Great Story on Prayer!

[Fr.Joe]

Here is an awesome (and true) story that has been going around……

When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard;

“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good” But that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of speech and expression. We have ridiculed the time honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today. Cleanse us from every sin and set us free.

Amen!"

The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa and Korea Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio Program, “The Rest of the Story,” and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord’s help, may this prayer sweep over our Nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called “one nation under God.”

God Bless.

Fr. Joe

 

[aimee]

Thanks Fr Joe

It still amazes me the legislators walked out…but I know it shouldn’t…

 

[Angela_Tate]

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  Since the original post is not an article per se, I suppose there wasn’t a link to a publicly available news source to post. However, I took the time to verify the story via TruthorFiction.com so that the thread can remain open:

truthorfiction.com/rumors/k/kansasprayer.htm

The Preacher’s Prayer That Stirred Protest In the Kansas Legislature**-**Truth!

http://www.truthorfiction.com/themes/bubbles/bd14565.gif**Summary of eRumor: **
The email says that a session of the Kansas State Senate was opened in prayer by a Pastor Joe Wright. His prayer was a sizzling one and prompted controversy. The story says that several members of the Senate got up and walked out and that Paul Harvey aired the text of the prayer and it prompted the largest response he’s ever had.

http://www.truthorfiction.com/themes/bubbles/bd14565.gif**The Truth: **
This event actually happened in the Kansas House (not Senate) in Topeka on January 23, 1996. Joe Wright is the pastor of Central Christian Church in Wichita and was guest chaplain that day. He prayed a prayer of repentance that was written by Bob Russell, pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. According to an article in the Kansas City Star from January 24, 1996, his prayer did stir controversy and one member of the legislative body walked out. Others criticized the prayer. The controversy didn’t end there. Later that year in the Colorado House, Republican representative Mark Paschall angered lawmakers by using Joe Wright’s prayer as the invocation. Some members there also walked out in protest.

Paul Harvey did air the story and the prayer. He got such a large response that a phone number was set up to handle the calls. He’s aired it a couple more times since.

 

[barbfromtucson]

Awesome story!

I hope more will follow his example.

–Barbara

 

[catholicjeff07]

I Don’t see what all the amazement is over this Prayer by Joe Wright. To begin I did not like many of the points made in the prayer. Since when is it Godly to see the Poor and Needy as “Lazy” Although I must admit that some people do abuse the system. But if we were to go on that train of thought, by taking some bad examples from a “Generally Good and Helpful System” and making a rule or for that matter by addressing those who actually need the Welfare as lazy,then it could be said that “let’s not send our children to Catholic school…they might be abused” MY POINT…Just because it happens or occurs with some of the people…it does not sour or ruin the helpfull-ness and beauty of the true way it is entended.
Another point, are “We” Catholics now excepting the words and prayers of Protestant Pastors?..have we all forgotten the “Lumen Gentium”? and it follows that if you believe the Lumen Gentium whole-heartedly (as I do) than it goes with-out saying that a Protestant is no Authority on anything Godly…thus making this prayer is pointless.

I am concerned about American Catholics today!