Invocation

Here is the text of the invocation I delivered at the Michigan Senate on Thursday, May 20, 2010:


Father, today we begin by praying for those in this chamber and their families. We thank you for the loved ones who sacrifice time with these men and women so they are able to engage in the work of the senate. Protect the husbands, wives, children, and others who are back home.

Father, we also thank you for the millions of citizens across the state of Michigan who are represented by those who sit here. I ask you to remind these senators about those whom they represent as they debate, deliberate, and decide on the legislation before them. Help them to always be mindful of those whom they have been elected to represent.

Father, please provide wisdom for these men and women. Let them lean on eternal wisdom from above that can only be provided by You. Help them to look beyond themselves and provide them with the ability to discern what is best, not for their self interests, but for the people of the State of Michigan.

Father, I ask that the dialogues and debates that occur today will be carried out with a measure of civility. Let words of passion be tempered with humility. May words of disagreement be softened by compassion. Allow anger to be resolved without malice and forgiveness to be the rule rather than the exception.

Father, in all the laws that are written, debated, and voted upon, allow there to be a measure of justice. May the laws this body approves consider those who are overlooked, forgotten, neglected, or otherwise mistreated. Let divine justice, the justice that sets the world right, be the justice that emerges from this chamber.

In addition, Father, we ask for mercy to be at the heart of the business of this body. While we acknowledge the importance of law, let us never forget the importance of mercy. Law without mercy leads to oppression. Mercy without law leads to disorder. Let us seek a balance of justice and mercy that protects all, serves all, and provides everyone with the ability to pursue the dreams you have planted in their hearts.

Father, as these men and women begin the work of their day, help them, above all, to remember that they have been granted a unique and special opportunity. They have been chosen by their neighbors across this great state to determine the laws that will govern us. Help them to embrace the gravity and significance of this task and not become absorbed in their own political preservation. Allow the decisions made in this chamber to be about the future of the state of Michigan, not the political aspirations of the men and women assembled in this room.

We offer this prayer in the name of the One who created us and provided us with the ability to serve and love others; the God who shows us grace and mercy and asks us to do the same to one another. Amen.