Openly Gay Bishop to Offer Prayer at Inaugural Event
The first openly gay Episcopal bishop will offer a prayer at the Lincoln Memorial at an inaugural event for President-elect Barack Obama.
The selection of New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson for Sunday’s event follows weeks of criticism from gay-rights groups over Obama’s decision to have the Rev. Rick Warren give the invocation at his Jan. 20 inauguration.
Warren backed the ban on same-sex marriage that passed in his home state of California on the November ballot.
Robinson said last month the choice of Warren was like a slap in the face. In an interview with the Concord Monitor, he said he doesn’t believe Obama invited him in response to the Warren criticism but said his inclusion won’t go unnoticed by the gay and lesbian community.
“It’s important for any minority to see themselves represented in some way,” Robinson told the newspaper for a story in Monday’s editions. “Whether it be a racial minority, an ethnic minority, or in our case, a sexual minority. Just seeing someone like you up front matters.”
Clark Stevens, a spokesman for the inaugural committee, said Robinson was invited because he had offered his advice to Obama during the campaign and because of his church work. When asked whether Robinson was included to calm the Warren complaints, he said Robinson is “an important figure in the religious community. We are excited that he will be involved.”
Robinson, 61, said both Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will attend the event, and Obama is expected to speak. As for himself, Robinson said he doesn’t yet know what he’ll say, but he knows he won’t use a Bible.
“While that is a holy and sacred text to me, it is not for many Americans,” Robinson said. “I will be careful not to be especially Christian in my prayer. This is a prayer for the whole nation.”
Robinson said his prayer will be reflective of the times.
“I think these are sober and difficult times that we are facing,” he said. “It won’t be a happy, clappy prayer.”
Robinson’s 2003 consecration has divided the church in the United States and abroad. Last month, theological conservatives upset by liberal views of U.S. Episcopalians and Canadian Anglicans formed a rival North American province.
Endless Prayer:
Lord, forgive us for our faults. In the areas of our lives where we struggle with sin give us the strength to overcome. Let us flee from sin and run to you; the savior of our souls. Hide us in the shadow of your grace and quicken our spirits to live just lives. Let us never stray from the truth of your word and let us find our joy in the truth of your scripture. Give us your eyes to see things as you see them and guide our hearts to serve you without hesitation. Lead us from the ways of Sodom & Gomorrah and let us not look back upon our wickedness. May we fix our eyes on you, may our lives be consumed by you. Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna…
Category: featured
February 6th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Homosexuality is a sin, so is looking at a woman to lust after her, stealing, neglecting those who are sick and or in prison. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and how many Christians pick and chose what they will obey. Those who are lusting and coveting yet appear godly to men, will face hell unless they repent and walk in The Blessed Holy Spirit.
August 25th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
This is a mockery to the Lord Jesus, who opposes gay, lesbians. Unless repented of, we cannot boldly stand before GOD and expect HIM to answer our needs, while we take advantage of HIS grace and continue to live in sin to please our flesh. This is a shame and a disgrace to the true children of GOD, who are being compared to the wolves in sheeps clothing.
June 9th, 2009 at 9:32 am
It is true that God loves everyone. However, God does not love sin. Homosexuality is a sin and God being a just and righteous God will most assuredly deal with this and all sin. We as a Christian nation will surely suffer in our neglect to call sin what it is….SIN. God brought judgment on the nation of Isreal for their sin and they were His chosen people. He rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah for this very thing. I am sure that everyone in those cities were not homosexual but he destroyed everyone except for Lot and his family - minus Lots wife who refused to obey God’s instructions. We as Christians are suppose to follow God’s lead in loving everyone and hating the sin only. As a Christian I lift up a prayer at this very moment for all homosexuals that God would work in their life that they will see and understand the truth and that they will turn from evil and toward God’s grace and mercy. God loves them and so do I.
Amen and Amen!
April 20th, 2009 at 9:00 am
I love Jesus very much, I love The Holly Spirit and Love Father in the heaven.All Christian in the world please pray for Indonesia my country. for the church in Indonesia.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
How can this be happening? Our nation was founded on the Bible. In God we Trust is on our money. The judicial courts use a Bible to swear on for TRUTH! Yet people are perverting this into a free for all; allowing pure hate to be spread. Prop 8 doesn’t equal hate. Prop 8 allows for God’s will to be held intact. Praying without using a Bible? An openly gay Bishop? What is this world coming to when as a Nation, we are quick to cut down the idea of God’s WRITTEN word, and even quicker to accept and praise the blasphemy put in our face? Our Nation as a whole, Christians especially are completely blind. We are uneducated within the most precious thing we have: God’s Amazing Written Word. Instead of spending time reading and studying, our Nation is more focused on accepting a gay bishop, pushing for gay rights in the military, stating the right for a man and a woman to unite under the word of God as the definition of marriage equals hate. We have Reverands that are on national television proclaiming that being gay is a blessing from God! BLASPHEMY! These are complete and utter contradictions to the Word of God. I have no hatred against gay individuals. Yet, it seems that the rights that are being pushed are infringing on MY rights as a heterosexual CHRISTIAN female. How is this really happening? And in the same breath that our nation is ready to push for gay rights,keeping religion seperate, we are dividing our nation! People who don’t believe in the book of Revelation: WAKE UP PEOPLE. WAKE UP!
January 18th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Oh my, “I will be careful not to be especially Christian in my prayer. This is a prayer for the whole nation.”
On nation under God, what happened?
He will bless us either way, he loves all of us regardless, even openly gay members of the church.
It should be an especially Christian prayer, we need it individually, and as a nation under GOD.