{"id":15165,"date":"2015-12-11T23:01:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-12T07:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kith.org\/journals\/jed\/2015\/12\/11\/15165.html"},"modified":"2025-02-23T16:18:19","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T00:18:19","slug":"ordinary-miracles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kith.org\/jed\/2015\/12\/11\/ordinary-miracles\/","title":{"rendered":"Ordinary miracles: hymns for agnostics"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p>The other day on Facebook, Kat said something about hymns for atheists, which reminded me of a playlist I put together a while back. Some of these songs I would call secular hymns; others are religious but not in a way that bugs agnostic me; many of them have amazing harmonies; most of them celebrate things like the world, love, friends, and music; most of them make me grin and\/or cry as I sing along; all of them give me as close to a religious feeling as I think I\u2019ve had.<\/p>\r\n<p>Sadly, some of the specific recordings that I really love aren\u2019t available online. I\u2019m linking to YouTube videos or Bandcamp where possible, so you can hear the whole song; I\u2019m also linking to iTunes or Bandcamp where possible, so you can buy any you like. But in some cases (as indicated), the versions I\u2019m linking to aren\u2019t quite the versions I love. I\u2019m also linking to lyrics when available.<\/p>\r\n<p>I\u2019ve been calling this playlist \u201cHoly Now,\u201d but \u201cOrdinary Miracles\u201d would be a good alternative title.<\/p>\r\n<p>2022 update: I\u2019ve fixed the broken links below. Also, I\u2019ve created a <a href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLS6JiTIm47GzhdlFMehRAy6DuPwNjnuxM\">YouTube playlist<\/a> that includes all of the songs here that are on YouTube (but some of the below songs aren\u2019t on YouTube).<\/p>\r\n<p>2025 update: I\u2019ve updated some links, and added a couple of YouTube and iTunes versions that weren\u2019t available in the past.<\/p>\r\n<dl>\r\n  <dt>\u201cBaba Yetu,\u201d by Christopher Tin, as performed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kith.org\/jed\/2007\/12\/09\/talisman-concert-sunday-9-dece\/\">Talisman A Cappella<\/a><\/dt>\r\n  <dd>The lyrics are a variation of the Swahili version of the Lord\u2019s Prayer. (\u201cBaba yetu, yetu uliye \/ Mbinguni yetu, yetu amina!\u201d) But it\u2019s one of the most joyous songs I know. I tend to sing along with the chorus at the top of my lungs.\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vkTqffe2_ek\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li>Soweto Gospel Choir\u2019s performance of the song on <a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/baba-yetu-feat-soweto-gospel-choir\/1109913711?i=1109913867\">iTunes<\/a> (I don\u2019t like this quite as much as the Talisman version)<\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Baba_Yetu\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dd>(Note that Talisman also recorded a very different song with the same title.)<\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cActs of Creation,\u201d by Cat Faber, as performed by Echo\u2019s Children<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cEvery act of creation is an act of faith!\u201d\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lNbleYv6Sbs\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li>listen and buy on <a href=\"https:\/\/echoschildren.bandcamp.com\/track\/acts-of-creation\">Bandcamp<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.echoschildren.org\/CDlyrics\/ACTSOFCREATION.HTML\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cThis Island Earth,\u201d as performed by The Nylons<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cIf you\u2019re lookin\u2019 for a miracle, open your eyes<br \/>\r\nThere was one this morning just about sunrise...\u201d\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=A9FwolBqHbg\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/this-island-earth\/289317245?i=289317266\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/genius.com\/The-nylons-this-island-earth-lyrics\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cMorning Has Broken,\u201d lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon, as performed by Cat Stevens<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cMorning has broken, like the first morning <br \/>\r\nBlackbird has spoken, like the first bird...\u201d\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GXWI6ISkzlI\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/morning-has-broken\/403796?i=403788\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/genius.com\/Cat-stevens-morning-has-broken-lyrics\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cFarthest Field,\u201d by David Dodson, as performed by Cindy Kallet, Ellen Epstein, and Michael Cicone<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cOh my dear friends, I truly love<br \/>\r\nTo hear your voices lifted up in radiant song<br \/>\r\nThough through the years, we all have made<br \/>\r\nOur separate choices, we\u2019ve ended here where we belong.\u201d\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VpJdKCYwmTk\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/farthest-field\/289147449?i=289147588\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"http:\/\/cindykallet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Farthest-Field.pdf\">lyrics<\/a> (PDF)<\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cSwimming to the Other Side,\u201d by Pat Humphries, as performed by Lui Collins<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cWe can worship this ground we walk on, cherishing the beings that we live beside;<br \/>\r\nLoving spirits will live forever, we\u2019re all swimming to the other side.\u201d\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ufMyskYUarI\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/album\/swimming-to-the-other-side\/id423401209?i=423401243\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/emmasrevolution.com\/track\/1288812\/swimming-to-the-other-side\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cCrossing the Water,\u201d as performed by Bill Staines<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cWe are crossing the water our whole life through<br \/>\r\nWe are making a passage that is straight and true<br \/>\r\nEvery heart is a vessel, every dream is a light<br \/>\r\nShining through the darkness of the blackest night.\u201d\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=aWodVQIhARY\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/crossing-the-water\/59288729?i=59288605\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedance.net\/~roth\/SONGS\/crossing.html\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cOrdinary Miracle,\u201d as performed by Sarah McLachlan<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cThe sky knows when it\u2019s time to snow<br \/>\r\nDon\u2019t need to teach a seed to grow<br \/>\r\nIt\u2019s just another ordinary<br \/>\r\nMiracle today\u201d\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VMSLWvK7cUc\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/ordinary-miracle\/278796513?i=278796534\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/genius.com\/Sarah-mclachlan-ordinary-miracle-lyrics\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cHoly Now,\u201d by Peter Mayer, as performed by Cindy Kallet, Ellen Epstein and Michael Cicone<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201c...See another new morning come<br \/>\r\nAnd say it\u2019s not a sacrament<br \/>\r\nI tell you that it can\u2019t be done\u201d\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KozdWOF-JXs\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/holy-now\/289147449?i=289147784\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/genius.com\/Kathy-mattea-holy-now-lyrics\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cDown to the River to Pray,\u201d as performed by Alison Krauss<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cOh, sisters, let\u2019s go down<br \/>\r\nLet\u2019s go down, come on down<br \/>\r\nOh, sisters, let\u2019s go down<br \/>\r\nDown in the river to pray\u201d\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=flcrUnoAwVk\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/down-to-the-river-to-pray\/1469575447?i=1469575557\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/genius.com\/Alison-krauss-down-to-the-river-to-pray-lyrics\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cBlessed,\u201d as performed by Lui Collins<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cYou have given me the melody as it poured forth from my heart<br \/>\r\nYou have blessed me with the meter as it beat through my veins<br \/>\r\nAs I walk with you and listen, your words come to me:<br \/>\r\nOh, blessed are we this day.\u201d<\/dd>\r\n  <dd>Singing along with the chorus of this at a live concert with a couple hundred others in Philadelphia many years ago was one of the high points of my life. Transporting.\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q_0f0Wu_R4U\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/album\/blessed\/id475954047?i=475954114\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luicollins.net\/blessed\/\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cThe Atheist Christmas Carol,\u201d as performed by Vienna Teng<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cIt\u2019s the season of bowing our heads in the wind<br \/>\r\nAnd knowing we are not alone in fear,<br \/>\r\nNot alone in the dark.\u201d\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=E20PpEsU3oE\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/the-atheist-christmas-carol\/4770535?i=4770531\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/genius.com\/Vienna-teng-the-atheist-christmas-carol-lyrics\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cFinlandia\u201d (Live Version), by Jean Sibelius and Lloyd Stone, as performed by Indigo Girls<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cThis is my song, O God of all the nations,<br \/>\r\nA song of peace for lands afar and mine.\u201d\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0qwehv3xfr0\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/finlandia-live\/217295052?i=217297369\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/genius.com\/Indigo-girls-finlandia-lyrics\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cAnd From Now On,\u201d by David Olney (as \u201cYou Are Here\u201d), as performed by Mariposa<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cThe earth will turn from night to morning<br \/>\r\nThe moon and stars will fade away, fade away<br \/>\r\nAll things must change it will not grieve me<br \/>\r\nAs long as I know you are here, in my heart, you are here.\u201d\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rAdvY_NUnJE\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/and-from-now-on\/1706608514?i=1706608757\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cowboylyrics.com\/tabs\/david-olney\/you-are-here-20963.html\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cFiddler\u2019s Hymn \/ Yankee Reverse,\u201d by Pete Sutherland and John Yankee, as performed by Cross Country<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cI draw the bow and I feel my heart fly.\u201d<\/dd>\r\n  <dd>Unfortunately, Cross Country\u2019s albums aren\u2019t available in electronic form.\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li>reasonably similar performance on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bvgpZjpuS2U\">YouTube<\/a>, though I like Cross Country\u2019s voices better<\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n  <dt>\u201cWhen I Go,\u201d as performed by Dave Carter with Tracy Grammer<\/dt>\r\n  <dd>\u201cI\u2019ll send this message down the wire and hope that someone wise is listening when I go.\u201d<\/dd>\r\n  <dd>This one is darker and sadder and fiercer than the rest of the songs on this playlist, but it still feels to me like it fits.\r\n  <ul>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uZk1CvsDSZc\">YouTube<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/when-i-go\/1514893931?i=1514893932\">iTunes<\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.guntheranderson.com\/v\/data\/whenigo.htm\">lyrics<\/a><\/li>\r\n  <\/ul>\r\n  <\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The other day on Facebook, Kat said something about hymns for atheists, which reminded me of a playlist I put&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,85,59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music","category-nature","category-religion"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kith.org\/jed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kith.org\/jed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kith.org\/jed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kith.org\/jed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kith.org\/jed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15165"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/www.kith.org\/jed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21296,"href":"https:\/\/www.kith.org\/jed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15165\/revisions\/21296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kith.org\/jed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kith.org\/jed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kith.org\/jed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}