An Photographic Inauguration Story

just 6 days after pres. obama took office i came across this website telling the story of a day through photos. not only was this an incredible event, but it’s told with amazing photos. take a look.

Prayer of Rick Warren

Rick Warren’s prayer, text and video, from the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

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, Isa, Jesús, 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.

The Beast

cnn reports a lot on the new presidential limousine which the secret service call “the beast”. it’s an amazing vehicle, not only in aesthetics, but in design and security as well. after doing some research online, i’ve come across some info on the president’s new vehicle. check out the photos online, including one with details that come from a british website. i can’t, obviously, claim the accuracy of the info, but it’s pretty cool anyways.

As The Lights Go Out

there’s a ton of hype around obama/biden, the inauguration tomorrow, the incoming cabinet, the changing view of african- americans, and rightly so. i can’t help though, to feel for president bush and his family. a cnn story read earlier reported on the sadness of the bush family, 41 and 43, as they prepared to leave the white house. moving their possessions out of the house, saying goodbye to the white house staffers they’ve known and lived with for the past 8 years, closing shop, not only in a presidential way, but in a personal way.

so often i find that i separate the president (and many others for that matter) from the person. sure george h. bush has been the “leader of the free world” for the past 8 years, but he’s also been george h. bush. he’s developed relationships with the white house staff, he’s seen his daughters grow up in that house, he’s lived in d.c. and, at least i believe, grown to appreciate the city, grown close to members of congress, and world leaders.

he leaves all that behind tomorrow. a reporter stood outside the white house this evening around 10pm central time and i watched the lights go out in that house. i couldn’t help but imagine the sadness, the relief, all the emotions swelling up in that house on this evening, the bushes last night there.

how often we forget that those we see on tv are real people. actors, actresses, sports stars, senators, representatives, movie stars, and even the president are just people. i use “just” lightly, not as a means of demeaning their value or influence on society, but as reminding us that they are no bigger or smaller than you or i.

as the country looks forward to the presidency administration, let’s not forget for bush, obama, biden, or even cheney, that they’re still people and they deserve the utmost respect from us as fellow humans, and our appreciation for their willingness to serve.