Birthdays

Harmensz van Rijn Rembrandt was born at Leiden, Holland. Whether he ever yielded his life to Christ or not is uncertain, but the power of his Christian art cannot be doubted. His works were intended for private devotion, not to adorn churches. Devoted to his craft, he worked on some paintings as long as fourteen years.

Birth of Clement C. Moore, theological educator, writer and poet, in New York City. With his family inheritance, Moore established the Episcopal General Theological Seminary in 1819, where he taught Greek and Hebrew literature for 28 years (1823-50). Ironically, Moore's fame is not as a great theologian, but as the author of the completely mythical Christmas poem that begins: " ' Twas the night before Christmas. . ." Written in 1822 for his own childtren, these verses were printed the following Christmas season in the Troy Sentinel, without his knowledge. He also compiled A Compendium Lexicon of the Hebrew Language.

Birth of Josim K. Allwood, clergyman and hymnwriter, in Harrison County, Ohio. He was a circuit rider for the United Brethren in Christ, and later a presiding elder. About 1890 Allwood was returning home on a clear moonlit night when he wrote the words and composed the melody to the song "O They Tell Me of a Home Far Beyond the Skies."

Edward Caswell was born in Hampshire, England. After the death of his wife, he left the Anglican church and became a Roman Catholic priest. We sing two of the hymns he wrote, "When Morning Gilds the Skies," and "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee."