[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14590]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today's opening prayer will be offered by the 
Reverend Dr. Douglas Gerdts, Senior Pastor of First and Central 
Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, DE.
  The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
  Would you pray with me, please.
  Holy God, little can be said that doesn't add to the cacophony of 
prayer that arises from humanity. Surely from this august Chamber the 
volume and intensity is at times deafening. Yet these, O God, are the 
servants of the people and of You. So like Solomon we pray, ``Here's 
what we want: Give us a God-listening heart so we can lead Your people 
well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their 
own is capable of leading Your good people?''
  Who indeed, O God.
  Our prayer this morning is quiet and simple: Instill wisdom and 
compassion, the quest for peace and the drive for justice, the humility 
to recognize our ignorance and the grace to welcome another's point of 
view, and the awe of the responsibility conveyed upon us and the 
gratitude to relish our part in shaping the future. Most of all, let us 
never think that we travel this road alone, for who on their own is 
capable of leading Your good people?
  Amen.

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