NeuroDivine

O God, who gathers us in love

For a shorter version, omit the verses marked by an asterisk (*).

1.
O God who gathers us in love,
As mothers gently do,
We bless the work of faithful hearts
Sustained and shaped by You.

*2.
For generations, grace has grown
In homes and parish ways;
From Antrim’s coast to Shannon fields
Your steadfast light still stays.

3.
For Mothers’ Union, Lord, we thank, 
Whose witness, strong and true,
Has guarded homes and nurtured faith
In quiet service too.

*4.
Through changing years and hopeful steps,
Your Spirit leads us on;
From Kerry hills to Erne’s wide lakes
Your love is never gone.

5.
Bless those who mother, those who guide,
And those who walk alone;
Make every home a place of peace
Where kindness may be sown.

*6.
As mother otters teach their young
By river, lough, and shore,
So may we learn Your patient care
And trust You evermore.

*7.
Like squirrels leaping branch to branch,
In woods of oak and pine,
In Mothers’ Union, hearts unite
To serve in love divine.

8.
So send us out in quiet strength
To live the Gospel way;
In Christ our Mother, Brother, Friend,
We find our hope today.

Hymn information 

First line: O God who gathers us in love
Text: Michael McFarland Campbell
Metre: CM
Tune: St Anne
Theme: Mothers Union

Reflection: A Quiet Strength: 150 Years of Mothers’ Union

There are some ministries in the Church that rarely seek the spotlight, yet their quiet faithfulness shapes generations. The Mothers’ Union is one of those gifts.

For 150 years, Mothers’ Union members have prayed, served, and cared for families across the world. What began in a parish in Hampshire in 1876 has grown into a global movement present in more than 80 countries. In villages, towns, and cities across continents, members gather to pray, support families, and serve their communities with gentle determination.

In Ireland, the witness of Mothers’ Union has long been woven into the life of parish communities. From Antrim’s coasts to the fields along the Shannon, from Kerry’s hills to the shores of Lough Erne, generations of members have sustained parish life through prayer meetings, practical care, and a deep commitment to family life in all its forms.

For me, the Mothers’ Union has always simply been part of the landscape of faith. My mother has been a member for as long as I can remember. As a child, it meant parish hall meetings, familiar blue badges on lapels, and the quiet assurance that there were people in the church whose work was steady, faithful, and rooted in prayer.

Looking back now, I realise how much that matters. The Mothers’ Union embodies a ministry that is rarely loud but profoundly strong. It reminds the Church that discipleship often grows in ordinary places: kitchens, parish halls, homes, hospital wards, and quiet corners where people pray for others.

At its heart, the Mothers’ Union reflects something deeply biblical: the call to nurture, to encourage, and to hold communities together with patience and love. Not everyone mothers in the same way, but the spirit of mothering—care, protection, encouragement, and perseverance—runs deeply through the life of the Church.

The hymn shared today on Mothering Sunday is written as a small act of thanksgiving within that tradition. It gives thanks for 150 years of Mothers’ Union across the world, for its faithful witness in Ireland, and in a particular way it is offered in gratitude for my own mother—and for mothers everywhere whose love quietly shapes the lives of others.

As the Mothers’ Union marks this anniversary, it is right to give thanks for this extraordinary network of prayer and service. Across Ireland and across the world, countless lives have been strengthened by its witness.

And for many of us, the story is also personal. It is tied to mothers, grandmothers, parish friends, and faithful women whose steady love helped shape the faith we carry today.

In a world that often celebrates the loud and the immediate, the Mothers’ Union reminds us of something deeper: the power of steadfast love, lived day by day.

Thanks be to God for 150 years of prayer, service, and faithful care.

Copyright

© Michael McFarland Campbell. 2026. 
Permission granted for local church or parish use with attribution. Not for commercial reproduction