INAGURATION PRAYER, A DAY OF GRACE, POWER

Rick Warren's Inauguration Prayer on January 20th steered clear of controversy while invoking Jesus. His remarks at Obama's inauguration struck a conciliatory tone, despite an overtly Christian appeal. Warren eluded the outcry in the gay community, yet conceded to the big question hanging over the evangelical pastor's prayer Tuesday as to whether it would ratchet up or tone down the controversy. Invoking a God that he said was "loving to everyone you have made" and praying for "civility in our attitudes, even when we differ," Warren clearly opted for a conciliatory tone that eschewed any mention of culture-war issues.
Warren refused interviews with over 100 reporters. Then in the face of widespread speculation about whether he would invoke Jesus's name or take a more ecumenical approach, Warren's roughly five-minute prayer included allusions to Judaism and Islam but ended in a recitation of the Lord's Prayer, the most widely shared prayer among Christianity's divergent traditions and denominations.
Warren broke into the Lord's Prayer which begins with the words "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name" in the last lines of his invocation but specified that he was doing it in the "name of the one who changed my life." Then he spoke Jesus's name in a handful of languages, including Arabic and Hebrew. It was more a personal testimony than insisting that everyone accept this prayer. It was as ecumenical a prayer as an evangelical could give.

VICTORY! Border Patrol Agents Ramos & Compean to be Released

VICTORY!

Bush commutes decade-long prison sentences of Ramos & Compean, Border Patrol agents.

I am not normally one to get on the bandwagon about issues such as this, but I worked side by side with these guys for several years. I saw a great injustice by the justice system and got onboard with this one with NumbersUSA.com about 3 years ago. Finally, all the efforts of NumbersUSA.com has resulted in Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos getting out of prison.
On Monday, during his last full day in office, Pres. Bush commuted the sentences of these former Border Patrol agents. They were convicted of violating Border Patrol policies in the non-fatal shooting of a drug smuggler in 2005.
Many of our readers of this newspaper responded to the plea for help when we were trying to keep Compean and Ramos from going to prison. But we lost. Last week NumbersUSA sent out another plea for help. This time WE WON!
Read more here.
I wish to thank Roy Beck of NumbersUSA for his tremendous efforts. Many people told him that the last-minute efforts were futile. But thanks to all of you who took action even while believing it likely would lead to nothing.
In the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, hundreds of thousands faxes and emails went to the White House. Ramos and Compean won't be allowed out of prison until March 20. But they will still be home with their families 8-9 years earlier than if Bush had not acted.
Thank you all for your participation.