{"id":1076,"date":"2010-04-06T04:01:10","date_gmt":"2010-04-06T04:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/a-surprising-easter-tradition.html"},"modified":"2010-04-06T04:01:10","modified_gmt":"2010-04-06T04:01:10","slug":"a-surprising-easter-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/a-surprising-easter-tradition.html","title":{"rendered":"A Surprising Easter Tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of our traditional Easter practices happen on Easter Sunday: going to church with family, a sunrise service, a special dinner, wearing fancy spring dresses, hunting for eggs, and so forth. In church, we sing music reserved for Easter, hymns such as \u201cChrist the Lord Is Risen Today.\u201d And in many of our churches, we greet one another with the classic resurrection greeting: \u201cChrist is risen! He is risen, indeed!\u201d
\nI love these traditions. (Oh, for the record, I didn\u2019t wear Easter dresses. But I love seeing my daughter in hers! Note the photo to the right.) It\u2019s convenient that I am a fan of Easter traditions because, when I was the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, I participated in four services each Easter morning, starting with a sunrise service at 6:00 a.m. As you might guess, one of my Easter traditions included taking a nap in the afternoon!
\nIn the last few years, I added one more tradition to those I have cherished for years. This one might be surprising to you. It might even seem a little odd. Here it is: During the season of Easter, I listen to Handel\u2019s Messiah.<\/em>
\nNow before you think I\u2019m confusing Easter and Christmas, let me explain. I know that we tend to associate the Messiah<\/em> with Christmas, and for good reason. The first part of this musical masterpiece does celebrate the birth of Jesus: \u201cFor unto us a child is born . . .\u201d Yet if you listen carefully to the whole Messiah, <\/em>you may be surprised to learn that the birth of Jesus comes about 25% into the piece. The death of Jesus comes near the halfway point. The final 40% of the Messiah <\/em>celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and its implications. This means, in terms of number of minutes, the Messiah<\/em> is more of an Easter piece than a Christmas piece.
\nBut what about the beloved \u201cHallelujah Chorus\u201d? Isn\u2019t it found in the Christmas section? Not in Handel\u2019s original composition. It comes at the end of Part II as a celebration of the resurrection and the beginning of Christ\u2019s reign as \u201cKing of kings and Lord of lords.\u201d
\nThe fact that George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) intended the Messiah <\/em>as an Easter celebration is evident, not only in the libretto (the words) of the piece, but also in the circumstances of its debut. Handel\u2019s masterpiece was first performed in Dublin on April 13, 1742, 19 days after Easter. This is surely no accident. If he had intended the Messiah <\/em>for Christmas, surely he would not have planned for an Eastertide grand opening.
\nLet me be clear that I don\u2019t have a problem with anyone listening to the Messiah <\/em>during the season of Advent and Christmas, I do this very thing every year, quite happily, I might add. Moreover, one of the highlights of my musical life was joining the choir of Irvine Presbyterian Church as we sang the Christmas portion of the Messiah<\/em> (plus the Hallelujah Chorus) along with an orchestra. (You can hear a short clip of our choir by clicking here<\/a>. It\u2019s a QuickTime file.)
\nBut let me encourage you to join me in what might be a new Easter tradition for you. Listen to Handel\u2019s Messiah <\/em>all the way through. It takes a little more than two hours, and is well worth the time. You might also want to study the libretto, noting the brilliant use of Scripture. But then just let the music lead you to a joyful celebration of salvation in Jesus, beginning with his birth, continuing through his life, death, and resurrection.
\nI will close by quoting the last words of the Messiah<\/em>, other than the three minute series of \u201cAmens.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWorthy 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.\u201d (based on Revelation 5:12-13)<\/p>\n

P.S. If you’d like a more detailed study of Handel’s Messiah<\/em> and its Easter focus, you might check out a series I wrote a couple of years ago: Handel’s Messiah and Easter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most of our traditional Easter practices happen on Easter Sunday: going to church with family, a sunrise service, a special dinner, wearing fancy spring dresses, hunting for eggs, and so forth. In church, we sing music reserved for Easter, hymns such as \u201cChrist the Lord Is Risen Today.\u201d And in many of our churches, we…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-week-easter"],"yoast_head":"\nA Surprising Easter Tradition - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1076\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}