Handel – watercress words-exploring and sharing the HEART of health

Get ready for Advent now

George Frideric Handel used this scripture from Isaiah in his famous work, Messiah, first performed in 1742, and which millions of people have heard or even sang since then. The entire lyrics of Messiah are derived from scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments that describe the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

The season of Advent, which comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming” or “visit,” begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year for Christians. (Liturgical — from liturgy, which means the forms and functions of public worship.) In 2019 Advent starts on December 1.

So, what is Christmas?

Christmas is both a secular and religious holiday. For those who observe it’s spiritual significance, Christmas is celebrated as the day the infant Jesus Christ was born (although Biblical scholars doubt that December 25 is exactly the correct day.)

Christians celebrate the season with a rich tradition of church services which feature Bible readings about Jesus’ birth and special music. And almost 300 years ago, a musician combined these traditions to create one of the most well known and often performed works of music.

"For unto us a son is given" baby lying in a manger — quote from Isaiah 9:6; graphic from LIGHTSTOCK.COM, affiliate link

Handel’s Messiah

George Frideric Handel used this scripture from Isaiah in his famous work, Messiah, first performed in 1742, and which millions of people have heard or even sang since then. The entire lyrics of Messiah are derived from scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments that describe the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Handel’s Messiah -Listen on Apple Music

Handel’s father was a barber-surgeon. Barber-surgeons were physicians in medieval Europe, who as the name suggests performed surgery, often treating wounds from war injuries. Eventually, surgery and barbery became separate occupations.

Christmas manger display — photo by Dr. Aletha of a Nativity display at my church

Read another post on this blog to learn more about Handel and Messiah; did you know it wasn’t written for Christmas?

Resources for Advent- from Cokesbury

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Find the perfect Advent calendar for now and years to come at Cokesbury. Valid 10/28-11/22. Shop Now! Start planning now for a meaningful Advent season at Cokesbury. Offer Valid 9/1-11/30. Shop Now! Christmas 2019 at Cokesbury.com. Shop Now!

sharing the HEART of Advent

I appreciate all of you who follow this blog; there are numerous other blogs to choose from so I am honored you chose to spend some time here. A special welcome to all my new followers from this past month.

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Dr. Aletha

Family Advent Activities

by Carol at Comfort Spring

I found this helpful post about Advent activities at Sunday’s Best LinkUp. I hope you will check it out.

The HEART of Easter

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.”

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.”
Job 19:25

He is Risen-praise, honor, glory, power, king of kings-Hallelujah — graphic from LIGHTSTOCK.COM, an affiliate link

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. “
1 Corinthians 15:56-57

“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.”

Dr. Handel and his musician son

I know physicians who come from families of several doctors, including their parents, siblings, or children. My grandfather was a dentist, although I never knew him. But my sons had no interest in medicine and instead chose technology careers.

Georg Handel was a barber-surgeon in northern Germany in the 17th century. Barber-surgeons were physicians in medieval Europe who only performed surgery, often treating wounds from war injuries. Eventually, surgery and barbery became separate occupations.

His son George did not follow his father into medicine. Instead George Frideric Handel followed his HEART and studied music and eventually composed his masterpiece , Messiah, first performed in 1742, and presented countless times since then.

Modern choirs perform Messiah at Christmas, but Handel wrote it to be performed at Easter. The lyrics of the songs in Messiah explore the HEART of the Bible with passages that tell the story of God sending Jesus to earth to redeem His people.

The London Symphony Orchestra presents Handel's Messiah

Find Handel’s Messiah on iTunes.

Crossway is a not-for-profit organization (a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers) that exists solely for the purpose of publishing the good news of the gospel and the truth of God’s Word, the Bible. A portion of the purchase price of every Bible is donated to help support Bible distribution ministry around the world.

Learn more and consider donating at Crossway.org.

(This blog was not compensated for mentioning Crossway. )

Handel’s Messiah -Listen on Apple Music

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Dr. Aletha

Why Messiah belongs to Easter and doctors once cut hair

Handel’s father, Georg Handel, was a barber-surgeon, a term for physicians in the middle ages who did surgery and cut hair. Surgery was primitive and dangerous due to no anesthesia and no antibiotics to treat infection. Most surgery was done to treat war injuries.

The King of Glory

Psalm 24:7-10, ERV

Gates, proudly lift your heads!

Open, ancient doors,

and the glorious King will come in.

Who is the glorious King?

He is the Lord, the powerful soldier.

He is the Lord, the war hero.

lightstock_254158_medium_aletha — PHOTO CREDIT- LIGHTSTOCK.COM

Gates, proudly lift your heads!

Open, ancient doors,

and the glorious King will come in.

Who is the glorious King?

The Lord All-Powerful is the glorious King.

bright light shining through heavy wood doors — Lightstock.com

Handel’s masterpiece-Messiah

Even though Messiah tells the story of Jesus, whose life unfolds in the Bible’s New Testament, many of the lyrics come from the Old Testament, like this passage today from Psalms. Several Isaiah passages referring to Jesus are also songs in Messiah .

We usually associate Messiah with Christmas, but Handel wrote it to be performed at Easter. For the lyrics, he used words from Scripture, choosing passages that tell the story of God sending Jesus to earth to redeem His people.

Framed Art Print ‘A Barber Surgeon Tending a Peasants Foot’ by Isaack Koedijck

Handel’s Messiah -Listen on Apple Music

Dr. Aletha

Believing good news

How Charles Jennens helped George Handel

Luke 2, NIV

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,

“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

figures in a nativity scene with a bright start in the sky

The origins of Handel’s Messiah

We usually associate Messiah with Christmas, but Handel composed it to be performed at Easter.

“Handel got the lyrics from a preacher named Charles Jennens, who wrote out the whole piece as a collage of Bible verses designed to tell a story about the Messiah.

In some cases Jennens copied verses from the King James Version of the Bible directly, and in other cases he abridged or modified the wording of the Bible verses somewhat to fit into something that could be set to music and sung.

He also decided to change the “point of view” in a couple of places. Rather than quoting Jesus’ words about himself directly, for instance, he made a few changes so that the singers are singing about Jesus rather than portraying the role of Jesus.”

quoted from wheatwilliams.com

These Bible verses, attributed to the physician Luke are sung in Part 1 of Messiah.

A Simple Christmas book cover — A Simple Christmas-A Faith Filled Guide to a Meaningful and Stress-Free Christmas

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(1 Corinthians 13:13)

Handel’s Messiah -Listen on Apple Music

Bringing good news

We usually associate Messiah with Christmas, but Handel intended it to be performed at Easter.

Luke chapter 2, New Living Translation

The Shepherds and Angels

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.

shepherds raising arms to the sky — Shepherds drawing by Bill Hart

“Don’t be afraid!” he said.

“I bring you good news that will bring

great joy to all people.”

The artist- Bill Hart

The late Bill Hart was a professional artist. He served in the United States Army during World War II and was part of the force which invaded and liberated France in 1944. You can read Bill’s story at this link.

The composer- George Handel

These verses from the Bible book Luke are sung in Handel’s musical Messiah musical. We usually associate Messiah with Christmas, but Handel intended it to be performed at Easter.

“Handel got the lyrics from a preacher named Charles Jennens, who wrote out the whole piece as a collage of Bible verses designed to tell a story about the Messiah.”

quoted from wheatwilliams.com

According to the Bible, Luke was a physician. George Handel’s father, Georg, was a barber-surgeon.

Handel’s Messiah -Listen on Apple Music

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sharing the HEART of Christmas

To start following Watercress Words , use this form to get an email notification of new posts . Please find and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Thanks so much.

Dr. Aletha

Shouting good news at Christmas

We usually associate Messiah with Christmas, but Handel wrote it to be performed at Easter. He drew the words of the songs from Scripture, choosing passages that tell the story of God sending Jesus to earth to redeem His people.

Isaiah 40, NLT

“Comfort, comfort my people,”says your God.

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,

“Clear the way through the wilderness

for the Lord!

Make a straight highway through the wasteland

for our God!

Fill in the valleys,

and level the mountains and hills.

Straighten the curves,

and smooth out the rough places.

Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.

The Lord has spoken!”

This Bible selection is one of several set to music in Handel’s famous musical, Messiah.

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and everything is softer and more beautiful. Norman Vincent Peale quote — Lightstock.com, stock photos and graphics

THE HANDEL FAMILY

I’m glad his son,George did not follow his father into medicine. Instead George Frideric Handel studied music and eventually composed his masterpiece , Messiah, first performed in 1742, and which millions of people have listened to or sang since then.

We usually associate Messiah with Christmas, but Handel wrote it to be performed at Easter. He drew the words of the songs from Scripture, choosing passages that tell the story of God sending Jesus to earth to redeem His people.

sharing the music of Christmas

To start following Watercress Words , use this form to get an email notification of new posts . Please find and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Thanks so much.

Dr. Aletha

These are affiliate links you may find helpful and which help fund this blog with a commission when a purchase is made using them.

Introducing the new Filament Bible. With Filament, you get a beautifully simple print Bible with access to a free digital app. Simply scan the page number using the Filament app, and you’re instantly connected to a world of study, devotional, and interactive visual content all centered around the page you are reading.

Do you celebrate Christmas in July?

Why am I sharing a Bible passage about Christmas in July? Not because stores may already be selling Christmas decorations.

Isaiah 9: 6, ESV

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

from the English Standard Bible

Why am I sharing a Bible passage about Christmas in July? Not because stores may already be selling Christmas decorations.

This selection was read on Daily Audio Bible (DAB) recently. I told you about DAB before and hope you’ve been listening to it with me daily or as often as possible.

I listen to the chronological version, meaning the text is read in the order it happened or was written, rather than the order the books are arranged in the Bible.

(Affiliate links are used in this post. Using them allows you to assist in funding this blog at no extra cost to you. )

More info about DAB is in this previous post.

DAB is free and you can download on the App Store

George Frideric Handel and Messiah

George Frideric Handel used this scripture from Isaiah in his famous work, Messiah, first performed in 1742, performed or heard by millions of people since then.

HANDEL'S MESSIAH COMPLETE ALBUM ART — HANDEL’S MESSIAH COMPLETE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA (affiliate link)

Although it’s usually performed at Christmas, Handel wrote it for Easter.

iTunes

When is “Christmas” for you?

Do you plan for Christmas year round, or wait til the week before? What does Christmas mean to you? Please share your thoughts.

Thanks for exploring the Bible, Christmas, and the HEART of health with me.

Please share this post and follow Watercress Words where I regularly inform and inspire you about health and share words of faith, hope, and love.

I appreciate your interest and support. Please visit my Reader Resources page and help me share the HEART of health.

Dr.Aletha

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So, what is Christmas?

Handel’s Messiah

Resources for Advent- from Cokesbury

sharing the HEART of Advent

Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.

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Dr. Handel and his musician son

Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.

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The King of Glory

Handel’s masterpiece-Messiah

Other posts in this series

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The origins of Handel’s Messiah

Please share this post and follow Watercress Words for more words of faith, hope, and love

(1 Corinthians 13:13)

Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.

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The Shepherds and Angels

The artist- Bill Hart

The composer- George Handel

sharing the HEART of Christmas

Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.

Like this:

THE HANDEL FAMILY

sharing the music of Christmas

Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.

Like this:

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

© 2001 – 2018 CROSSWAY

DAB is free and you can download on the App Store

George Frideric Handel and Messiah

When is “Christmas” for you?

Shop for coffee

Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.

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