While the inaugural prayers were front and center yesterday, the service at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Lafayette Square was closed to outsiders. Politico’s Ben Smith has posted the pool report, though.
Moneyquote: “ PEOTUS and his wife, Michelle Obama, were greeted in front of St. John’s Church on Lafayette Square just before 9 a.m. by the Reverend Luis Leon. They proceeded into the church and took seats at the center of the front row next to VPEOTUS (Joe Biden) and his wife, Jill. About 200 invited guests filled the red pews behind them. The church handed out 12-page programs on yellow paper, under the heading: “INAUGURATION DAY PRAYER SERVICE.”
The ceremony took place on a stage under a stained-glass window depicting the last supper, with an American flag draped on the right side of the stage, over the main podium.
As PEOTUS and VPEOTUS walked down the wood-paneled aisle to enter the church, the rest of the people in attendance stood to sing Hymn 680. Then Rev. Leon gave a welcome address, thanking PEOTUS for his attendance and reminding those gathered that the church has hosted the prayer service for the president-elect 10 times of the morning of inaugurations.
Bishop Charles E. Blake delivered a very brief invocation, and then the church choir sang “This Little Light of Mine.”
Many of the speakers at St. John’s were religious leaders familiar to PEOTUS from his campaign. Dr. Joel Hunter, the senior pastor at Northland who prayed with Obama over the phone on Nov. 4, offered the first prayer. He instructed those sitting near PEOTUS to place their hands on his shoulders and head as a “spiritual means of giving grace.”
He faced PEOTUS and concluded: “Through you made God bless America in a way that we are a blessing to the whole world.”
After a brief reading from Rabbi David N. Saperstein and a solo singing performance by Yolanda Adams, Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell – Pres. George Bush’s spiritual advisor – introduced the keynote speaker: Bishop T.D. Jakes, senior pastor from Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston.
Jakes read from Daniel, 3:19 and used the scripture to offer PEOTUS a series of four lessons for his administration.
1 – “In time of crisis, good men must stand up. God always sends the best men into the worst times.”
2 – “You cannot change what you will not confront. This is a moment of confrontation in this country. There’s no way around itâÂ?¦This is not a time for politeness or correctness, this is a time for people to confront issues and bring about change.”
3 – “You cannot enjoy the light without enduring the heat. The reality is the more brilliant, the more glorious, the more essential the light, the more intense the heat. We cannot separate one from the other.”
4 – “Extraordinary times require extraordinary methods. This is a historical moment for us and our nation and our country, and though we enjoy it and are inspired by it and motivated by it.”
After his four lessons, Jakes turned from the crowd and looked directly at Obama.
“The problems are mighty and the solutions are not simple,” Jakes said, “and everywhere you turn there will be a critic waiting to attack every decision that you make. But you are all fired up, Sir, and you are ready to go. And this nation goes with you. God goes with you.
“I say to you as my son who is here today, my 14-year-old son – he probably would not quote scripture. He probably would use Star Trek instead, and so I say, ‘May the force be with you.”
Monsignor William A. Kerr delivered a brief prayer for VPEOTUS and then The Rev. Otis Moss Jr. delivered a blessing for PEOTUS. Moss Jr. said: “Give to president Obama a double measure of faith and hope, and the strength to do justiceâÂ?¦Give him the sight to see all that needs to be seen and the insight to look beyond the clouds and chaos of the moment and see great joys and possibilities. Let the house where he lives and serves be a house of hope for the nation, a house of joy and affection for his family, and the house of friendship for all nations. We thank you eternal god, for our new president, president elect Obama.”
Photo by the AP.
