[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 175 (Tuesday, October 24, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H5041]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 PRAYER

  The Chaplain, the Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben, offered the 
following prayer:
  God our creator, our redeemer, and our sustainer, as we return again 
this week to these Chambers, we are keenly aware that we need also 
return to You. It is hard not to think that You have cast us off, 
rejecting us and our feeble attempts to lead ourselves. You no doubt 
are angry with us, but we pray You will restore us.
  You have shaken the earth around us and torn it open. The wounds of 
our warring madness are painfully evident in Israel and Gaza, Ukraine, 
and too many other fractured places across the globe. Only You can heal 
the breaches of decency and democracy.
  You have shown us hardship. You have allowed us to endure desperate 
and dire moments. You have made us drink the wine of confusion. You 
have let us get drunk on the fruit of our own orchard.
  You alone can save us from the uncertainty that surrounds us. You 
alone can guide us through the disorder of these days. You alone can 
shed light in the darkness that seeks to overcome our spirits.
  We pray then that You would redeem us, lead us, and enrich us in Your 
mercy. In Your sovereign name we pray.
  Amen.

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