The Office of the Chaplain United States House of Representatives

Reverend Dale Ribble

Oak Lake Church
Lincoln, NE

Sponsor: Rep. Reid Ribble, (R-WI)
Date of Prayer: 09/18/2013

One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:

The SPEAKER. Without objection, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ribble ) is recognized for 1 minute.

There was no objection.

Mr. RIBBLE . Mr. Speaker, I am the youngest son of six sons, all children of an ordained Baptist minister. I have five older brothers, four who are still alive today. Three of them have responded to the call of ministry and are pastors. One of my own sons, Clint, is also a pastor. It's impossible to separate my faith heritage from my daily life. My brother, Dale Ribble , who is our guest chaplain today, is exactly the same.

From my earliest childhood memories, Dale was destined for ministry. As a child, I observed him countless times reaching out to people around him, both young and old, with a spirit of compassion and concern. He has a gift given to him by God for this purpose. The work that churches do in our communities change and affect lives for the positive. They reach out to the poor, the sick, and the hungry, improving the lives of whom they touch and enriching our communities. I've watched Dale do these things his entire life. I'm proud of his work and thank him for being with us today.

Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:

O Lord, You have been our dwelling place from the foundation of our country. We ask for wisdom from You, the all–wise God, for these leaders as they seek to lead our country.

Your word tells us that "wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere."

You have said that a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. May these men and women be united in wisdom that leads to peace.

O Lord, may we, as a Nation who has known the greatness of Your mercy and grace, not stray from seeking You and Your righteous ways, for You have said, "Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord." Keep us in the shelter of your wings and turn our hearts to You.

In Jesus' name, amen.

To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory