Tuesday - December 24, 2024

Kris Baker

SILENT NIGHT


Silent Night! Holy Night!

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon godly tender pair

Holy infant with curly hair

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!

Brought the world gracious light

Down from heaven's golden height

Comes to us the glorious sight:

Jesus, as one of mankind

Jesus, as one of mankind.


Silent Night! Holy Night!

By his love, by his might

God our Father us has graced

As a brother gently embraced

Jesus, all nations on earth

Jesus, all nations on earth.


Silent Night! Holy Night!

Long ago, minding our plight

God the world from misery freed

In the dark age of our fathers decreed:

All the world is redeemed

All the world is redeemed.


Silent Night! Holy Night!

Shepherds first saw the sight

Of angels singing alleluia

Calling clearly near and far:

Christ, the saviour is born

Christ the Saviour is born.

Translated by Bettina Klein


© 1998 Silent Night Museum


WORDS OF HOPE


The lyrics for this quintessential Christmas carol were written in 1816 by Joseph Mohr, a Catholic priest. Mohr’s original German text was inspired by a winter walk that took him through the streets of Salzburg during the nighttime quiet. It wasn’t until two years later that Joseph Mohr shared his poem with his friend, Franz Xaver Gruber, who then set the text to music with a guitar accompaniment.


“Silent Night” was first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818 with Joseph Mohr singing and playing the guitar with the choir of Saint Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria. This carol was introduced to others by an organ builder who took a copy of the music and shared it with some traveling singers. Having been translated into over 300 languages, “Silent Night” now has become a beloved part of Christmas celebrations all over the world.


As you read the above words of this carol, you may have found that some of them sound unfamiliar; that is because the typical English version contains only three verses—one, two, and six above. Though the three verses that we typically sing paint a beautiful image of the night of our Savior’s birth, the omission of half of the Joseph Mohr’s original text drastically changes the story that he wrote. Verses 1, 2, and 6 describe the night of Jesus’s birth. 3, 4, and 5 tell of the meaning of the birth of the Christ child.


Verse 3 reminds us of the humanity of Jesus…”Jesus as one of mankind.” We often forget this aspect of Jesus. He walked as one of us and gave us the example of how we are to navigate this world as “one of mankind.”


The fourth verse is a celebration of freedom and peace. Joesph Mohr wrote this poem just as the Napoleonic Wars were ending. Salzburg was one of the last places to be freed from Bavarian occupation. Mohr’s words, “Jesus, all nations on earth” are offered as a prayer of thanksgiving for the peace and freedom that Mohr and the people of Austria have been gifted.


Though Austria at this time was primarily a Roman Catholic state, there were those who were still practicing pre-Christian rituals. Though it was the Catholic Church’s stance that these souls needed to be “saved,” Mohr himself is believed to have been a bit more liberal in his thinking, which led to the text of the fifth verse, which conveys Mohr’s belief that God will redeem ALL of the world.


“Silent Night” is often sung as the final carol or hymn of Christmas Eve services. Aside from making that service a bit longer, what would happen if we all entered into our Christmas celebrations with the message of the complete poem in our hearts? Rather than singing only of an image of a single night, what if we were to include thoughts of Jesus the human being who was sent to bring freedom and peace to all nations and humankind by a God who loves all nations and all humankind? By including these typically omitted verses, “Silent Night” goes from being about an image we see with our eyes to something we can feel deeply in our souls, a feeling that amplifies the meaning of the carol’s final words…”Christ the Savior is born.”



PRAYER


“Christ the Savior is born. All the world is redeemed. Jesus, all nations on earth. Jesus, as one of mankind. Jesus, Lord at thy birth. Sleep in heavenly peace.” Amen.



DEVOTION AUTHOR


Kris Baker

Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare


Need More Inspiration? Read our Daily Devotions

Friday - December 5, 2025

By Thomas Riggs • December 5, 2025
SCRIPTURE Acts 13:16-25 So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak: Fellow Israelites and others who fear God, listen.  WORDS OF HOPE He self-describes as an “unattractive little man with a nasally, professorial voice.” He is an unassuming introvert who prefers time behind the cover a book or watching great old movies. He is proficient at playing the tuba, having once been a member of the University of Michigan Marching Band. Even with his name, he prefers the unassuming moniker of ‘Bob’ rather than ‘Robert.’ When you go to hear him preach, however, you are met with a giant. In his Presbyterian robe and stole, he settles into his pulpit and one cannot help but be enraptured by his ability to drop you into the narrative. He is a brilliant homiletician, opening the passages of scripture to the listener in such a way as everyone in the room can understand. After 30+ years in that same pulpit, Bob continues to open scripture and reveal a Savior who, like him, is unassuming, brilliant, graceful, and loving. When he steps up to the podium, he starts with a short explanation of the Scripture he is about to read. Then, as he is about to begin, he stops and looks lovingly at the assembled congregation. Purposefully and intently, he pauses, then says: “Listen.” Wherever your mind was before that moment, your focus is immediately drawn towards this unpretentious man with the nasally voice. Your inner monologue about your shopping list, your uncomfortable shoes, the noisy child two pews over, and the strangers in the back pew ceases. With the word “Listen” spoken intently and resolutely, you turn your attention to the scripture about to be read and the homily about to be shared. When Paul begins his sermon in Pisidian Antioch, he gestures to the assembled Israelites and Gentiles and summons them to himself with one word: Listen. And listen they did, hearing Paul recount God’s sovereign action in Israel’s history, in the wilderness and in the period of Judges and Kings. Paul invites his listeners to remember the story they belong to—a story shaped not by their achievements, but by God’s faithful initiative. Eventually, Paul’s words lead to God’s ultimate act of faithfulness: the sending of Jesus, the promised Savior. He stood before them and reminded them that the starting point of faith is simply this: “Listen.” Before God calls us to act, God calls us to pay attention to what He has already done. Amid a culture that pressures us to perform and a smartphone-driven world where our attention is always drifting, Pastor Bob, the Apostle Paul, and the still small voice of God calls us into a posture of humility and receptivity. How can we tune in when the voice beckons us with the word ‘Listen’? PRAYER Lord, quiet the noise within and around us so we may LISTEN and truly hear the story of Your faithfulness. Teach us to listen with humble and open hearts, ready to receive the grace You so gently speak. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs

Thursday - December 4, 2025

By Jonathon McClellan • December 4, 2025
SCRIPTURE Proverbs 22.1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. WORDS OF HOPE Greed is an inglorious miseducation which teaches us that the difference between less and more is our happiness. The assertion is that those with less are poor and that those with more are rich. Ironically, the acquisition of wealth is thought to lead one to happiness; however, endeavoring for wealth which cannot be enjoyed after one’s years are spent acquiring it is a bitter venture only realized by the time it is too late to get the time back. This is poverty: spending your whole life trying to get rich and gaining nothing but regrets and the desire for more time in the end. Our true wealth is the time we have to spend with the ones we love. We have time to discover the beauty of this world, to build relationships, and to leave this world better than we found it. None of these things require money to attain more than the requirement of our time. Happiness is inexpensive but time is priceless. Yet, for every one person who finds satisfaction there are nine hundred and ninety-nine who want more. This is blindness: there is enough food in the world to feed everyone, but people are dying of hunger. There are people who live modest lives. They may wear the same clothes every day and only eat what they can grow but are smiling from within out of an abundance of wealth that few understand. It is long overdue that humanity asked the honest question...why? Why do we need so much? We have the resources needed to meet the physical needs of every living person on Earth but lack the vision to make it happen. Jesus once warned us that it profits us nothing if in the end, we gain the world but lose our souls. PRAYER God our provider, Teach us not only to desire what we have, but also, to share what we have with others. Keep us from the path of confusion, and from trying to monopolize wealth and happiness. Grant this world the true riches of Your love. Let Your companionship be treasured far more than jewels. Help us, to not only see our own needs, but also, the needs of our neighbors. Bless You, for You provide all that we need and more than we desire. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Tuesday - November 4, 2025

By Donald (Luke) Day • December 4, 2025
SCRIPTURE James 5. 1-6 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. WORDS OF HOPE We hear a lot of discussion these days about enormous wealth verses the plight of the poor. The writer of the Book of James does not hold back in his condemnation of the lifestyle practiced by the worst of the selfish rich in his community. People who follow a faith- based lifestyle, rich or poor, are taught to do good, be honest and caring toward others without a thought of being given credit. Some people do a lot of good but always want to be recognized for their deeds. For example, they may give a sizable donation to build a homeless shelter, but they want their name attached to the project. They need to be recognized for their philanthropy. I am reminded of this gospel story: Jesus was sitting with his disciples in the Jerusalem Temple while people were passing by and placing money into the offering chest. Many rich people placed in large sums of money and their coins made lots of noise. Then a poor widow passed by and deposited two tiny copper coins, worth less than a penny today. In Mark12.41, Jesus commended the widow's generosity and told his disciples: "This poor widow has put in more than those who are rich. For they contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on." Her gift to the offering didn't make noise as it fell into the treasury chest. Her offering came from a quiet and humble heart which acknowledged the goodness of God who was the foundation and source of her livelihood. Likewise, when we pray giving thanks for the love that we share with one another, we should also give praise for God's love. For God's goodness and love is the source of the Christian's expression of goodness to others. The goodness that we express is only a reflection of the pure goodness of God. PRAYER Gracious God, as I reflect on how I want to begin each new day of life with you and others, may I be more faithful and consistent in my life's witness to your redeeming love and care. Open my eyes to the opportunities which you will provide whereby I can help others find you as a rich source of comfort and guidance for their life. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Wednesday - December 3, 2025

By Hardy Haberman • December 3, 2025
SCRIPTURE Matthew 24:23-24 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’—do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. WORDS OF HOPE Sometimes I think we are all looking for a Messiah, someone to come in and fix everything. And we want it to happen fast. Maybe that’s why politicians who claim to have all the answers seem so popular. After all, messiahs make everything so much easier. We can feel free to make a mess of our lives if we believe there is an easy fix. A “get out of jail, free” card. A magical solution to everything. We can feel free to continue to sully the earth and destroy the environment, as long as we believe some outside force will magically make everything better. Isn’t that what some preachers tell us? If I read the words of Jesus correctly, he never really says any of that, and he warns us of false Messiahs, prophets and tricksters. He doesn’t even claim that for himself. What he offers us is a way. A way of living and behaving that can bring heaven to earth. It is not cheap salvation, but a process that takes time and work and most of all an ethical compass that reminds us, “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” PRAYER May we remember that we are God’s hands here on earth. May the words of Jesus guide our work and our lives that we may indeed bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman

Tuesday - December 2, 2025

By Donald (Luke) Day • December 2, 2025
SCRIPTURE Psalm 57.1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me; for it is in you that my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge. WORDS OF HOPE The Israelite King Saul was hunting to kill the young warrior David who had sought refuge and hid in a distant cave. Sometimes the world around us may be turned upside down with dangerous threats and loss. Like David, we too need a sure and safe refuge to anchor our lives and quiet the worries of our heart. The world may offer potential solutions or mind-numbing options, but David models for us the best solution for these moments of crisis... turn to God's loving care. You may hide under the protection of God’s wings and still get scratches and a nosebleed, but you won't end up mortally wounded! In all things, give praise to God! In I Chronicles 16:8-9, we read: "Give thanks to the Lord, call on God's name, make God’s deeds known among the people. Sing, sing praises to God." David didn’t stay hidden in that cave. After he fought the Philistines and recaptured the Ark of the Covenant, he brought it safely back to Israelite territory and ordered celebrations. This verse begins a hymn of praise to God. Since then, many official statements and hymns have been composed to praise and thank God. But, what about your personal life experience? Is it filled with genuine thanksgiving to the Creator God? What is your personal hymn of praise? Each of us receives more blessings per hour than we can count. Do thanks flow off your tongue giving thanks and praise to our Lord? Praising God's nature and love is the basis of our spiritual life. From ancient rabbinic literature it is said: "In the world to come, all sacrifice [and offering] will cease, but the sacrifice of thanksgiving will remain forever; equally, all confessional statements will cease, but the confession of our thanksgiving to God will remain forever." Let it be so in our lives. PRAYER Lord God, as I journey through daily activities, may the multitude of these divinely inspired words help me to focus on your desires for my life. Keep me safe and on the right path with you. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Monday - December 1, 2025

By Dan Peeler • December 1, 2025
SCRIPTURE  Nehemiah 8. 2-4 So, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand…And he read from it facing the square … from early morning until midday, in the presence of the women and the men and all those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood all the Levite Priests. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it, all the people stood. WORDS OF HOPE All of us have heard a sermon, or perhaps many sermons, that have truly transformed our lives. The Bible, especially the Hebrew Scriptures, has its share of sermons, too. This one delivered by Ezra the scribe transformed the lives of an entire nation. And all he did was read aloud the Books of Moses. The people were profoundly changed by the Word of God. Nehemiah, the first Governor of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period, likely recounted this Hebrew Scripture event as a first-hand witness. As a background to the story, the people, after many years in Babylonian captivity, had just returned to their homeland. Many of them had not had the opportunity to hear a reading of their own Holy Scriptures for decades. The young among them had never heard it. Ezra’s public reading was more in the nature of the headline act at a rock concert. A special stage had been constructed for the event and his backup vocals were a team of venerable Levites, the famous tribe of priests who could answer scripture questions on the spot. It was a Revival even beyond the level of the legendary Billy Graham Crusades from the middle of the last century. Ezra’s formula was one of faith in the power of the word when read aloud, accurately interpreted, and applied, to inspire spiritual renewal. He was building a cohesive community with a shared commitment to follow God's laws of mutual love. The event also reminds us that this was a time in the history of the children of Israel when their patriarchal society gave way to welcoming all women as well as young people who were old enough to understand the message. All were included. Some were shocked, saddened by their years of neglecting their own scriptures, but Ezra reminded them that the ultimate purpose of God's Words is to inform us of the salvation they bring. Today, we have the privilege of hearing God’s message read every Sunday at church, and being a literate society, every day in our own homes if we choose. The next time you are asked to please rise for the reading of the Gospel, remember that Ezra’s congregation stood from early morning until noon to hear the reading of God’s Word. In your own life, whether in church or during those voluminous conversations on social media, do you stand for the Word of God? PRAYER God of Salvation, may your Words always be our own Words and may they always be words of Hope. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
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