Tag Archive

On Handel’s Messiah

Published on December 20, 2020 By sirrahc

“To him I bend the knee, for Handel was the greatest, ablest composer that ever lived.” — Ludwig von Beethoven When George F. Handel decided to write a new oratorio (Messiah), he worked so feverishly that he rarely ate or slept, and some thought him either crazy or spellbound. “Handel finished Part I in only […]

My Top 10 Favorite Christmas Hymns

Published on December 22, 2019 By sirrahc

We all have our favorite Christmas/holiday songs, so I figured I’d do a Top 10 list of mine. Well, some of mine. These are just my choices among the hymns and “classic”, Bible-oriented carols. (Maybe I’ll do a non-hymns list another time.) I tried to get a variety of choirs represented. In alphabetical order… 1) […]

Keeping Christ in Xmas

Published on December 23, 2018 By sirrahc

“28 Simeon took Him [i.e., the baby Jesus] up in his arms, praised God, and said: 29 Now, Master, You can dismiss Your slave in peace, as You promised. 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation. 31 You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples — 32 a light for revelation to […]

A Christmas Essay by Harry Reasoner

Published on December 25, 2016 By sirrahc

“Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give […]

Newsweek Tells Christians They Are Wrong

Published on January 3, 2016 By sirrahc

“Newsweek‘s cover story is exactly what happens when a writer fueled by open antipathy to evangelical Christianity tries to throw every argument he can think of against the Bible and its authority. To put the matter plainly, no honest historian would recognize the portrait of Christian history presented in this essay as accurate and no […]

9 Things You Might Not Know about Christmas

Published on December 24, 2013 By sirrahc

OK, something rather less weighty or theologically-oriented this year. This Christmas post has little to do with the biblical Nativity and more to do with Christmas traditions in general. (Maybe I should do another one someday with just Christian-oriented things?) But, I think you may find it fun and informative, anyway. It’s a sort of […]

What’s the Reason, Again?

Published on December 25, 2012 By sirrahc

Jesus is the Reason for the Season! At this time of year (in “the West”, at least), you see signs and bumper stickers and web images and all sorts of stuff that say this. Amidst all the Santas and snowmen and decorated trees and commercial hubbub, it’s a great reminder to all — Christian and […]

Amazing Young Talent

Published on December 23, 2010 By sirrahc

Season’s Greetings!!! I recently came across an amazing talent. She’s got a big voice with a wide range, she’s super-cute, and she’s only 7 years old! Her name is Rhema Marvanne. Here’s a studio session where she sings a Christmas classic. (Can’t believe how long she holds that note towards the end!) Here she is […]

Is December 25th Pagan? (Part 2 of 2)

Published on December 29, 2009 By sirrahc

So, what do we make of the concerns and accusations referred to at the beginning of this article? First of all, there is no intentional deceit going on with respect to celebrating the Nativity on December 25. We have seen that there are and historically have been some Christian writers & leaders who genuinely believe(d) […]

Is December 25th Pagan? (Part 1 of 2)

Published on December 28, 2009 By sirrahc

What do Jimmy Buffett, Larry Csonka, Karl Rove, Cab Calloway, Anwar Sadat, Rod Serling, Humphrey Bogart, and Conrad Hilton (Paris’ great-granddaddy) have in common? Based on the title above, you may have guessed that they were all born on December 25th. Yet, as long as we’re listing famous people with that particular birthday, someone else […]