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54th Annual Prayer Breakfast
I arrived at the event around 6:40 am. The early arrival was necessary to get all 4000 people through the security perimeter. Security was relatively easy to make your way through. They were well organized and did not have to put stuff through any X-Ray machines. Everyone packed fairly lightly and they had a coat check on the outside of the perimeter. No cameras were allowed in the event so I will not be providing any of my own photos.
After meeting everyone at my table, we were seated and served a light continental breakfast at our seats. the event began on time with Mark Pryor introducing Karen Mason from Arkansas. She led us off with a song of gratitude to our Heavenly Father. She made some quick opening remarks about the protocol of gratitude outlined for entering the presence of the Lord in Psalm 100.
Her lines in this song that were most impactful are as follows:
No, I don't deserve it. I am not unworthy. You keep on giving me more goodness and mercy. Lord you keep turning all my trials to blessing. Oh I thank you. I thank you. I'm grateful. Thank You. I am grateful.
Norm Coleman introduced the honored guests sitting at the front table across the stage. They included but weren't limited to David Vitter, Barak Obama, Bono, Laurie Coleman, Lincoln Davis, Tom Osborne, Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Joe Lieberman.
Norm Coleman opened the breakfast with a blessing. He seemed to be a bit nervous or having trouble with saying Sh'ma. Maybe it was just his accent. He is a representative from Minnesota but I am not sure that his accent sounds like a Minnesotan accent. Anyone know where he is from? In any case, he said Sh'ma found in Deuteronomy 6:4-6.
Shortly after this, Mark Pryor read John 21 and then Norm Coleman read Psalm 100. Pryor reminded us of the importance of song by recalling the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt and singing a song after God delivered them by parting the Red Sea. This introduced the musical accompaniment for the morning, Point of Grace, who then began to sing Circle of Friends.
The ladies of Point of Grace said that it is great to be together not only for sharing this faith but this friendship together as well.
"In a circle of friends, we have one father" was the line of the song that echoed in my own heart. What a statement about this gathering of Christian and Jewish brothers. We truly do share one father. The God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob is the God we both worship and hail as King of Everything.
When Point of Grace had finished singing, Barak Obama got up to read from the scripture in Romans 12. He said that he was reading from the "Letters to the Romans". I thought it was one letter but perhaps I am mistaken.
This was particularly appropriate since it contains the passage, "I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." (Romans 12:3)
Wow. What a statement. I had had a similar passage that I was dwelling on as I walked over to the Hilton this morning. It was Zechariah 4:6 that says, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.. In our own human frailty we are susceptable to believing that we can achieve God's will through our might and our power. Do not be confused. That is not the case. The King in Heaven will achieve his purpose wherever He sees fit. We must not confuse our powerful or influential or popular position on earth with a similar position in Heaven.
Of course, Romans 12 also talks about the gifts. It was a mighty idea to think that seated in that room we members of the body each with different gifts. I prayed that we may each know our gifts and fulfill God's purpose through the use of these gifts.
When Barak had finished reading the scripture he closed with, "Praise be to God." I thought this was particularly noteworthy since he is the only one of the speakers who explicitly praised God after reading the scriptures.
There was a very odd delay and people clapped. I was unsure if they were clapping to praise the man who had read the scriptures or clapping to praise the Go who had given us all good things.
After Barak had been seated, David Vitter from Louisiana and Ken Salazar from Colorado spoke. They are both freshman senators and met each other upon arriving in Washington.
Vitter reflected on the weekly Congressional Prayer Breakfast. He said it is a wonderful atmosphere away from the win-at-any-cost atmosphere in Washington.
Salazar jumped in and reflected on faith. He said that faith is begins long ago in his family history. He traced it back to he reletives who moved to an early settlement in today's New Mexico called Santa Fe.
Salazar then said a prayer written by Cesar Chavez:
Show me the suffering of the most miserable; So I will know my people's plight. Free me to pray for others; For you are present in every person. Help me take responsibility for my own life; So that I can be free at last. Grant me courage to serve others; For in service there is true life. Give me honesty and patience; So that the Spirit will be alive among us. Let the Spirit flourish and grow; So that we will never tire of the struggle. Let us remember those who have died for justice; For they have given us life. Help us love even those who hate us; So we can change the world Amen
Salazar also said a family prayer that has been passed down through the generations, "We thank you infinitely oh God for the blessings you have given us."
David Vitter then mentioned his common bond with Salazar in their deep and rich Catholic faith. He began to talk about the Catholic concept of grace. He explained this as a far-reaching concept that covers God's blessing and favor in the broadest sense of the word. He then talked about Katrina and the tragedy that has been experienced there. He called on us to pray for those who are hurting and suffering as a result of that disaster.
UPDATE: Glenn Lucke has posted some comments at Common Grounds.
