Given the massive flap over Obama’s selection of Rick Warren to offer the inaugural prayer, there will no doubt be a new flap over Warren’s decision to pray his prayer “in Jesus’ name.” Lots of people on the left were concerned that he would, and on the right were concerned that he wouldn’t. He did, but the way he did probably managed to anger both sides all over again.Â
I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life–Yeshua, Isa, Jesus, Jesus…
In so saying, Warren did two things at once: He threw down the gauntlet for sectarian prayers in the public square, and he attempted a little ecumenism by saying Jesus’ name in the language of the world’s three monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. (And also in Spanish, which is a dominant language of our land, and certainly of Warren’s Southern California.)Â
I’m theoretically okay with sectarian prayers in the public square, though I think they should be foregrounded by clear acknowledgments that we’re a pluralist country. Warren did this a bit–his “I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life” was a subtle testimony that didn’t require everyone in earshot to pray in the name of the same god.Â
Admittedly, the prayer contains other references to an all-encompassing God of everything.
I loved that Warren ended with the Our Father. Yes, it’s definitely a sectarian prayer, but it’s also liturgical and communal–it was an invitation to pray along with Warren. I’m pretty sure that’s the first time we’ve seen a communal prayer at the inauguration.Â
I was moved by Warren’s prayer, but I’d love to hear from those of you who weren’t, especially those who are not Christian. I sympathize with those who feel marginalized at times like this. When we have a president who is Jewish, Muslim, atheist, etc, I know I’ll have misgivings about their spiritual ceremonies. (That won’t influence my voting decision; it’ll just influence the way I experience days like today.)Â
But in any event, I liked how Warren’s prayer stood in stark contrast to Gene Robinson’s non-sectarian (and, for me, far less moving) prayer. I’ll paste videos of both after the jump. How do you think they compare?Â
Read Previous Post