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Advent chapel series welcomes Haugen

Date 12/5/2002 12:00 AM | Topic: Arts & Culture

Luther's Advent chapel poetry series continues throughout this week with Kendra Korte speaking today at senior chapel in the Center for Faith and Life and Rebecca Lister serving as a soloist.

The series began Monday, Dec. 2 with Luther graduate Marty Haugen preaching at chapel. A well-known liturgical composer, Haugen agreed to come on the first day of the series partly to honor Weston Noble on his eightieth birthday. He made his presentation on Mary's "Magnificat," in his musical setting and in its biblical text.

English Professor Carol Gilbertson, the 2002-04 Dennis M. Jones Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities, created the Luther Poetry Project and has contributed biweekly columns for Chips and twice-monthly readings called "Poems 4 Friday," where faculty, staff and students read published poems by a particular poet or poets or on a topic or theme.

Gilbertson hopes the chapel series will introduce more poetry into campus life this Advent. Luther's Advent chapel series is based on poetic texts as well as biblical readings. Each speaker will talk about a different poem which directly or indirectly re-frames such biblical stories and theological ideas as the angel's announcement to Mary of her role as Jesus' mother, the incarnation and the preparation for the immensity of God's coming.

Gilbertson met with Pastor Deanna Langle earlier this fall, and Gilbertson selected a wide-ranging collection of classic and contemporary poems that she thought faculty members would like to introduce to the chapel audience. Pastor Deanna correlated these poems with scripture readings for Advent, and together they selected a group of speakers. Gilbertson knew of some beautiful musical settings of poetic texts, and college organist William Kuhlman had some additional suggestions. The three of them selected musicians and music, and the series was underway.

"This is a marvelous opportunity for the Luther community to become acquainted with a great range of poems from different literary periods and to discover how many wonderful poets take up religious themes," Gilbertson said. "It's also a wonderful opportunity to hear and sing some really beautiful music."

The series will end on Friday, Dec. 6 with Nick Preus speaking and Lonnie Norwood as the soloist.

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Erin Kube
A&E Editor

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