A NOD TO GOD

I once was in a military assignment where I had to pray the invocation at all these graduation ceremonies. It was tradition, just as it is at the President's inauguration. (I am surprised that some ACLU type hasn't already sued to stop it). I use to call these invocations, nods to God. I kept them short with something like, "Dear God, thank you for all our opportunities. Bless us in our future endeavors. Amen." One Chaplain said it was way too short. I promised to lengthen it. I never did. My view has not permeated many of those who pray on the National scene and I doubt it will the president elect's choice of Rick Warren doing the invocation at his inauguration.

On the Newshour the other night, they crowned Warren as America's pastor. Made me smile. I don't particularly like him because I am mostly jealous. The guy or someone around him is a marketing genius. He took an average book and turned it into an industry. I know a good bit about it as I followed the success of the book through this organization I'm in, Publishing Marketing Asso. And, a friend who is the epitome of the Christian right kept me informed: he marketed The Purpose Driven Life to Christian bookstores at huge discounts who then became agents in marketing the book to churches as a study guide. The Churches leaped on it and moved the book toward bigger and bigger numbers to the best seller list at the NY Times that started the cycle again. A marketing genius. And, the guy got Obama and John McCain to his forum. Amazing. I didn't think it was a good idea for Obama then because he was pandering to a lot of zealots, plus separation of church and state issues. But, it is politics.

I think it was a bad move to have named him. There were better choices. It would have been easy to name one of the Chiefs of Chaplains of the various services. And, I admit, slap, slap, that I don't like goatees. And, obviously, Warren is not hanging out at a gym very often.

America's pastor. I don't think so. If he really wanted to make an impact, he should bow out is my view. This could be his note to the President elect. "Thank you for the great honor in asking me to give the invocation at your inauguration. But, in light of the controversy and at this point in history in our country, we must do all we can to be united and not divisive. And, I have asked myself, 'What would Jesus do?' It is clear. Thank you again. You can be assured of my personal prayers and good will."

Will he do it. No, these guys have egos the size of 18 wheelers. And, unfortunately, they have not been reading the New Testament with regularity. What about the idea that Jesus conveyed constantly, "he who would be first, let him be last." Or, "let the least among you become the greatest."