Bishop Robinson

A Prayer for the Nation and Our Next President, Barack Obama
By The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire
Opening Inaugural Event
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
January 18, 2009

Welcome to Washington! The fun is about to begin, but first, please join me in pausing for a moment, to ask God’s blessing upon our nation and our next president.

O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will…

Bless us with tears – for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.

Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.

Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.

Bless us with humility – open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.

Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.

Bless us with compassion and generosity – remembering that every religion’s God judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable in the human community, whether across town or across the world.

And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.

Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King’s dream of a nation for ALL the people.

Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.

Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.

Make him color-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.

Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.

Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.

And please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking FAR too much of this one. We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand – that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace.

AMEN.
© Copyright 2004-2006 by The Diocese of New Hampshire, The Episcopal Church

Good Stuff

I've decided this blog is now just a place to keep stuff I like for future reference.

Text of Rev. Lowery's inauguration benediction

By The Associated Press

Text of the benediction by Rev. Joseph Lowery during President Barack Obama's inauguration, as transcribed by CQ Transcriptions:

___

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou, who has brought us thus far along the way, thou, who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee.

Shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand true to thee, oh God, and true to our native land.

We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we've shared this day.

We pray now, oh Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration.

He has come to this high office at a low moment in the national, and indeed the global, fiscal climate. But because we know you got the whole world in your hands, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations.

Our faith does not shrink though pressed by the flood of mortal ills.

For we know that, Lord, you are able and you're willing to work through faithful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds, and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor, of the least of these, and from favoritism toward the rich, the elite of these.

We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that yes we can work together to achieve a more perfect union.

And while we have sown the seeds of greed — the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.

And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.

And as we leave this mountain top, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.

Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle. Look over our little angelic Sasha and Malia.

We go now to walk together as children, pledging that we won't get weary in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone.

With your hands of power and your heart of love, help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nations shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid, when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.

Some highlights from last night

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.


It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled -- Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.


It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.


The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there.


As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn -- I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.


This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time -- to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth -- that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:


Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."

Even Pravda Gets It

"Eight Years of Hell Are Over"

The US presidential race, the grand American soap opera that continued for almost two years, became the most scandalous, dramatic, unpredictable and the most expensive campaign in US history.

The candidates have spent about $2.4 billion on their fight for the White House despite the global economic crisis at the time, when hundreds of thousands of US voters were losing their jobs and homes.

Other records of the campaign include the unusual activity of young and Afro-American voters. These electors vote for Obama. The Illinois Senator became an honored member of the 12,000-strong Indian tribe in May, during one of his pre-election trips. The Indians named their new brother as Barack Black Eagle.

Eight years of George W. Bush’s presidency marked a crucial era for America and the whole world.

September 11, 2001. Terrorist attacks took place in New York and Washington. The Pentagon declared the war on terror.

October 7, 2001. Washington launched a military operation in Afghanistan at the approval of the UN and overturned the Taliban regime in the country.

The fall of 2001. The US Patriot Act came into force. State-run structures were given access to private information of US citizens.

January 2002. Bush used the term “axis of evil” towards Iran, Iraq and North Korea. The list was then added with Cuba, Libya and Syria.

September 2002. The Bush’s doctrine was presented. The USA is ready to act single-handedly, without the approval from the international community.

March 2003. The White House launched a military campaign against Iraq. Over 4,000 US servicemen died there during five years. The war cost the USA its global reputation and triggered massive protests inside the United States.

July 2003. CIA agent Valerie Plame was disclosed. The story looked like a premeditated affair against Plame’s husband, former US diplomat Joe Wilson, who accused White House officials of manipulating the intelligence information about the situation in Iraq. It became one of the biggest political scandals during Bush’s presidency.

2003. The president initiated the tax reduction program, which made it possible to overcome the economic setback. However, the reform resulted in the budget deficit.

2004. The notorious Abu Ghraib scandal hits the world.

March 2004. Then-Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon withdrew troops from Palestinian territories at the mediation of the United States. The event marked landmark success in the regulation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

January 20, 2005. Bush takes his second term as POTUS. Condoleezza Rice replaced Colin Powell as the US Secretary of State.

August 2005. Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. The actions of the US administration were later considered incompetent.

November 2006. Republicans lost the mid-term elections. Democrats control the two houses of the US Congress.

February 2007. The relations between the United States and Russia took a turn for the worse. Putin slammed the NATO expansion and the missile defense program during his speech in Munich, Germany.

March 2008. Bush officially supported John McCain as a presidential candidate.

August 2008. A military conflict between Georgia and Russia occurred. Bush threatened Russia with international isolation and promised a billion-dollar-worth humanitarian assistance to Georgia.

I called it the day I met him

We were there...sort of

How sweet it is!

We're partying early with our buddies Karen and Lynne, but no cake or bubbly till it's a done deal.

Handsome Young Dems

Computing the Odds

I hate numbers. Avoid them like the plague. But just for today, I will grant an exception and follow along.

Found this on the NYT Opinionator blog. Written by Chris Suellentrop.

What would John McCain’s victory map look like? Nate Silver, the electoral
math wizard at FiveThirtyEight.com, used his computer to simulate the
presidential election 10,000 times on Sunday. McCain won 624 times. In the most
common result (occurring 169 times), “Obama wins everything that either Al Gore
or John Kerry won,” Silver writes. “McCain wins everything else.”

In the rest of McCain’s potential maps to victory, some patterns emerged. Silver writes:In each and every one of the 624 victory scenarios that the simulation found for him this afternoon, McCain won Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Indiana and Montana. He also picked up Ohio in 621 out of the 624 simulations, and North Carolina in 622 out of 624. If McCain drops any of those states, it’s pretty much over.

A Pleasant Distraction for Today from the NYT

What One Word Describes Your Current State of Mind?

Be sure to check out the Obama and McPain tabs.

h/t to kbr

So It Has Been Written

Got up at 6, voted, got my free Starbucks, had my breakfast, took the bags out for Amvets, updated my punkin', updated my Blog...what the heck? I'm usually not even awake yet...up perhaps, but not awake.

I've Never Been Much for Dolls

Only one other doll could possibly catch my eye...a Julie Andrews Sound of Music action figure.

Got my "action figure we can believe in" at Borders in Wheaton, Illinois, but you can also find it at JailBreak Toys.

Now little Barack and I are going to have a tea party. Want to come?

Toot's Legacy

My very first thought when I saw this photo...I love that man. I believe in him. I trust him. In a year that has brought me much disappointment and grief, he gives me hope in the goodness of my country and my fellow man...and I'm not easily inclined in that direction of late.

God, wrap this man in your loving kindness and grace tonight, and protect him for what I believe is his destiny.


h/t to Beth at Mannheim for the photo

All Hallow's Eve

Thanks to Beth at Mannheim for the Seasonal Fun link...I found a pumpkin design even I could handle!

What a way to ruin a Saturday afternoon (or bumper stickers part II)

We three Sunnyside girls were driving (in the Prius proudly bumper-stuck for the Chicago Cubs and Barack Obama) south on Naperville Road to the Danada Equestrian Center for a afternoon walk. Suddenly a car (beige, maybe a Buick) cut in front of me and slowed down. We were engaged in conversation, so I was slow to notice that the dude was also sporting his own bumper-tude: Chicago White Sox, Marines, and NoBama.

I changed lanes to get away from him, but he saw that and cut right in front of me again, waving his middle finger with great purpose and energy in my direction. Well I didn't do what I usually do, which would have been nothing at all. Avoid engagement with road raging lunatics at all costs. No...my hormones are sputtering, my temper is short, my nerves are shot, and my patience is spent. So I stooped to his level and waved back with equal gusto. Oh yeah, that's making my mother proud.

A moment later I got a grip, retracted the offending digit, and slowed down, keeping my distance and regaining my composure. At a stoplight we ended up side by side. He rolled down the window. I didn't look his way, totally keeping my cool, talking to Beth calmly.

Then the light turned green and he pulled away first, yelling out his window, "Go vote for your n****r."

I was in shock and felt physically ill. Beth started to cry.

What in the bloody hell did he wish to accomplish? Was he hoping he would intimidate me into not voting for Barack Obama? Did he want me to engage him in a shouting match, ending with an accident and perhaps hand-to-hand combat?

The (hopefully) few, the (inappropriately) proud, that racist-bigoted-nasty-hate-filled Marine. I feel sorry for him. What a miserable life.

God protect Barack Obama. God protect us from ourselves.