{"id":657,"date":"2009-01-23T03:01:33","date_gmt":"2009-01-23T03:01:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/01\/examining-bishop-gene-robinsons-invocation.html"},"modified":"2009-01-23T03:01:33","modified_gmt":"2009-01-23T03:01:33","slug":"examining-bishop-gene-robinsons-invocation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/01\/examining-bishop-gene-robinsons-invocation.html","title":{"rendered":"Examining Bishop Gene Robinson\u00e2??s Invocation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 9 of series: Rick Warren, the Obama Inauguration, and Praying in Jesus’ Name
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nTwo days prior to the official inauguration of President Barack Obama, there was an opening event at the Lincoln Memorial. The invocation for this gathering was offered by the Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire. As you probably know, Bishop Robinson is best known as the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church. His inclusion in the Obama inaugural surely demonstrated, for better or for worse, the new President\u00e2??s commitment to reach out to all segments of American society.
\n<\/a>Not unexpectedly, Bishop Robinson\u00e2??s prayer was controversial. But the main reason for the controversy was not expected. Apparently, technical difficulties made it hard for most of those gathered to hear his prayer. Moreover, HBO didn\u00e2??t include the prayer in their broadcast, which has led to cries of discrimination from gay and lesbian advocates. It seems likely, however, that HBO simply made a mistake. A reporter for Christianity Today magazine who was present when Bishop Robinson prayed took a surprisingly clear video, from which the picture to the right was taken. You can see the whole video on YouTube by clicking on the photo. The text of Robinson\u00e2??s prayer<\/a> can be found at the Episcopal Caf\u00c3\u00a9 website.
\nBishop Robinson\u00e2??s prayer included 525 words, and took just over four minutes to deliver. It was, as he described it, a prayer \u00e2??to ask God\u00e2??s blessing upon our nation and our next president.\u00e2?\u009d With this basic structure, the prayer began with seven requests for God to \u00e2??bless us.\u00e2?\u009d It ended with ten specific requests for the President elect: \u00e2??Give him wisdom; inspire him; Give him a quiet heart; Give him stirring words; Make him color-blind; Help him remember; Give him the strength; help him remember; keep him safe; Hold him in the palm of your hand.\u00e2?\u009d
\nFrom the point of view of structure and language, Robinson\u00e2??s prayer is exemplary. Unlike Rick Warren\u00e2??s prayer, which seemed to wander from topic to topic and which included little poetic repetition, Robinson\u00e2??s prayer reflected the artistry found in the liturgy that would be so familiar to an Episcopal bishop. One of the things Episcopalians, like all Anglicans, do so well is to use words sparingly, artfully, and profoundly in their written liturgies. One of the things Southern Baptists like Rick Warren do well is to pray spontaneously, eagerly, and enthusiastically. So neither Robinson\u00e2??s nor Warren\u00e2??s prayers were especially surprising in their form or manner of delivery.
\nI want to begin my examination of Bishop Robinson\u00e2??s content by focusing first upon his intercession for President-elect Obama. I find this section of the prayer to be wise, moving, and pastoral, as well as poetic. For example, \u00e2??Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.\u00e2?\u009d The thought here is right on, and wonderfully phrased as well.
\nGiven Robinson\u00e2??s own liberalism, both theologically and politically, I was struck by the balance of one of his requests: \u00e2??Make [Obama] color-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.\u00e2?\u009d
\nBut I was most deeply impressed by the last two of Robinson\u00e2??s intercessions:<\/p>\n

Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters\u00e2?? childhoods.
\nAnd please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we\u00e2??re asking FAR too much of this one. We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand \u00e2?? that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The prayer for Obama\u00e2??s private life is full of pathos. I wonder if Robinson\u00e2??s prayer concerning Obama\u00e2??s time with his daughters reflects Robinson\u00e2??s own experience as a father with two daughters. In my opinion, Robinson\u00e2??s urgent request for Obama\u00e2??s safety was outstanding and badly needed.
\nAll in all, I would give Bishop Robinson\u00e2??s prayer for Obama high marks. I can\u00e2??t say the same for his intercession for the nation, though there are some fine thoughts there too, such as:<\/p>\n

Bless us with patience \u00e2?? and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be \u00e2??fixed\u00e2?\u009d anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.
\nBless us with humility \u00e2?? open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.
\nBless us with freedom from mere tolerance \u00e2?? replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A couple of paragraphs were problematic, however, such as:<\/p>\n

Bless us with anger \u00e2?? at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I actually agree that we should not discriminate in the public sphere against the people on this list, though I doubt Bishop Robinson and I would always agree about what counts as discrimination. Nevertheless, I find his predictable litany of \u00e2??gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people\u00e2?\u009d to be unhelpful. It makes him sound like much less of a spiritual leader praying for the nation, and more of an activist pressing his own particular agenda. Of course one might counter in saying that Robinson is, indeed, more of an activist than a spiritual leader. He certainly doesn\u00e2??t seem to mind splitting the Anglican communion in order to pursue his own aims. So, one might say that Robinson was being truthful in this part of his prayer. My point is that it was divisive. Contrast Rick Warren\u00e2??s prayer, which did not bring up divisive issues. Warren was bringing people together. Robinson was, once again, rending them asunder.
\nPerhaps the most notable and obviously controversial element of Bishop Robinson\u00e2??s prayer was his opening line: \u00e2??O God of our many understandings.\u00e2?\u009d From my point of view, this was a major mistake. It sounds almost like a Saturday Night Live parody. Of course Robinson\u00e2??s point\u00e2??that people understand God in many different ways\u00e2??is correct. He could well have acknowledge this in a sentence, something like: \u00e2??O God, though we understand you in many different ways, we come together at this time to pray that you will . . . .\u00e2?\u009d But to address a prayer to \u00e2??God of our many understandings\u00e2?\u009d in this way seems to suggest that there is no real God out there to hear our prayers, but rather some figment of our corporate imagination. It\u00e2??s almost as if Bishop Robinson has given God a new name: not Yahweh, not God Almighty, not Prince of Peace, but \u00e2??God of our many understandings.\u00e2?\u009d Yikes!
\nAside from the inelegance of this title for God, it epitomizes what I find most lacking in Robinson\u00e2??s prayer: Christianity. There is nothing specifically Christian here. There is nothing that reflects Robinson\u00e2??s apparent role as a Christian priest. Now I\u00e2??m not talking about any specific mention of Jesus. But I am talking about praying in a way that reflects the reality of Jesus and his ministry. There is no hint in Bishop Robinson\u00e2??s prayer of such Christian essentials as grace, mercy, justice, or forgiveness. There’s not one mention of faith, hope, or love. Robinson points to God\u00e2??s judgment, but never God\u00e2??s salvation. He wants us to be tearful over the pain of the world, but doesn\u00e2??t ask that we participate in God\u00e2??s work of ending that pain. What a typically American response to the world\u00e2??s suffering! Let\u00e2??s feel bad, but otherwise do nothing. If I feel your pain, that’s enough. No need to heal it. Doesn\u00e2??t sound much like Jesus, does it? Similarly, we\u00e2??re to be angry about discrimination. But Robinson never asks God to help us end it. From this prayer, you\u00e2??d never know that the founder of Robinson’s religion began to inaugurate the kingdom of God, and called his followers to participate in his mission.
\nI do realize that Robinson told the New York Times<\/em><\/a> in advance that he wasn\u00e2??t going \u00e2??to pray a Christian prayer.\u00e2?\u009d In fact, he said he was \u00e2??horrified\u00e2?\u009d at \u00e2??how specifically and aggressively Christian\u00e2?\u009d previous inaugural prayers had been. Robinson followed through quite nicely on his promise to pray in a non-Christian manner. But, in the end, what\u00e2??s left is milquetoast religiosity. He leads us to ask God to give us tears, anger, discomfort, patience, humility, freedom, and compassion, all of which are quite fine. But there\u00e2??s nothing about doing justice, loving mercy, or walking humbly with our God. Under Robinson\u00e2??s leadership, we don\u00e2??t ask God to help us love, forgive, feed the hungry, or heal the sick. Something is woefully lacking here . . . genuine Christianity.
\nI can understand why a Christian clergyman would choose not to use the name of Jesus in a civic prayer. But I cannot understand for the life of me why he would pray in a way that shows so little of Jesus\u00e2?? influence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 9 of series: Rick Warren, the Obama Inauguration, and Praying in Jesus’ Name Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series Two days prior to the official inauguration of President Barack Obama, there was an opening event at the Lincoln Memorial. The invocation for this gathering was offered by the Rt. Rev. V.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-praying-in-jesuss-name"],"yoast_head":"\nExamining Bishop Gene Robinson\u00e2??s Invocation - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=657"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}