George Frideric Handel: Setting the Bible to Music

Museum of the Bible recently published this short video on G.F. Handel’s “Messiah.” In this season when the “Messiah” is publicly performed and played, it is fitting to consider this description of this classic piece of music. Did you know it was originally composed for the Easter season, not Christmas?

This is the brief description found on YouTube and then the video itself:

One of the most famous pieces of sacred music ever—Handel’s Messiah debuted in 1741!
A composer for the Chapel Royal in London, Handel was said to “frequently declare pleasure in setting the Scriptures to music. . .” but in 18th Century London such the idea of “performing” words of the Bible was highly controversial.

While you are at the Museum of the Bible’s website or YouTube channel, check out some of the other informative videos.

The Collected Best Christian Books of 2016 – Tim Challies

Tim Challies has done all us Christian book-lovers a favor. Last week (Dec.16, 2016) he put together a combined list of the best Christian books for this year from some of the best Christian lists out on the web.

We are indebted to him for this time-consuming work (for him!) and its time-saving benefit (for us!). Thank you!

Now, to the lists. Challies begins with a list of the best books that appeared on multiple lists – a great idea! So, that’s where we start today – call it the “teaser” list. Then on to lists from the Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, Kevin DeYoung, Christianity Today, Al Mohler – and more, including his own.

Here are Challies’ opening paragraphs and first list. Find the others at the link below. And, yes, follow the advice of his closing line quoted below!

For the past couple of weeks my RSS feeder has been humming with list after list of the best books of 2016. It seems that just about every avid reader I follow is eager to share his or her picks for the year that was. I love these lists and decided I’d compile them to look for patterns and repeats. Here, then, are the collected best Christian books of 2016. Each one of these is from a blog or web site I read regularly.

We will begin with 7 titles that found their way onto at least 3 best-0f lists:

• None Like Him by Jen Wilkin (5)
• A Peculiar Glory by John Piper (4)
• You Are What You Love by James K.A. Smith (4)
• Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (3)
• Making Sense of God by Tim Keller (3)
• The Fractured Republic by Yuval Levin (3)
• The Whole Christ by Sinclair B. Ferguson (3)

If you are looking for something to read or something to buy for a gift, you probably can’t go wrong with any of them!

Source: The Collected Best Christian Books of 2016 – Tim Challies