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