Reverend Dr. Ronald F. Christian
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Fairfax, VA
Date of Prayer: 10/24/2002
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
The psalmist would remind us this day, bless the Lord, oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy Name. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits.
Oh God, for whom the incessant sweep of the hands of our clocks is irrelevant and before whom all peoples will one day find themselves standing alone, we pause at this moment to pray and give thanks.
We pray that the least among us will not ever be abandoned.
We pray that the great among us will always lead with humility.
We pray that all may share in the resources of this land.
We pray for the children and for the defenseless of our communities that our individual efforts will be focused as much on the needs of others as they are on ourselves.
And we pray for new mothers and fathers that the privilege of parental guidance will be honored and accepted. But also, we give thanks!
We give thanks for the farmers who even on this day gather in the grain that we find nourishment from in the days ahead. We give thanks for protectors of society, the police, the fireman, and those guarding the land.
And we give thanks for hope that even in the darkened times, we can "forget not all Your benefits."
Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory