Lighting of the Green offers vital pause for campus community
Lighting of the Green gives an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of this Bethel tradition, remembering the contributions of Patty Shelly.
Lighting of the Green is an annual tradition at Bethel College. According to the Bethel College website, the event began in 1986 in a combined effort from students Beth (Hege) Piatote and Stephanie Gingerich and Bible and Religion Professor Patty Shelly. The mission of the Lighting of the Green was to bring a diverse crowd together to celebrate Advent.
This year marks a bittersweet milestone for the event. In September, Shelly passed away, making this the first Lighting without her alive. The impact of Shelly on the Lighting is clear and deep. Campus pastor Michael Unruh dedicated this year’s Lighting to Shelly’s memory and legacy.
“For some time, the campus pastor role was split several ways, and Patty had part of that role,” said alumnus and Assistant Professor of Bible and Religion Peter Goerzen. “She would play guitar and lead singing for the event. Sometime after I graduated, Patty decided she had put in enough frozen fingers and decided to give that up. She would still attend each year, up until her retirement.”
Despite decades of campus development, the Lighting of the Green has remained loyal to its original purpose and structure.
“The simplicity is what draws me every year,” said Goerzen. “It’s scripture, brief reflections, prayer, candle lighting, and singing. You can't see the people who are speaking, so no one gets the stage. The focus goes not to the center, but to the margins.
“Some years, something in the well-known words from John I catches my attention in a new way. This year, I thought about how the candlelight doesn’t erase the darkness but gives enough light to reveal the next step to be taken, and that’s enough. I thought of Patty, with deep gratitude.”
Bethel has grown substantially since the birth of the Lighting in 1986, with 2023 bringing in the largest new student class since 1988. As the college has grown, so has its diversity in many ways. Mennonite is no longer the dominant denomination at Bethel. Despite these changes, the Lighting of the Green has managed to maintain relevance to the students and local community.
“Lighting of the Green provides a pause, however brief,” said campus pastor Michael Unruh. “We need moments like Lighting of the Green to reset our priorities, breathe, sing, and be in the presence of one another. And I think that can be true for anyone, regardless of your experience with faith and religion.”
Lighting of the Green is hosted by Campus Ministries the Sunday before finals at the end of every fall semester.