Handel’s Messiah 2025

On Friday November 21st, I joined three ladies from our church for a trip to Spokane to hear Handel’s Messiah performed by Spokane Symphony and Chorale. The Performance by the orchestra and chorale was hosted by the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.

Handel’s Messiah is an oratorio that tells the story of Jesus Christ through three parts: his birth and miracles, his passion and death, and his final glorification in heaven. Composed rapidly in 24 days by George Frideric Handel in 1741, the work uses verses from the King James Bible. Charles Jennens wrote the libretto, or text, (not Handel) comprising passages from the Bible. It premiered in Dublin in 1742 as a benefit concert and has since become a holiday staple known for its religious narrative and powerful choruses, like the famous “Hallelujah” chorus.

Messiah was originally conceived as a work for Easter, and its world premiere was given during Lent.

In July of 1741, Charles Jennens, who had written the libretti for two of Handel’s oratorios wrote the following in a letter to a friend–the earliest mention of Messiah:

“Handel says he will do nothing next Winter, but I hope that I shall persuade to set another Scripture collection I have made for him, and perform it for his own Benefit in Passion week. I hope that he will lay out his whole Genius and Skill upon it, that the Composition may excell all his former Compositions, as the Subject excells every other Subject. The Subject is Messiah…”Few masterworks of Baroque music can rival Handel’s Messiah for its eternal popularity.”

We found our general admission seats and then we wandered about the cathedral which included climbing the spiral staircase to the gallery below the Rose window and some of the pipes of the organ.

While Messiah is a large-scale oratorio that takes almost 3 hours to perform in its entirety, it is not Handel’s longest work.

Few masterworks of Baroque music can rival Handel’s Messiah for its eternal popularity.

The U.S. premiere of the complete Messiah was performed by the Handel and Haydn Society on Christmas Day in 1818 at Boylston Hall in Boston.

I’m adding a couple YouTube videos to give you a hint of what we heard.

No. 17. Chorus: Glory to God

The presentation we enjoyed did not perform all 53 movements in the original Messiah but performed 45 of the 53. The Hallelujah Chorus is movement #44.

The performance on Friday did end with the last movement, No. 53 Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen. [Revelation 5:12, 13]

It was a grand location to enjoy this God honoring, Christ proclaiming Oratorio. Hallelujah to our Risen Savior!

I was thankful that Bethany drove for the majority of miles and that I only had about 5 miles to drive home at the end of our evening.  I pulled into our garage at midnight! That is late for me.

In October of 2017, Greg and I ventured off of our usual route from Kenmore to Colville to view this church. We were pleased to find the doors open so we could explore the inside of the church. Click here to see this beautiful cathedral and some of the stained glass windows.

 

O Love of God, How Strong and True ~ Hymn

O Love of God, How Strong and True

O love of God, how strong and true!
Eternal and yet ever new;
Uncomprehended and unbought,
Beyond all knowledge and all thought.

O love of God, how deep and great!
Far deeper than man’s deepest hate;
Self-fed, self-kindled, like the light,
Changeless, eternal, infinite.

O heav’nly love, how precious still,
In days of weariness and ill!
In nights of pain and helplessness,
To heal, to comfort, and to bless.

O wide embracing, wondrous love,
We read Thee in the sky above,
We read Thee in the earth below,
In seas that swell, and streams that flow.

We read Thee in the flowers, the trees,
The freshness of the fragrant breeze,
The song of birds upon the wing,
The joy of summer and of spring.

We read Thee best in Him who came
To bear for us the cross of shame;
Sent by the Father from on high,
Our life to live, our death to die.

We read Thee in the manger-bed,
On which His infancy was laid;
And Nazareth that love reveals,
Nestling amid its lonely hills.

We read Thee in the tears once shed,
Over doomed Salem’s guilty head,
In the cold tomb of Bethany,
And blood-drops of Gethsemane.

We read Thy power to bless and save,
E’en in the darkness of the grave;
Still more in resurrection light,
We read the fullness of Thy might.

O love of God, our shield and stay
Through all the perils of our way;
Eternal love, in Thee we rest,
Forever safe, forever blest!

Words: Horatius Bonar, 1861.

This hymn was sung at the 2004 fun­er­al of Am­eri­can pre­si­dent Ron­ald Rea­gan.

They Spoke to Me

I’m going to catch up with posting some quotes that spoke to me and I’ve written down in my journal over the last several months. Putting them here will help me find them easier.

The photos that I’m interspersing with them came from our drive to and from Spokane on Wednesday the 19th of  November, 2025.

The first quotes are from notes in my Church History Study Bible related to Psalm 81 and 82 and 93.

“There is unconquerable opposition between us and God. Without a mediator there can be no communion with him.” Blaise Pascal

“Where ignorance reigns in the mind, there is confusion in the heart and life.” Thomas Boston

“There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is curiosity. There are those who see knowledge in order to be known by others; that is vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is love.” Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God. 

” The time will come when all races of men shall own their God and accept him as their king. There is one who is King by right divine, and he is even now on his way. The last days shall see him enthroned, and all unrighteous potentates broken like potters’ vessels by his potent sceptor. The second advent is still earth’s brightest hope. Come quickly, even so, come Lord Jesus.” Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David.

“May the Lord appear in his church, in our day in manifest majesty and might, saving sinners, slaying errors, and honoring his own name.” Spurgeon

“The only reason God is our Savior is that he is merciful.” John Calvin

Psalm 93:1 The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.

“Faith is not just an exercise of the mind. It is a commitment of the heart that fundamentally changes the way you live your life.” Paul Tripp

“You may begin anywhere in the Bible and preach Jesus.  You may begin at the first chapter of Genesis, or at the last chapter of Malachi, at the first of Matthew or the last of Revelation, and still preach Jesus, for he is the sum and substance of the whole Scripture.” Charles Spurgeon

“God is to be praised because he has not based his covenant of the forgiveness of sin on our merit but on his Word, and because he commands that it will stand firm and eternal, not falling when we sin, nor becoming valid only when we are godly.” Martin Luther

Today is Saturday before our Thanksgiving week here in the USA begins. This is a very busy weekend. Last night I attended The Messiah at The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Spokane with three friends. Today we have 2 events at church to meet and learn more about a Pastoral Candidate and his family. Besides church on Sunday morning we have a Pie and Praise event Sunday night and I’m in charge of getting the pies out for everyone to enjoy. Whew! After Sunday we’ll have a few free days until it is full speed ahead with Thanksgiving Day and a house full here Thursday through Sunday. Life is rich!

Hope y’all are doing well.

Truth for Today #170

Friday November 21st

On Fridays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s continue to dig deep into God’s truth.

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you! 

Romans 6:1-4

 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Romans 8:1-4

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.  For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,  in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

From Vera:

“Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭

From Dianna:

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge.

1 Cor. 1:4-5

Everyday Images ~ November

It’s time to link up again with Kym at A Fresh Cup of Coffee for some photo prompts.

 

November Prompts – Everyday Images #75

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layers

We enjoy the layers of mountains here in Colville and beyond.

remember

This is a fun time to remember when all three of these guys laughed till they cried.

texture

Lots of textures in this photo op at our Mother’s Day event at church.

at home (monthly)

At home in November with our Thanksgiving and Fall decor.

prepare

Preparing to toast slices of baguette to go with a salad.

Time to start thinking of all the traditional dishes we are going to prepare for our Thanksgiving meal.

cozy

A flashback to our daughter Katie sitting cozy with her Dzeda (Grandfather) many years ago.

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We were in Spokane yesterday for most of the day so I’m a little behind in visiting. We made 8 stops and managed to find everything on our lists! Woohoo.

Hope your Thursday is spectacular!

Window Views Hodgepodge

In answering question #1 in today’s Hodgepodge, I mentioned that one of the best things about our home are the window views.

Wednesday Hodgepodge is here again, Thank you, Joyce.

1. Let’s do our gratitude question first this week…what’s the best thing about your home, and have you taken time to enjoy it lately? 

Our views are one of the best things about our home. After living for years in tract homes where you could almost touch your neighbor it is wonderful to see trees and fields and mountains out of our windows.  We are also entertained with wildlife out our windows.

2. Do you like squash? Of the varieties listed, which one’s your favorite and how do you like it prepared? Is squash of some sort on your Thanksgiving menu?? 

Sweet Potatoes/Yams baked with butter and brown sugar topped with marshmallows is a favorite at Thanksgiving.

acorn, butternut, delicata, spaghetti, zucchini, crookneck (yellow squash), patty pan

Butternut Squash Soup is another favorite.

3. Last time you were ‘squashed in’ somewhere, or felt squashed? 

My favorite kind of squashed.

4. Have you ever played squash? What about other ‘racquet sports’ such as racquetball, tennis, pickleball, badminton, table tennis (ping pong)? Are these sports something you enjoy? 

In a time long long ago I played some tennis, badminton, Ping Pong and pickleball. I might have even tried to play racquet ball once. I enjoyed them but that is in the past tense.

5. Something in today’s society or culture that feels like a ‘racket’ to you? If you don’t like that one, tell us about a place you’ve been recently where there was a lot of ‘racket’. 

There is always a lot of racket when I’m at Irish dance class with Addy on Thursdays. This is true especially when they are practicing with their hard shoes!

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

My first Fall puzzle was not easy. A thousand piece puzzle of Shakespearean Insults.

‘Leave thy vain Bibble Babble’

And with that I’ll say adieu, Hodgepodgers and all who visit here.

 

Fun Monday

Here is my first Fall puzzle and it was a doozey! I bought it at Union Gospel Mission Thrift store in Spokane for $5.

I’ve been working on it for a couple weeks.

Hooray! No missing pieces. I finished this up on Monday before JJ arrived for his afternoon at Baba and Gramps.

JJ lost his first tooth on Monday morning so we had to document that! It’s a little harder to bite into his snacks. This boy loves snacks.

Out for a trek to the mailbox with Gramps.

G.I. Joe with Gramps. The same G.I. Joe show his dad and uncle watched when they were boys. I remembered and mentioned to JJ that I thought his dad or uncle had their old G.I. Joe sleeping bag. JJ wanted me to call Uncle Joshie to see if he still had it. I said I would text instead. Then JJ added that if he still had it he could maybe bring it at Thanksgiving. Later that evening we got this photo with Uncle Joshie’s answer.

Yes! He will bring it at Thanksgiving!

Before we knew it, Jamie and Addy got back from Irish Dance to collect JJ. Addy always wants a rundown of all the snacks JJ had while she was at Dance.

Thankful in this season of thankfulness for the opportunity to spend time with our grandchildren and that we live in the same town.

A Full Saturday

Our first event of the day was Addy’s basketball game.

Those dribbling skills are really coming along this year.

After lunch we piled into our vehicle with Dan doing the driving for the rest of the day.  We were headed to Spokane for an afternoon performance of the Nutcracker. Granny Great bought the tickets as a Christmas present for each of us.

As soon as the show began there were no more photos. The sets and performances were top notch.

Addy appreciated the dance moves and JJ enjoyed the more acrobatic part of the show. We all enjoyed the show and were ready for dinner. We managed the extra traffic leaving the show and all gathered for dinner in North Spokane.

At dinner our selfie taker, Addy, stepped in for Auntie Lolo since Auntie was on the other side of the mountains.

Since it was a long day these two started fading and needed cuddles with mom.

We got home at bedtime for most of us! Thankful for safe travels there and back again.

It was a full day and we were thankful for good times with family and friends of family.

Come, O Come, Thou Quickening Spirit ~ Hymn

 

Come, O Come, Thou Quickening Spirit

Come, O come, Thou quick­en­ing Spir­it,
God from all eter­ni­ty!
May Thy pow­er nev­er fail us;
Dwell with­in us con­stant­ly.
Then shall truth and life and light
Banish all the gloom of night.

Grant our hearts in full­est mea­sure
Wisdom, coun­sel, pur­ity,
That we ev­er may be seek­ing
Only that which pleas­eth Thee.
Let Thy know­ledge spread and grow,
Working er­ror’s ov­er­throw.

Show us, Lord, the path of bless­ing;
When we tres­pass on our way,
Cast, O Lord, our sins be­hind Thee,
And be with us day by day.
Should we stray, O Lord, recall;
Work re­pent­ance when we fall.

With our spir­it bear Thou wit­ness
That we are the sons of God
Who re­ly up­on Him sole­ly
When we pass be­neath the rod;
For we know, as child­ren should,
That the cross is for our good.

Prompt us, Lord, to come be­fore Him
With a child­like heart to pray;
Sigh in us, O Ho­ly Spir­it,
When we know not what to say.
Then our pray­er is not in vain,
And our faith new strength shall gain.

If our soul can find no com­fort,
If de­spon­den­cy grows strong,
And the heart cries out in ang­uish,
Oh my God, how long, how long?
Comfort then our ach­ing breast,
Grant it cour­age, pa­tience, rest.

Holy Spir­it, strong and migh­ty,
Thou who mak­est all things new,
Make Thy work with­in us per­fect
And the ev­il foe sub­due.
Grant us wea­pons for the strife
And with vic­to­ry crown our life.

Guard, O God, our faith for­ev­er;
Let not Sa­tan, death or shame
Ever part us from our Sav­ior;
Lord, our re­fuge is Thy name.
Though our flesh cry ev­er: Nay!
Be Thy Word to us still Yea!

And when life’s frail thread is break­ing,
Then as­sure us more and more,
As the heirs of life un­end­ing,
Of the glo­ry there in store,
Glory nev­er yet ex­pressed,
Glory of the saints at rest.

Words: Heinrich Held, 1897-1957.

Looking Up and Back

On Tuesday November 11th I was able to capture some of the colorful night sky with my phone camera.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” Psalm 19:1-2

During this past week we got some photos of our loved ones via text. I am so grateful this kind of communication is available at our fingertips.

Addy getting a kick out of herself and her Skyjo skills! She was “getting ready for her victory dance”.

Katie and Laura on the other side of the mountains at ‘nail time’ that they enjoy together. Our westside beauties!

Woohoo! Look at who is Clubber of the month. Great job, Addy, memorizing all your verses! Baba and Gramps are thankful you enjoy learning about our God and Savior and storing up Scripture for your heart and mind.

Leaving off with a beautiful sunset viewed through the window at Addy’s Irish Dance studio on Thursday the 13th.

What are some of your ‘thankfuls’ this time of year?