#BU26’s unique class hymn captures the ‘new beginning’ that is the college experience

While it’s common for incoming freshmen to be welcomed to college by campus leaders, it’s not so common for that encouragement to come in the form of a hymn — but that’s what we do here at Baylor.

Since 2008, each incoming class has been welcomed with its own unique hymn, each capturing an aspect of this moment of excitement, possibility and transition in a student’s life.

This year’s hymn, “Lord, We are Here,” was written expressly for the Class of 2026, with lyrics by University Chaplain Burt Burleson (BA ’80), music by Kathy Johnson (BM ’76), lead vocals by Mackenzie Rock Jentsch (MDiv ’19), and with sound engineering by Stephen Bolech (BM ’02). The lyrics speak to the unique time of life in which these incoming freshmen find themselves — a time of wonder, awe, and openness to God doing new things in their lives — and the music video features snapshot images of this special time (from Line Camp to Move2BU to Welcome Week):

Complete lyrics to this year’s hymn:

Truth beyond… the world transcends…
Wisdom flows from depths within.
Love that placed the Image there,
Prompting of your ev’ry prayer.

Lord, we are here, gathered to grow,
Longings and loves, ready to know.
Let your light shine, make the way clear.
Yes, we are here, Lord. Yes, we are here.

Good we seek, in such a time,
Journey of the Self to find,
Love that stirs the soul awake,
Soul that is… a soul to shape.

Lord, we are here, gathered to grow,
Longings and loves, ready to know.
Let your light shine, make the way clear.
Yes, we are here, Lord. Yes, we are here.

Beauty shared, the blessings of,
Gifts we hold, born from above.
Love that sings, this song begun,
Holy hints of joy to come.

You can watch and listen to each Baylor class hymn since 2017 on the university’s YouTube channel, and hear class hymns dating even further back on iTunes.

Sic ’em, Baylor Spiritual Life and #BU26!