Stille Nacht

Our church, last night on Christmas Eve:

We arrived at the 7 p.m. service a bit late, due to milking chores. Wouldn't you know it, the only empty pews were way up in the front, so we traipsed in and sat there. Well.......it was a great vantage point for sneaking a few photos, anyway.

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The service was put on by the Sunday School children.......there was twenty-one of them, in preschool through eighth grade. Their Nativity scene was situated at the foot of the red-hearted, wooden cross in the next photo:

Next is just a random conglomeration scene of what was visible from where I was sitting. Notice the stained glass windows in the background.......they're completely unremarkable without light shining through them! Of course, if I would have been observing the windows from the outdoors, their colors would have been evident. Point of view makes all the difference!


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Finally.......the video below was taken last evening while we were singing the first verse of
"Silent Night".

Usually, we think of that carol as having only three stanzas, but

here is a link showing six verses of "Stille Nacht" in both German and English. Last night, it was printed in the bulletin that we were to sing the first verse in German, but the congregation was a bit confused.......some were singing the English words and some the German; my daughter can be heard commenting on that later in the video.......she was confused, too! I think in years past we have sung the first verse in English, followed by that stanza's version in German, followed by the remaining verses.

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Each year on Christmas Eve, candles are lit and the church lights dimmed for the singing of this lovely carol hymn:


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

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Silent night, holy night,
All is calm; all is bright.
Roun' yon virgin, mother and child,
Holy Infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace!