Rick Warren’s Prayer at the Inauguration
Almighty God, our father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all 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 the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses 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 justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity 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 have 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. Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all. May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful 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, Michelle 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.”


Rev. Lowery Inauguration benediction. Transcript.
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, 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 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 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 faithful 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 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 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 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 nation 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 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. 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. http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/01/rev_lowery_inauguration_benedi.html

Some news media reports:
WASHINGTON -- The Rev. Rick Warren, by invoking the name of Jesus as he's known in several faiths, heralded the historic presidency Tuesday of an African-American man elected by Americans of multiple races, ethnicities and cultures. Mr. Warren, one of the country's most prominent evangelical ministers, referred to Jesus in Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish and English in his inauguration prayer, and added: "Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.''Mr. Warren's prayer not only asked for blessings for Barack Obama and his family, but emphasized tolerance and forgiveness -- urging his countrymen to overcome their disagreements and to unite behind their mutual goals, with humility and civility. "When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us," he said. "When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. Mr. Warren seemed eager to put aside the last few weeks, and perhaps the last several years, of conflict that has pitted conservatives and liberals over thorny social issues. For some, it was an unexpected olive branch offered by a man who had offended part of President Obama's base when he lent his support to a winning California proposition that banned gay marriage. Mr. Warren's comments after he was chosen by Mr. Obama did little to salve the hurt. He even seemed to equate relations between gays to illegal acts such as incest. Mr. Warren's words, preceding the oaths of office, drew a mixed reaction from the millions watching. There were some hisses from the crowd gathered at the Newseum, a museum of the newspaper industry, one attendee said. Others said they thought Mr. Warren had managed to ease some of the hurt triggered by his selection. Dottie Hall, a former public-school principal from Austin, Texas, said that the choice of Mr. Warren was a "little tragic at first," but that he "ended up doing OK." She said she hoped the new president might teach Mr. Warren something about "equality for all." Some Christians said they were struck by Mr. Warren's references to other faiths. Invoking other religions shows "he is appreciative of, or at least courteous to, people who don't share his particular faith,'' says William Martin, senior fellow at the Baker Institute at Rice University, and a biographer of the Rev. Billy Graham, the evangelical leader who offered blessings at several inaugurations. "He is trying to be as inclusive as he can be.'' But Mr. Warren also mentioned Jesus in his reference to several faiths: "I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Jeshua, Isa, Jesus [pronounced "Hay-sus"], Jesus, who taught us to pray...." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123249891036400529.html

Warren pressed Obama on two hot-button issues among social conservatives: abortion and same-sex marriage. Obama said that although he's pro-choice and supports Roe v. Wade, his goal is to reduce the number of abortions in America. "On this particular issue, if you believe that life begins at conception ... and you are consistent, then I can't argue with you on that," he said. "What I can do is say, are there ways we can work together to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies?" He also touched on same-sex marriage. When asked to define marriage, he told Warren, "It's a union between a man and a woman." "For me as a Christian, it is a sacred union. God's in the mix," he said. Obama added that he does support same-sex civil unions, saying, "I can afford those civil rights to others even if I don't have ... that view." http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/16/warren.forum/

Well today was an incredible day for Americans. I really didn’t have time to watch the festivities because I was out “sharing the wealth.” But I wanted to take some time to at least comment on several issues concerning the two prayers that were given, one by Rick Warren, and one by Rev. Lowery. First you have the prayer by Warren then the prayer by Lowery. After those two prayers will be a news report, then an article concerning the interview with Obama at Warren’s church. Now the sources are at the bottom of all the articles as to where they were found. It may sound confusing as to why I am doing this but you will see in my writing how I am going to bring all of this together to show how people get all caught up in things and they don’t seem to remember what someone said, nor actually do they care, they just run on emotions…well happy reading.
In reference to Warren’s prayer, I didn’t see anything that would offend anyone except the part where he gave Jesus credit for helping him in his life. That probably offended those that obviously do not believe in Christianity. However Rev. Lowery and his prayer, I have a little problem with. He got a little political when he said “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.” Kind of makes it sound like that the poor among us are being exploited. I do believe that there are those that are being treated as such. But to make a blanket statement like that is not correct. And this statement, “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. 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. A little over the top I would say. But then all of those that the reverend talked about won’t have to worry anymore, cause Barak is here and they will be rich, and they won’t have to worry about any prejudices cause their Savior has arrived. Now in reference to the news articles from :http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123249891036400529.htmlI do not understand where this writer stated that Warren offended gays when Obama in his interview that was quoted in:http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/16/warren.forum/, He also touched on same-sex marriage. When asked to define marriage, he told Warren, "It's a union between a man and a woman." "For me as a Christian, it is a sacred union. God's in the mix," he said. Obama added that he does support same-sex civil unions, saying, "I can afford those civil rights to others even if I don't have ... that view." When gays supported Obama, how could she say that they were offended? Is she also saying that the gays should be offended with Obama too? Hmmmm. Well that is about all I got to say about all this so far, and I bet you all are tired of all this reading but then I wanted to put it down for the sake of posterity. So we will get back to business.