Reverend Dr. Harold R. Mayberry
First AME Church
Oakland, CA
Sponsor: Rep. Hon. Barbara Lee, (D-CA)
Date of Prayer: 09/25/2003
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
(Ms. LEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute).
Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me just say, first of all, how honored we are that Pastor Harold Mayberry has presented and provided with us a very powerful prayer this morning.
Pastor Mayberry is the pastor, as he indicated, of First AME Church in Oakland, California. Pastor Mayberry and his wife, Mary Mayberry, are here with us this weekend as we work to look at the major issues which, of course, the Congressional Black Caucus and all of us deal with each and every day.
First AME Church, let me just say, is a very powerful church, a very committed church in our community. It is a shining light in Oakland and in the East Bay. It provides a vision for our community. It is a church which, under Pastor Mayberry's leadership, insists that our community puts people first in the sense that they focus on educating our young people, housing the homeless, feeding the hungry. It is a congregation that makes religion really real in our community, and that is thanks to Pastor Mayberry and the First AME Church family.
The leadership of this congregation has made many, many changes in our great East Bay and especially in the city of Oakland, California. And for that we are deeply grateful.
We are honored and privileged that Pastor Mayberry and his wife, Mary, are here with us today. Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to share his wisdom and his insight with this great august body.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
God of wisdom, humility and compassion,
We thank You for the marvelous gift of life that You have so wonderfully shared with us. For the ability to reason without being unreasonable, and to learn from one another, and for the spirit of cooperation that serves to bless us all, we give You thanks.
We pray, O God, that Your constant presence, which provides guidance will be manifest in the spirit of each Congressional Representative and that Your will and Your strength will shape their decision making.
We pray, O God, that Your spirit of sensitivity, for the well being of all of Your people, will be lifted up in this body.
May those who serve in this chamber never know fear as they seek to do what is morally right as mandated by You. May courage be the order of the day, may Your spirit of peace rule, and may You always be acknowledged as Lord and Leader we pray.
Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory