Sunday's Selection

"Silent Night"
This hymn’s his­tory is the source of some dis­agree­ment. The tra­di­tion­al story is that Mohr and Gru­ber wrote it in Obern­dorf, Aus­tria, on Christ­mas Eve when they dis­cov­ered the church or­gan was brok­en (dif­fer­ent ver­sions say it rust­ed out, or mice chewed through vi­tal parts). How­ever, re­cent evi­dence in­di­cates this may be only folk­lore. An old man­u­script has re­port­ed­ly been dis­cov­ered that shows Franz Gruber wrote the score 2-4 years af­ter Mohr wrote the lyr­ics. What­ev­er the truth, this car­ol has been a Christ­mas fav­o­rite for al­most 200 years.
I selected this carol for this Lord's Day as every time I hear or sing this carol I think of our Pastor, Paul Jensen at Mt Vernon Presbyterian Church and his using this hymn every Christmas Eve candlelight service having us sing at least the first verse in German. When I hear this carol I still remember my struggling with the German words, but still so very blessed. Thank you Dr Jensen.

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft, einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar,
Holder Knabe mit lockigem Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh.