For the first time in the 42-year history of the event, Christmas in Christ Chapel, the annual holiday tradition at Gustavus Adolphus College, will be live streamed to the public on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 6. Heroic Productions, which annually provides audio, video, and lighting solutions for both Christmas in Christ Chapel and the Nobel Conference, will produce the live stream with the use of at least six different cameras.
“While there is nothing like attending Christmas in Christ Chapel in person, we now have the technology available to share this beautiful event all over the world,” President Rebecca Bergman said. “We hope this will allow alumni and friends of the College who live in all corners of the world as well as families of students who perform in the service to enjoy this special Gustavus tradition.”
This year’s Christmas in Christ Chapel service is themed “Tender Rose, Starry Night” and will ponder the cosmic significance of Jesus’ humble birth in light of scientific discoveries about the vastness and magnificence of the universe.
“Since the first century of the Common Era, Christians have made cosmic claims about Jesus: that in him the Word of God, present with God in the creation of the universe, became incarnate in a material body,” Gustavus Chaplain Siri Erickson said. “And that, through Jesus’s life, death and resurrection, God is at work redeeming the whole creation. The Nativity has always been a cosmic story, not just a human one.”
Dates and times of services for Christmas in Christ Chapel 2014 are as follows:
- Friday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 6 at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (Live stream is available for the 7:30 p.m. service only)
- Sunday, Dec. 7 at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
If you plan to live stream Christmas in Christ Chapel on Saturday, Dec. 6, you can access the video player by going online to gustavus.edu/CinCC. Please note that due to copyright laws, the service on Saturday evening will not be archived for viewers to watch at a later date.
A tradition since 1973, Christmas in Christ Chapel is a time for the Gustavus community to celebrate the holidays with one another. Approximately 350 students, faculty, and staff bring the program to life each year through the use of music, dance, spoken word, and the visual arts. A new theme is chosen each year in order to educate participants and audiences alike about faith and theological traditions. Choirs and orchestras lead the five services, with approximately 1,200 people attending each one.
If you are interested in attending Christmas in Christ Chapel in person, tickets are $30 apiece and can be purchased online at gustavustickets.com or by calling the Gustavus Office of Marketing and Communication at 507-933-7520.
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