[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 93 (Friday, June 27, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S6669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The Chaplain, Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, offered the following prayer:
  Almighty God, Sovereign of this Nation, Lord of our lives and Author 
of the liberties we enjoy as citizens, may this Fourth of July week of 
recess be a time of renewal of our commitment to you as leaders of our 
Nation. May Independence Day really be a dependence day for us and our 
fellow Americans as we express our total dependence on You. We want our 
observance to be more than picnics, firecrackers, and parades. As we 
celebrate the birth of our Nation, we want to reaffirm the vision for 
America you planted in our Founding Fathers and Mothers, as well as the 
unique role You have given this Nation as a demonstration of democracy.
  When we say the words, ``One Nation under God'' in the Pledge of 
Allegiance, may it be a fresh dedication to work for righteousness and 
justice in every aspect of society. We confess what contradicts our 
declaration of dependence on You. We reflect on our secularized society 
that gives little thought to You. Our motto is ``In God We Trust'' and 
yet, our trust often is placed in materialism and scientific humanism. 
We repent and ask Your forgiveness.
  Dear God, You have answered the prayers of Your people in the crises 
of our history. Today, we pray for a spiritual awakening to spread 
across the land. We know that only what has happened to us can happen 
through us. So begin the awakening here in the Senate, in each Senator 
and in all of us who work with them. In the name of our Lord and 
Saviour. Amen.

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