Silent Night, Holy 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.
Christmas is all wrapped up and we have already removed the Christmas songs off our playlists. Our decorations are (mostly) put away and the laughter and noise of family gatherings has subsided. So, why focus a newsletter theme in January about a Christmas song?
Well, as I reflect on the Christmas season, it can sometimes be anything but peaceful. Preparing the house for guests, getting the food ready, completing all the Christmas shopping for kids and grandkids, and then there’s all that wrapping. As I think about Christ’s birth, I wonder if it was a little crazier than the song lets on. With the census taking place, Bethlehem would have been booming with activity. On top of the craziness of the virgin birth, there was no room for Joseph and Mary to stay, which led to the Christ Child being born among the stinky, loud animals.
Two weeks before Christmas, we did an activity with our M.S. & H.S. students called “The Christmas Story Worship Experience.” Students self-navigated six different stations around the church, all having something to do with the characters of the Christmas story. I was surprised to hear that one of the most enjoyed stations by students was called, “Silent Night.” They simply went into a darkened sanctuary with the well-known, “Silent Night” playing quietly in the background. Their only instruction at this station was to sit quietly in silence for 4 minutes, trying to clear all their mind’s activity with the help of Holy Spirit. After their time was up, they were asked to reflect on the experience in a few sentences. I’m always amazed at our student’s honesty, vulnerability, and willingness to try something new. Here are a few of their responses:
- The experience was calming and awesome. It was not hard at all! It was also very refreshing for me. I got a lot closer to God too!
- It was hard to block out the noises of friends.
- It was hard to stay still. I had to really focus. It felt like the Holy Spirit was right there with me though.
- All I thought about was having to study for semester exams and worrying about that.
- It was honestly hard because it’s hard to focus on nothing. Along with every little sound you hear makes you think.
- It was very calming and relaxing. Giving myself the chance to think and pray was refreshing. I would like to do this on a daily basis.
- It was complicating because I have such high ADHD. My mind was everywhere.
- It was both hard and refreshing. At first, it felt like time was moving as slow as a snail. I prayed about 2 minutes and after that it was easy to just close my eyes and think.
- It was peaceful and nice to be able to slow down in a busy world.
- It was very relaxing because I was not stressing out. It was hard though because I kept wanting to sing the song.
- It felt weird not having something to worry about, but it felt refreshing and calming.
- It was calming and helped me slow down all of my thoughts.
- It’s really hard for me to just sit there and be silent minded. I have a very busy mind. Being still made me kind of anxious. I don’t really do that a lot, so it was different. It was actually something that calmed me.
Verse 2 of the song proclaims this:
Silent night, holy night,
Darkness flies, all is light;
Shepherds hear the angels sing,
"Alleluia! hail the King!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born."
It was a holy night, for a holy King, who came for us. As we dive into the New Year, maybe you could devote some time to being silent, waiting and listening to what opportunities God may have for you in the days and months ahead. This task certainly won’t be easy, and with the pace of our lives, it seems likely that you’ll have to schedule this time yourself. Would you be willing to carve out some time this week to sit quietly by yourself and be silent?
Blessings to each of you in the New Year,
Bryce
