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I Heard the Bells and Hallelujah

Saturday night, I got to attend the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas concert with my friend Dtephanie and her Dad. It was a great evening! The concert featured Brian Stokes Mitchell (love that man) and Edward Hermann. There were a lot of touching moments for me, but my personal favorite moment was Edward Hermann's narration of the story "Longfellow's Christmas", which is the story behind the writing of the hymn "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day". I don't hear of a lot of people enjooying it, but it has always been one of my favorite Christmas hymns. I can really relate to the feeling of despair, but then the message of hope through Christ that comes at the end of the song.

Sunday morning the Choir performed it again for Music and the Spoken word. And it thrilled me even more, and I got all choked-up as Edward Hermann shouted out at the end of the story that Christ is the message of hope and peace.

Later that morning I put in my old cassette tape of The Messiah, and sang along at the top of my lungs as I was getting ready for church. There I was with wet hair and a towel on my head, shouting out the Hallelujah Chorus, and just thrilling at the message of Christ, and how He makes everything possible. It was quite a special moment for me as the testimony of it just sent a wave of happiness and joy over me. Hallelujah!

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