Away in a Manger

"Away in a Manger" is a Christmas carol first published in the late nineteenth century and used widely throughout the English-speaking world. In Britain, it is one of the most popular carols; a 1996 Gallup Poll ranked it joint second. The two most-common musical settings are by William J. Kirkpatrick (1895) and James R. Murray (1887).

History of the lyrics

The first two verses of the lyrics were published in the May 1884 issue of The Myrtle, a periodical of the Universalist Publishing House in Boston, Massachusetts. The article claims, under the heading "Luther's Cradle Song", that

(This text would already have been out-of-date in May 1884, since the four hundredth anniversary of Luther's birth occurred in November 1883.)

The first two verses generally agree with the currently accepted text: the only major difference is "Watching my lullaby" instead of "Til morning is nigh" for the last line of verse two. No music accompanies the words, but the melody of Home! Sweet Home! is suggested.

Baptists

Baptists are individuals who comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers (believer's baptism, as opposed to infant baptism), and that it must be done by complete immersion (as opposed to affusion or sprinkling). Other tenets of Baptist churches include soul competency (liberty), salvation through faith alone, Scripture alone as the rule of faith and practice, and the autonomy of the local congregation. Baptists recognize two ministerial offices, pastors and deacons. Baptist churches are widely considered to be Protestant churches, though some Baptists disavow this identity.

Diverse from their beginning, those identifying as Baptists today differ widely from one another in what they believe, how they worship, their attitudes toward other Christians, and their understanding of what is important in Christian discipleship.

Historians trace the earliest church labeled "Baptist" back to 1609 in Amsterdam, with English Separatist John Smyth as its pastor. In accordance with his reading of the New Testament, he rejected baptism of infants and instituted baptism only of believing adults. Baptist practice spread to England, where the General Baptists considered Christ's atonement to extend to all people, while the Particular Baptists believed that it extended only to the elect. In 1638, Roger Williams established the first Baptist congregation in the North American colonies. In the mid-18th century, the First Great Awakening increased Baptist growth in both New England and the South. The Second Great Awakening in the South in the early 19th century increased church membership, as did the preachers' lessening of support for abolition and manumission of slavery, which had been part of the 18th-century teachings. Baptist missionaries have spread their church to every continent.

Manger

A manger, or trough, is a feeder that is made of carved stone, wood, or metal construction and is used to hold food for animals (as in a stable). Mangers are mostly used in livestock raising. They are also used to feed wild animals, e.g., in nature reserves. The word comes from the French manger (meaning "to eat"), from Latin manducare (meaning "to chew").

A manger is also a Christian symbol, associated with nativity scenes where Mary, forced by necessity to stay in a stable instead of an inn, used a manger as a makeshift bed for the baby Jesus. (Greek: φατνη phatnē; Luke 2:7).

Gallery

Modern livestock trough near Empire Ranch, Arizona.

Modern livestock trough near Empire Ranch, Arizona.

18th century limestone mangers at The Devil's Farmhouse in Mellieha, Malta.

18th century limestone mangers at The Devil's Farmhouse in Mellieha, Malta.

See also

References

External links

Away

Away may refer to:

Literature

Sports

Music

Songs

See also

Chinese Baptist Church

Chinese Baptist Church is a historic Baptist church at 925 S. King Street in Seattle, Washington.

It was dedicated on October 12, 1922, and was added to the National Register in 1986.

The church had its origin in the late nineteenth century, when the First Baptist Church of Seattle established missionary churches for several of the ethnic groups of foreign laborers in the area, including a Scandinavian Baptist Church (1883) and a Japanese Baptist Church (1899). A Committee on Chinese Work was established in 1892. It conducted a school and worship services in a house at 5th and Yesler, then moved to a larger building in the Chinese district. In 1902 funds were raised to construct a church at Washington and Maynard streets. No longer a "mission church" dependent on its sponsor, from that point on the church had Chinese pastors and was admitted to the Western Washington Baptist Convention. The church served as a focal point for the Chinese American community until 1977, when the congregation moved to a larger facility in Beacon Hill. The building is now the home of the Chinese Southern Baptist Church.