Trusting the God Who Keeps His Covenant

This hymn is shaped by the daily readings at Morning Prayer for today from the Church of England. It draws together the promise God makes to Abram beneath the night sky, Christ’s faithful obedience in the garden, and the Spirit’s work of forming trust and courage in us today. Set in the landscapes of water, darkness, and dawn, it invites us to listen again for God’s covenant love and to walk faithfully in its light, even when the way is costly.

Under starfields over Shannon

Under starfields over Shannon,
where the quiet boglands breathe,
you once spoke your vow to Abram,
walked the path no eye could see.
Still your promise lights our darkness,
guides our steps through fear and night;
you, the God who keeps your cov’nant,
hold us fast till dawn’s first light.

In the garden’s shadowed stillness,
as the torches pierced the gloom,
Christ refused the sword’s quick triumph,
chose the cross instead of doom.
Faithful when his friends deserted,
steadfast though the night grew long,
he revealed your heart of mercy,
turning violence into song.

Spirit, breathe through ash and hawthorn,
through the meadowsweet and rain;
shape in us a trust like Abram’s,
courage for the world’s deep pain.
When betrayal chills our pathways,
when we tremble at the cost,
keep us rooted in your promise—
love unbroken, never lost.

God of covenant and courage,
God who walks the shadowed way,
guide us by the holy wellsprings,
keep us true at each doorway.
When the night is deep around us,
still your promise lights the road;
may we live your steadfast story,
held within your holy love.

Hymn information

First line: Under starfields over Shannon
Text: Michael McFarland Campbell
Metre: 87 87 D
Tune: Here is love
Scripture References: Genesis 12:1–9; 15:1–21; 17:1–8; 22:1–18; Psalm 27:1–14; 91; 121; Isaiah 42:1–4; 53:1–12; Jeremiah 31:31–34; Matthew 26:36–56; Mark 14:32–50; Luke 22:39–53; John 18:1–11; Romans 4:1–25; Galatians 3:6–29; Hebrews 11:8–19.

© 2026 Michael McFarland Campbell. Permission granted for local church use with attribution. Not for commercial reproduction without permission.