May 2 2002 National Day Of Prayer

White House Journal
The National Day of Prayer: Then the Heavens Opened Up
In East Room Observance, Emphasis From a Gathering Storm

Friday, May 3, 2002;

The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightning's lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
Psalm 77

Outside the White House yesterday, the afternoon air had the hot thickness of August as a group of religious thinkers and leaders took a seat in the East Room. The president and first lady entered last for the ceremony, observing the 51st annual National Day of Prayer. Soprano Amy Burton of the New York City Opera sang Mozart's "Exultate Jubilate." The sky turned dark. Shirley Dobson, wife of religious conservative leader James Dobson and chairwoman of the "National Day of Prayer Task Force," rose to speak.

"We are grateful to have a president who honors God and recognizes the need for prayer," she said as the president looked downward. "May the Lord put a shield of protection around you, your family, and the nation."

Lloyd John Ogilvie, the Senate chaplain and owner of a deep and mellifluous voice, spoke of the "Sovereign of this nation," as Bush nodded gently. "We pray for nothing less than a spiritual awakening in America," Ogilvie said as some of the roughly 200 participants, among them James Dobson and Chuck Colson, "murmured assent, and an unprecedented unity in Congress."

The sound of laughter, Bush's included, drowned out the rest of Ogilvie's sentence. Bush bowed his head and shut his eyes as Ogilvie read Jeremiah 33:3. The first lady rose and read the 46th Psalm -- "The God of Jacob is our fortress" -- and praised her husband as "strong enough to bear the burdens and humble enough to ask God for help."

Outside, a strong wind began to blow. Bush, in a baby blue tie, took the podium and thanked his wife for her introduction. "I'm grateful to all of you, who remind us that a great people must spend time on bended knee, in humility, searching for wisdom in the presence of the Almighty," the president said. On the word "Almighty," the first distant rumble of thunder echoed through the room. Bush continued speaking, slowly and softly. He spoke of Abraham Lincoln's call to prayer in the "nation's darkest hour." Since then, he continued, "these prayers have been made in private homes and in houses of worship, alone and with others, in moments of doubt" -- here a lightning bolt flashed outside -- "and in times of thanksgiving."

The sentence ended with a powerful thunderclap. The meteorological punctuation continued through Bush's six-minute talk, like a celestial amen choir."Prayer also deepens faith, reminding us of great truths: Evil and suffering are only for a time" -- an ominous rumble and the sound of rain in the White House driveway -- "love and hope endure." When Bush closed by thanking the assembled for their "devotion to prayer," the storm was directly overhead, and when he said, "May God bless you all," the rain came down in torrents.

As Bush sat down, the 40 members of the Heritage Signature Chorale, in black gowns and gold sashes, belted out a soulful version of "Amazing Grace." Moments after their last note, the rain stopped, and the skies began to brighten.

Church of Sonoma County Meet at
Santa Rosa Alliance Church

This month we bring you 4 audio recordings of the meeting held at Santa Rosa Alliance Church.
To hear these recordings you will need a real audio player installed in your web browser.
The player is a free download from real.com and installs automatically. Enjoy

Session 1 Play time 1 minutes 58 seconds

Session 2 Play time 4 minutes 08 seconds

Session 3 Play time 1 minutes 12 seconds

Session 4 Play time 20 minutes 51 seconds

Special Thanks to Mildred Hodges (White House Article),
Steve Puleo from CLC for the (Audio Recordings) Sam Tillery (Photos)