Annual Ecumenical Worship Service Centers Hope
On Wednesday, February 25, students, faculty, staff, and community members filled the Chapel of the Holy Spirit for Assumption’s fourth annual Ecumenical Worship Service for an evening grounded in music, scripture, fellowship, and a shared commitment to hope.
The service opened with vibrant praise from the Kuumba Singers, the oldest Black organization at Harvard College, led by Director Sheldon K.X. Reid, setting the tone for a gathering focused on unity and spiritual renewal.
Brenda Hunt, assistant dean for community and engagement, extended the evening’s first welcome.
“We gather around hope; not the perfect, polished hope, but the kind that meets us where we are,” she said. “Settle in, get warm and cozy, because there’s a lot of snow outside, and allow yourself to be present. Welcome to worship.”
Luis Melgar, director of campus ministry, then greeted the congregation and reflected on Assumption’s long‑standing commitment to ecumenism. He acknowledged the collaborative effort behind the service, thanking partners across campus and those who attended the service.
“Thank you for choosing to be here to worship, to praise, to be together,” Melgar said. “Tonight is a moment to uplift and behold the graces of our community and beyond, and to choose hope boldly.”
Scripture readings from the Books of Isaiah and Hebrews, delivered by graduate students Tori Richardson ’25 and Jordan Revels ’25, continued the theme of God’s strength, endurance, and faithfulness in times of uncertainty.
Vice President for Student Success and Pastor Emeritus at Grace Baptist Church Conway Campbell led the congregation in prayer and later delivered the evening’s central reflection.
“Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for breath in our lungs and strength in our bodies. Your Word tells us that you do not grow tied or weary and that you give power to the faint. Many of us come in today needing that power,” he prayed, acknowledging the various burdens attendees may be carrying. “We choose to praise you, not because every question is always answered, but because you are our rock. You are faithful, and your promises do not change.”
Campbell’s sermon focused on Hebrews 6 and the image of hope as an anchor: steady and unseen, yet unwavering. He reminded the community that hope is not rooted in earthly institutions or circumstances but in something far greater.
“Anchors are not meant to be seen. Anchors are meant to be set. I may not be able to see my hope anchored in heaven, but I can feel its pull,” he said. “Storms can shake the ship. Waves can batter the hull, winds can howl against it, but if the anchor is set, the ship does not drift.
“Hebrews 6 tells us this: Our anchor is not set in this world. It is set within and beyond the curtain and held by Christ Himself, who has gone before us as our forerunner. If you’re in Christ, your hope is already secure, even if your circumstances are not. You may feel the storm, but you are not lost in it,” he continued.
Before the closing hymn, Campbell offered a final blessing: “Help us to live as people of anchored hope—not anxious, not shaken, not defined by circumstances, but grounded in your promises.”
The evening concluded with a reception in the Lauring Community Room, where attendees shared food, conversation, and continued fellowship. After, community members left not only warmed from the cold but encouraged by the reminder that “an anchored hope holds.”