nature's music is often in a minor key. Most of our more famous Christmas carols are in major keys, but this melody's distinctively minor key offers a uniquely beautiful tune. Many of my friends say "What Child Is This" is their favorite of all the Christmas carols that begins painting a mental picture of a baby in his mother's arms. The times surrounding Jesus birth were beautiful and joyful, yet many people suffered greatly. The holidays for many people are a time of sadness, yet I hope each of you may find a glimmer of hope in the season.

Do you have any favorite versions of "What Child Is This?"

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:7