- [Narrator] Like so many people,

husband, father and financialadvisor Hillary Shank

has always loved his family'sChristmas traditions.

But then one year, he feltlike something was missing.

- It was probably in2016 that after Christmas

was over, I really had thisimmediate empty feeling.

And I was trying to processwhat was that about.

I don't think I imagined the traditions

themselves being bad things.

I think I just needed some time to process

the coming of theMessiah at the same time.

So, for me I started researching the way

people practice advent.

And I came across this reference somewhere

on the web that said you should try

using Handel's "Messiah"as an advent practice

and honestly I didn'teven know what that meant.

- [Narrator] George FridericHandel composed "Messiah"

in 1741, but it was hisfriend Charles Jennens

who wrote the libretto or lyrics taken

directly from scripture.

The work has 53 movementsand tells the story

of the prophecy, life, death, resurrection

and the second coming of Jesus Christ.

♪ Unto us a Son is given ♪

- So as I began to listento Handel's "Messiah,"

I realized that the music had been so

geniusly created to animatethe words of scripture.

There's nothing accidental.

He actually pulled thefeeling that's intended

out of that scriptureand he put it to music.

- [Narrator] But findingan advent devotional

based on the classic work proved elusive.

So coming from a fresh perspective,

Hillary decided to dosomething he'd never done.

Write one himself.

- So I researched, I wantedto know about Handel,

I want to know about Charles Jennens,

so that I could havethe full spirit of that

come to fruition in the book.

- [Narrator] In February of 2018,

"The Soul Feels Its Worth" was born.

The daily devotion breaks the 53 movements

of Handel's "Messiah" into 25 days

and combines it withdaily scripture readings,

prayer and personal reflection.

- I wrote the book with the idea

that the average person, who may not even

really like classical music or know

anything about Messiahwould say this has really

been inspiring to me.

This is something that is meaningful

and it's actually making something of

my Christmas season more connected.

- [Narrator] To getpublished, Hillary turned

to his friend JohnKoehler of Koehler Books.

But creating a way forthe reader to access

only the selected music for each day

in the devotion wouldn't be so easy.

- If you're using an online platform,

it's very hard to actually figure out

what you're listening toand how to match it up.

And I wanted to have itso that when you went

to day seven, all you needed to hear

was day seven's music.

- [Narrator] It wasthen Hillary's publisher

introduced him to Maestro Daniel Booth,

director of the Virginia Beach Performing

Arts Group Symphonicity.

- When Hillary came tome and shared his vision

for the project, Irealized that he innately

understood that power of communication.

He wanted his words also tobe a vessel for communication

beyond his own writing.

- [Narrator] And likemany, Daniel believes

Handel and Jennens work on "Messiah"

was more than just a collaboration.

- I think they wereinspired to bring these

elements together and clearly for Handel

to write it in thethree weeks that he did,

it was a real flash of shallwe say divine inspiration.

- [Narrator] And as for traditions,

for nearly 40 years,Symphonicity has offered

a free performance of Handel's"Messiah" during Christmas.

- So for Symphonicity,this was a perfect fit,

an opportunity for us to provide

that musical soundtrack for communication

and for inspiration.

- [Narrator] Symphonicity'sboard of directors

not only agreed to do the project,

they decided to underwrite the entire cost

of recording Handel's Messiah

at Virginia Beach's Sandler Center.

- For me that was agreat sign that the Lord

was doing something with this.

- I would like you to meetthe author of this book

and the brain childbehind this collaboration,

Mr. Hillary Shank.

Everyone rallied behind itand it all came together,

more beautifully than Icould have ever imagined.

- Your voice is going to help many others

prepare their hearts for Christmas.

- And I don't believe that's just a result

of just the people and the resources

that we're involved, but I really believe

it was because of theinspiration that came

from the words and from the music

that Hillary and Handel have put together.

(applauding)

- Just watching all thegifts of all these people

come together in thismoment for the same thing,

to amplify the Lord andto experience the music

and to participate in themusic at the same time.

- That to me was remarkable.

My ultimate hope would be that it reaches

anyone and everyone that needsto have it in their life.

I hope it finds a way to them.

- [Narrator] Hillary says that's not just

a message for the Christmas season.

- It's a great tool and my intention is to

create a tool at Christmastime

to help people slow down,

but obviously it should be listened to

throughout the entire year.

'Cause it's not Christmas music,

it's the story of Jesus,

which is important all year long.

♪ Alleluia ♪

(applauding)