Advent Season at Messiah College
Traditions are Carried On
Elizabeth Stevens
Issue date: 12/10/09 Section: News
In celebrating advent season, Messiah College continues its traditional arts and College Ministries events to prepare to celebrate the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. Advent started on November 29 and will end on Christmas Day.
Each year, College Ministries implements an advent chapel into the chapel schedule. Unlike other Christmas chapels, the annual advent chapel covers the traditional advent lessons, which focus on preparation for the Second Coming while remembering the First Coming of Christ.
According to Evie Telfer, Associate College Pastor, this year's advent chapel was supposed to be a drama. She says complications led to only having lessons and carols.
Telfer says that every other year the advent chapel typically alternates between Scripture readings with carols and a drama.
"The goal for either of those is a time to reflect," says Telfer. "Lessons and carols is a more bird's eye view…a whole sweep of scripture."
This year's chapel, held December 1, was based on the traditional Christmas Eve service of King's College of Cambridge, which includes nine readings with music. College Ministries chose to only include seven readings and cut out the classic opening carol, "Once in Royal David's City."
"The readers did a fabulous job this year," says Telfer, "but people not familiar with the tradition of lessons and carols may not appreciate it."
Another advent tradition at Messiah College is the Celebration of the Light. This event includes the lighting of the advent tree in Eisenhower Campus Center circle. This year, it occurred on December 1.
Doug Curry, Minister of Worship, works alongside Kim Phipps, Messiah College president, to make this annual event successful. Behind the scenes is senior psychology major, Sheena Thrush.
"It [the ceremony] is very simple because the whole service lasts 15 minutes," says Thrush.
The Celebration of the Light event fits 4 carols, 3 interactive readings, and the lighting of the tree into a 15 minute period. Preparing for the event included immense amounts of unseen work, but there was a "set structure already," says Thrush.
Each year, College Ministries implements an advent chapel into the chapel schedule. Unlike other Christmas chapels, the annual advent chapel covers the traditional advent lessons, which focus on preparation for the Second Coming while remembering the First Coming of Christ.
According to Evie Telfer, Associate College Pastor, this year's advent chapel was supposed to be a drama. She says complications led to only having lessons and carols.
Telfer says that every other year the advent chapel typically alternates between Scripture readings with carols and a drama.
"The goal for either of those is a time to reflect," says Telfer. "Lessons and carols is a more bird's eye view…a whole sweep of scripture."
This year's chapel, held December 1, was based on the traditional Christmas Eve service of King's College of Cambridge, which includes nine readings with music. College Ministries chose to only include seven readings and cut out the classic opening carol, "Once in Royal David's City."
"The readers did a fabulous job this year," says Telfer, "but people not familiar with the tradition of lessons and carols may not appreciate it."
Another advent tradition at Messiah College is the Celebration of the Light. This event includes the lighting of the advent tree in Eisenhower Campus Center circle. This year, it occurred on December 1.
Doug Curry, Minister of Worship, works alongside Kim Phipps, Messiah College president, to make this annual event successful. Behind the scenes is senior psychology major, Sheena Thrush.
"It [the ceremony] is very simple because the whole service lasts 15 minutes," says Thrush.
The Celebration of the Light event fits 4 carols, 3 interactive readings, and the lighting of the tree into a 15 minute period. Preparing for the event included immense amounts of unseen work, but there was a "set structure already," says Thrush.
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