[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 198 (Wednesday, December 21, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H10019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 PRAYER

  Reverend Michael Wilker, Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 
Washington, D.C., offered the following prayer:
  Gracious God, You give us light in the darkness. We praise You for 
the galaxies, stars, planets, and Moon that shine in the night. We 
bless You for lamps and candles that illumine our communities. We thank 
You for the fires that warm our homes and energize our work.
  We repent for the ways we pollute the beauty of the night, the ways 
we extinguish the light of companionship, the ways we fail to share 
Your warmth.
  Enlighten our darkness. Be the dayspring for those suffering from 
addiction and illness. Be the bright morning star for those who are 
grieving. Be the Sun of justice for those living under oppression and 
in poverty. Be the cleansing fire for those who survive violence and 
warfare.
  Traveling, send us with Your light to share with friends and 
strangers. Welcoming, light our gatherings with Your love. Searching 
for justice and peace, light our way.
  Amen.

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