Saints | SS Sergius and Bacchus | NDH-0350 | 8 October 2026
O God, whose Spirit folds the hills
In mist at break of day,
Whose voice is heard where sea and sky
Meet on their timeless way,
2. *
You called two faithful saints to walk
One path beneath Your sky;
Through fear and loss, through fire and sword,
They bore Your love on high.
3.
Like wild geese crossing autumn seas,
They journeyed side by side;
No power of earth could break the bond
In which their souls abide.
4. *
As rowan roots grip rocky ground
When winter storms descend,
Their steadfast witness still proclaims
God’s blessing, friend with friend.
5.
The world may cast aside the ones
Whom You have chosen near,
Yet Christ is found at every gate
Where love outweighs our fear.
6. *
In thin places where heaven bends
And living waters flow,
Their story whispers through the years
What deeper hearts can know:
7.
That love need never hide in shame,
Nor truth be locked away;
For God delights in every heart
That walks in love’s bright way.
8.
For queer disciples seeking still
A home beneath Your wing,
May Sergius and Bacchus lead
Our hearts to trust and sing.
9.
All glory to the Triune God,
Whose love shall set us free;
The source and goal of every gift,
Through all eternity.
Reflection
Companions in Faith
The Church remembers Saints Sergius and Bacchus as Christian martyrs who remained faithful to Christ despite persecution and death. Their story has resonated deeply with many LGBT Christians, who see in their companionship a witness to loyalty, courage, and enduring love.
While historians debate the precise nature of their relationship, their example continues to speak of faith shared, burdens carried together, and hope sustained in difficult times.
A Celtic Vision of Holiness
This hymn imagines Sergius and Bacchus within a Celtic landscape of mist-covered hills, curlew calls, wild geese, rowan trees, and “thin places” where heaven and earth seem to meet.
In Celtic spirituality, God is encountered not only in church buildings but throughout creation. The natural world becomes a sacrament of divine presence. The image of wild geese travelling side by side echoes the Christian pilgrimage itself: a journey best undertaken in companionship rather than isolation.
Love Without Shame
At the heart of the hymn stands the affirmation:
6.
In thin places where heaven bends
And living waters flow,
Their story whispers through the years
What deeper hearts can know:7.
That love need never hide in shame,
Nor truth be locked away;
For God delights in every heart
That walks in love’s bright way.
These verses express a conviction shared by many LGBT Christians: that shame does not come from God. Throughout the Gospels, Christ repeatedly restores dignity to those who have been excluded, inviting them into a life of freedom, joy, and belonging.
A Home Beneath God’s Wing
The hymn is ultimately a prayer for the whole Church. It gives thanks for the witness of Sergius and Bacchus while asking that all people may find welcome within the Body of Christ.
For those who have felt marginalised because of their sexuality, gender identity, neurodivergence, disability, or difference, the hymn proclaims a simple Gospel truth: every person is made in the image of God and held within God’s love.
Like the saints who inspire it, we are all pilgrims on the journey, seeking to follow Christ with honesty, courage, and hope. In God’s wide embrace, there is room for every traveller, and every faithful heart can find a home.
Hymn Information
First line: O God, whose Spirit folded hills
Text: Michael McFarland Campbell
Metre: CM
Tune: St Columba
Theme: SS Sergius & Bacchus (7 October), LGBT Inclusion
NDH-0350
Verses marked with an * may be omitted if the length of the hymn is too long.
© Michael McFarland Campbell. 2026.
Permission granted for local church or parish use with attribution. Not for commercial reproduction.
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