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Saturday, December 11, 2010
Seeing the Face of God and Showing It
The video of a Flash Mob linked below in “Flash Messiah” depicts the singing of one of the most often heard pieces of music in the Christmas season, The Hallelujah Chorus from George Frederick Handel’s “Messiah”. There are several misconceptions surrounding this piece.
Handel was German, but lived most of his active composing career in England.
It has been associated with the celebration of Jesus’ birth, though it was intended to be performed during Lent and Easter as a telling of the complete story of Jesus, to his coming in Judgment and the end of history.
The piece is known as “The Messiah”, though its actual title is simply, “Messiah”.
The portion known as “The Hallelujah Chorus”, was titled, “Hallelujah”.
One thing not misunderstood is how it can affect people.
One traditional story about its composition describes the time in which it was composed as a dark one in Handel’s life. He had achieved popularity but was in debt and depressed, yet he composed the piece in his characteristic rapid fashion in 24 days.
His work space had fallen silent for a time. His assistant went in to check on him. He found Handel with a sheaf of music in his hand, weeping. Handel held it up and said, “I have seen the face of God.”
I feel the same presence of God, breaking into lives through the flash mob in the food court. When the singing is finished, everyone sits down and goes back to their meals and shopping, as if nothing has happened. But, it has.
In this long “Great Depression”, when many are in debt and depressed and wondering where God is, God still comes, unexpectedly. How has God broken into your work, your school, your home, or your family with unexpected joy? How are you showing it this Christmas?
In what way does God seek to open your heart so that you might see His face, and seeing it, show it in yours?
Handel was German, but lived most of his active composing career in England.
It has been associated with the celebration of Jesus’ birth, though it was intended to be performed during Lent and Easter as a telling of the complete story of Jesus, to his coming in Judgment and the end of history.
The piece is known as “The Messiah”, though its actual title is simply, “Messiah”.
The portion known as “The Hallelujah Chorus”, was titled, “Hallelujah”.
One thing not misunderstood is how it can affect people.
One traditional story about its composition describes the time in which it was composed as a dark one in Handel’s life. He had achieved popularity but was in debt and depressed, yet he composed the piece in his characteristic rapid fashion in 24 days.
His work space had fallen silent for a time. His assistant went in to check on him. He found Handel with a sheaf of music in his hand, weeping. Handel held it up and said, “I have seen the face of God.”
I feel the same presence of God, breaking into lives through the flash mob in the food court. When the singing is finished, everyone sits down and goes back to their meals and shopping, as if nothing has happened. But, it has.
In this long “Great Depression”, when many are in debt and depressed and wondering where God is, God still comes, unexpectedly. How has God broken into your work, your school, your home, or your family with unexpected joy? How are you showing it this Christmas?
In what way does God seek to open your heart so that you might see His face, and seeing it, show it in yours?
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Flash Messiah
I posted a link on Facebook and Twitter to a video of a “flash mob” (this one seemed better rehearsed than the normal flash mob) popping up in a food court to sing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus from his composition “Messiah”.
It’s very inspiring and it seemed to be received well by the unsuspecting shoppers/eaters.
You can see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE or by searching for Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See! on YouTube.
Many onlookers seemed to be disoriented and pleasantly surprised.
It was an invasion of the gospel in a temple of consumerism of materialism. Guerrilla Evangelism. It was light breaking into darkness.
Like Christmas.
Christmas comes unexpectedly. The reality of God breaks into Creation and becomes incarnate. Human.
Why? Why? In order to suffer. In order to die.
Why? Why? For love of you and me, and a desire for a personal relationship that makes us whole.
Christ comes unexpectedly in his first advent, as he will in his second for Judgment. We are, and one day will be, disoriented and pleasantly surprised.
It’s very inspiring and it seemed to be received well by the unsuspecting shoppers/eaters.
You can see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE or by searching for Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See! on YouTube.
Many onlookers seemed to be disoriented and pleasantly surprised.
It was an invasion of the gospel in a temple of consumerism of materialism. Guerrilla Evangelism. It was light breaking into darkness.
Like Christmas.
Christmas comes unexpectedly. The reality of God breaks into Creation and becomes incarnate. Human.
Why? Why? In order to suffer. In order to die.
Why? Why? For love of you and me, and a desire for a personal relationship that makes us whole.
Christ comes unexpectedly in his first advent, as he will in his second for Judgment. We are, and one day will be, disoriented and pleasantly surprised.
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