Category: Faith and Spirituality

Handel’s Messiah-Announcing good news

An angel announced the birth of the Savior in Luke 2, bringing joy and a sign of hope. The text from Isaiah 9:6, referenced in Handel’s Messiah, highlights the significance of this birth, which inspired Handel’s composition in 1741. The piece, however, was originally intended for Easter, not Christmas.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

 But the angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2, NIV

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

"For unto us a son is given"
graphic from Lightstock.com, an affiliate link 

This Bible verse, Isaish 9:6 is used in Handel’s Messiah.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”

The Origins of Handel’s Messiah

(from Smithsonian Magazine)

Handel composed Messiah in an astounding interlude, somewhere between three and four weeks in August and September 1741.

“He would literally write from morning to night,” says Sarah Bardwell of the Handel House Museum in London.

The text was prepared in July by the prominent librettist, Charles Jennens, and was intended for an Easter performance the following year.

“I hope [Handel] will lay out his whole Genius & Skill upon it, that the Composition may excel all his former Compositions, as the Subject excels every other Subject,” Jennens wrote to a friend.

sharing the HEART of Christmas  

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Messiah isn’t just about Christ’s birth and wasn’t written for Christmas. Learn more in this post.

Surprising lessons you will learn waiting at an emergency room

This post explores the universal experience of waiting for health care, highlighting both patient and physician perspectives on delays for appointments, lab results, and approvals. It emphasizes that waiting can be difficult but may lead to valuable lessons. A biblical perspective encourages trust and hope during these times of waiting.

 

How much time do you spend waiting for health care?

  • You call your doctor’s office and get put on hold, waiting to talk to someone.
  • You schedule an appointment that you wait days or weeks for.
  • You go to the office and wait minutes or hours to be called back to the exam room.
  • You may decide to leave rather than wait hours for care in an emergency room.
Vietnamese people with bicycles, standing outside a clinic
People waiting to enter a medical clinic in vietnam.

 

I have waited for medical care too, from both sides, as a patient and as a doctor. Physicians wait-

  • for lab results
  • for xray and scan reports
  • for consultants to call or send evaluation findings
  • for insurance companies to pay claims
  • for prior authorizations for surgery and medications to be approved

 

We all have to wait and it usually isn’t by choice. Or pleasant.

clinicsign
People waiting at a medical clinic in Panama.

 

 

The Bible talks about waiting –

But those who wait  on the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
 
Isaiah 40:31, NKJV

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

Learn More

 

Other Bible versions translate the word “wait” as

  • “trust”- NLT and HCSB
  • “hope”-NIV
  • “expect, look for, hope” -AMPL

 

I think it’s easier to wait when you expect, hope for, and trust that waiting will lead to a good outcome, that your problem will be solved, your illness will be successfully treated, your pain eased, and your sorrow resolved.

 

Sometimes waiting teaches us valuable lessons that we might otherwise not know.

those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar like eagles Isaiah 40:31
Isaiah 40:31 graphic from the Lightstock.com collection

 

 

Martin Wiles wrote a poignant piece on how a visit to a hospital emergency room changed his perspective on waiting. 

 

“Waiting rooms have taught me life is unfair.

When I see people who don’t have and can’t afford insurance.

When I see people who’ve been abused by others or who’ve had crimes committed against them.

And when I see people addicted to drugs who are making a visit to get a pain fix.

Or when I see bodies mangled by wrecks.”

Continue reading at this link

Lessons from a Waiting Room  by Martin Wiles

group of people sitting under a tree
People waiting at a clinic in Zanzibar.

 

 

 I took the photos in this post on medical volunteer trips to several countries. On these trips, people sometimes waited hours to see a healthcare professional, something they often have little or no access to.

No one ever complained about the wait, and they always thanked me. I felt both honored and humble.

 

Exploring the HEART of Health

I’d love for you to follow this blog. I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Dr. Aletha