Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

so that you may be able to prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12. 2.

This is resistance and reformation on the Fight, laugh, Feast Network.

One of the most notable reforms that occurred during the magisterial Protestant Reformation, was the reintroduction of vibrant

congregational singing. In Lausanne, under the pastoral leadership of Pierre Vire, in Strasbourg

under Martin Bootser, in Zurich, under Ulrich Zwingli, and most notably in Geneva under John Calvin, Psalm Singing became a distinctive

mark of reformed worship. But even before those reforms took root, Martin Luther had

reintroduced vibrant, singable hymnody in Wittenberg, and soon thereafter, anywhere and everywhere

Lutheran reforms held sway. Luther was particularly enthusiastic about reintroducing the joy

of caroling during the Yuletide seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany.

Luther translated a large number of carols from Latin into German,

but from heaven above to earth I come is his only extant original composition.

Although it has been widely recognized as one of the two most

famous German Christmas carols, it has fallen into obscurity over the past three decades,

especially in English-speaking communities. Luther wrote the carol in 1535 for his son Hans. It is a very long

composition. The first seven verses were to be sung by a soloist dressed as an angel, and the remaining

15 verses were to be sung responsively by a children's choir.

Luther composed an entirely new musical setting for the carol four years later,

and it is this version that has been most commonly used ever since.

Over the centuries, there have been 15 to 20 different attempts at translation

with Catherine Winkworth's 1855 version as perhaps the best effort. However, this richly

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