Every Valley: Advent with the Scriptures of Handel's Messiah - Hardcover

Handel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0664259987 ISBN 13: 9780664259983

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press, 2014

Synopsis

Handel's Messiah is one of the most beloved musical works of the western world, playing an especially sentimental role in many people's Christmas traditions. The libretto of the work, taken directly from the King James text of fourteen books of the Bible, has turned many otherwise forgettable phrases into memorable, singable, cherished lines of Scripture.

This gift-worthy book will delight and inspire classical music fans and those for whom Messiah is a beloved Christmas tradition with essays exploring the theological, historical, and pastoral implications of the Scriptures that make up Handel's Messiah.

Forty reflections journey in order through the oratorio, taking the reader deeper into less-often studied texts like Malachi 3:3 and bringing new light to oft-recited passages like Luke 2:9-14. Each reflection offers the libretto from Messiah, the same passage in NRSV, and a brief commentary on the text, written by a respected scholar or pastor. Readers can peruse the book at leisure or examine one reflection per day throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons.

About this title

About the Author

Albert L. Blackwell is the Reuben B. Pitts Professor Emeritus of Religion at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. He is the founder of The Piedmont Resource Center, and received Furman's Meritorious Teaching Award in 1977. He also serves as director of the choir at St. James Episcopal Church in Greenville.

From the Back Cover

Ev'ry valley shall be exalted,

and ev'ry mountain and hill made low . . .

For unto us a child is born,

unto us a son is given . . .

All we like sheep have gone astray . . .

Hallelujah!

for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. . .

p>These memorable words can easily be heard in a kind of sentimental haze, familiar from countless church choir concerts and Christmas Eve services. But the scriptures Handel set to music in his most beloved oratorio also tell a powerful story--of God's promised one, from prophetic foretelling to birth, death, resurrection, and ultimate victory. Find inspiration for your holiday season and year-round faith with these forty insightful meditations.

From the Inside Flap

Handel's Messiah is one of the most beloved musical works of the western world, playing an especially sentimental role in many people's Christmas traditions. The text of the work has turned many otherwise forgettable phrases into memorable, singable, cherished lines of Scripture. This lovely gift book will delight and inspire classical music fans and those for whom Messiah is a beloved Christmas tradition with devotions exploring the Scriptures that make up Handel's Messiah.

Forty reflections journey in order through Messiah, taking the reader deeper into less-often studied texts like Malachi 3:3 and bringing new light to popular passages like Luke 2:9-14. Each reflection offers the text from Messiah, the same passage in NRSV, and a brief devotion on the text. Readers can peruse the book at leisure or examine one reflection per day throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Edition details

• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0664259987
• ISBN 13: 9780664259983
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 160