[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9792]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
  Shall we pray.
  We stand here today, Almighty God, grateful and humbled. On this 
Memorial Day weekend, we are awed by the sacrifice of those who have 
gone before.
  In a few hours, our Senators will vote on new tax laws. Debate has 
been intense, and we are grateful for the right to speak out and fight 
for opinions, for that freedom has been costly.
  It has been bought by the blood of our very best, who often fought 
and died in lonely places with strange sounding names, far from home 
and family.
  Every one of them counts, and we remember them today.
  For the Americans who guard freedom around the world at this moment, 
we join with those they love--the mother in Seattle, that dad in 
Wichita, a sister in Mobile--in praying for their safe return.
  Every one counts, and we remember them today.
  And for the men and women of this United States Senate, who also 
guard our freedoms, we ask a fresh measure of peace. Pour Your 
perspective we pray, into the hearts of those here whom You know need 
it the most.
  It is by Your grace that our Senators serve, and we count on that 
very grace to calm the waters in this place for every Senator has been 
designed in Your image and their freedom has been bought with a price.
  Every one counts, and we remember them today.
  We ask these things in the name of the One who calls us to be free. 
Amen.

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