[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 148 (Tuesday, December 5, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S11547]
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 our Nation, Lord of this Senate, and 
gracious Father of us all, we return to You in repentance, confessing 
our urgent need for Your grace. We cannot open the Senate today with a 
business-as-usual attitude. So much has happened in these past weeks in 
the contested Presidential election and the close Senate races. As 
tension mounts, patience wears thin, and party spirit threatens to 
displace the spirit of patriotism in America, we ask for Your healing 
spirit.
  Life can make us bitter or better, resentful or resilient. The 
difference is in the opening of our minds and hearts to You. May this 
Senate exemplify to the Nation how reliance on You brings 
reconciliation in relationships. Help the Senators to model what it 
means to work together to complete the work of this 106th Congress. 
Heal our land, Lord, and make these Senators agents of healing.
  Today, we celebrate the 98th birthday of Senator Strom Thurmond. We 
cherish our friendship with him and admire his patriotism. We marvel at 
his vigor and stamina. By Your providential care, on May 25, 1997, he 
became the longest serving Senator in the Nation's history. Yet it is 
not just the quantity but the quality of these years of service that 
motivate our admiration. May he know of our affirmation, feel our love, 
and be encouraged by Your blessing.
  Now, Lord, we turn to the challenges of this day with the firm 
conviction that when we place our trust in You, You turn our struggles 
into stepping stones. You are our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

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