By the Reverend Mother
Today I had the honor of performing a pastoral function by offering the invocation at the 39A convention in West St. Paul. I enjoy invoking things. Here’s what I said:
I read an article yesterday written by someone who believed that it was time to work to see that prayers would not be made before civic meetings such as the one here today, because someone who has a different belief system might be offended.
Then I located this quote by Patrick Henry given in May 1765 to the House of Burgesses.
“It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.”
By being here today you have said that you are willing to serve your community. You are acting on the commandment that God has given us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Your work here is to make sure that your neighbor is kept free to do those things that God requires of him unhindered by oppressive government intervention. I commend you for your willingness to fulfill this civic duty.
Dear Father in Heaven,
You are great and your name is full of power. We understand that the government is on your shoulders, so we humble ourselves and submit ourselves to you. Today Lord, these ones have gathered themselves to serve their neighbors in the area of civil government. I ask Lord that you would grant unto them a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened, that they might know the hope of your calling. Lord we desire to take every prudent measure to ward off impending judgment, but we do not place our confidence in the measures we take, but in you Lord, who are the ruler of the armies of heaven. Father, we know from your word that the wisest human counsel is but foolishness, so we ask for your whole blessing on us and these proceedings.
In Jesus name.
What was really pleasing was to look out at the conventioneers and see people nodding their heads. It’s always nice to have affirmations.
Amen.
Reverend Mother,
This country was not founded on Christianity – it is nice that you looked to historical information, which by the way is not factual, to prove your point. But please remember that there were indigenous peoples as well as other migrations long before the “Christians” as you would frame them “discovered” and “founded” this country. In addition, those who founded this country were not necessarily Christian (for example, read a bit more about Thomas Jefferson and his deist beliefs) or further….recognize that Patrick Henry is not even proven (or even likely) to have said the two pieces of “evidence” you quoted. Despite the quotes you recognized as your great evidence to support your prayers that may have excluded other beliefs you also fail to recognize the context-and potentially accurate language-in which they were actually discussed, and also failed to acknowledge that it would be very ironic that the the same Mr. Henry had actually spoken of a “nation” that afforded “peoples of other faiths” the “freedom of worship.” actually said these quotes in the first place. Please open your mind, love, and your world to others and their beliefs rather than judging…..it would be as Jesus would have wanted it.
In case anyone’s following this specific post, the Reverend Mother offered a response to Rose in a separate post, here: http://thenightwriterblog.com/2010/03/02/a-response-to-rose/