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Silent Night

Silent Night.

Silent Night, Pentatonix

When I was in Junior School in the late 1970’s, my teacher Mr Keller because a number of the boys including myself all were interested in the Military and either played Soldiers or played with Action Man or similar toys,  told us the Story of the Christmas Truce of 1914, when it came to our School Christmas Play that particular year,  he decided that we would do the Christmas Truce,  he divided us into British and German Soldiers and we performed a play based on the Christmas Truce.

Although I was playing a British Soldier, and had to learn While Shepherds Watched,  we all had to learn Silent Night too,  Christmas is special and one of the things that make it special too me is Silent Night.

A History of Silent Night.

Silent Night

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Franz Xaver Gruber, painted by Sebastian Stief (1846)

"Silent Night" (German: Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in March 2011. The song has been recorded by a large number of singers from every music genre.

Contents 

1 History

2 Translations

History

Silent Night Memorial Chapel in Oberndorf

The song was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 at St Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, a village on the Salzach river. The young priest, Father Joseph Mohr, had come to Oberndorf the year before. He had already written the lyrics of the song "Stille Nacht" in 1816 at Mariapfarr, the hometown of his father in the Salzburg Lungau region, where Joseph had worked as a coadjutor.

The melody was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber, schoolmaster and organist in the nearby village of Arnsdorf. Before Christmas Eve, Mohr brought the words to Gruber and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for the church service.[1] Both performed the carol during the mass on the night of December 24.

The original manuscript has been lost. However a manuscript was discovered in 1995 in Mohr's handwriting and dated by researchers at ca. 1820. It shows that Mohr wrote the words in 1816 when he was assigned to a pilgrim church in Mariapfarr, Austria, and shows that the music was composed by Gruber in 1818. This is the earliest manuscript that exists and the only one in Mohr's handwriting.

Translations

In 1859, the Episcopal priest John Freeman Young, then serving at Trinity Church, New York City, published the English translation that is most frequently sung today.[2] The version of the melody that is generally used today is a slow, meditative lullaby, differing slightly (particularly in the final strain) from Gruber's original, which was a sprightly, dance-like tune in 6/8 time. Today, the lyrics and melody are in the public domain.

The carol has been translated into about 140 languages.[3][4]

The song was sung simultaneously in French, English and German by troops during the Christmas truce[5] of 1914 during World War I, as it was one carol that soldiers on both sides of the front line knew.

Since that time in the 1970’s,  although I’ve listened to it numerous times ij the years that have passed since then,  without a doubt I would say that Silent Night is my all-time favourite Christmas Carol,   no other song speaks to me as powerfully about the message of Christmas than this Carol,  there are many great Christmas songs since as a White Christmas and  less great Christmas songs such as The Fairytale of New York.

Silent Night Lyrics

Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant, tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, Holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at thy birth
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

Silent night, Holy night
Shepherds quake, at the sight
Glories stream from heaven above
Heavenly, hosts sing Hallelujah.
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born.

Silent Night (Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht)

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Words for the Wise, A Sure & Certain Salvation 1 Peter 1

1 Peter 1 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

A Living Hope, and a Sure Salvation

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, [a]to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace [b]be yours in the fullest measure.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various [c]trials, 7 so that the [d]proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which [e]is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and [f]full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of [g]your souls.

10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 [h]seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories [i]to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to [j]look.

13 Therefore, [k]prepare your minds for action, [l]keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace [m]to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As [n]obedient children, do not [o]be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but [p]like the Holy One who called you, [q]be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not [r]redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared [s]in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a [t]sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from [u]the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

“All flesh is like grass,

And all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

And the flower falls off,

25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word which was [v]preached to you.

The Bible Panorama

1 Peter 1

V 1–2: PILGRIMS Peter, the apostle, writes to the Christian pilgrims who have been dispersed throughout what we know as modern Turkey. He wishes them multiplied grace and peace. Although geographically scattered, their position as the elect is focused in God. The Father’s foreknowledge, the Spirit’s sanctifying, and the shed blood of Jesus Christ are all highlighted in the greeting. Sanctification and obedience are to be priorities for them.

 V 3–9: PRECIOUS Starting with God’s mercy and their hope, through the resurrected Christ, Peter reminds them of an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that awaits them in heaven, and of the preciousness of their faith which is being tried through grievous trials. This will lead to great rejoicing and the certainty of their eternal salvation.

 V 10–12: PRIVILEGE Prophets, and even angels, would love to know what these Christians now know about the sufferings and glory of Christ, made real to them through His gospel. They are privileged people!

 V 13–16: PRIORITY They are to reject former sins and lusts. They are to be holy because God is holy. Holiness is the hallmark of real conversion, and must be the priority of each Christian.

V 17–21: PRAYER Those who call on the Father in prayer should have a consistent conduct that honours Him. The precious blood of Christ, shed in God’s economy before the world was founded, has redeemed them. Their faith and hope are in God, knowing that the once crucified Christ is risen from the dead.

V 22: PURITY The Holy Spirit has given them purity through obeying the truth. Their love for one another is to blend purity with fervency.

V 23–25: PERMANENT Just as God lives forever, so His Word endures forever. They have been born again spiritually through incorruptible and unchangeable seed. Their gospel blessings will also last for ever.

Be Blessed today

Blair Humphreys

Southport

Merseyside