Reverend Jim Congdon
Topeka Bible Church
Topeka, KS
Sponsor: Rep. Rep. Jim Ryun, (R-KS)
Date of Prayer: 05/01/2002
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to welcome my good friend, Pastor Jim Congdon, to the floor of the House of Representatives. It was my distinct honor to invite Pastor Congdon to deliver our opening prayer this morning, and I am grateful for his willingness to do so.
Pastor Congdon is from Topeka, Kansas, and pastors the Topeka Bible Church, which my family and I attended for several years. It was a privilege to call Jim my pastor, and I am grateful for his continued friendship and dedication to the ministry.
I also want to welcome Jim's wife, Melody, to the House Chamber. I know she came with Jim and she speaks for a lot of different people in the church. She is a constant source of strength and support in the ministry at the Topeka Bible Church.
Finally, I want to welcome the 62 students from Cair Paravel Latin School that are seated in the gallery. Pastor Congdon teaches philosophy at Cair Paravel, and these 9th and 10th graders are in D.C. for part of their studies. I thank them all for being here.
I thank Jim and Melody for their presence, and God bless them.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Almighty God,
we pause this morning to give You thanks.
We thank you for another day to live and work in the USA.
We thank you for your Word, which teaches us righteousness and justice and equity.
We thank you for giving us a system of government that honors our dignity and checks our depravity.
We repent for the spirit of self–sufficiency that tells us we do not need You, and the spirit of arrogance that tells us we do not need others.
On this first day of May, dear Father, we make a new commitment to live out our nation's motto, "In God we trust."
For You are the Rock of our salvation,
You are our Hiding Place in times of terror,
You are the Truth in Whom we can rely.
Our nation needs a third great spiritual awakening. May it begin here, with each of us.
Bless these men and women, who represent America.
Bless them in their deliberations to seek and find Your wisdom, that Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Hear our prayer, for you are our Lord and Savior. Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory