The Inauguration Invocation by Pastor RICK WARREN

The Inauguration Invocation by Pastor RICK WARR= EN

[*] WAR= REN: Let us pray.

Almighty God, our father, everything we see and ever= ything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it a= ll belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story. The Scripture tells us “Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our god; = the Lord is one.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you= are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today, we rejoice not only in America= ’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of th= e United States.

(APPLAUSE)

We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequalled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to t= he highest level of our leadership.

WARREN<= /span>: And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of wit= nesses are shouting in Heaven.

Give to our new president Barack Obama the wisdom to= lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to = lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, = united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and just= ice for all.

WARREN<= /span>: When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, wh= en we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperi= ty is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we ha= ve a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.<= br>
Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common go= od of all.

WARREN: May all people of good will today join toget= her to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a pea= ceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michel= le and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed= my life, Yeshua, Essa = (ph), Jesus, Jesus, who taught us to pray, “Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is = in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom = and the power and the glory forever.”

Amen.

We= dnesday, January 21, 2009

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

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us th= us 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 fo= rget thee. Shadowed beneath thy hand may we forever stand -- true to thee, O God, and true to our native land.

We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we've shared this day. We = pray now, O Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant, Barack Obama, the 44th president of these U= nited States, his family and his administratio= n. 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 y= our hand, 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're able and you're willing to work through fait= hful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor or 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 insp= ire our nation to believe that, yes, we can work together to achieve a more per= fect 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 solida= rity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifice= s, 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 cho= ices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.

And as we leave this mountaintop, 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, children, pledging that we won't get weary in t= he 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 nation shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every m= an 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 l= abors 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 back, when brown can stick around -- (laughter) -- when yellow will be mellow -- (laughter) -- when the red man = can get ahead, man -- (laughter) -- and when white will embrace what is right.<= br>
Let all those who do justice and love mercy say amen.

AUDIENCE: Amen!

REV. LOWERY: Say amen --

AUDIENCE: Amen!

REV. LOWERY: -- and amen.

AUDIENCE: Amen! (Cheers, applause.)

END.