From The Chaplains' Desk

Endowed By Our Creator

A lot has happened since my last post on Thanksgiving Day. And a lot is still the same; so many Americans don't know, or just plain don't care, what is being done behind that smoke and mirror put up by the current regime in our Capital. We still have a leader who edits out "endowed by our Creator" when he quotes our Constitution, who told a foreign country our national motto is E Pluribus Unim - "out of many, one" - instead of what it really is and always will be, IN GOD WE TRUST; and who rarely puts his hand over his heart when our National Anthem is played and sometimes simply turns his back on the flag. However, there is a small ray of HOPE now that we have passed the halfway mark in this current regime, we have elected a Republican majority in the House of Representatives; and I can see 2012 from my house.

As I was sitting at my computer, listening to the swearing in of the 112th Congress a couple of weeks ago - January 5, 2011 - I was suddenly struck by the words of the Chaplain of the House of Representatives, who as he was praying, invoked the presence of the Lord into the Chamber of Congress. Here was our God, being invited into the halls of our government; in the very country that our leader has declared is no longer a Christian nation: in fact he has announced that we are one of the largest muslim nations in the world. Figure that one out for yourself - in a population of 309 million, muslims make up less than 1%.  And here was a Christian man of the cloth, praying to our Christian Savior, asking for guidance for our nation from our Christian Lord. Yet, how many Americans are there out there, who voted for Obama based on the color of his skin and not the content of his character; who treat him like a messiah or rock star; who care more for the fact that he was elected than what he's done since being elected; who while treating him like a messiah will take everything that comes out of his mouth as "gospel" and not recognize the lies and distortions for what they are?

Each house of Congress, both the Senate and the House of Representives, has it's own Christian Chaplain. There are ministers available from other religions, and prayer gatherings available in those religions; but it is the Christian Chaplains that lead the prayers on the floor of Congress. When the words of the Chaplain of the House of Representatives caught my attention on swearing-in day a couple of weeks ago, I decided to look up the text of his entire prayer. I found it on the website of the Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin; and I want to first share with you his introductory words: "To serve as Chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives is truly an honor and a privilege. To be both a minister of the Lord and an officer serving the United States government responds to a twofold call to serve others and offer prayer that unites Heaven and Earth. With 435 Members in the House and their staffs, plus all the other wonderful people who serve here with committee work or in the Chamber, including teenage Pages, my pastoral duties are many and varied. My goal is to meet the needs of this working community on a personal level. The problems that weigh on hearts and the confusion that at times blocks clarity of thinking become my concerns. The formal prayer BEFORE EACH LEGISLATIVE SESSION OF CONGRESS, (emphasis mine) and even before days of pro forma sessions, casts a light on the day that awakens faith and calls forth a nation to stand with it's leaders and affirm: "In God We Trust." But daily prayer for the Members of the House cannot end there. I ask people across this great country to join me in praying for the Members of the House of Representatives. Know the Member of your congressional district by name and raise his or her name before God each day with us here in the nation's capital. Pray for me, also, that I may be always rooted in prayer and a good instrument for accomplishing God's holy will here. Only by being free in the Spirit can I serve all the people here, regardless of their faith persuasion or denomination. Only by listening attentively to each person can I offer good counsel, encouragement, and gentle correction. Thank you for your interest in and support of the Members of the House."

Opening prayer, 112th Congress, given by Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin January 5, 2011:
"Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful believers. Enkindle within them the fire of Divine Love; that they may be truly open to respond to Your Word and the needs of Your people. Lord, send forth Your Spirit and renew the face of the earth. May the Spirit of the Living God descend upon this Chamber; that from here may come forth good news for the poor and healing for the broken-hearted of this nation. Let there go forth a proclamtion to the people that captivity is ended. And the action of true politicians will set this nation free. By setting single-minded self interest aside in the search for the common good, may a just society flourish with the gifts of Your Spirit and be recognized in equal justice, unity and peace. Lord, may this 112th Congress of the United States of America be an instrument of Your goodness with abiding laws and embrace clarity in policy statements; reaching beyond institutional thinking and public opinion polls. May every human life of this country be renewed with dignity and purpose so we may truly glory in the name of the free children of God made in Your image and conformed to Your saving grace, both now and forever. Amen."

Y'all know that one of my "pet peeves" is having the world told by the top executive of our country that we are not a Christian nation. We are, always have been, and always will be, a Christian nation. There's a liberal "talking head" on television, Bill Maher, who was fired from one network after 9-11-01 for saying that the terrorists who flew their planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the field in Pennsylvania and murdered thousands of innocent people, were "courageous". Now he has another show on another network, and is still spewing his distortions. Last week, in a monologue on his show (which I don't watch, but the video is out there to find, don't believe me, go look for it) he made the assertion that "the founding fathers knew the Bible was a bunch of bullshit". His words, not mine. Interestingly enough, while I was at the website of Chaplain Coughlin, I visited the archives and printed off the very first prayer of the very first American Congress, which I will share now to illustrate how wrong Mr. Maher is. It was given by Reverend Jacob Duche', Rector of Christ Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 7, 1774, 9 o'clock a.m.

First Prayer of the Continental Congress, 1774
"O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from Thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empries and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in the sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle! Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be efffectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior. Amen."

God bless the souls of the founding fathers (and mothers) for what they laid down and gave up for us! The founding fathers were not only Christians, they were Christian Soldiers; people after my own heart. This brings to mind a line in a song by Willie Nelson, "Stand By Me", (not the pop song most think of by the same title), which was played at our brother's funeral: "God, Who never lost a battle, stand by me". The founders of our great Republic (yes, we are a representative Republic, not a Democracy) were Christians who lived with God standing by them, in their daily lives. They knew they had no lives without Him. And today, Christian Americans still carry on that which was bought for us by their blood, and the blood of Jesus Christ.
America, wake up and claim your Christian heritage before it's taken away from you.