[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 106 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H6853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 PRAYER

  The Reverend Dr. Ronald F. Christian, Lutheran Social Services of 
Northern Virginia, Fairfax, Virginia, offered the following prayer:
  Gracious God, we acknowledge that in every age you have sent men and 
women who have given unselfishly of all that they possessed, including, 
in some instances, their very lives, as a sacrifice for the community.
  Bless we pray the memory of all those known and unknown to us but 
whose names are forever engraved in Your great book of life.
  O God, on this day, hallow, we pray, both the memory and the message 
of our dear friends and the creations of Your own hand.
  May our reflection of persons who once walked and talked with us be, 
to those of us who knew them, filled to overflowing with the spirit of 
grace and love.
  May the message of the sacrifice of people be always, to each of us, 
an inspiration for our lives so that, in the great privilege of simply 
living, we may find joy in our work, peace in our relationships, and a 
personal satisfaction in serving our neighbor. Amen.

                          ____________________