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