[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 1469]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The guest Chaplain, Rev. Allen Fisher, offered the following prayer:
  We rejoice to thank and praise You this day, O God our Maker, Creator 
of the ends of the universe. You are the source of every good and 
perfect gift, the Fount of every blessing, the Heart of every noble 
thought, every kind deed, or merciful act.
  We thank You today for all those whom we rarely notice, people who 
share Your care, who reflect Your faithfulness. We thank You for the 
people who bus our tables, who haul our trash, who clean our offices, 
who drive our children, who deliver our mail, with little thought for 
the great issues of our age but with deep gratitude for the abiding 
gifts You give. For food and drink, heartbeat and breath, laughter and 
tears, for covenants kept and promises lived in humility and service to 
others, we praise You, O God of steadfast love.
  Remind us, faithful God, that we who lead may also serve after the 
example of one who came not to be served but to serve. Use the service 
of our lives and the work of this body for the building up of the 
common good in this most blessed Nation. Speed us toward the day when 
``all Your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord, and all Your 
faithful shall bless You.'' In the gracious name of the one, holy, 
righteous, and eternal God, our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, we 
pray. Amen.

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