Casting Crowns – Somewhere in Your Silent Night

Casting crowns began as a youth worship band started by youth pastor Mark Hall.  It morphed and exploded into popularity over the years.

Casting Crowns released several albums and one EP, including:

• Casting Crowns (2001)
• What If the Whole World Prayed (2002)
• Casting Crowns (2003)
• Live from Atlanta (2004)
• Lifesong (2005)
• Lifesong Live (2006)
• The Altar and the Door (2007)
• Peace on Earth (2008)
• The Altar and the Door Live (2008)
• Until the Whole World Hears (2009)
• Until the Whole World Hears… Live (2010)
• Come to the Well (2011)
• The Acoustic Sessions: Volume One (2013)
• Thrive (2014)
• A Live Worship Experience (2015)
• Glorious Day: Hymns of Faith (2015)
• The Very Next Thing (2016)
• It’s Finally Christmas (EP, 2017)
• Only Jesus (2018)
• Voice of Truth: The Ultimate Collection (2019)
• New York Sessions (2019)
• Scars in Heaven (2021)
• Healer (2022)

Also, check out my reviews of I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day, Scars in Heaven, Who Am I, The Power of the Cross, Oh My Soul, Praise You In This Storm, Nobody, What This World Needs, and If We Are The Body.

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Casting-crowns-somewhere-in-your-silent-night-lyrics.

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1. What message does the song communicate?

This song speaks of “silent night” in a different context than the Joseph Mohr original.  Casting Crowns speaks directly to you, their audience, and assumes that you are hurting amid the business and gladness that is Christmas.  While others sing joyfully, you are in bondage, seemingly out of reach from desired joy.  Yet, God hears you.  Casting Crowns, I think, is asking you to focus more on Jesus and less on your suffering.  He will respond.  After all, He came from heaven to become a small child and become the sacrifice for lawbreaking.  If He’s willing to do that, then He is willing to bring internal peace where anguish and suffering lie.  However, you must be willing to yield to His ways.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

All of it is Biblical.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1-4: The first line borrows from the second line of Joseph Mohr’s Silent Night.  However, the second line changes the meaning from Mary traveling with Joseph to the hearts of those around you.  The songs of Christmas are filled with gladness and tranquility, sung by people whom you perceive as equally joyful and filled with peace.  Yet, you feel empty inside (Psalm 43:5a and Psalm 42:11a).

[Chorus]

Lines 1 and 2: The first line is borrowed from Silent Night, again, with its meaning changed.  By “heaven”, Casting Crowns means God (1 John 5:14).

Lines 3 and 4: This is probably referencing Hebrews 12:2, that you should fix your eyes on Jesus, whose love has come to rescue you (John 3:16, Romans 5:6-8, and 1 John 4:9-10).

Line 5: Repeats line 1.

[Verse 2]

Line 1: References Christ’s migration from His throne in heaven to become one of us (Philippians 2:7).

Lines 2 and 3: How much further can the Son of God go than humility and death on the cross (Philippians 2:8)? The prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 contains the title that Jesus would be called: Prince of Peace.

Calvary (or Golgotha) is the place where Jesus was crucified (Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, and John 19:17).

Line 4: God’s love is bigger than your problems (Job 26:14, Job 37:5, Psalm 147:3-5, Jeremiah 32:27, Matthew 19:26, 2 Corinthians 13:4, and 1 Timothy 6:15-16).

Lines 5 and 6: God’s love for you is eternal because God is love (1 John 4:8).

[Bridge]

Lines 1 and 2: This is a subtle call to surrender (Psalm 43:5, Isaiah 64:8, Matthew 10:38, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34-38, Mark 10:28, Luke 9:23, Luke 14:27, John 15:1-11, Romans 6:13, Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 2:5-8, Hebrews 11:6, James 4:7-10, and 1 Peter 5:6).  We know that He meets you where you are because He died while you were a sinner (Romans 5:6-8).  However, bear in mind that this is no excuse to remain as you are.  The word “Emmanuel” comes from Matthew 1:23.  It means “God with us”, referencing Jesus as God who is with us.

Line 3: This is so because God knows all things (1 Kings 8:39, 1 Chronicles 28:9, Psalm 44:21, Psalm 139:4, Psalm 147:4-5, Isaiah 40:28, Matthew 10:30, John 16:30, John 21:17, Acts 1:24, Hebrews 4:13, and 1 John 3:20).

Line 4: See Verse 2, lines 1-3.

[Outro]

Line 1: Essentially repeats Chorus, line 4.

Lines 2 and 3: Repeats line 1.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Verse 2 contextualizes this song as Christmas when it mentions travel from Heaven to the manger.  It solidifies it as Christian when it speaks of the Prince of Peace and Calvary. Casting Crowns’ language is everyday, making their message easy to digest.  Unbelievers will probably conclude that this song is meant for the hurting, that if they lift their heads and hearts to God, He will meet them where they are and give them hope.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies Jesus as God the Son who came to us as a child, was sacrificed for our sins, knows our hurts and hang-ups, and is willing to hear our prayers.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Casting Crowns’ Somewhere in Your Silent Night is a bit different than your garden-variety Christmas song.  Rather than focusing on the joy and gladness of Christ’s birth, it draws attention to those in pain during the Christmas season, imploring them to go to God for help, bringing Him glory.  After all, He proved that He loves us by becoming one of us as the sacrifice for our sins.  Unbelievers should have little to no problem interpreting this song as a push to faith in Jesus.

This song might be good for an altar call or some other “special”, but its focus is primarily directed towards “you”, that we should surrender to Jesus.  Thus, it is not appropriate for corporate worship.

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: Somewhere in Your Silent Night (listen to the song)

Artist: Casting Crowns

EP: It’s Finally Christmas

Genre: Christmas, Pop

Release Year: 2017

Duration: 3:56

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