Overview
Volume II, Paths & Passages, is now available.
A Pilgrim’s Psalter of Earth and Light is a six‑volume hymnary shaped by the landscapes, prayers, and lived experience of contemporary Ireland. Written by Michael McFarland Campbell, the series offers fresh metrical settings of the Psalms alongside brief reflections that invite readers into a journey of trust, resilience, and hope.
Each volume is crafted for both congregational singing and personal devotion, drawing deeply from scripture, Celtic spirituality, and the rhythms of ordinary life.
This page introduces the first two published volumes: Beginnings & Thresholds and Paths & Passages.
A glimpse of the tone and voice of the series:
Walk through your dwelling,
Mark where the saints prayed;
Beehive cells whisper
Stories of grace.
Guide every pilgrim,
Guard every future;
You are our compass,
Hope for this place.
—From the hymn based on Psalm 48: Great the Lord shining
Volume I: Beginnings & Thresholds
Publication: January 2026
ISBN: 9781291876895
Format: Hardcover, 79 pages
About the Volume
Beginnings & Thresholds opens the Psalter journey with hymns shaped by the real landscapes of Ireland—cliff paths, canal banks, ring roads, and familiar turnings home. These texts draw on the honesty of the Psalms and the symbolism of the ancient Celtic Church, offering language for moments of crossing and becoming: the start of a year, the opening of a journey, the stepping‑stones of faith.
Each hymn is paired with a suggested tune from the Church Hymnal (2000) and other widely used hymnals, allowing congregations to sing these new texts with confidence.
Themes
- New beginnings and thresholds of life
- Courage in uncertainty
- Attentiveness to the sacred in the everyday
- Landscapes as companions in prayer
Available now from Lulu (link below).
Volume II: Paths & Passages
Publication: March 2026
ISBN: 9781291754636
Format: Hardcover, 81 pages
About the Volume
This volume includes a foreword by the Bishop of Meath & Kildare and is rooted in the Anglican tradition while remaining attentive to the landscapes of Ireland.
Paths & Passages continues the pilgrimage with metrical settings of Psalms 26–50. These hymns explore trust, testing, and the journey of faith through life’s in‑between places. Each psalm is reimagined as a singable hymn and accompanied by a short reflection shaped by scripture, tradition, and lived experience.
Themes
- Trust and testing
- Faith in the in‑between places
- Lament and hope
- Pilgrimage as a way of life
Available now from Lulu (link below).
The Vision of the Series
Across the series, Michael McFarland Campbell writes as a pilgrim of place and prayer, shaped by the landscapes of North Antrim and Kildare and by the quiet courage of the Psalms.
These volumes invite worshippers and readers to:
- Notice grace in the everyday
- Pray with honesty and resilience
- Sing the ancient songs of the Church in contemporary, accessible language
- Walk the road with hope and light
Where to Access the Books
Both volumes are available in hardcover through Lulu:
Looking Ahead
Future volumes will continue the journey through the Psalter, offering new hymns, reflections, and pathways for prayer. Together, the series forms a companion for pilgrims—those who walk the roads of Ireland and those who walk the inner roads of the heart.
As an independent writer, the purchase of these books directly supports my work. If these texts find a place in your reading or in parish life, I would always be glad to hear.
Michael McFarland Campbell 