till they carve a single course
Praise the source of faith and learning who has sparked and stoked the mind
With a passion for discerning how the world has been designed.
Let the sense of wonder flowing from the wonders we survey
Keep our faith forever growing and renew our need to pray:

God of wisdom, we acknowledge that our science and our art
And the breadth of human knowledge only partial truth impart.
Far beyond our calculation lies a depth we cannot sound
Where your purpose for creation and the pulse of life are found.

May our faith redeem the blinder of believing that our thought
Has displaced the grounds for wonder which the ancient prophets taught.
May our learning curb the error which unthinking faith can breed
Lest we justify some terror with the antiquated creed.

As two currents in a river fight each other's undertow
Till converging they deliver one coherent steady flow,
May we blend our faith and learning till they carve a single course
And our seeking and our yearning join in praising you their source:

Praise for minds to probe the heavens, praise for strength to breathe the air,
Praise for all the beauty leavens, praise for silence, music, prayer,
Praise for justice and compassion and for strangers, neighbors, friends,
Praise for hearts and lips to fashion, praise for love that never ends.

--Thomas H. Troeger