Reverend Archie E. Barringer
Veterans Medical Clinic
Fayetteville, NC
Sponsor: Rep. Robin Hayes, (R-NC)
Date of Prayer: 06/25/2008
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) is recognized for 1 minute.
There was no objection.
Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor Reverend Archie Barringer and to thank him for being here today to deliver this morning's prayer.
Reverend Barringer has dedicated his life to serving his country as a soldier, his fellow soldiers and veterans, his community, and most importantly the Lord.
I would like to thank all of our military chaplains for the exceptional service and spiritual guidance to our soldiers, veterans, and their families.
Mr. Speaker, many of our veterans of Christian faith are complaining that they are being religiously disenfranchised by the VA's effort to neutralize chapels, services, and memorials. Reverend Barringer has spoken out against what he feels are overly aggressive practices and guidelines, in fact. He resigned rather than implement what he felt were discriminatory policies.
Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that his presence here today will help raise awareness of these issues so that we may preserve the tenets and principles that have served as the religious foundation for so many of our veterans for so many years.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Our Father, we thank You for this grand and glorious occasion which has brought us together. We thank You for the privilege of living in a free country, for the right to "assemble" to represent the will of our people, and to invoke the laws of this Great Land.
We ask now for Your Divine direction, wisdom, and guidance in all the issues that will come before this body of legislators today.
We know, O God, these are perilous times in which we live. We are confronted and bombarded with opposition and evil that threaten our very way of life, from within and from without.
Grant us the courage combined with commitment, pride tempered by humility, and dedication driven by determination to be the best, to stand in the gap, and to be all You would have us be, in order to protect, preserve, and defend those freedoms God has intended for all mankind. And may we persevere until that day when we shall beat our spears into pruning hooks, our swords into plowshares, and study war no more.
For we ask this prayer, O Lord, in Your Name, Amen.
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