Gustavus Adolphus College’s 43rd annual Christmas in Christ Chapel worship services are set to take place Friday, Dec. 4 through Sunday, Dec. 6. This year’s theme is “Shalom, Salaam, Bethlehem” and will take the audience on a journey, joining the global travelers and residents of Bethlehem, Palestine, to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace and give voice to our shared hope for peace in this world.
“God’s desire for people to pursue and experience shalom is a theme that runs through the biblical story. A Hebrew word, shalom is often translated as peace, but shalom is not just the absence of violence and war,” Gustavus Chaplain Siri Erickson said. “Salaam is the Arabic term for peace, and like shalom, it carries the broader meaning of restoring relationships and creating holistic conditions for human flourishing. For Palestinian Christians, the celebration of Jesus’ birth is an opportunity to proclaim that Christ came into the world to address the hostilities among people through initiating a movement of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation.”
After a successful live stream of last year’s Saturday night performance, Christmas in Christ Chapel will again be streamed online to the public on Dec. 5 beginning at 7:15 p.m. 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.
Dates and times of services for Christmas in Christ Chapel 2015 are as follows:
- Friday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 5 at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (Live steam is available beginning at 7:15 p.m. for the evening service only)
- Sunday, Dec. 6 at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
If you plan to live stream Christmas in Christ Chapel on Saturday, Dec. 5, 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 1,100 people attending each one.
If you are interested in attending Christmas in Christ Chapel in person, tickets are still available for $30 each 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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