Advent Season at Messiah College

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.
Although Messiah College added the song "Angels We Have Heard on High" to the program, the Celebration of the Light maintains its traditionalism.

The Christmas Concert, held on December 7 this year, is also an advent tradition at Messiah College. It included performances from the Women's Ensemble, Men's Ensemble, Chamber Singers, Handbell Choir, Brass Quintets, and Concert Choir. They performed classic pieces such as, "Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and renditions of traditional pieces such as "Adeste Fideles" and "African Noel."

John Wolgemuth, a junior engineering major, is a member of both the Men's Ensemble and the Concert Choir. He sang in all the pieces mentioned above. Wolgemuth says that his "favorite piece is 'Thou Shalt Know Him' because of the tight harmonies."

Messiah College's past and present emphasis on the advent season is also carried on by publications. Messiah College published an anthology of Advent devotionals entitled Treasures of the Heart.

According to Kim Phipps, the anthology is "filled with engaging stories, memories, and thoughtful reflections intended to enrich your Advent season."
Telfer comments on celebrating advent on a college campus. "It's interesting to have advent in the context of a semester," says Telfer. "Finals, weight, pressure.it's hard to appreciate Christmas. It's that contrast that is exactly what advent is about: waiting for God in the midst of a situation that's not perfect.