Holy and eternal God, on this 11th of September, we remember a clear blue sky and a nation at peace. As that memory is now shattered by the destruction that followed, we pray the wisdom to claim Your eternal promises in our country's remembrance of that tragedy.
Like grass are our days, that flourish like flowers in the field. The wind passes over them, and they are gone. And so, in an instant, our country was robbed of its sense of security and bereft of thousands of its citizens, swept away by the winds of war.
We pray that Your steadfast love, O Lord, which is from everlasting to everlasting, to rise from the wreckage of that defining day in history. Bless the sacrifice of too many of our sons and daughters who gave their lives to defend the freedoms assaulted on that bucolic day and the decades that followed. Heal the enduring grief of countless families. Bring peace upon our world which remains in upheaval.
Remind us again of Your compassion for Your children. Freedom, by Your grace, is still to be found in You. Peace and justice, in Your mercy, are ours to preserve and uphold.
Ennoble us as a nation, each children of Your creation, with the assurance that our hope still rests in You alone.
God, bless America and receive our prayers as we offer them in the strength of Your name. Amen.
Psalm 103:15–17
On the 250th Anniversary of the First Prayer in the Continental Congress
(offered by Rev. Jacob Duche at Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia, PA on September 7, 1774)
Rev. Dr. Margaret Grun Kibben
Chaplain, U.S. House of Representatives
On this momentous occasion of the 250th anniversary of the first prayer offered at the Continental Congress, it is my distinct honor to share with The Carpenters Company/Carpenters’ Hall and the congregation of Christ Church Philadelphia in honoring the significance of that event. Like today, those were tumultuous times, and the daily deliberations of our nascent government reflected the great sense of uncertainty and upheaval in our country. Thanks to a request from Thomas Cushing of Boston, the proceedings of the second legislative day were opened with the prayers offered by your own Reverend Jacob Duche. This was indeed a testimony to a felt need for divine intervention in the events of those days. Nearly every legislative day has been opened in prayer since the First Congress in 1789, reflecting the timeless wisdom and enduring faith of those who called on Reverend Duche 250 years ago.
Reverend Duche’s willingness to pray so passionately and sincerely on behalf of our country and its leaders, asking for God’s divine blessing on their endeavors, was indicative of his deep devotion to serve God and country, a devotion all of us who serve in this unique ministry strive to uphold. His prayer remains profoundly relevant this day: “Be thou present, O God of Wisdom and direct the counsels of this honourable Assembly. Enable them to settle things upon the best and surest foundation....”
May heaven allow the impact of Reverend Duche’s first prayer to resound even today, reminding those in these hallowed halls of the Senate and the House, that prayer is the cornerstone of the best and sure foundation of our Nation’s government.
—Chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben
Join us for an open house to introduce the new Interfaith Staff Prayer Room (467 Cannon) – which will be open for staff (and interns) to use for prayer, meditation and quiet time. For information – staffprayerroom@mail.house.gov