Good Grief!

Starmer knights Sadiq Khan in ‘reward for failure’.

Silent Night: The Story.

How a humble folk song became the world's best-known carol.

Neil Rees  24 December 2024.

(Photo: Getty/iStock)

At Christmas time, the best-loved of all Christmas carols is Silent Night. This is its story ...

The Song

Silent Night is a favourite Christmas song, and most people would be forgiven for thinking it was a traditional English carol. Yet the original song was not written in English but in German. In fact, it was not originally written as a song at all but as a poem.

Origins

In 1816, Joseph Franz Mohr (1792–1848), an assistant Catholic priest, wrote a poem with six verses called Stille Nacht. The original inspiration came from seeing the town of Mariapfarr, near Salzburg, lying beneath a blanket of freshly fallen snow on a still night. The year 1816 marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and the words Stille Nacht also reflected the silence of peace.

The original German words were:

"Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft, einsam wacht,
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar,
Holder Knab' im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!"

There was a tradition in Bavaria and Austria that church organists would compose folk songs for Midnight Mass. So it was that, on Christmas Eve 1818, Joseph Franz Mohr, who was then the pastor of St Nicholas Catholic Church in Oberndorf near Salzburg, wanted a new song for the Midnight Mass. He took his poem to the choirmaster and organist, Franz Xaver Gruber.

However, there was an added problem: the church organ was out of action. One story suggests it had been flooded, while another claims mice had gnawed at the bellows.

Gruber took the poem and composed music for guitar and two solo voices. They walked to St Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, where Mohr conducted the Midnight Mass, and Stille Nacht was sung for the first time. Gruber played guitar, and Mohr sang the bass part. The congregation liked it so much that they asked for it to be sung again, and it became part of their Christmas worship.

Among the congregation was Karl Mauracher, who had come from Zillertal to repair the church organ. He was so impressed by the song that he took the sheet music back with him and taught it to others. In the 1830s, Tyrolean folk singers from Zillertal (the Ziller Valley) performed the song in Austria, and it slowly spread throughout Austria and Germany. By 1832, it was being sung at the Leipzig Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market).

In 1839, the Ludwig Rainer choir travelled from Austria to the USA and sang folk songs at the Alexander Hamilton Monument near Trinity Church in New York. It was then that Stille Nacht was first sung in an English-speaking country.

English Translation

There are two main English versions of the carol.

Around 1860, an American Episcopal priest in New York, the Reverend John Freeman Young (1820–1885), translated the first, second, and sixth verses of the original Stille Nacht into what became the familiar Silent Night. Verses four and five were not related to Christmas. His version was first published in a collection called Carols for Christmas-Tide. The first verse reads:

"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."

Another version was translated by the Irish clergyman the Reverend Stopford Augustus Brooke (1832–1916). He was ordained into the Anglican Church and, in 1881, wrote Christian Hymns, in which Still the Night was hymn number 55. This used to be the best-known version in the UK. The first verse reads:

"Still the night, Holy the night,
Sleeps the world, hid from sight,
Mary and Joseph in stable bare,
Watch o'er the child, belovèd and fair,
Sleeping in heavenly peace,
Sleeping in heavenly peace."

Christmas Truce

The carol has been translated into many other languages and is sung all over the world. In 1914, during the Great War (later known as the First World War), there was a truce at Christmas. A German soldier began singing Stille Nacht on Christmas Eve, and British soldiers joined in, singing Still the Night in English. This was the version commonly found in pre-war British songbooks and hymnals.

Recordings

The song has been recorded many times. It was first recorded by the Edison Male Quartette and the Haydn Quartet in Philadelphia in 1905. One of the most famous recordings was by Bing Crosby in 1942. After becoming a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic, the American Silent Night version started to gain popularity in the UK. Today, British carol singers often sing either version.

The song has since been covered by numerous artists, including Julie Andrews, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, Barbra Streisand, The Temptations, The Carpenters, Simon & Garfunkel, Gloria Estefan, Mariah Carey, Enya, Whitney Houston, Taylor Swift, Susan Boyle, Annie Lennox, Rod Stewart, Destiny's Child, and Justin Bieber.

Silent Night on the Muppets

One of the most famous renditions of the song's story came during an hour-long Christmas special of The Muppets, first aired on 5 December 1979. During a quiet interlude, John Denver tells the story of Silent Night to the Muppets. Denver, Miss Piggy, the Swedish Chef, Kermit the Frog, Gonzo, and other Muppets then sing the first verse in German, followed by English. The children in the audience join in, and the special ends with the Muppets wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Many who watched the original broadcast remember it fondly.

Legacy

Silent Night is now the world's most recorded Christmas song and perhaps the most covered song of all time. It is sung across the world and by all denominations. In 2011, UNESCO declared Silent Night an intangible cultural heritage. CT.

Revelation 3.

  20) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Birdie.

 

Power, Love & Self-Control.

 

Bye Jimmy. May God's Blessings Rest on You.

Tributes paid to former president and devout Baptist Jimmy Carter

Tributes paid to former president and devout Baptist Jimmy Carter Tributes have been paid to former US President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Sunday afternoon at the age of 100.

Tributes have been paid to former US President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Sunday afternoon at the age of 100.

CofE.

 Church of England must open files for others to scrutinise.

Sean O’Neill

Monday December 30 2024, 12.01am GMT, The Times

This time of year usually sees the Church of England enjoying its best headlines. The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Christmas message is a staple of seasonal news bulletins. Not this year. There was no festive message from Justin Welby, who is in his final days as lame duck archbishop after resigning over the John Smyth abuse report.

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, who will step temporarily into the lead role, is also under pressure to quit over his handling of the case of a predatory priest who was promoted and kept in ministry despite his abusive conduct being well known to church leaders.

Three previous archbishops of Canterbury or York— Carey, Sentamu and Hope — have also had their legacies tainted by their handling of safeguarding cases. One reason for the Church’s problems is that it is swaddled in secrecy.

• The Times view on the Church of England: Damaged Church

In 2020, after another bungled safeguarding case, Cottrell said that he wanted “a new spirit of openness and transparency”. But the outside experts who were brought in to improve the Church in this area speak of broken promises, difficulties finding information and ignored recommendations.

If it is to survive, the Church needs the disinfectant of sunlight. It could start by submitting itself to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act, opening its files to scrutiny.

Although congregations have been shrinking for decades, the Church still plays a major role in Britain’s national life. A quarter of all primary schools and 228 secondary schools are Church of England; about one million children receive a Church education. There are 26 bishops in the House of Lords, able to vote on legislation that has an impact on every citizen.

• Bishops’ Christmas messages reflect on ‘troubled’ Church

Yet the workings of the Church, including its stewardship of great wealth and property (you should see some of these bishops’ palaces), are off limits, even for ordinary churchgoers. A recent appeal to the government to bring this institution within the ambit of the freedom of information legislation was rejected.

Whitehall’s reply was that the act was “one of the key mechanisms for accountability” that had “helped to set a benchmark on transparency and openness”. However there were “no plans” to bring the national church institutions (the cathedrals and the offices of the bishops) within its scope.

That decision should be reconsidered. The Church seems to prioritise its own reputation over doing the right thing. It is incapable of reforming itself. Its files should be opened for others to inspect, expose and point the way forward. The Times.

The problem with the King's Gospel. It Wasn't! (Reminder: The Christ Mass Is All About JESUS.)

David Robertson  27 December 2024.

King Charles delivering his Christmas Day speech.

In a year when the Archbishop of Canterbury was forced to resign, and with continued decline in attendances in the Church of England and yet more scandals, I listened with interest to the titular head of that Church, King Charles, giving his Christmas message. Would he speak of the real challenges the Church and society are facing? Would he offer some kind of meaty message, rather than the saccharine sap we are so used to hearing? Would his message stimulate thought or provide hope to those who are in great need of it?

Sadly the message was largely the same moralistic, do it yourself, multifaith religion – with rightful tributes being paid to servicemen and women, volunteers and doctors and nurses. As the head of the Church of England you might have expected the King to offer a little bit more specifically Christian comment, but this was basic humanist doctrine, tinged with a splash of religiosity which I suspect would satisfy no one who actually listened to what was being said.

To be fair, King Charles is nothing if not consistent. His Christmas message this year was similar to the one I commented on two years ago and his Thought for the Day delivered at Christmas 2016.

Why the King's Christmas speech concerns me In this 'inner light' world, what religion you are does not matter.

However there were some differences. This was only the third time in 100 years that the talk was not recorded in a royal residence. The fact that it took place in a former hospital chapel was particularly poignant given the King's own cancer issues, and that of his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales.

He was surely right to reflect on the 80th anniversary of D-Day – but I am always a little uneasy at the simplistic view of war which is so often espoused on these occasions. I'm sure there were many soldiers, sailors and airmen who did 'give of themselves so courageously' and who do serve as 'an example of service and selflessness'. But not all. Servicemen and women did not have a choice. They were conscripted. Implying that these men and women were volunteers who sacrificed themselves for our greater good is not quite the whole truth. Many would have felt as though they were the sacrifice.

Another difficulty within the speech was how out of touch it was in some areas. Not least when he stated that "During previous commemorations we were able to console ourselves with the thought that these tragic events seldom happen in the modern era.

"But, on this Christmas Day, we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflict – in the Middle East, in Central Europe, in Africa and elsewhere – pose a daily threat to so many people's lives and livelihoods." CT.

2025 And Thereafter.

What will 2025 and beyond require of Evangelical leaders?

By Marlon De Blasio, Op-ed contributor Thursday, December 26, 2024.

Unsplash/Christian Walker

The changing world of 2025 and beyond will arrive with unnerving challenges for Christians. Evangelical ministry cannot remain static amidst complicated cultural whirlwinds. So, what type of Evangelical leadership will be required in that context?

The Christian leadership of previous generations served its epochs well, but in today’s world unprecedented fluidity will be essential. Even the Apostle Paul acknowledged fluid leadership for the challenges that faced his political and religious culture: “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the Gospel“ (1 Cor. 9:22).

Believers are more educated today and their yearning for genuine Christian leadership is in high demand. Reports have indicated that Christian leaders are now trusted less, and that is a primary reason for declining church attendance. George Barna was recently quoted as suggesting “that pastors would be wise to examine their practices and reputations.”

I believe there are five essential traits for effective evangelical leadership as we move into 2025 and beyond.

Egoism not required

Leadership roles command much respect in Evangelicalism. It’s just the way it is. So there are ambitions for titles, chair positions, honorary designations, credentials, and many leaders can become susceptible to the inordinate supply of attention to the elevated status. Only those who are profoundly experienced in the grace of God can overcome the pitfalls of a “god complex.” Sadly many leaders become intoxicated with the belief that they are the smartest guy in the room. This egoism is dangerous and will eventually wreak havoc in a ministry.

Many such leaders begin to flirt with gray areas as they dupe themselves into believing that God has favored and exempted them from rules that apply to everyone else. People are wising up to hypocrisy and this will lead to more confrontations with egoism. I would caution ministries to manage with the right spirit and by proper procedures make leadership more accountable. Imprimis, ministries should become more cognizant of appointing and supporting leaders devoid of egoism.

A Message from

Engagement with contemporary challenges

Throughout biblical and Church history, the great leaders possessed a remarkable discernment of their times. Moses, Joseph in Egypt, Joshua, the prophets, Daniel, Ester, John the Baptist, and the Apostle Paul, all demonstrated keen discernment of their cultural contexts both inside and outside of their faith communities. Subsequent great leaders did too, Martin Luther, John Wesley, William Wilberforce, C.S. Lewis and there is not enough space here to mention many others who discerned their times. Their words and actions weighed heavily and impacted the issues of the day. Sophisticated and complex challenges are coming, and Evangelicalism will require wise and discerning leaders who will be competent in unpacking biblical resolutions.

Personal conviction of God’s grace

The power of Christian faith rests solely on the basis of personally knowing the grace of God. There will be no way around this. None. Jesus was clear: “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:7). Evangelicalism can only survive because of the Spirit’s power to regenerate by God’s grace. Then leaders and believers will possess an unmistakable experience that, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16).

Only this foundational faith will withstand the calamities of intellectual and cultural onslaughts that portend. Moral teachings of a progressive fashion will implode tomorrow’s Evangelicalism because they will offer “the appearance of godliness” (2 Tim. 3:5) that people can learn in any self-help book. Influential evangelical leaders will be men and women who know their God and are personally assured that only His grace is the antidote to sin.

Keen knowledge of human beings

Humankind is flawed. It is self-centered and naturally rebellious against its Maker. The ways of the world are now characterized by people craving to be worshipped. Social media are filled with content makers who aspire to godlike status. People are finding the message of Evangelicalism distasteful in comparison with aggrandizing oneself. We are moving into a world where more and more people desire the deification of their personal brand. Evangelical leadership will be required to comprehend this self-centered psyche and graciously communicate the wonderful joys of submission to Christ. Appeals to the Christian faith will require insightful teachings on how to lead a happy Christian life and be productive in a world where temptations to selfishness are abounding.

Courage

The Bible says everywhere, “fear not.” Every generation has had to decipher how to stand strong in proclaiming the ageless message of God’s efficacious grace. Courage is a trait that distinguished all of the Christian leaders who made history. C. S. Lewis once said, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” In a world where the relevancy of the Christian faith is increasingly tested, future Evangelical leaders will require a unique confidence in maintaining that God’s grace remains legitimately relevant. Moreover, Evangelicalism will require leaders who can intelligently proclaim that “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced” (2 Tim. 1:12). Fear is emotionally crippling and will cause impediment to the effective evangelical leadership required for a changing culture that continually intimidates believers to be silent.

The writing is on the wall: cultural thought is becoming increasingly antipathetic to the Christian faith and employing sophisticated measures to silence the message of repentance and grace. As Solomon once observed, “See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes” (Eccl. 7:29). Already, parts of the Western world are by law prohibiting the use of certain Scriptures. How far will these restrictions and scheming go to halt Evangelical thought?

Regardless, the Christian faith will never be silenced. It will, however, require Evangelical leaders who are accountable, who can engage competently with cultural thought, prioritize a personal relationship with Christ, and demonstrate the courage and wisdom to communicate His grace to humankind. These traits will become indispensable for dynamic evangelical leadership.

Marlon De Blasio is a cultural apologist, Christian writer and author of Discerning Culture. He lives in Toronto with his family. Follow him at MarlonDeBlasio@Twitter   CP.

Please Pardon My Need To Vomit!

 https://www.christianpost.com/news/anglican-group-claims-not-everyone-in-bible-is-cisgender.html

Birdie With Tag.

 

The Greatest ...

Congo Baptisms.

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/christmas.day.baptisms.bring.hope.to.democratic.republic.of.congo.amid.fierce.conflict/142489.htm

Same Sick Hamas Tactics - Use Schools and Hospitals As Shields.

Israeli soldiers evacuate, burn hospital used as a 'Hamas terrorist stronghold'.

By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, December 28, 2024

A Palestinian man gestures toward ambulances transporting those wounded by an Israeli bombing to the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas militants. | AFP via Getty Images

Israeli soldiers evacuated patients and staff from a hospital in northern Gaza and set part of the facility on fire on Friday, saying it had served as a "Hamas terrorist stronghold" throughout the war. 

The Israeli military said in a statement the evacuation was carried out on Friday afternoon as part of an operation in the area of Kamal Adwan Hospital.

The Israel Defense Forces troops "facilitated the secure evacuation of civilians, patients and medical personnel" before beginning the operation. CP.

Gender-Change Activists Are Starting To Lose The Battle. Science MUST Triumph.

2024: The year the tide turned on radical gender ideology.

By Brent Leatherwood, Op-ed contributor Thursday, December 26, 2024.

Getty Images

What is a woman? This is the question that was posed by U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn to then-nominee for the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, during her Supreme Court confirmation hearings. By not providing a simple answer based on basic biology and instead deflecting to the role of an impartial judge, Jackson revealed something that contributed to the turning point regarding transgender ideology that we have witnessed in 2024.

As a woman herself, no one reasonably thinks Justice Jackson is unable to offer a definition of what constitutes a woman. But feeling the need to avoid responding in a direct fashion was a signal that Jackson, personally in that moment, had prioritized bowing to the bizarre and ever-changing cultural definitions of gender instead of a straightforward acknowledgement of what we all know to be true about the two sexes.

For many Americans, that a judge who is supposed to make decisions based on reality and facts would shy away from that in an answer, was the latest example of just how far down the path of insanity our culture had strayed—and they wanted no more of it. This is especially the case as it relates to children.

The 2024 election was seen by many as a chance to make a national statement about changing direction. And for a large portion of voters, President Trump represented the change they were seeking. An astounding 70% of Concerned Women of America exit poll participants said “Trump’s opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls and women’s sports and of trans boys and men using girls and women’s bathrooms,” was an important issue for them when voting.

New Exit Polls Confirm the Surprising Key Issue in the 2024 Election Macy Petty The 2024 election cycle routinely ranked abortion, the border, and the economy as the most prominent issues driv...

But to simply read this dynamic shift in the last two years through a political lens is to miss the ways the tide has turned for parents, within families, and in communities—both here in the U.S. and abroad.

A quick glance at the state of today’s youth reveals a troubling picture: a mental health crisis exacerbated by social media overuse; rising rates of depression, particularly among teenage girls; and a deepening sense of alienation among young men, sometimes culminating in violent outbursts. These challenges are compounded by cultural shifts catalyzed by the sexual revolution—shifts that push the fictional narrative that a boy can become a girl and vice versa.

A Message from

For decades, this progressive ideological push seemed unstoppable, especially for children. Yet, this year has brought a surprising and significant pushback, suggesting a return to biological reality is in order.

In April, the Cass Review, a study commissioned by the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, delivered a damning critique of puberty blockers and gender transition surgeries for children. The report highlighted the lack of scientific evidence supporting these practices, and its findings were affirmed across the political spectrum in the U.K. The fallout was swift, with U.K. policymakers reassessing the medical and ethical implications of such interventions.

UK NHS pauses transgender clinic appointments for minors after review: '... The United Kingdom s National Health Services will instruct gender clinics to implement a pause on first appoint...

Later this year, the controversy surrounding trans-identifying biological males competing in women’s sports came to the forefront in the United States. San Jose State’s volleyball team was credited with multiple forfeit victories after teams in the Mountain West Conference boycotted games against them for including a biological male who identifies as female. This incident underscored the tensions and practical challenges of enforcing fairness in sports under the banner of gender inclusivity.

More women’s college volleyball teams forfeit match against San Jose Sta... More women s volleyball teams have forfeited matches against San Jose State University because the California sc...

In December, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Skrmetti, a case centered on a Tennessee law banning gender transition “treatments” for minors. Tennessee is one of 26 states to enact such legislation, citing insufficient scientific support for these interventions and evidence of significant harm. While predicting a result based on oral arguments is often a fool’s errand, a majority of justices appeared reluctant to overturn Tennessee’s ban and instead may recognize the importance of the state’s role in protecting children from harm.

Finally, just a week ago, the U.K. extended its prohibition on the sale of puberty blockers for minors, with a legislative review set for 2027. This marks yet another step in the growing global resistance to radical gender ideology.

UK bans puberty blockers for gender dysphoria ‘indefinitely’: 'Unaccepta... The United Kingdom has moved to ban the use of puberty blockers on trans-identified children for the foreseeable...

Without a doubt, our society remains largely libertine, adhering to the belief that “as long as it doesn’t harm anyone, anything goes.” However, the question of harm —particularly when it comes to children —is now being scrutinized more closely. Though I would articulate my objections about transgender ideology for any age or for any context, it’s one thing for adults to subject themselves to radical “treatments;” it’s another thing entirely when that is forced upon innocent children —and asking society at large to just acquiesce to this.

When children undergo these radical “treatments,” the harmful effects spread to how we interact and live with one another. When a teenage girl loses her spot on the podium because she’s competing against a biological male in a swimming meet; or when a child comes home and describes his interaction with a child of a different gender in the locker room; or when a mom feels unsafe in a restroom facility at the mall, what might feel abstract or distant becomes deeply personal when it impacts one’s own family.

The key, however, is not merely to critique what is wrong but to present a positive and hopeful vision. Christians can point to the beauty of the family and a perspective that respects the God-created natural distinctions between male and female, that values the body as an integral part of personhood, and that sees human sexuality as a reflection of divine intent rather than personal whim. And we can do this even while acknowledging some individuals may feel a disconnect about how they perceive themselves. They are in need of support and care, not extreme experimentations that so often lead to destructive results—for them personally and people around them.

If 2024 has taught us anything, it is that cultural change is possible. The backlash against radical gender ideology suggests that people are hungry for a better story—one that affirms their worth, their bodies, and their God-given identity.

Brent Leatherwood was elected as president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission in 2022, after a year of leading the organization as acting president. CP.