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Joy to the World COVER ART GOES HERE Joy to the World COVER ART GOES HERE — 1 — inging and listening to carols is one of the joys of the celebration of Advent and SChristmas. Through these carols, it is easy to understand what Saint Augustine meant when he said that to sing is to pray twice. Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago as part of pagan celebrations of the winter solstice. They were joyful songs, accompanied by dance. In the 1200s, Christmas music consisted of solemn songs sung by priests in church services. Legend has it that Saint Francis of Assisi brought the carol genre to the Christian celebration of Christmas. What better setting for celebration and dance than the birth of Christ? Since then, the word “carol” has come to be associated with Christmas songs of all kinds. Despite the sometimes—canned holiday music that plays in stores, most of us love and cherish the carols that have been a part of our lives for as long as we can remember. In the busyness of the holiday season, how might we allow these familiar songs to speak to us, to warm our hearts, and inspire us anew? How might they help us prepare for Christ’s birth? — 2 — Take some time to reflect and even to pray with these familiar carols and hymns. Perhaps they can open our hearts more deeply to the meaning of Advent and Christmas. Silent Night Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright round yon virgin, mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace. “Stille Nacht” was sung for the first time at Saint Nicholas Church in the Austrian village of Oberndorf in 1818. Legend has it the church organ was broken that Christmas, and while deliberating about what to do for the Christmas Eve service, pastor Josef Mohr remembered a poem he had written two years earlier. He went to the church organist, Franz Xaver Gruber, who composed the music with accompaniment on the guitar. This gave them a Christmas carol to sing without the organ. The hymn quickly became known throughout Northern Europe, and it has now been translated into over one hundred and — 3 — forty languages. Whether or not the story of the broken organ is accurate, the tradition of singing “Silent Night” to guitar or a cappela at the end of Christmas Eve worship is widespread. For many, kneeling in a candlelit church and singing this hymn is one of the most treasured Christmas traditions. This carol can be found in The Hymnal 1982, #111. A true story tells of a Christmas truce in 1914 during World War I. On a battlefield in Flanders, German soldiers came out of the trenches carrying signs for a ceasefire and singing “Stille Nacht.” The Allied and German troops ended up singing, exchanging gifts, and playing soccer together, celebrating Christmas. For a short while, peace settled over the war-torn land. We might not be on the frontlines of battles, but our lives this time of year can become so stressful and busy that we miss out on the wonder and the mystery. This hymn, which sounds almost like a lullaby, draws us into an inner space of quiet and peace. What might “heavenly peace” be for you in your life right now? How might you carve out some time to be still amidst the frenzy of the season? — 4 —.
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