Reposted from January, 2006, for reasons I shall endeavor to make clear shortly.
NOT SO FAST. AGAIN.
About a year after my first fasting boondoggle (see Sunday's post), I was ready to try it again. I was about to turn 21 years old. I had a lot figured out, I thought.
THIS TIME was going to be different. THIS TIME the awesome spiritual blessing was going to flow. THIS TIME, my ministry and spiritual life were going to get to the next level. So I thought.
Mindful of the virtual omnipresence of eating establishments in any sort of civilization, I figured I'd go where food would be pretty hard to come by, thus avoiding temptation. I had a friend drop me, a Bible, a sleeping bag, and a canteen of water at the one of the Brush Mountain hiking trails near Blacksburg, Virginia, where I was due to begin my junior year at Virginia Tech the following week. My plan was to spend a weekend in prayer and fasting, up in the mountains. Then, wow, surely the spiritual blessings would flow in. I wondered if my face might shine similarly to Moses' when he came down from Mount Sinai. I was psyched!
For the umpteeth time, my friend asked me if I was sure I wanted to do this. I assured him I did, and he drove off, probably shaking his head. Up the (rather small in height) mountain I went. Within a half an hour I was hiking along an undulating trail atop the ridge of Brush Mountain. I wanted to get to the remotest, most isolated spot I could find.
After a couple of miles I got to a pretty good-looking spot, and set up camp, eager to get into some serious Bible study. By the time I had camp set up, though, it was almost dark. It was impossible to read. Ah, but there was always prayer.
I was about to close my eyes to pray when from behind me I heard a youthful but robust, “Howdy, Mister!”
I turned to see three children, two boys and a girl. “Whatcha doin' up here?” the oldest boy queried.
I responded, “I am hiking the trail and camping. The question is, what are YOU doing way up here?”
”Oh we live right over yonder, in that there house!” the boy responded as he pointed through some brush. Sure enough, I could see a porch light. I had come to a remote place on the trail alright, right behind not one but three houses. My wilderness had just transmorgrified into suburbia.
My heart sank. It was almost dark.
”You know what you need, Mister?” (I wondered why he kept calling me “Mister”.)
”No – what?”
”Why, you need a RADIO! We's a-gonna go have some dinner, then we'll a-come on out here with our radio and a lantern, we can play some rock and roll, and you know, have some campfire stories or sump'n!”
This. Is. Awful. I thought to myself.
Off they went to have their dinner. I rolled up the sleeping bag, packed up what little stuff I had, and was about to head further down the trail, but by now the trail was getting very dark and it would be impossible to continue. So I decided find my way to a road and to head back to town.
The problem was, once I found the road (not far from the kids' house) I had only a vague idea which way town was. I figured I was southwest of town by ten or twelve miles, and so I headed off in what I thought might possibly be in a northeasterly direction. It was hard to tell, though, because now it was pitch dark and there was little or no moon. I figured as long as I could hike on a roadway I had a chance to make it back to town, SOME town anyway, by morning.
It was so dark, I could not even see the roadway. I tried to keep my feet on pavement, and tried to keep walking, by feel. I was amazed at how absolutely pitch dark it was. It was just inky blackness. Every once in a while I would amble off the side of the road, and I would have to feel my way back on.
After some time I guessed I had covered about two miles. The problem was, I was getting very tired, and I was, as nearly as I could tell, still out in the middle of absolutely nowhere. There were no street lights out there, and there were no country-house porch lights on as it was now past 1am.
Then, I heard it. A dog barking. He sounded like a German Shepherd or something. He was a big one judging by the throaty roar of his alarmed, enraged, I-am-going-to-kill-you-once-I-catch-you barking. He was running right toward me. I could hear his claws skip along the pavement. By the hostile tone and sheer deafening pitch of his barking, I felt sure he was going to tear me to shreds. He came up to within inches of me, and his barking doubled in both volume and speed. I could not see him in the pitch dark, but I sure could hear and feel him. Death. Gore. Slaughter was sure to ensue any second, I thought.
I stood there, stock still, and prayed as hard as I had ever prayed in my life, asking God to please calm this dog before he sank his fangs into my leg. I continued to stand stock still even through his hail of unceasing barking. I felt calm, even though this dog seemed to have nothing on his mind other than murder, mayhem, and dinner. In roughly that order.
In a calm, cheery, friendly voice, I said, “Well Hi, Mister Dog! How are you?” (At least I could call someone else “Mister” for a change).
The rage in his barking abated, albeit almost imperceptibly.
”My name is Ron, and I LOOOOOVE dogs!” I even smiled as I said it.
His barking slowed and muted a tiny bit more. Maybe, I thought, he would just settle for a modicum of carnage and mayhem, and then leave me in peace to quietly bleed to death.
I kept talking to him, pretending I had known him all my life. I told him about Heidi, my parents' dog. I told him about our cat who ran away when I was six. Good riddance! Who needs cats?
After several minutes of this, his barking gradually morphed into benign snuffling. I could feel his nose sniffing my legs and feet.
”Yes, yes, YES! I'm Ron, and I AM YOUR GOOOOOOD FRIEND!”
I reached out my hand, and found and patted him and stroked him on the head. I scratched him behind the ears. He loooooved that! He panted happily. I was now his best buddy! I could feel him vigorously wagging his tail. He felt like a Doberman.
After a few more minutes of soothing conversation, he apparently decided he was content to go back to his porch and go back to sleep.
I gave profound thanks to God for sparing my life. Or at least the flesh on my legs. Off I trudged into the inky blackness, feeling my way along the roadway with my feet. After another couple of miles, I began to see the faint glow of morning light. I could now see a bit. I was tired.
I came to a what appeared to be a fork in the road. As Yogi Berra would recommend, I “took it” -- meaning, I hopped a barbed-wire fence at the cusp of the fork and unrolled my sleeping bag down in a nice soft wheat field, and went to sleep. After two and a half hours of glorious sleep, I awoke shortly before 7am.
I looked around, trying to get oriented. The terrain was hilly, so I could not see the horizon or any landmarks. But judging by the position of the rising sun, I was glad to realize I had been basically heading in my desired northeasterly direction throughout my night of walking in the dark.
And then, I heard it. A car! Then saw it! A red one! And the guy behind the wheel does not look like an ax-murderer! I stuck my hand up, and he stopped. I told him I was lost and trying to get back to Blacksburg. I asked if he could he at least tell me if I was heading along the shortest way there. He said yes, and also offered me a ride, which I gratefully accepted. We were back in town within five minutes.
He let me off at a shopping center, and I walked back to the apartment I was staying in.
I began to realize some things. For one thing, I began to realize that prayer and Bible study are things that bring us spiritual blessing wherever we are. For another, I began to realize that we do not need to go to some mountaintop to have fellowship with God. For yet another, I began to realize afresh that the Christian life is not a few thunderbolts from Heaven, it is a daily walk in sweet communion with God, through prayer and His Word wherever we are.
I also realized I was hungry.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Re-studying some things...
In recent months I have been re-examining a number of Scriptural doctrines I have held with deep and strong conviction now for thirty or more years. This is not an easy thing to do.
It is not easy, for one thing, because it is hard work. It is hard spiritual (and physical, at least mental) work, which must be done in the face of a myriad of crushing earthly demands on ones time and energy.
It is not easy, for another thing, because it is hard to come to the Bible without an agenda and without bias, both borne out of advocating and contending for these doctrines all these decades. It is easy in this regard, to fall into a pattern of going to the Bible to just confirm my presuppositions.
But I believe that we live in a day in which the "little book" (greek, biblion) of Revelation 10 is being opened. That is, I believe God is opening grand and dreadful truths to our understanding from the Bible; truths which he had sealed away from the understanding of previous generations. This is new revelation; not new revelation in the sense that additional written or spoken words are being added to the Bible, but new revelation in the sense that God is opening our understanding to truths that have been in the Bible all along. These truths, if corroborated, harmonized, and thus validated with all the Bible teaches have the potential to cause a paradigm-shift in some of our previous understandings. Such a paradigm-shift might, on the surface, might seem radical, but in the final analysis, if found true, to be tantamount to "seeing every man clearly"; our previous understandings the equivalent of "seeing men as trees, walking" (Matthew 8:24-25).
So let each one of us go to the Bible with the prayer that God would open the biblion, in all Christ's truth and fidelity, to each one of us.
It is not easy, for one thing, because it is hard work. It is hard spiritual (and physical, at least mental) work, which must be done in the face of a myriad of crushing earthly demands on ones time and energy.
It is not easy, for another thing, because it is hard to come to the Bible without an agenda and without bias, both borne out of advocating and contending for these doctrines all these decades. It is easy in this regard, to fall into a pattern of going to the Bible to just confirm my presuppositions.
But I believe that we live in a day in which the "little book" (greek, biblion) of Revelation 10 is being opened. That is, I believe God is opening grand and dreadful truths to our understanding from the Bible; truths which he had sealed away from the understanding of previous generations. This is new revelation; not new revelation in the sense that additional written or spoken words are being added to the Bible, but new revelation in the sense that God is opening our understanding to truths that have been in the Bible all along. These truths, if corroborated, harmonized, and thus validated with all the Bible teaches have the potential to cause a paradigm-shift in some of our previous understandings. Such a paradigm-shift might, on the surface, might seem radical, but in the final analysis, if found true, to be tantamount to "seeing every man clearly"; our previous understandings the equivalent of "seeing men as trees, walking" (Matthew 8:24-25).
So let each one of us go to the Bible with the prayer that God would open the biblion, in all Christ's truth and fidelity, to each one of us.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Ebed-Melech - part 4
There are two outstanding characteristics Ebedmelech demonstrates that we'll note. First is Ebedmelech's compassion. Jeremiah's lot was most desperate.
" And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire." Jer 38:6
"Jeremiah 38:7-9 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying, My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city." Jeremiah 38:7-9
Note Ebedmelech did not just throw up his hands and say, "Well, things are bad for Jeremiah, but look, it is bad all around. Our city is about to be taken. Times are bad. Too bad for Jeremiah." No, Ebedmelech had compassion on Jeremiah, conpassion which impelled him to action. Action which incurred mortal risk.
So the True Believer of today recognizes that his fellow man is in a pit, that is, under the wrath of God. The true believer knows his fellow man has no spiritual food or drink. He lacks the spiritual water, of the Gospel. Unsaved man lacks the Bread of Life. The true bekliver is gripped with conmpassion for his fellow man.
So Ebedmelech is impelled to action.
But we should also note Ebedmelech's COURAGE. He was impelled to take action on Jeremiah's behalf which all logic would dictate would result in Ebedmelech's death. Jeremiah had a death sentence on him, which is why he was in the dungeon ion the first place. Ebedmelech intervenes on Jeremiah's behalf which should have resulted in Ebedmelech ending up where Jeremiah was; sinking into the mud of the dungeon and dying a slow agonizing death of thirst and starvation.
Ebedmelech rebukes the evil of Zedekiah's men in placing Jeremiah in the dungeon in verse 9. *That, too* well could have resulted in Ebedmelech's summary execution. And Ebedmelech actually coordinated Jeremiahs release out of the dungeon and into the prison court, which could easily have incurred the deadly wrath of Jeremiah's accusers.
So this is a necessary attribute of the true believer of today. He is willing to give his life in service of his saviour. Being a true believer in Christ is this day and age, just as in Jeremiah's day, is a very lonely and solitary business. Not many, if any will be willing to stand with you.
The big requirement for being able to follow through on one's resolve to follow Christ to the death is to be born again. "Ye must be born again" John 3:7. And if you are born again, you WILL stand, even in the face of persection and even death.
" And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire." Jer 38:6
"Jeremiah 38:7-9 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying, My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city." Jeremiah 38:7-9
Note Ebedmelech did not just throw up his hands and say, "Well, things are bad for Jeremiah, but look, it is bad all around. Our city is about to be taken. Times are bad. Too bad for Jeremiah." No, Ebedmelech had compassion on Jeremiah, conpassion which impelled him to action. Action which incurred mortal risk.
So the True Believer of today recognizes that his fellow man is in a pit, that is, under the wrath of God. The true believer knows his fellow man has no spiritual food or drink. He lacks the spiritual water, of the Gospel. Unsaved man lacks the Bread of Life. The true bekliver is gripped with conmpassion for his fellow man.
So Ebedmelech is impelled to action.
But we should also note Ebedmelech's COURAGE. He was impelled to take action on Jeremiah's behalf which all logic would dictate would result in Ebedmelech's death. Jeremiah had a death sentence on him, which is why he was in the dungeon ion the first place. Ebedmelech intervenes on Jeremiah's behalf which should have resulted in Ebedmelech ending up where Jeremiah was; sinking into the mud of the dungeon and dying a slow agonizing death of thirst and starvation.
Ebedmelech rebukes the evil of Zedekiah's men in placing Jeremiah in the dungeon in verse 9. *That, too* well could have resulted in Ebedmelech's summary execution. And Ebedmelech actually coordinated Jeremiahs release out of the dungeon and into the prison court, which could easily have incurred the deadly wrath of Jeremiah's accusers.
So this is a necessary attribute of the true believer of today. He is willing to give his life in service of his saviour. Being a true believer in Christ is this day and age, just as in Jeremiah's day, is a very lonely and solitary business. Not many, if any will be willing to stand with you.
The big requirement for being able to follow through on one's resolve to follow Christ to the death is to be born again. "Ye must be born again" John 3:7. And if you are born again, you WILL stand, even in the face of persection and even death.
Ebed-Melech - part 3
Continued from a previous post...
Jeremiah 38:7-9 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying, My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.
"Ebedmelech" - in Hebrew, this name means "servant of the King". Thus, Ebedmelech is a type of the true believers in Christ. Remember that Paul, in the New Testmant, referred to himself over and over again as a "servant" of slave of Jesus Christ. [Ron's note: is this MY conscious identity as well?]
"the Ethiopian" - even in the Old Testament, God did not restrict his salvation plan to National Israel, even though it was chiefly identified with that nation. Here Ebedmelech is an Ethiopian, yet he is saved. God's salvation goes to every nation, tongue, tribe and language today. God is not a respecter of persons. Remember the other Ethiopian eunuch of the Bible, recorded in Acts
8:26-40.
Jeremiah 38:7-9 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying, My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.
"Ebedmelech" - in Hebrew, this name means "servant of the King". Thus, Ebedmelech is a type of the true believers in Christ. Remember that Paul, in the New Testmant, referred to himself over and over again as a "servant" of slave of Jesus Christ. [Ron's note: is this MY conscious identity as well?]
"the Ethiopian" - even in the Old Testament, God did not restrict his salvation plan to National Israel, even though it was chiefly identified with that nation. Here Ebedmelech is an Ethiopian, yet he is saved. God's salvation goes to every nation, tongue, tribe and language today. God is not a respecter of persons. Remember the other Ethiopian eunuch of the Bible, recorded in Acts
8:26-40.
Ebed-Melech - part 2
Continued from previous post...
The historical context of Jeremiah 38 is the waning days of a besieged Jerusalem just prior to the destruction of the city by the Babylonians in 587 BC.
Recall the history of Israel. After Solomon's death Israel was divided. In 931 BC the division between the Northern ten tribes, collectively referred to as "Israel", and the southern Kingdom of Judah, composed of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was apostate from its very beginning. Israel was presided over by a series of twenty kings, and all of those kings were exceedingly wicked. The Southern Kingdom of Judah, on the other hand, while far from perfect, did have some good kings, and in its history did enjoy some times of relative faithfulness to the Lord.
God continually warned the Northern Kingdom to repent of its evil and turn to God. They did not, and were eventually destroyed by God using the instrumentality of the Assyrians in 722 BC. The Southern Kingdom of Judah would also succumb to the apostasy of its sister Kingdom to the north, and came under God's hand of destruction in 587 BC. This account of Ebed-Melech takes place just prior to 587 BC, when the siege had waxed sore, and the residents of Jerusalem were reduced to the desperation, deprivation, and starvation inherent in sieges; even to eating their own children.
We, the professing true believers of today must heed the warning that, while we do have the great privilege of being ambassadors of the Word, we also must be acutely aware that should we depart from faithfulness to God and to the message of the Bible, we, too would come under the wrath of God.
Jeremiah was left in Jerusalem by God to testify against the kingdom, and to report to us the goings-on there. Jeremiah, for his testimony, came under great persecution, to the point of being cast into a dungeon, under the immenent threat of death from starvation, thirst, or exposure at the hands of the palace of Zedekiah, as we read in Jeremiah 38:1-6:
1 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, 2 Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. 3 Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it. 4 Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. 5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you. 6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.
The historical context of Jeremiah 38 is the waning days of a besieged Jerusalem just prior to the destruction of the city by the Babylonians in 587 BC.
Recall the history of Israel. After Solomon's death Israel was divided. In 931 BC the division between the Northern ten tribes, collectively referred to as "Israel", and the southern Kingdom of Judah, composed of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was apostate from its very beginning. Israel was presided over by a series of twenty kings, and all of those kings were exceedingly wicked. The Southern Kingdom of Judah, on the other hand, while far from perfect, did have some good kings, and in its history did enjoy some times of relative faithfulness to the Lord.
God continually warned the Northern Kingdom to repent of its evil and turn to God. They did not, and were eventually destroyed by God using the instrumentality of the Assyrians in 722 BC. The Southern Kingdom of Judah would also succumb to the apostasy of its sister Kingdom to the north, and came under God's hand of destruction in 587 BC. This account of Ebed-Melech takes place just prior to 587 BC, when the siege had waxed sore, and the residents of Jerusalem were reduced to the desperation, deprivation, and starvation inherent in sieges; even to eating their own children.
We, the professing true believers of today must heed the warning that, while we do have the great privilege of being ambassadors of the Word, we also must be acutely aware that should we depart from faithfulness to God and to the message of the Bible, we, too would come under the wrath of God.
Jeremiah was left in Jerusalem by God to testify against the kingdom, and to report to us the goings-on there. Jeremiah, for his testimony, came under great persecution, to the point of being cast into a dungeon, under the immenent threat of death from starvation, thirst, or exposure at the hands of the palace of Zedekiah, as we read in Jeremiah 38:1-6:
1 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, 2 Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. 3 Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it. 4 Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. 5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you. 6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.
Ebed-Melech part 1
I listened to this study again today. I had heard it before and recalled it was an excellent study so I wanted to review it again. Here are my notes from the study. I have included some additional thoughts of my own, which are identified as such by means of bracks ([]). Feel free to copy my notes and modify/augment if you wish.
We read in Jeremiah 38:7-13:
7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; 8 Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying, 9 My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city. 10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. 11 So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. 12 And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. 13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
To be continued in next post.
We read in Jeremiah 38:7-13:
7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; 8 Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying, 9 My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city. 10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. 11 So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. 12 And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. 13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
To be continued in next post.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Hmmm...
Today (Saturday) I sat around loafing on the couch while two of my sons were doing the brakes on one of my cars.
I don't feel guilty. (well, not very.)
Am I a bad parent?
Friday, February 08, 2008
Well, Now that I am on a "Handel's Messiah" Kick...
This is simply dazzling:
I have (somewhere) the VHS tape of this entire performance of Messiah. The program was produced, I believe, in 1983.
I have (somewhere) the VHS tape of this entire performance of Messiah. The program was produced, I believe, in 1983.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Musically, Though...
Musically, (not spiritually) the video below of the Hallelujah Chorus left a bit to be desired.
The tempo was a bit fast, and the style was a bit too martial. Yes, this work needs to be performed with the appropriate grandeur, but it also needs to flow. It needs to live. It needs to breathe. The Chorus is what it is, it needs no veneer.
Also, when performed by professionals, as it was in the video, the singers approach it as a professional job, while the audience member looks for some personal connection to the truths of the work on the part of the performers. Or at least some sense wonderment on their part. There is little if any to be found here. I guess though I have digressed into spiritual analysis. That is hard to avoid with any part of Handel's Messiah.
However, none of this prevented the sheer beauty of the voices from shining through. The tenors, especially on the buildup of For the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth were just, were just, -- oh, words fail so miserably at times like this -- heart-meltingly magnificent. The sopranos soared supremely, especially on The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.
The glory of this most beautiful piece of music ever written cannot be completely obscured by mans devices or failings.
The tempo was a bit fast, and the style was a bit too martial. Yes, this work needs to be performed with the appropriate grandeur, but it also needs to flow. It needs to live. It needs to breathe. The Chorus is what it is, it needs no veneer.
Also, when performed by professionals, as it was in the video, the singers approach it as a professional job, while the audience member looks for some personal connection to the truths of the work on the part of the performers. Or at least some sense wonderment on their part. There is little if any to be found here. I guess though I have digressed into spiritual analysis. That is hard to avoid with any part of Handel's Messiah.
However, none of this prevented the sheer beauty of the voices from shining through. The tenors, especially on the buildup of For the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth were just, were just, -- oh, words fail so miserably at times like this -- heart-meltingly magnificent. The sopranos soared supremely, especially on The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.
The glory of this most beautiful piece of music ever written cannot be completely obscured by mans devices or failings.
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