CALL TO PRAYER FOR OUR NATION

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA

Litanies and Prayers
on the Occasion of the Inauguration of the
President & Vice-President
January 20, 2009

Compiled by the Race Relations
Committee of the Diocese of Virginia
for individual and corporate worship.
Approved by the Bishop.
Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
110 West Franklin Street
Richmond, VA 23220

Collect written by the Diocesan Race Relations Committee

Most gracious God who desires that all people live together in harmony and unity, and who has given us this land of great resources, opportunity and diversity of people, We ask that you bless this great occasion in the history of our country and unite us in our differences.

Give us, we pray, ears and hearts that are open to your promises of truth and justice so that we may live more fully into your vision of a blessed community. All this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns now and forever, Amen.

For the President of the United States and all in Civil Authority
(BCP, p. 820)

O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to your merciful care, that, being guided by your Providence, we may dwell secure in your peace.

Grant to the President of the United States, the Governor of this State, and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do your will.

Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in your fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Litanies and Prayers on the Occasion of the Inauguration of the President & Vice-President

Invocation by Dr. Luis Leon

Rector, St. John’s Episcopal, Washington, D.C.
For the inauguration of George W. Bush in 2004.
Public domain. Names updated for 2008.

Most gracious and eternal God, We gather today as a grateful people to enjoy the many blessings you have bestowed on this nation. "We are grateful for your vision which inspired the founders of our nation to create this democratic experiment as one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

We are grateful to you that You have brought to these shores a multitude of people with many ethnic, religious and language backgrounds, and yet have fashioned one nation out of so many cultures and traditions.

Even as we celebrate this great moment, we remember before you the members of our armed forces. We commend them to your care. Give them courage to carry out their duties and courage to face the perils which beset them, and grant them always a sense
of your presence in all that they do.

Finally today, we are especially grateful for this inauguration which marks a new beginning in our journey as a people and a nation.

We pray that you will shower the elected leaders of this land, and especially Barack our president and Joseph our vice president, with your life-giving spirit.

Endow their hearts with your spirit of wisdom, that they may lead us in renewing the ties of mutual respect which form our civic life, so that peace may prevail with righteousness and justice with order.

We pray that you will strengthen their resolve, as they lead our nation, seeking to serve You in this world, that this good and generous country may be a blessing to the nations of the world. And may they lead us to become in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., members of a beloved community, loving our neighbors as ourselves, so that all of us may more closely come to fulfill the promise of our founding fathers, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All this we ask in your most holy name, Amen.

For our Country
(BCP, p. 820)

Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought together out of many peoples and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity,
fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thanksgiving for National Life
(BCP, p. 838)

Almighty God, giver of all good things: We thank you for the natural majesty and beauty of this land. They restore us, though we often destroy them.

Heal us.

We thank you for the great resources of this nation. They make us rich, though we often exploit them.

Forgive us.

We thank you for the men and women who have made this country strong. They are models for us, though we often fall short of them.

Inspire us.

We thank you for the torch of liberty which has been lit in this land. It has drawn people from every nation, though we have often hidden from its light.

Enlighten us.

We thank you for the faith we have inherited in all its rich variety. It sustains our life, though we have been faithless again and again.

Renew us.

Help us, O Lord, to finish the good work here begun. Strengthen our efforts to blot out ignorance and prejudice, and to abolish poverty and crime. And hasten the day when all our people, with many voices in one united chorus, will glorify your holy Name. Amen.

A Litany for the Country
(Ormond Platter, public domain)

Let us pray for all nations and peoples.

For the holy catholic church throughout the world, and for Jon, Chester and Sergio our bishops and all the people of this diocese.

Kyrie, eleison.

For this nation and for all nations, peoples, tribes, clans, and families.

Kyrie, eleison.

For liberty throughout the land and for mercy, justice, and peace in every place.

Kyrie, eleison.

For the armed forces, the police, and all who keep the peace, and for those who have died in war and civil strife.

Kyrie, eleison.

For the good land God has given us, and for our cities, towns, and communities.

Kyrie, eleison.

For all who are needy, desolate, forgotten, suffering, lonely, and disconsolate.

Kyrie, eleison.

For our forgiveness for injustice, bigotry, and oppression.

Kyrie, eleison.

For our ancestors in this land, and for all the dying and the dead.

Kyrie, eleison.

Remembering the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, let us offer ourselves and one another to the living God through Christ.

To you, O Lord.

Blessed are you, God of all nations. Hear the prayers we offer on this day and bring us at last to our home in your heavenly realm; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.