Reading of Pastor
Joe Wright's Invocation to the Kansas State Legislature
circa
February 1996
[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text
version below transcribed directly from audio]
Man, oh, man, they won't invite Pastor Joe to the
Kansas State Legislature again. They invited Pastor Joe Wright of Wichita Central
Christian Church to deliver the invocation and he told God on 'em. Now God knows what they've been up to.
And no sooner has their guest chaplain concluded
his prayer and three Democrats on the state legislature are on their feet at
microphones protesting, "He can't talk like that about us!"
Representative Delbert Gross called the
invocation "gross," "derisive," "sanctimonious," and "overbearing."
Representative David Haley called it "blasphemous"
and "ignorant."
Representative Sabrina Standifer echoed the
indignation.
What in the world had Pastor Joe said in Topeka
which incited the righteous wrath of three democrats from Hays and Kansas City?
Well, I have secured the entire text of the
invocation so
that you can evaluate it for yourself. What was it that democrats didn't like?
Quote:
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.' And that's exactly what we've done.
We've lost our spiritual equilibrium.
We've
inverted our values.
We confess that we've ridiculed the absolute Truth of
Your Word in the name of moral pluralism.
We've worshiped other gods and called it
'multiculturalism.'
We've endorsed perversion and called it
'alternative lifestyle.'
We've exploited the poor and called it a
'lottery.'
We've neglected the needy and called it
'self-preservation.'
We've rewarded laziness and called it 'welfare.'
Father, in the name of 'choice,' we have killed
our unborn, and then in the name of 'right to life,' we've killed
abortionists.
We've neglected to discipline our children and
called it 'building esteem.'
We have abused power and called it
'political
savvy.'
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and
called it 'taxes.'
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and
called it 'freedom of expression.'
We've ridiculed the time-honored values of our
forefathers and called it 'enlightenment.'
Search us, O God, know our hearts
today, try us and show us any wickedness in us. And then cleanse us from every sin and set
us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the
people of Kansas and who have been ordained by You to govern this
great state. Grant them Your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to
the center of Your will.
I ask it in the name of Your Son the Living Savior,
Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Page Updated: 12/15/22
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