Hymn Sing!

What is the best thing about Mennonite young adults?

Well, I don't know.  That is probably an unfair question.  But one of my favourite things about living, working, eating, and playing with a big group of them is their musicality!

I should have realized how awesome this month was going to be, music-wise, when we sang The Doxology for grace before a meal.  That is my favorite song in the universe.  Even putting that bias aside, the harmonies were beautiful and the voices powerful.

Yesterday the Radical Journey group spent the afternoon and evening sharing our stories.  We talked about the experiences that have brought us to where we are in our lives and in our faith.  This is never an easy exercise in a large group, because people's lives inevitably involve some pain.  Predictably enough, after many hours of this sharing and listening and praying over one another, we were emotionally exhausted.

What was less predictable was the response of the group:

"Hey!  We should have a hymn-sing!"

"YEAH!"

"YEAH!"

"YEAH!"

And indeed, the majority of us gathered around the piano in the church sanctuary.  We sang songs from Hymnal: A Worship Book, and from Sing the Journey.  Many, many songs.  We were astonished to realize how late it was getting when, at 10:30, we were still going strong!

The wonder in this experience, for me, was not primarily the beauty of the music we were making.  Although it was certainly beautiful.

Nor was it the enthusiasm with which we raided the church's percussion basket, playing tambourines and drums and maracas to the more upbeat songs in Sing the Journey.  Although that was impressive too, given that we are a bunch of North American Mennonites who don't generally dance during worship.

No, the aspect of our hymn sing that made the deepest impression on me was the deep love that Mennonite young people have for these songs.

It moved me to realize that these young people have been shaped, encouraged, and strengthened in their faith by many of the same songs that have been influential for me.  We are connected to our home congregations by these songs.  They bring up memories of struggles we have overcome and moments that we have celebrated!  Perhaps best of all, they are our connection to the past and to the future of our church.

I am so glad I have learned to love hymns in my lifetime.  And I am especially glad that other Mennonite young people love hymns as well.