Music and Peacebuilding students, along with a recent graduate and their advisor, Benjamin Bergey, hosted a “Hymn Sing for Hope” on Jan. 14, 2026, during convocation in the Seminary Building at Eastern Mennonite University.
The Hymn Sing for Hope invited the campus community to journey together through music as a way of reflection and renewal. University Chaplain Brian Martin Burkholder described the purpose of the gathering by saying, “We envision not only the world as it is, but as it could become,” emphasizing a movement from lament to hope and a commitment to peace and healing. Bergey added that the community gathered not because life feels easy, but because singing together helps people tell the truth and stay grounded when the world feels heavy.
The service opened with “Rain Come Down” by Shawn L. Kirchner, a prayer for renewal and spiritual awakening included in EMU’s campus hymn book.
The next song, “How Long, O Lord” (Voices Together #691), gave voice to lament and trust, expressing weariness while affirming hope in God’s faithfulness. Following the song, a student read Matthew 26:36–38, reflecting on Jesus’ sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane and the importance of staying present in difficult moments.
The Taizé chant “O Lord, Hear My Prayer” followed, calling out to God for guidance and attentive listening. The service then moved into “Beautiful Things” (Hymn #551), which focused on hope and transformation. Bergey invited participants to see one another and the world not only as they are, but as they could become.
Next, the community sang “Holy Spirit, Come with Power (Ven, Espíritu, Cual Viento)” (Hymn #57), a prayer inviting the Holy Spirit’s presence. A student then read Hebrews 10:19–25, encouraging confidence in faith, mutual love, and continued community support.
Before singing “We Dream of a Turning” (Hymn #209), Bergey emphasized that hope must be practiced through how people live, listen, and care for one another beyond the worship space. This theme continued with “My Life Flows On in Endless Song” (Hymn #605), during which the audience was invited to stand and sing together.
The gathering concluded with “We Are Marching in the Light of God” (Hymn #783, CMO), sung in English, Zulu/Nosa, and Spanish, celebrating unity and shared faith, followed by “Lift Every Voice and Sing / We Shall Overcome Someday.” These final songs connected the service to the upcoming MLK Day, reflecting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of responding to hate with love and perseverance.
Zoe Clymer, a junior at EMU who attended the convocation, said, “I thought it was actually good,” noting that moments like these are important amid busy schedules. Monica Ehrenfels, a first-year EMU student who played two instruments during the service, also shared that the experience was fun.
As the gathering closed, Bergey offered to send words encouraging the community to carry hope forward, echoing the theme that hope is practiced and lived.
