"We Need a Silent Night in Here"

I was in Ireland when I got a text from one of my closest friends, Marsha Charles. It was the middle of the night. Of course I opened the text. I saw that it was an audio file and she was saying that this song had come up and out of her in about 30 minutes. She had been studying my descriptions of the Advent/Christmas worship series I was working on that would commemorate the 200th anniversary of "Silent Night." I knew if I listened to it right then I'd be up half the night. Because that's the effect her music has on most people. Well, I did listen and I was up for the next three hours. Because I instantly imagined this moment. This one right here. I could see choirs all over the country sending me videos so we could virtually sing this song together, an anthem of hope for peace and light, calm and bright in the world. And I imagined its message being shared by many people. And that is exactly what happened. So here you are... and I pray that these voices are inspiring you to reach out across whatever divisions you are experiencing in your life.

Just over 100 years ago, "Silent Night" was sung in English and German at the front lines in World War I. For just one day a truce was called and this song they all had in common became a symbol of our humanity. One soldier wrote, "They gave us cigars and cigarettes and toffee and they told us they didn’t want to fight, but had to... The Germans seem very nice chaps who were awfully sick of the war."

When will we be "awfully sick" of the divisions we create because of our fear of "the other," of those not like us? Let this be the moment we shift and work together to fight injustice and make the world a better place.



We want to gift you with the sheet music for your band/choir/community as well as the video download that ends with accompaniment for all four verses of Silent Night. This is FREE to you.

If you are able to do so, we invite you to donate to Religions for Peace, the world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition for peace. They work to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. Collaborators on this project, Marcia McFee and Worship Design Studio, Chuck Bell Music and Marsha Charles believe that these endeavors represent the kind of work we must support in order to make this world "calm and bright" for all people. And we believe that doing this together with all faith traditions ("however we might pray") is what it will take to make a difference.

Fill in the form below and we will send you the materials and links to donate whatever you can. Thank you!