A Prayer for the End of a Legislative Session - Invocation for the CO State House

 

Our God and God of All Creation:

The Psalmist writes:

אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֭ינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִ֑ים מֵ֝אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי׃  עֶ֭זְרִי מֵעִ֣ם יְהֹוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃

I lift up my eyes to the mountains – from there will my help come.” (Psalm 121)

In this sacred chamber, the tasks of governance seems both insignificant and indispensable at the same time.  When we try to assess our actions in light of the challenges we face, our attempts to create change can  seem insignificant. And yet, fighting against the temptation to succumb to a cynicism bred from hubris is a defining characteristic of the divinity You have implanted within us all.

As this legislative session draws to a close, instead of looking at the myriad of tasks in front of us, let us set our heights a little higher. We look back at the months that have passed with mixed emotions.  The seemingly endless hours of negotiation have been both fruitful and frustrating.  How many hopes for meaningful change were left discarded on the cutting floors and backroom deals of the political process?  How many well-intentioned initiatives were defeated in the name of expedience and influence?

But there were also moments when our highest ideals were on display for all to see.  When politics were set aside for the sake of the common good; when men and women of character came together in the name of our shared values of democracy and compassion; when both sides of the aisle were united in determination to celebrate the potential for making a difference…it was, is and always will be these acts of humanity that give us hope in the face of the challenges we face.

Thank you, God for the ability to shine a light on the goodness of humankind – even when we it is hard to see.  Thank You for the ability to rise above the petty and the partisan to make a difference.  Thank you for these leaders who share their passion for representing their communities. Thank you for the clerks, officers, advisors, and all who labor behind the scenes to keep our government running smoothly. May the recess that awaits bring rest, renewal and a reignited hope for all that is good.

We pray for those around the world whose lives are uprooted by natural disaster, perceived injustice, disease, and warfare.  We pray for our great state of Colorado - may we always lift our eyes to the mountains to find Your presence.

AMEN

 

The Rains Teach Us of Our Interconnectedness. - Invocation for the CO State House 4/30/2026

Our God and God of all people:

God of the Rich and God of the Poor

God of the Broker and God of the Broken. 

God of the Hungry and God of the sated.

God of those who have no God.

Over the past few days, we, in Colorado, have been experiencing something unusual – something that has not been part of our daily lives for a long time: It has been raining and snowing!  Our hardened earth, dangerously low reservoirs, snow-starved ski runs, and straw-dried grasses and prairies are currently being treated to precipitation that, throughout the course of this past winter and early spring has eluded us. 

We are digging out umbrellas and raincoats that have lain dormant. The soothing sounds of droplets on our roofs seem miraculous after so many days, weeks and months of drought. It’s amazing how the presence of moisture can bring so much joy and hope.

The rain and snow that feeds parched fields and mountain streams remind us of just how interdependent we really are. We rely on the rhythm of nature to sustain us and help us to thrive. When the natural order upon which we rely is unbalanced, we scramble to compensate and compete for essential resources. When water is scarce, we need to sacrifice and conserve. We also understand that the need for water unites us – it is part and parcel of our humanity. We all thirst for stability – regardless of politics, faith, status or power.

As we look ahead to the final days of this legislative session, the metaphor of scarcity and competition hits hard. The debates and disagreements that have taken place in this chamber remind of just how interconnected we all are. Each legislator understands that they are laboring on behalf of their constituents.  While there may be differences across the aisle, ultimately, their task is to do all that they can to ensure that our State of Colorado remains strong, vibrant, and able to support every citizen-regardless of where they live and how they vote. This takes compromise and conservation. Just as we cannot assume that the moisture that sustains us is unlimited, we also know that without  partnership, the fertile soil upon which legislation must be crafted will cease to yield the bounty on which we all rely.

And so, as we give thanks for this small reprieve from drought -as we give thanks for rain and snow – we also can take the time to appreciate the partnerships and compromise that we have witnessed over these past months. May it continue to bring hope and growth to each of us. As this session draws to a close, may we all draw sustenance from the holy work that makes a difference.

AMEN

 

 

 

 

Endings and Beginnings - Invocation for the CO House of Representatives - April 23, 2026

Our God and God of all Humanity:

You teach us, through the wonders of Creation, that beginnings must also have endings:

·      Seasons Change

·      The Sun rises and sets

·      Flowers bloom and then they fade

Our lives are so short!  O that we might take to heart the words of the Psalmist:  Teach us to number our days, that we might acquire a heart of wisdom!

 

Each day is a gift- each sunrise  - is an opportunity:

·      To make a difference

·      To make change in our own lives and in the lives of those in the communities in which we live.

·      To find the extraordinary in the day to day miracles we encounter at all times

 

For almost 4 months, these legislators have come to these chambers to try and make a difference.  They have argued.  They have fought.  They have won and they have lost.   But through it all, they have participated in a unique and sacred ritual of governance.

 

These last few weeks of the session portend more than the end of a legislative process – they also mark the dissolution of a unique community of peers. Despite all the contentiousness that we have witnessed, every person who labors in this chamber is part of something much larger than any arguments that have taken place.

 

As we take the time to look back, let us also strive to see the holiness that was created – even amid perceived chaos and enmity.  Let us understand that arguments that occur for the sake of heaven are holy – and those who are given the responsibility of governance are both imperfect and enlightened men and women – created in Your image.

 

May any wounds that been open over the past four months find swift healing.

May misunderstandings give way to new insights.

 

We thank You, our Creator, for the ability to appreciate the beauty and diversity of nature – and of this chamber.  May these last  few days of this year’s session help to make our state, our nation, our world a better place.

 

AMEN

Budgets, Values and Vision - Opening Prayer for the CO State House. April 9, 2026

 

Our God and God of all people:

On this sacred day – these legislators are focused on the difficult task of approving a $46.8 Billion budget for our beautiful State of Colorado.   While many perceive the budgeting process as a tedious wrangling of numbers from one column to another, there is another perspective.  Instead of seeing columns, figures and numbers, I humbly suggest that we also consider the fact that each dollar allocated can be an opportunity to bring about change and instill hope in the lives of all too many of our citizens whose capacity for wonder is compromised by the brutal struggle for daily existence.

Our budgets reflect our values.

Our values color our vision of the world around us.

Our vision determines the way we fulfill the sacred responsibilities that have been entrusted to us – as legislators, citizens and servants of a God who holds us to high standards of compassion and cooperation.

On this day of difficult and all too often painful choices, let us pray that in addition to numbers, these lawmakers might see faces of the men, women and children who are affected by each column in the balance sheet and each line item that is added or subtracted before the final results are tallied.

At the end of this process, may all of these dedicated public servants be able to find peace in the knowledge they have done all that they could  to make our world, our state, our neighborhoods, our homes – ourselves – just a little bit better.

May politics and pride be no stumbling block to the achievement of the shared goal of working to perfect this all-too imperfect world.

God, we thank you for the opportunities You have given us to make a difference.  May we continue to go and grow from strength to strength.

AMEN

 

 

The Urgency of the Halfway - Opening Prayer for the Colorado State House - March 12, 2026

Our God who calls us to reflect on who we are and why we are here: This morning, we come together in liminal space and time as we   near the half-way point of our legislative session.  We marvel at weeks and months that have passed while simultaneously feeling the anxiety of the layers of unfinished business that loom in front of us. We find ourselves experiencing the discomfort of the in-between – feeling the pressure of what is yet to come while realizing what has already come to pass. 

In a world that all too often demands unyielding perfection from its leaders, there is little, if any, margin for error.  Words of condemnation come easy in political parlance.  But as hard as we are on our colleagues, we are even more merciless on ourselves.  Those who have been chosen to serve feel the burden of answering the clarion call of the people:  to make a difference; to change the unchangeable; to fix the flaws in our laws, fate of our state and the holes in our souls.  And yet, the realities of time and space force us to acknowledge that we cannot complete every task. We feel a sense of frustration and sometimes those closest to us bear the burdens of our feelings of incompleteness and insecurity.

 

And so we pray:

 

Dear God, You created us with imperfections.  Watch over all who serve in this chamber:  the legislators and the lawyers, the captains and clerks; the interns and the innovators.  Give all of them the strength to pursue the task of governance, and the patience to accept that there is always more to accomplish than is humanly possible.  Protect the souls of your servants who are exposed to the harshness to human expectation.  Help them to support one another –  even in the heat of debate and disagreement.  Let any conflict that arises be for the sake of the greater good and teach us to quickly forgive and forget the sting of slogans and slights that are thrown about in the messy process of  crafting legislation.   As we cross the threshold of the halfway and realize that the end of this session looms ever larger in the forefront of our consciousness, may every person here become reconciled to the sacred necessity for compromise and communion.

 

We thank You for the ability to make a difference O God.  We see You in the passion of our colleagues. We feel you as we address the urgency of the unfinished.  We pray for Your guidance as we seek Your presence in our daily lives.  Help us to understand that our  sacred task is to strive to make the lives of every resident of our great State of Colorado better because of our labor and debate.  Then and only then will we be able to do Your holy work.

AMEN

Lessons From the Megillah - A Purim Prayer for the CO State House of Representatives

Our God and the God of all people,

This past Tuesday, Jews around the world celebrated the Jewish festival of Purim.  We read the Book of Esther – an ancient story of oppression, bravery, and vindication.  In synagogues around the world – and in bomb shelters in Israel, Jews dressed up in costumes, lost their inhibitions, and forgot about the problems that confronted us.

On Purim, we put on our masks and, for a few hours, take on the personas of our heroes and villains, our fantasies and our fears.

The book of Esther is the only book in the Hebrew Scripture where You are never mentioned by name – but Your presence is everywhere.  We find you in the bravery of Esther and Mordechai, who stood up for their faith – even in the face of death.  We find You in the Courage of Queen Vashti, who refused to allow herself to be taken advantage of and harassed by her boorish King.  We see You in the resiliency of the people who, in the shadow of evil cast by the wicked Haman, stood firm in their determination and strength.

God – even when Your name is absent you are present.

Even when we cry out in frustration, and disbelief we look to You for strength. In the Jewish Calendar, Purim falls about 6 months before the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur – a day of reflection and repentance – of fasting and intense prayer.

Our ancient Rabbis taught that there is a direct connection to the silliness of Purim and the somber tones of the Day of Atonement.

·      On Purim, we put on our masks.  On Yom Kippur we remove them.

·      On Purim, we laugh at ourselves – on Yom Kippur we cry tears of remorse.

In many ways, this holy chamber is also a reminder of the gap between these two festivals – between the sacred and the profane.  In this place, we confront the realities of our people.  We debate life and death issues that shape our State of Colorado and both reflect and set a standard for our national discourse. Help us to not take ourselves too seriously, God.  Help us to see the good in one another – in the sharing of ideas and the sacred arguments that must necessarily occur in the messy process of Governance

Bless these legislators, aides, lobbyists, clerks and staff - all who serve on a daily basis. Give them the strength of Esther and the wisdom of Mordechai to cut through the confusion and forge a path of prayerful leadership. As we remember a day of frivolity, may the humanity and holiness with which we all have been blessed become a pathway to reconciliation and respect.

AMEN

A Valentines Prayer for the Colorado House of Representatives

Our God and God of all people.

We know you by many names:

God of mercy, God of Justice, God of Salvation, God of all Humanity 

But this morning – let us call you God of Love…..

Today is February 12^th. In 2 days we will be celebrating Valentine’s day. 

Some here today – the more cynical among us - might think that a day set aside to focus on love is a ploy to sell chocolate and flowers. And they may be right. After all, shouldn’t we show our love every day? Shouldn’t we be grateful for the laughter and the tears, the kisses and caresses, the support and joy, the passion and the playfulness we share that makes each day seem brighter than the one before? The love that we give and receive makes us better human beings…….

But we aren’t always aware, are we? We are forgetful. We are creatures of habit. We take the people around us for granted and we expect them to love us nonetheless. And the crazy thing about it is that they do. Most of the time….

Dear God,

Our diverse traditions teach us that Your essence is love. You love us –otherwise why would you tolerate us? 

If You did not love us, how would you be able to stand idly by while we diminish Your image by despoiling your beautiful world?

If You did not love us, how could You let us live when we ignore the suffering or violence in our streets? 

If You did not love us, you would not have given us a conscience that wakes us from our slumber and forces us to realize our weakness, our frailty, our greed and our hubris.

Help us to love You  - O God of Love. Help us to love one another – so much so that we might rise above the our differences and focus on what unites us.

Help us to live so that we see that our very ability to love is a gift.

Bless these legislators O God. Bless all who labor for the sake of our beautiful state of Colorado. Help them to love one another. Help them to love their compassion and their quarrels. Help them to love the differences and the moments of clarity that occur when they do Your sacred work and help to perfect our world.

At this season of Valentines day – may we all find ways to rejoice in the love that makes our lives complete. 

It takes time to love – it takes patience. Sometimes it even takes chocolate and flowers.

But sometimes, our love makes Your love a reality.

May it be so today.  AMEN