Advent/Christmas Worship

The annual Advent/Christmas worship services in Perkins Chapel are a popular and much-anticipated feature of the season on the SMU campus and in the larger community. These services reflect the liturgical context of the Advent season, the musical traditions of Perkins School of Theology and Meadows School of the Arts, and the multicultural environment of SMU. Choral and congregational music for the service comes from a wide variety of Western and global cultures.

This year's services, set for 4:00 and 8:00 pm on Thursday, December 1, center around Luke 2:10:

And the angel said, "Fear not..."

Drawing upon the three appearances of the angels in Luke 1 and 2 (Elizabeth, Mary and the shepherds) and in Matthew 2 (Joseph), the services address in story and song the nature of fear in our society and how the message of hope offered in these passages speaks to our circumstances today.

C. Michael Hawn, University Distinguished Professor of Church Music and director of the Master of Sacred Music Program at Perkins, has prepared variations on the traditional service of Lessons and Carols in collaboration with Meadows School of the Arts since 1992. Upon his appointment to the faculty of Perkins School of Theology in 2006 as Associate Professor of Sacred Music Christopher Anderson became organist for the service. The Seminary Singers and the Meadows Chorale of the Meadows School of the Arts offer musical leadership in this rich weaving of Scripture and choral music.