RADM Rabbi Harold Robinson, deputy chief Navy chaplains Reserve matters, Senate prayer, Jan 18 2007

"When Rabbis Bless Congress: The Great American Story of Jewish Prayers on Capitol Hill"

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The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today's prayer will be offered by guest

Chaplain, RADM Harold L. Robinson, deputy chief of Navy chaplains for

Reserve matters. The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:

Eternal God, keep us always in awe of Your grandeur and Your great

love for us. You are creator of heaven and Earth, yet You have created

us in Your own image. Though we are creatures of clay and dust, You

have shared Your spirit with us. We are conscious, able to distinguish

good from evil, virtue from vice, selflessness from selfishness. Though

these contend for mastery of our lives and we complain of the struggle,

let us recall that Your gift of choice is the grandeur and greatness of our humanity. When we choose well and wisely, the hosts rejoice with the psalmist and declare: You have made us just a little less than divine and crowned us with glory and honor. We pray today for all Your creatures. May peace and good will obtain among all the inhabitants of all lands, most especially our own. We pray fervently for our great Nation and for all whom the people have set in authority. Guide and bless this Chamber and the Senators who here serve You. May each of them be enlightened with Your wisdom and sustained with Your love. We pray, too, for those who serve us in harm's way: sailors, soldiers, marines, airmen, and coastguardsmen who willingly sacrifice the protection and comfort of home and family to defend our safety and our security. We pray also for their loved ones left at home, family and friends whose daily vigil is the worry for their warrior's well-

being. Eternal God, we pray for warrior and worrier alike. Keep them under the protecting shadow of Your wing. Dear God, make each of us more worthy messengers of Your will, that together we might make real the ancient dream that justice shall flow down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream and our world be perfected under Your unchallenged rule. Eternal God, bless us and protect us. Look favorably upon us and be gracious to us. Take notice of us and grant us the blessing of peace. And let us join in saying Amen.