From the recording Agnostic Hymns / Secular Psalms

1. “There for the Grace” — a soulful, brass driven celebration of the wonder of life. Acknowledges enthusiastically how extraordinary the phenomenon life is and talks in layperson’s terms about the “miracle” of life, which is how things must have likely appeared to pre-scientific human communities. References theologian William Planey’s famous “watchmaker analogy” which formulates that the intricacy of the world implies intelligent (even divine) design. Opening song of the album, in which a theistic provenance and explanation of existence is posited amongst the earliest explanations. The great promise of religion is revelation, certainty. It’s emotional appeal is readily understandable.

Lyrics

There for the Grace

I wake up
I wake up every day and I’m
In awe of
The miracle of life around me
So very unlikely

How can it all just be a happy random accident?
When everything in the universe is so intricate?

There for the grace of God go I
It feels so good to be alive
It feels so good to be alive
There for the grace of God go I

I walk this earth
In awe since birth
Of all this wonder
Despite pitfalls
And dangers, I know
I’ll be here tomorrow

What are the chances of us all actually living being here?
On the third rock from the sun in an infinite universe?

There for the grace of God go I
It feels so good to be alive
It feels so good to be alive
There for the grace of God go I

I thank my lucky stars
I don’t know how or why we are
Alive on our pale blue dot
There for the grace of God

There for the grace of God go I
It feels so good to be alive
It feels so good to be alive
There for the grace of God go I

I love my life
I love being alive
I love my life
Thank God for my life
I love my life
I love being alive