Coble welcomes Moore chaplain to DC
Washington,
Feb 21, 2012 -
(Greensboro, N.C.)----U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) welcomed an Army chaplain from Moore County to Capitol Hill last week as the guest chaplain for the House of Representatives. Thanks to Congressman Coble, Captain Rudy Stevens opened the House session on Wednesday, February 15, with a special prayer.
Prior to walking to the House floor together, Rep. Coble and Captain Stevens met in his Rayburn Building office. Stevens, who is a chaplain at Ft. Bragg, presented Congressman Coble with a hat with the words "Operation Enduring Freedom" on it. Captain Stevens’ unit is being deployed to Afghanistan next month. Below is the prayer he offered:
"Lord, too often, we Americans back
home forget to pray for our leaders
here in D.C. Forgive us, Lord. For
those assembled here in the people’s
House, I pray that You give them courage,
strength, and wisdom.
Give them courage from our convictions,
strength from Your spirit, and
wisdom for the future. For here decisions
are made: choices that shape circumstances
of years, if not generations,
of all Americans.
All the way from California to North
Carolina that airborne chorus sounds
off loud and strong with, ‘‘This land is
my land, and this land is your land.’’
And it is here in this room that chorus
hits the ground and finds harmony
reminding us that from many, we are
one, one Nation under God that seeks
liberty and justice for all, for all the
fatherless and the oppressed.
So, Lord, hear our prayer and keep
these leaders wise, strong, and courageous.
In Jesus’ name, amen."
Congressman Coble spoke following Captain Stevens. Below are his remarks:
"Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me today to introduce Army Chaplain Rudy Stevens. Captain Stevens lives in North Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District and serves the 2–504 Parachute
Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
"During his tenure, Mr. Speaker, Captain Stevens has received many awards, most notably the Bronze Star, the Air Assault Wings, and Jump Wings. He has been deployed, Mr. Speaker, on separate occasions and will continue his duty with a deployment to Afghanistan in the coming months. On behalf of the constituents of the Sixth District of North Carolina and my colleagues here in the people’s House, Chaplain Stevens, we welcome you to the House of Representatives and extend our appreciation to you for having offered today’s prayer."
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