Contemplate Christmas Carols
Christmas is swiftly approaching. I know it is all too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and feel stressed by the busyness of this season. There is much to do. There are gifts to purchase or to make, cookies to buy or to bake, in addition to countless other tasks to accomplish. I am grateful that dear friends helped me decorate again this year. I am very pleased that their talented artistic touches have made it festive in my home. This year I have a sense of anticipation. I want to not only get my house ready; I want to prepare my heart as well.
It is good for us to always remember what God did for us in sending Jesus. At this time of year His birth for our redemption can come into clearer focus as we anticipate Christmas.
I wonder if any of you have ideas to share regarding activities or traditions that help you get into the spirit of the true meaning of CHRISTMAS. Celebrations and Traditions by John and Kathy Stockman offers resources and activities to make holidays special. Visit their website at: http://celebrationsandtraditions.com/
Listening to inspirational carols is a common and uplifting way to help us celebrate the birth of our Savior. I decided to post a series of blog entries in which I highlight beloved carols.
Let’s begin with excerpts from Handel’s Messiah, Below is a synopsis from the Wikipedia website:
Handel's Messiah has been described by the early-music scholar Richard Luckett as "a commentary on [Jesus Christ's] Nativity, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension", beginning with God's promises as spoken by the prophets and ending with Christ's glorification in heaven.. In his libretto, Jennens's intention was not to dramatise the life and teachings of Jesus, but to acclaim the "Mystery of Godliness",[16] using a compilation of extracts from the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer.[17]
The three-part structure of the work approximates to that of Handel's three-act operas, with the "parts" subdivided by Jennens into "scenes". Each scene is a collection of individual numbers or "movements" which take the form of recitatives, arias and choruses.[16] There are two instrumental numbers, the opening Sinfony[n 2] in the style of a French overture, and the pastoral Pifa, often called the "pastoral symphony", at the mid-point of Part I.[19]
In Part I, the Messiah's coming and the Virgin Birth are predicted by the Old Testament prophets. The annunciation to the shepherds of the birth of the Christ is represented in the words of St Luke's Gospel. Part II covers Christ's Passion and his death, his Resurrection and Ascension, the first spreading of the Gospel through the world, and a definitive statement of God's glory summarised in the "Hallelujah". Part III begins with the promise of Redemption, followed by a prediction of the Day of Judgment and the "general Resurrection", ending with the final victory over sin and death and the acclamation of Christ.[20] According to the musicologist Donald Burrows, much of the text is so allusive as to be largely incomprehensible to those ignorant of the biblical accounts.[16] For the benefit of his audiences, Jennens printed and issued a pamphlet explaining the reasons for his choices of scriptural selections.
Following are links for your listening enjoyment
Handel: Messiah, For unto us a child is born (Sir Colin Davis, Tenebrae, LSO)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS3vpAWW2Zc
Hallelujah Chorus King’s College Choir
It is good for us to always remember what God did for us in sending Jesus. At this time of year His birth for our redemption can come into clearer focus as we anticipate Christmas.
I wonder if any of you have ideas to share regarding activities or traditions that help you get into the spirit of the true meaning of CHRISTMAS. Celebrations and Traditions by John and Kathy Stockman offers resources and activities to make holidays special. Visit their website at: http://celebrationsandtraditions.com/
Listening to inspirational carols is a common and uplifting way to help us celebrate the birth of our Savior. I decided to post a series of blog entries in which I highlight beloved carols.
Let’s begin with excerpts from Handel’s Messiah, Below is a synopsis from the Wikipedia website:Handel's Messiah has been described by the early-music scholar Richard Luckett as "a commentary on [Jesus Christ's] Nativity, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension", beginning with God's promises as spoken by the prophets and ending with Christ's glorification in heaven.. In his libretto, Jennens's intention was not to dramatise the life and teachings of Jesus, but to acclaim the "Mystery of Godliness",[16] using a compilation of extracts from the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer.[17]
The three-part structure of the work approximates to that of Handel's three-act operas, with the "parts" subdivided by Jennens into "scenes". Each scene is a collection of individual numbers or "movements" which take the form of recitatives, arias and choruses.[16] There are two instrumental numbers, the opening Sinfony[n 2] in the style of a French overture, and the pastoral Pifa, often called the "pastoral symphony", at the mid-point of Part I.[19]
In Part I, the Messiah's coming and the Virgin Birth are predicted by the Old Testament prophets. The annunciation to the shepherds of the birth of the Christ is represented in the words of St Luke's Gospel. Part II covers Christ's Passion and his death, his Resurrection and Ascension, the first spreading of the Gospel through the world, and a definitive statement of God's glory summarised in the "Hallelujah". Part III begins with the promise of Redemption, followed by a prediction of the Day of Judgment and the "general Resurrection", ending with the final victory over sin and death and the acclamation of Christ.[20] According to the musicologist Donald Burrows, much of the text is so allusive as to be largely incomprehensible to those ignorant of the biblical accounts.[16] For the benefit of his audiences, Jennens printed and issued a pamphlet explaining the reasons for his choices of scriptural selections.
Following are links for your listening enjoyment
Handel: Messiah, For unto us a child is born (Sir Colin Davis, Tenebrae, LSO)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS3vpAWW2Zc
Hallelujah Chorus King’s College Choir
Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE 
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