Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff on 19 May 2003

Public Domain

Date: 2018-11-24

Last Updated: 2024-06-01

Categories: Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies, United States of America

Tags: 108th Congress, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 19 May 2003. . . .

Content:

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, Retired Chaplain, U.S. Navy, Washington, DC
Date of Prayer: 05/19/2003

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Let us pray.
	O Lord, who hears our prayers as this session now begins and before the leaders here debate the issues they confront and with which our country and our people struggle, we begin united, united with a prayer, a reminder that even as we disagree on one course of action or the next, we do so in pursuit of common prayers, common dreams– liberty, dignity, and freedom– that unite us all.
	We sometimes call this starting prayer an invocation, but it is not Your presence we invoke, for You are always with us. No matter where we are or where we go, as we soar on eagle’s wings toward heaven, as we search the deepest reaches of the sea, or as we seek to balance right and responsibility through the actions taken here in the Halls of Congress, we know we find Your hand.
	Instead, it is awareness of Your presence that we call forth, that we invoke a reminder of a plan or dream in which we might play a part, a promise of a better world, better time, a time of peace and justice that we might help to build.
	May Your presence touch our lives, and even shape our words, so that we might find the wisdom and the courage to do our part to keep our dreams and prayers alive and help make those dreams and prayers come true.
אָמֵן׃	And may we say, Amen.

Source(s)

108th Congress, 1st Session. Congressional Record, Issue: Vol. 149, No. 74 — Daily Edition (May 19, 2003)

Click to access CREC-2003-05-19-pt1-PgS6571-2.pdf

Contributor: the Congressional Record of the United States of America

Co-authors:

Name: the Congressional Record of the United States of America
Bio: The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Printing Office and issued when Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks. At the end of a session of Congress, the daily editions are compiled in bound volumes constituting the permanent edition. Statutory authorization for the Congressional Record is found in Chapter 9 of Title 44 of the United States Code. (wikipedia)
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Record
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/united-states-congressional-record

Name: Arnold E. Resnicoff
Bio: Arnold E. Resnicoff (born 1946) is a Conservative rabbi who began his career serving as a military officer and then as a military chaplain. He served in Vietnam and Europe before attending rabbinical school after which he was a U.S. Navy Chaplain for almost 25 years. After the Vietnam War, he promoted the creation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and delivered the closing prayer at its 1982 dedication. Rabbi Resnicoff was present at the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing and the following year, President Ronald Reagan shared Rabbi Resnicoff's eyewitness account. After retiring from the military he became the National Director of Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee and served as Special Assistant (for Values and Vision) to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, serving at the equivalent military rank of Brigadier General. Resnicoff holds several degrees, including an honorary doctorate. His awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, and the Chapel of Four Chaplains Hall of Heroes Gold Medallion.
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Resnicoff
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/arnold-resnicoff

Featured Image:

Title: Flag_of_the_United_States_Senate.svg
Caption: Flag of the United States Senate