200th Anniversary of Silent Night

A History of "Silent Night" Joseph Mohr was born in Salzburg, Austria, the home of Mozart and, later, of the Von Trapp singers—one of the most musical towns in the world. He became the priest of the parish church of Saint Nicholas in the nearby village of Oberndorf, and there he served alongside the organist and musician Franz Gruber, who was also a local schoolmaster.  As Christmas Eve of 1818 approached, Mohr and Gruber faced a challenge. The church organ wasn’t working properly (many believe that mice had chewed through the bellows!) and the two men labored over how to make their traditional service special.  Going through his papers, Mohr handed Gruber a poem he had written and asked him to set to music. If they couldn’t use the organ, they could at least introduce an original carol, accompanied by an acoustic guitar. Mohr hastily composed a melody, and on a snowclad night in the Tyrolian Alps, December 24, 1818 – two hundred years ago – the population of little Oberndorf gathered in the Church of St. Nicholas to hear Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht for the first time. Later the organ repair man, Karl Mauracher, showed up and heard the story. Asking for a copy of the carol, he soon spread it through the Alpine region of Austria, where it came to the attention of families of local folk singers. Silent Night quickly gained fame across Europe. It was clear that there was something very special about this particular carol and it continues to serve as a beacon of truth for families and churches to this day.   -------------Originally shared by Keith and Kristin Getty Silent Night with Phil Keaggy

Advent Two- Prayer

Advent Bed Time Prayer

Do you fall into bed, long past your bedtime, convinced that if you only had 12 extra hours in the day you might get half of what you planned accomplished? When you are too tired to pray, let The Spirit of God pray for you and sing the closing verses of Luther’s hymn, “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come.”

The first verses are a devotional recounting of the birth of Christ. But, those last 3 verses, may serve as a bedtime prayer, for you and the little ones you love, to sing together. When I was a child, verse 13 was my Advent prayer. I still love the translation that was in the hymn book of my childhood and use it today.

“Ah Dearest Jesus, Holy Child, Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled, 

Within my heart that it may be A quiet chamber, kept for Thee.”

If you are building new memories for your bedtime prayers,

 look at those last 3 verses in today’s hymn book. 

Verse 13 implores God to create in you a new heart. 

Verse 14 describes that heart.

 Verse 15 joins the song of saints and angels

 beyond all time praising God.

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, 

Prepare a bed, soft, undefiled,

A quiet chamber set apart

For You to dwell within my heart.

My heart for very joy must leap;

My lips no more can silence keep,

I, too, must sing with joyful tongue

That sweetest ancient cradle song;

Glory to God in highest heav’n

Who unto us His Son has giv’n!

While angels sing with pious mirth

A glad new year to all the earth.

Listen Here:

From Heaven Above to Earth I Come

 This hymn is actually found in the Christmas, 

not the Advent, section of the Lutheran hymnal,

 but the verse I talk about
was my childhood Advent bedtime prayer.

 I have vague memories of my father singing it to me

 as he carried me home from mid-week Advent services.

 We lived in the teacherage right next to the church,

 so it was not a long walk.

Thanks to Natalie Hartwig for this Advent reflection.

A bit more about this hymn:
Martin Luther wrote this hymn in the 1530's for his child-
 so they could sing it on Chritismas Eve.
He even dressed up as an angel to sing the opening verses.
He often included his students for this tradition
when they couldn't go home for Christmas.
Later, Valentin Schumann added the music
and the Christmas carol was published in the Lutheran Hymnal.
 The English translation is attributed to Catherine Winkworth,
 who translated it in 1855.

Advent One- Hymn

Advent Music

It is here. Go into almost any commercial area and you hear it, Christmas music, songs about Santa and snow, gifts and goodies, reindeer and children’s happy faces. We are advised, in those songs, to “be good” because Santa is making a list of good children. Parents look at the calendar with dismay. There is just not enough time between now and Christmas to do everything that needs doing. Children, looking with anticipation of joy to come, are convinced that Christmas will never get here. This Christmas, this Advent, make the hymns you sang as a child be the Christmas music of your soul. Hum those tunes while you wait for a red light or on hold for the service representative to answer the phone. Start with the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” 

Remember that Emmanuel means God with us. When we sing the opening words of the hymn we are crying to God to be with us. As the New Testament children of God we know that God is always with us. We might leave God, but God does not desert us. But for the Old Testament Children of Israel that was not the case.

Emmanuel, God with us, that is what was lost when sin entered the world. Humanity went from daily walking and talking with God to hiding from God in fear and embarrassment much like the guilty child hides from a parent after mischief. Follow that comparison to childlike behavior and feelings further. Think of how the young child, separated from a parent, cries, comfortless, and seeks the loved one. At times those tears and cries continue until either the parent returns or the child falls asleep exhausted. 

Now think of the length of time between the first promise of the Messiah and the birth of Christ. Generations died waiting for the promise to be kept. 

Open your memories, open your hymn books, and let your soul sing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” only this time sing it without the refrain. Don’t even pause between the verses.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

 and ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

 Until the Son of God appear.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, 

Who ord’rest all things mightily;

To us the path of knowledge show, 

And teach us in her ways to go.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, 

Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height

In ancient times didst give the Law

 in cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,

 Free them from Satan’s tyranny

That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save, 

And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.

O come, Thou Key of David, come, 

And open wide our heav’nly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high, 

And close the path to misery.

O come, Thou Dayspring from on High, 

And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, 

And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Desire of nations, 

bind In one the hearts of all mankind;

Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, 

And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Without the refrain, it is a very long hymn of sorrow and begging. It is not just a child waiting for a present, it is a toddler crying for mom and dad and not knowing if they will ever return. 

But we do know that God so loved us that He sent His only son. We do know that God is with us now and always. We can sing “Rejoice! Rejoice! God is with us. He is with me, a child of God.” (Even the syllables fit.) Read, again the very last verse of this great hymn. 

O come, Desire of nations, 
bind In one the hearts of all mankind;

Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, 

And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Make it your prayer for peace this Advent. 

Let your soul sing.
Some versions of this hymn:
Traditional
King and Country

Thanks to Journeys of Faith contributing writer-

 Natalie Hartwig for sharing these Advent thoughts!