[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 40 (Wednesday, April 1, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H1855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 PRAYER

  Reverend Douglas Tanner, Faith and Politics Institute, Washington, 
DC, offered the following prayer:
  Almighty God, who created, sustains and redeems us:
  On this first day of April, we are aware that however confused this 
year's seasons may have been, surely spring has arrived, as it always 
does. Signs of growth and new life surround us. Sunshine warms our 
faces. Fresh breezes beckon us to leave the walls within which we have 
lived and worked all winter and come outside.
  We pray that Your creative and renewing spirit might come upon us in 
a similar way. Grant those in this body an openness to new perspectives 
and possibilities, even as they appropriately adhere to values and 
traditions that have survived the tests of time. Warm them to the 
genuine humanity in each other, even as they vehemently disagree in 
debate and fiercely compete for the public trust. And even as our worst 
appears evident in children killing children, guide them to call forth 
the best in us as a Nation.
  Amen.

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