[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2445]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 PRAYER

  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Today's opening prayer will be offered by 
Rev. Dr. Dale A. Meyer, president emeritus, Concordia Seminary, 
Collinsville, IL.
  The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
  Let us pray.
  O God, Your eternal being is beyond our comprehension. We are but 
creatures of a day.
  The magnificence of these buildings in which Senators and their 
staffs serve, these monumental buildings we Americans visit, are sacred 
spaces. In silent splendor they testify to the mercies You have 
bestowed upon this Nation in generations past. May they inspire in us a 
passion that our stewardship of this Republic will serve Your good will 
and purposes for many years to come.
  Jesus said: ``When I am lifted up, I will draw all people to 
myself.'' He gave His life in selfless service so that all people might 
experience Your goodness in their lives. Such service, pure service 
untainted by thoughts of self, is difficult, indeed impossible. We ask 
You to descend upon this Chamber with Your grace, grace received in 
honest confession that my time, our time, is fleeting. Unless You build 
the house, we labor in vain. We cannot achieve justice. We cannot 
embrace mercy unless we humbly walk with You.
  O eternal God, You alone endure from generation to generation. Help 
us to be faithful stewards of this trust.
  In Your holy and revealed Name we pray. Amen.

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