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Video and Transcript: Rick Warren's Inaugural Invocation

by Ryan Rodrick Beiler 01-22-2009 | 3:40pm
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Here's the video and the transcript of Rick Warren's prayer at the inaugural ceremony, for your reference and comment:

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Let us pray.

Almighty God, our father, everything we see and everything we can't see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story.

The Scripture tells us Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is one. And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today we rejoice not only in America's peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States.

We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership.

And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in Heaven.

Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.

When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all.

May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus, Jesus (hay-SOOS), who taught us to pray, Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

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by: Tony_D

01-25-2009 @ 10:50pm

What depresses me, in a time of massively shifting paradigms - in global finance, in environmental awareness, in the fact that the USA now has a black President for heaven's sake - is that the expectations of so many bloggers remain stuck where they were a year ago. Who would have imagined that the pastor af an American Evangelical mega-church would be bold enough to use the Hebrew and Qur'anic names of Jesus in public prayer? And why is no-one giving him the credit for not using, in an event with such global significance, the (to Muslims and Jews) offensive Christological titles with which we Christians habitually conclude our prayers? The world is moving. And the Spirit of God is blowing where she (if you're a Hebrew-speaker) wills - but we're still struggling to keep up.

by: Joe_Allen_Doty

01-22-2009 @ 8:17pm

Rick Warren sounded like he was yelling at God and sometimes, it was more like he was telling God what to do rather asking him to do it.

Rick Warren is a hypocrite and has never apologized for the hateful things he has said about gay people.

by: BuckeyeDon

01-23-2009 @ 1:41pm

Joe_Allen:
I'm not a fan of megachurches, no matter what their theology or affiliation. I would never be inclined to attend Rev. Warren's church or any similar one. But I thought Rev. Warren prayed a very appropriate prayer. That appropriateness was confirmed during his prayer: while he was praying, the young African-American student sitting next to me in the school lobby began crying.

Perhaps, Joe_Allen, you might someday be able to overcome your bitterness toward Rev. Warren and forgive him. I pray that it will be soon.

by: jmndodge

01-23-2009 @ 2:57pm

His prayer was better than most, and for the most part right on target, however, the ending has brought needless criticism of him, and discussions about division and partisanship. A simple statement closing his prayer, in the name of his Savior, Jesus Christ would have been more accepted, (certainly not by all) that the addition of the Lord's Prayer.

by: Mark Baker-Wright

01-24-2009 @ 1:19am

OK. You think Warren is a hypocrite. You're upset that he's never apologized for comments that you consider hateful about gay people. We get it. You don't have to repeat yourself with every Warren-related post.

by: Mark Baker-Wright

01-24-2009 @ 1:24am

I think that Warren was fine to USE Jesus' name. I think that, as a Christian praying a prayer, it is simply an honest part of his faith to do that.

But I do have a problem with HOW Warren did it. He not only used Jesus' name. He did four different versions of it. Then added the Lord's Prayer. That was over the top, and I felt a bit unnecessary. I felt that it went beyond simply being a prayer done by a Christian, to being a statement against those who he knew would be offended by his use of that name. That crossed the line to "uncool" for me.

I say more here: http://transformingseminarian.blogspot.com/2009...

by: Joe_Allen_Doty

01-22-2009 @ 8:17pm

Rick Warren sounded like he was yelling at God and sometimes, it was more like he was telling God what to do rather asking him to do it.

Rick Warren is a hypocrite and has never apologized for the hateful things he has said about gay people.

by: BuckeyeDon

01-23-2009 @ 1:41pm

Joe_Allen:
I'm not a fan of megachurches, no matter what their theology or affiliation. I would never be inclined to attend Rev. Warren's church or any similar one. But I thought Rev. Warren prayed a very appropriate prayer. That appropriateness was confirmed during his prayer: while he was praying, the young African-American student sitting next to me in the school lobby began crying.

Perhaps, Joe_Allen, you might someday be able to overcome your bitterness toward Rev. Warren and forgive him. I pray that it will be soon.

by: jmndodge

01-23-2009 @ 2:57pm

His prayer was better than most, and for the most part right on target, however, the ending has brought needless criticism of him, and discussions about division and partisanship. A simple statement closing his prayer, in the name of his Savior, Jesus Christ would have been more accepted, (certainly not by all) that the addition of the Lord's Prayer.

by: Mark Baker-Wright

01-24-2009 @ 1:19am

OK. You think Warren is a hypocrite. You're upset that he's never apologized for comments that you consider hateful about gay people. We get it. You don't have to repeat yourself with every Warren-related post.

by: Mark Baker-Wright

01-24-2009 @ 1:24am

I think that Warren was fine to USE Jesus' name. I think that, as a Christian praying a prayer, it is simply an honest part of his faith to do that.

But I do have a problem with HOW Warren did it. He not only used Jesus' name. He did four different versions of it. Then added the Lord's Prayer. That was over the top, and I felt a bit unnecessary. I felt that it went beyond simply being a prayer done by a Christian, to being a statement against those who he knew would be offended by his use of that name. That crossed the line to "uncool" for me.

I say more here: http://transformingseminarian.blogspot.com/2009...

by: Tony_D

01-25-2009 @ 10:50pm

What depresses me, in a time of massively shifting paradigms - in global finance, in environmental awareness, in the fact that the USA now has a black President for heaven's sake - is that the expectations of so many bloggers remain stuck where they were a year ago. Who would have imagined that the pastor af an American Evangelical mega-church would be bold enough to use the Hebrew and Qur'anic names of Jesus in public prayer? And why is no-one giving him the credit for not using, in an event with such global significance, the (to Muslims and Jews) offensive Christological titles with which we Christians habitually conclude our prayers? The world is moving. And the Spirit of God is blowing where she (if you're a Hebrew-speaker) wills - but we're still struggling to keep up.

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by: Joe_Allen_Doty

01-22-2009 @ 8:17pm

Rick Warren sounded like he was yelling at God and sometimes, it was more like he was telling God what to do rather asking him to do it.

Rick Warren is a hypocrite and has never apologized for the hateful things he has said about gay people.

by: Joe_Allen_Doty

01-22-2009 @ 8:17pm

Rick Warren sounded like he was yelling at God and sometimes, it was more like he was telling God what to do rather asking him to do it.

Rick Warren is a hypocrite and has never apologized for the hateful things he has said about gay people.

by: BuckeyeDon

01-23-2009 @ 1:41pm

Joe_Allen:
I'm not a fan of megachurches, no matter what their theology or affiliation. I would never be inclined to attend Rev. Warren's church or any similar one. But I thought Rev. Warren prayed a very appropriate prayer. That appropriateness was confirmed during his prayer: while he was praying, the young African-American student sitting next to me in the school lobby began crying.

Perhaps, Joe_Allen, you might someday be able to overcome your bitterness toward Rev. Warren and forgive him. I pray that it will be soon.

by: BuckeyeDon

01-23-2009 @ 1:41pm

Joe_Allen:
I'm not a fan of megachurches, no matter what their theology or affiliation. I would never be inclined to attend Rev. Warren's church or any similar one. But I thought Rev. Warren prayed a very appropriate prayer. That appropriateness was confirmed during his prayer: while he was praying, the young African-American student sitting next to me in the school lobby began crying.

Perhaps, Joe_Allen, you might someday be able to overcome your bitterness toward Rev. Warren and forgive him. I pray that it will be soon.

by: jmndodge

01-23-2009 @ 2:57pm

His prayer was better than most, and for the most part right on target, however, the ending has brought needless criticism of him, and discussions about division and partisanship. A simple statement closing his prayer, in the name of his Savior, Jesus Christ would have been more accepted, (certainly not by all) that the addition of the Lord's Prayer.

by: jmndodge

01-23-2009 @ 2:57pm

His prayer was better than most, and for the most part right on target, however, the ending has brought needless criticism of him, and discussions about division and partisanship. A simple statement closing his prayer, in the name of his Savior, Jesus Christ would have been more accepted, (certainly not by all) that the addition of the Lord's Prayer.

by: Mark Baker-Wright

01-24-2009 @ 1:19am

OK. You think Warren is a hypocrite. You're upset that he's never apologized for comments that you consider hateful about gay people. We get it. You don't have to repeat yourself with every Warren-related post.

by: Mark Baker-Wright

01-24-2009 @ 1:19am

OK. You think Warren is a hypocrite. You're upset that he's never apologized for comments that you consider hateful about gay people. We get it. You don't have to repeat yourself with every Warren-related post.

by: Mark Baker-Wright

01-24-2009 @ 1:24am

I think that Warren was fine to USE Jesus' name. I think that, as a Christian praying a prayer, it is simply an honest part of his faith to do that.

But I do have a problem with HOW Warren did it. He not only used Jesus' name. He did four different versions of it. Then added the Lord's Prayer. That was over the top, and I felt a bit unnecessary. I felt that it went beyond simply being a prayer done by a Christian, to being a statement against those who he knew would be offended by his use of that name. That crossed the line to "uncool" for me.

I say more here: http://transformingseminarian.blogspot.com/2009...

by: Mark Baker-Wright

01-24-2009 @ 1:24am

I think that Warren was fine to USE Jesus' name. I think that, as a Christian praying a prayer, it is simply an honest part of his faith to do that.

But I do have a problem with HOW Warren did it. He not only used Jesus' name. He did four different versions of it. Then added the Lord's Prayer. That was over the top, and I felt a bit unnecessary. I felt that it went beyond simply being a prayer done by a Christian, to being a statement against those who he knew would be offended by his use of that name. That crossed the line to "uncool" for me.

I say more here: http://transformingseminarian.blogspot.com/2009...

by: Tony_D

01-25-2009 @ 10:50pm

What depresses me, in a time of massively shifting paradigms - in global finance, in environmental awareness, in the fact that the USA now has a black President for heaven's sake - is that the expectations of so many bloggers remain stuck where they were a year ago. Who would have imagined that the pastor af an American Evangelical mega-church would be bold enough to use the Hebrew and Qur'anic names of Jesus in public prayer? And why is no-one giving him the credit for not using, in an event with such global significance, the (to Muslims and Jews) offensive Christological titles with which we Christians habitually conclude our prayers? The world is moving. And the Spirit of God is blowing where she (if you're a Hebrew-speaker) wills - but we're still struggling to keep up.

by: Tony_D

01-25-2009 @ 10:50pm

What depresses me, in a time of massively shifting paradigms - in global finance, in environmental awareness, in the fact that the USA now has a black President for heaven's sake - is that the expectations of so many bloggers remain stuck where they were a year ago. Who would have imagined that the pastor af an American Evangelical mega-church would be bold enough to use the Hebrew and Qur'anic names of Jesus in public prayer? And why is no-one giving him the credit for not using, in an event with such global significance, the (to Muslims and Jews) offensive Christological titles with which we Christians habitually conclude our prayers? The world is moving. And the Spirit of God is blowing where she (if you're a Hebrew-speaker) wills - but we're still struggling to keep up.