NeuroDivine

A hymn of thanksgiving for the faithful readers of Scripture, whose voices weave the Word into our daily lives.

This hymn was written as a personal thanksgiving for commissioned diocesan and parish readers of Scripture and the Divine Office, especially an aunt and a godfather whose faithful ministry shaped my own hearing of the Word. As a parish reader in Monasterevin, and a musician and writer, I have experienced firsthand how the Word, proclaimed with care, can weave itself into the textures of daily life—heard at lecterns, in music, and in quiet reflection at home.

Drawing on the imagery of the Book of Kells, the hymn reflects on the vocation entrusted to readers: to tend the text with care, to guard its mysteries, and to attend to the Word at work in small and overlooked places. It offers a blessing for those called and commissioned to open the Scriptures for the Church, that through their faithful service Christ may be heard, recognized, and followed.

Suggested tune: Pleading Savior 87 87 D

Christ, whose Word is woven through us
Like the Kells’ bright, living line,
Spirals tracing grace around us,
Binding earth to the divine;
Bless the Readers whom You call to
Shape Your truth with steady care,
Interlacing ancient stories
With the lives we daily bear.

As the Chi‑Rho blazed with glory
On the vellum’s holy page,
Let their preaching shine with courage
For a restless, seeking age.
As the gospel beasts once guarded
Myst’ries whispered, deep and true,
May these servants guard the Scriptures,
Op’ning them for all to view.

In the margins of our living,
Where the small things still belong—
Cats that curl beside the firelight,
Fields that hum with quiet song—
Let them read the signs of mercy,
Name the hope that flickers there;
For the Word walks every byway,
Hidden, humble, everywhere.

Christ, whose cross is knotted firmly
Like the woven cords of faith,
Be their compass in the shadows,
Be their strength in doubt or death.
Till the Church, in all her voices,
Finds her calling, clear and bright,
And the world, through faithful witness,
Turns its face t’ward living light.

Text copyright 2025-2026 Michael McFarland Campbell. All rights reserved.

Further information

Information about lay ministry

In the Church of Ireland: https://www.churchofireland.org/our-faith/vocations/lay-ministry

In the Church of England: https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-life/vocations/explore-ministries/readers-and-lay-ministers

In the Church in Wales: https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/about-us/vocations-and-discernment/licensed-lay-ministry/

In the Scottish Episcopal Church: https://www.scotland.anglican.org/who-we-are/vocation-and-ministry/ministry-scottish-episcopal-church/