This evening, I had the privilege to pray at our city Council meeting.  This was the second occasion I have enjoyed this honor.  I was asked to deliver the invocation just before it was publicly revealed that 4 of our 5 Councilmen have been indicted for political corruption. Tonight was the Council’s first meeting since the indictments were handed down.

I saw it as my task to simply bring our collective conscience before God – and plead for His grace to oversee the proceedings with mercy, and for all involved to conduct themselves with honor and integrity.  Below is the text of my prayer:

Our God and our Father,

How grateful we are that this meeting can begin with an appeal for you to be uniquely present in this meeting of our city council.

These particular days and this particular meeting reflects numerous and distinct challenges for our city and its leadership.  These challenges remind us that we are in need of someone greater than ourselves to navigate our way.  Your knowledge is complete, ours is not.  Your wisdom is perfect, ours is far from it.  Your answers are without error, while ours are full of human limitation.  That”™s why we invoke your specific and unique presence in this meeting.  Grant us a consciousness that we stand before our creator first and foremost in what we do and what we say.

We ask for your grace to be full in its display among our city leaders this evening.  May their minds be guided by principles that would reflect your righteousness.  May their speech be reflective of the humility of those who stand before the bar of your ultimate judgment.  May their decisions be reflective of a consciousness that leadership is primarily an entrusted stewardship ““ entrusted by the citizens they serve, but ultimately by an Almighty God.  May our leaders”™ stewardship tonight be conducted with honor, integrity, humility, discernment, maturity, and righteous wisdom.

Our Father, we also ask for your kind grace over our citizens this evening.  May our minds be driven by divine standards reflective of your truth.  May those who speak this evening reflect a consciousness that we are called to humble submission to civic leadership as those who you, in your providence, have established.  Fill us with humility and discerning attitudes, and merciful words, even when firmly spoken.

As Paul”™s letter to Titus states for those who love and serve Jesus, Remind us to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.  For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.  But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  We pray you grant this request tonight.

We pray for this and invoke your kind presence, in the name of God, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Here’s was our local newspaper’s take on the prayer:

SJ COUNCIL: Pledge for mercy, kindness

Tonight’s invocation to start the San Jacinto city council meeting urged residents to act mercifully, and speak with kindness, even in words of disagreement.

The invocation, a nearly four-minute long prayer, encouraged people to act humbly, and come together with civic pride, though residents are divided on the fate of four councilmen indicted in a corruption probe.

Some at the meeting, wearing buttons, want Jim Ayres, John Mansperger, Dale Stubblefield and James Potts to resign.

Others are supporting the councilmen.

Public comment, where citizens can speak before the council, is set to begin in a few minutes, after some brief presentations.

“” Dug Begley
dbegley@PE.com

They didn’t quite get it.

You can read about our Council’s latest developments HERE.  I’ve embedded the video below – the invocation begins at 9:10 into the meeting (they did not record the final section of it – when I quoted Scripture).

It’s not my aim to give any personal suggestions as to what should happen politically in our city.  I simply pray that justice will be done and the leaders and the citizens will conduct themselves with integrity.  Our church has been praying for unique opportunities to serve our city and our elected officials.  We will continue to pray that we can represent Christ well to our city and her leaders.