Columbia Union President Prays in US Senate

Columbia Union President Dave Weigley offered the opening prayer on Tuesday for the US Senate, at the invitation of US Senate Chaplain Barry Black. 

“The prayer included six Bible texts and the ‘Doxology,’ and espoused Adventist beliefs in creation, the Second Coming, religious liberty and community service,” the Columbia Union Visitor noted in its report.

Weigley brought a group of Adventist leaders with him to the Capitol. Before the Senate convened, Chaplain Black met with Weigley, the presidents of Columbia Union’s eight conferences, the president of Washington Adventist University, Columbia Union’s leadership team, and a representative of Adventist Healthcare. They presented Black with an award.

The various administrators were all in town for Weighley’s regularly-scheduled President’s Council and a special religious liberty symposium.

Rear Admiral Barry Black has been Senate Chaplain since 2003, and is the first Seventh-day Adventist, and first African American, to hold the post. His prayer to “save us from the madness” during the government shutdown in October garnered significant media attention.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Black encouraged the Adventist leaders to become more involved in their local governments.

“Your group represents the greatest number of Seventh-day Adventist leaders who have ever visited my office,” Black said. “In the nearly 11 years that I’ve been here, there haven’t been many of our leaders to visit this office. . . You’re missing a great opportunity frankly to become more involved in the governments where you are. Many of you know that the prayers that I prayed during the federal shutdown became almost a cause célèbre.  People are waiting for gadflies. People are waiting for individuals who are not afraid to call sin by its name.”

Weigley’s prayer in the US Senate was this:

Let us pray.

 

Almighty God, Creator and Maker of all. Who sits enthroned above the Earth, and in whom we live, move and have our being.

 

We praise You from whom all blessings flow. We thank You for Your sustaining power, for peace and for the freedoms we enjoy.

 

We ask Your blessing on our great nation, insightful leaders and dedicated lawmakers. Establish their steps, and give them discernment and courage to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly. Strengthen them to uplift those who are downcast, who need the compassionate touch of a brother or sister’s hand.

 

Above all, may Your Kingdom come, may Your will be done and may we readily incline our ears to Your call today.

 

This we pray in Your holy and righteous name. Amen.

Watch Dave Weigley’s prayer on C-Span here.

This information has been taken from an article by Michelle Bernard for the Columbia Union Visitor.

Image: Becky and Dave Weigley with Chaplain Barry Black, from the Visitor.