freedom from religion foundation, atheists united slo sue city of pismo beach

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1COMPLAINT

Pamela Koslyn (State Bar # 120605)LAW OFFICES OF PAMELA KOSLYN6255 Sunset Blvd., Suite 716Hollywood, California 90028Telephone: (323) 467-2200 Fax: (323) 648-8222Email: [email protected]

Attorneys for PLAINTIFFS FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION,& DR. SARI DWORKIN

Superior Court of California

County of San Luis Obispo

FREEDOM FROM RELIGIONFOUNDATION, a Wisconsin corporation;and DR. SARI DWORKIN, an individual,

Plaintiffs,

v.

CITY OF PISMO BEACH, a municipalcorporation; PISMO BEACH CITYCOUNCIL, the governing body of the CITYOF PISMO BEACH; SHELLYHIGGINBOTHAM, an individual in hercapacity of Pismo Beach Mayor; and PAULJONES, an individual in his capacity asPismo Beach City Chaplain; and DOES 1-100, inclusive,

Defendants.

Case No.

PLAINTIFFS’ COMPLAINT FORCONSTITUTIONAL AND CIVIL CODEVIOLATIONS SEEKINGDECLARATORY RELIEF,INJUNCTIVE RELIEF, AND NOMINALDAMAGES

INTRODUCTION

1. The Pismo Beach City Council (“Council”) begins each of its bi-monthly

meetings with an official Christian prayer. All but one of the 126 prayers given from January 1,

2008, through October 15, 2013, were addressed to the Christian god, and all were directed at

Pismo Beach’s citizens. Christian clergymen delivered 123 of the 126 prayers: the City Chaplain,

a Pentecostal clergyman, gave 112 prayers and other Christian clergymen gave 11 more. See

Exhibit 1, pp. 1-135, copies of transcripts of those prayers.

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2COMPLAINT

2. The prayers advance and proselytize for Christianity. They distort and

fabricate American history to further the appearance that our government endorses and supports

Christianity, and they disparage non-Christians by claiming that not living in accordance with the

Christian god’s rule of law is sinful and wrong.

3. The City established a Christian Chaplaincy and appointed Defendant Paul

Jones (“Chaplain Jones”) to that position eight years ago. When Chaplain Jones gives the

prayers, he repeatedly cites the Christian bible and, with the imprimatur of a government office,

declares that it is divinely authored. Since Jones was appointed City Chaplain, he has led the

Pledge of Allegiance at the City Council meetings immediately after the prayers even if he does

not give the prayers (see, e.g., Exhibit 1 at p. 134). Jones not only “Christianizes” United States

history, but he exhorts Pismo Beach citizens to elect “righteous” leaders, and instructs those

leaders to govern according to his god’s bible. This chaplaincy is a government office with solely

religious functions, and this City Chaplain receives benefits at public expense.

4. The Council has publicly endorsed, and aligned itself with, a single

religion, Christianity, by establishing this chaplaincy and sponsoring sectarian prayers that

proselytize and advance Christianity, and disparage non-Christians. These prayers signal to non-

Christians that they are outsiders at Council meetings, are unrepresented in their government,

and are not full citizens.

5. Plaintiffs seek a declaration that the prayers are unconstitutional, a

permanent injunction against the prayers, and a declaration that the appointment of a City

Chaplain is unconstitutional. Plaintiffs seek nominal damages, attorneys’ fees and costs.

JURISDICTION AND VENUE

6. This action arises under Article I, § 4; Article XVI, § 5; Article XX, § 3 of

the California Constitution; and Cal. Civ. Code § 52.1 (b).

7. This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure,

§§ 394, 410.10.

8. This Court is the proper venue pursuant to California Code of Civil

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3COMPLAINT

Procedure § 395.

PARTIES

9. Plaintiff Freedom From Religion Foundation (“FFRF”) is a national

non-profit Internal Revenue Code § 501(c)(3) educational charity and a Wisconsin non-stock

corporation. FFRF defends the constitutional separation between state and church, and educates

the public about the views of non-theists. FFRF has nearly 20,000 members nationwide,

including more than 2,800 members in California. FFRF represents and advocates on behalf of

its members throughout the United States.

10. Plaintiff Sari Dworkin (“Dworkin”) is a citizen and taxpayer of Pismo

Beach and has resided there since 2000. Dworkin earned a Ph.D. (University of Nebraska,

Lincoln) and also holds M.S. and B.A. degrees (Herbert H. Lehman College, NYC). She taught

graduate level courses at the California State University, Fresno, and is now retired from

teaching but still practices as a licensed psychologist. Dr. Dworkin is a member of Atheists

United of San Luis Obispo (“AUSLO”), FFRF and the Congregation Beth David — a reform

Jewish congregation in San Luis Obispo. Dr. Dworkin identifies as an atheist Jew, and she

objects to the Pismo Beach City Council’s prayers. Dr. Dworkin has attended several Pismo

Beach City Council meetings over the last 6 years, in conjunction with her involvement in land

development issues in Pismo Beach, such as those involving Mike Hodges, 1 Price Canyon, and

Spanish Springs, and has watched meetings online and read transcripts of meetings as well. All

the meetings she attended, viewed, participated in, or read transcripts of, opened with sectarian

prayer. Dr. Dworkin was very surprised at those prayers, which she interpreted as addressed to

the Christian God, to a Christian City Council as a religious body, and to only Christian citizens

and Christian interests. She feels it unbelievable that such invocations exist in a country that

separates church and state. She is still very interested in Pismo Beach land development issues,

and intends to attend and view and read transcripts of the meetings in the future. The prayers

cause her to feel offended, disenfranchised, and intimidated about participating in her own

government. While protesting these prayers at the public council meeting, Dr. Dworkin is forced

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4COMPLAINT

by the Council’s procedures to give her name and address, but after they had ignored her

concerns , she felt vulnerable and uncomfortable, and had trepidation about attending any further

meetings. Similarly, as a member of AUSLO, Dr. Dworkin often hosts parties at her home, and

her affiliation with AUSLO as well as her name and home address are publicized in conjunction

with these parties, so the City Council’s deliberate disregard for her atheism by continuing with

its City Council meetings’ prayers and Christian chaplaincy, has made her feel ostracized and

even physically unsafe.

11. Other concerned citizens of the area who support Plaintiffs’ arguments in

this case include among others, David Leidner, Kurt Horner, Dorothy Ellis, Steve Arkowitz,

Paul Rinzler, Kim McGrew, Cesar Reyes, Terrence Jones, Laura Montecalvo, and Martin

Williams, as well as journalists including among others Colin Rigley (see

http://www.newtimesslo.com/commentary/8207/repent/ and Matt Fountain (see

http://www.newtimesslo.com/news/7997/pismo-panned-over-public-prayers/.

12. Defendant City of Pismo Beach (“City” or “Pismo Beach”) is a municipal

corporation in the County of San Luis Obispo, California, subject to the jurisdiction and venue of

this Court. Pismo Beach is a “general law city,” vested with the power to make and enforce

within its limits all local ordinances and regulations not in conflict with general laws. The City

has less than four square miles of land and a population of less than 8,000.

13. Defendant City of Pismo Beach City Council (“Council”) is responsible for

governing the City. The Council has five members and a mayor who serve part time and

meet twice a month. The Council typically deals in local issues such as permitting, zoning,

licensing, land use and development, public works, and tourism.

14. The Council appointed Paul Jones the City Chaplain (“Jones”) in 2005, and

it grants Jones a privileged opportunity to pray at every meeting. The Council has officially

honored Jones for his years of ordained service. See Exhibit 2.

15. Defendant Shelly Higginbotham (“Mayor Higginbotham”) is Mayor of

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5COMPLAINT

the City of Pismo Beach and has held that position since November 2010. Mayor Higginbotham

officiates at Council meetings and introduces the City Chaplain or substitute prayer-giver.

Mayor Higginbotham is being sued in her official capacity.

16. Defendant Paul Jones is the City Chaplain of Pismo Beach. Jones is being

sued in his official capacity. Jones has delivered nearly 90% of the invocations since January

2008. According to the “Proclamation of the City Council of the City of Pismo Beach” honoring

Jones for 60 years of ordained service, Jones is a leader in the International Church of the

Foursquare Gospel, a Pentecostal sect of Christianity. Jones graduated from a bible school

affiliated with the Foursquare Pentecostal sect, acted as pastor in various Foursquare Pentecostal

churches, and is a bishop for that sect. See Exhibit 2. The International Church of the

Foursquare Gospel affirms the inspiration and authority of scripture, the trinity, and other

orthodox Protestant evangelical doctrines and tenets, and emphasizes the baptism of the holy

spirit and speaking in tongues.

17. The fictitiously named Defendants sued as DOES 1 through 100,

inclusive, and each of them, were in some manner responsible or legally liable for the actions,

events, transactions and circumstances alleged herein. The true names and capacities of such

fictitiously named Defendants, whether individual, corporate, associate or otherwise, are

presently unknown to Plaintiffs and Plaintiffs will seek leave of Court to amend this Complaint to

assert the true names and capacities of such fictitiously named Defendants when the same have

been ascertained. For convenience, each reference to a Defendant will also refer to the Doe

Defendants.

18. Defendants were the agents, employees, partners, joint-venturers, co-

conspirators, owners, principals, and/or employers of the remaining Defendants, and are, and at

all times alleged herein were, acting within the course and scope of that agency, partnership,

employment, conspiracy, ownership and/or joint venture, and the acts and conduct alleged herein

of each Defendant were known to, authorized by, and/or ratified by the other Defendants.

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6COMPLAINT

FACTS

19. Official city business is conducted at the Pismo Beach City Council

meetings, which meetings are held on public property located at 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach,

California, 93449. These meetings are held in a relatively small room. Each public speaker,

including Plaintiff Dworkin, is required to fill out a blue card with her or his name and address on

it, and to recite their name and address before speaking for their allotted three minutes. The

invocation is included on the meeting agenda, and official minutes are posted online, and for

many years, the meetings have also been televised and recorded for online viewing. The room is

too small to exit or not one’s head in prayer without everyone noticing, and the City is so small

that it is typical for people to know one another personally or through another Pismo Beach

acquaintance. At the beginning of every meeting after the call to order and taking of attendance

of the government officials, Mayor Higginbotham, in her official capacity, asks all attendees,

including Council members, government employees, citizens, and students, regardless of their

religious beliefs or lack thereof, to rise for the invocation. These invocations, which are included

on each official meeting agenda, are directed at the Council as well as at the citizens attending

the meetings and those watching online. Non-Christians wishing to participate in their

government are forced to endure this invariably Christian religious ritual at every meeting.

20. Pismo Beach citizens have opposed including sectarian prayers at City

Council meetings since at least 2003. See Exhibit 7, p. 2. In fact, the official minutes do not

reflect the substance of the public comment, but it is possible that one or both the speakers who

voiced support for, and opposition to, the resolution prohibiting sectarian invocations wanted to

ban all Council meeting invocations altogether because such invocations were unnecessary

and/or offensive to nonthesists. At any rate, at least one of these two speakers, David Taub,

went to this meeting specifically to support a prohibition on sectarian prayers at Pismo Beach

City Council meetings.

21. Moreover, at the March 1, 2005, Council meeting, one of the two citizens

who made public comments on the prayers and proposed chaplaincy opposed this chaplaincy.

See Exhibit 4, p. 3. At that meeting, the Council acknowledged the legal difficulties with a

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7COMPLAINT

chaplaincy, admitting that “sectarian invocations are improper at a City Council meeting.” The

council continued:

If the effect of establishing a City Chaplain position would be topreclude other ministers from giving an invocation, then the City isassuming some undetermined legal risk. Further, since the City has nohistorical chaplaincy program, instituting such a program may havesignificant constitutional obstacles especially in California’s litigiousclimate.

See Exhibit 3, p. 5.

22. Nonetheless, the Council established the City Chaplain position, appointed

Jones to the post, and authorized the purchase of business cards and an official nametag. See

Exhibit 4 at p. 3, Exhibit 9.

23. Opposition to the chaplaincy and prayers continued, and in May 2012,

AUSLO sent a letter to the Council objecting to the prayers. See Exhibit 5. AUSLO did not

receive a response.

24. In followup to that AUSLO complaint letter, on June 5, 2012, Plaintiff

Dworkin, a member of both FFRF and AUSLO, objected to the prayers during the public

comment at the Council meeting. Defendant Mayor Higginbotham cut off her objections after

three minutes. AUSLO member Kurt Horner also went on record with a public comment at that

Council meeting and brought the Council a copy of his May 15, 2012, letter sent via e-mail. He

offered to take questions about the legal rationale for opposition to the Council’s prayers, but the

Council had no questions, and did not respond in any way to Ms. Dworkin or Mr. Horner either

at that meeting or thereafter.

25. Plaintiff FFRF wrote a letter to the Council on August 15, 2012, repeating

the objections to the prayers and elaborating on the legal authority calling for their termination.

See Exhibit 6. FFRF did not receive a response.

26. Not only has the Council ignored these complaints and attempts to follow

up on these complaints, but it has never complied with or enforced the policy it adopted on

August 5, 2003 and re-affirmed on March 1, 2005, prohibiting offering sectarian prayer. See

Exhibit 3, p. 5, 10; Exhibit 7, p. 2.

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8COMPLAINT

27. Public school students attend and speak at City Council meetings. See e.g.,

Exhibit 8, pp. 1-6.

The Prayers Are Sectarian.

28. These sectarian prayers begin with a reference to the Christian god,

conclude with a reference to the Christian god, declare the Christian bible to be divinely

authored, and cite to it repeatedly.

29. Each prayer begins by invoking the Christian god. Of the 119 fully audible

prayers, 115 used Christian honorifics to address the Christian deity: 108 to “Our Heavenly

Father,” two to “Our Father in Heaven,” two to “Our Father,” one to “God, Our Father,” and

one to “Our Eternal God, Our Father.” Three more addressed “Our Eternal God,” which, like

“Our Eternal God, Our Father,” or “Eternal God, Our Heavenly Father,” is a Judeo-Christian

address—especially when the Pentecostal clergyman concludes the prayer “in the name of Our

Blessed Redeemer and Dearest Friend” or “in the name of Our Lord and Dearest Friend.”

The Prayers Conclude “in the Name of” the Christian God.

30. Chaplain Jones or his substitute gave 122 prayers “in the name of” the

Christian Lord as follows:

• 67 prayers were given “in the name of our personal Savior and Lord”• 33 were similar but with additional or varied Christian embellishment• five prayers were given in the name of “Christ our Lord” • one was given in his name as “Your Son and Our Savior” • six were given in the name of Christ the “Redeemer” (e.g., “in the name of the great

Redeemer, Your Divine Son,” June 1, 2010, prayer) or “Christ, Jesus, Our Lord”(July 16, 2013, prayer)

• nine were given “in the name of the Lord” with varying embellishment• one was given to “great God Our King.”

See Exhibit 1.

31. Often the invocations given “in the name of” the Christian god use a

combination of the aforementioned Christian phrases including: “Him who Isaiah called ‘the

Prince of Peace’” (twice), “Redeemer” or “redemptive” name (six times), “Your Divine Son”

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9COMPLAINT

(once), “Loving Lord” (seven times), “personal” (79 times), “Savior” (90 times), “personal

Savior” (74 times), and “Lord” (111 times.) Examples of these combinations include:

... in the blessed name of our Savior and Lord. May 6, 2008, prayer.


… in the name of Your Son and our Savior. May 19, 2009, prayer.


… through Christ our Lord. August 18, 2009, prayer.


… in the name of the great Redeemer, Your Divine Son. June 1, 2010, prayer.


… in the name of our gracious Redeemer and Lord. April 5, 2011, prayer.


… in the name of him who Isaiah called ‘the Prince of Peace’ butwhom we know as our personal Savior and Lord, in His name we pray. July 19, 2011, prayer.


… we pray this holy Christmas season in the name of Him who wasborn in Bethlehem’s manger and who has become our personal Saviorand Lord. December 20, 2011, prayer.


. . . in the blessed name in the wonderful name of our Savior and Lord. June 4, 2013, prayer.


… through Jesus Christ our Lord. July 16, 2013, prayer.


32. The prayers are addressed to “our” God 99% of the time (at least 118 times

of 119 full audio) and conclude in the name of “our” God 95% of the time (119 of 125 prayers).

Plaintiffs allege that the use of the word “our,” as in “our personal Savior and Lord,” in the

prayer context is not only sectarian, but also excludes them and all non-Christians. Plaintiffs

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10COMPLAINT

allege that the use of the phrase “our personal Savior” and its variants are particularly sectarian

and exclusionary because only Christianity claims a personal savior.

The Chaplain’s Use of the Christian Bible in the Prayers is Sectarian.

33. City Chaplain Jones gives official government endorsement to the Christian

bible in two ways. First, he uses the prayers to give official sanction to sectarian beliefs found in

his religion’s bible. Second, he references, quotes, or cites that bible no less than 88 times.

34. City Chaplain Jones (or his substitute) used the phrase “Holy Scripture” 43

times (more than the phrase “the Bible” which was used 39 times) and attributes authorship of

the Christian bible (as if there was only one version of these books), to his God at least ten times.

He used the phrase “Your Word” seven times, “Holy Scriptures of God,” “Your Book” and the

“Holy Writings of God” once each.

35. Plaintiffs feel excluded when the government makes the claim that the

Christian bible is “holy” or that it is divinely authored. Such claims are sectarian, as would be

declaring that the Qu’ran or the Book of Mormon was written by a god, or declaring

Mohammed a prophet, as Islam claims.

36. Plaintiffs feel excluded whenever the City Chaplain references, cites,

or quotes the Christian bible, and Jones has done so in referring to the book of Psalms at least 37

times, Proverbs at least 22 times, Isaiah at least 11 times, Timothy at least ten times, Luke at

least nine times, Matthew at least three times, and James at least three times.

37. The above statistics are not exhaustive because “Holy Scripture” is often

quoted without stating the source. For instance, Jones delivered a prayer with multiple

unattributed Christian bible quotes on December 15, 2009, when he officially proclaimed:

But the babe that was born in Bethlehem’s manger will yet remain…the babe that was born in Bethlehem’s manger will continue to bringhappiness and satisfaction. For His name is above all other names, Hisreign is above all other rulers, and His truth is above all other.


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1 The City Chaplain cites or quotes Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,” at least 16 times. Thesectarian nature of the word “Lord” in the prayer context is evident is this passage. The City Chaplain’s repeated use of thequote is meaningless if “Lord” refers to a generic, common god (“Blessed is the nation whose God is God”). The quote onlyhas meaning if “Lord” specifically invokes the Christian God (“Blessed is the nation whose God is YHWH, the ChristianGod”). “Lord” is the name for a particular god, the Christian god Yahweh. In Judeo-Christian writings the name was renderedas YHWH — the tetragrammaton (Greek: “Four Letters”) — was ineffable, so “Lord” was substituted. Thus, the passage issectarian, as are prayers given “in the name of our Lord.”

11COMPLAINT

The two references to Jesus Christ as the “babe born in Bethlehem’s manger,” are from the

Christian bible’s book of Luke 2:3 and 2:12; “His name is above all other names” is from

Philippians 2:9.

38. Examples of the City Chaplain’s use of the Bible in official government

prayers include:

The Scriptures teach us, saying, ‘Blessed is the nation whose Godis the Lord.’ 1 We recognize that we are a nation under God. Ourforefathers have handed us the torch of faith; you alone have given us ourfreedom, our liberty, and our prosperity. And faith in God is our heritageand our foundation. It was President George Washington who reminded usthat morality and faith are the pillars of our republic. But it is evident thatthese pillars are being eroded in our secular and permissive society. Toolong, we have neglected Your Word and ignored your laws. We have triedto solve our problems without reference to You. Your word is so clear, andis so simple. For Your Word says: ‘righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is areproach and an embarrassment to any people.’ And so we confess to youour sins, and ask that we as a nation and as individuals, may experience amoral and a spiritual restoration. October 6, 2009, prayer.


For it is recorded in Holy Scripture, and King Solomon declared it in 930B.C., ‘God is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.’ And again hesaid, ‘He who trust [sic] in the Lord shall prosper.’ And again he said,‘Whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe and secure.’ And his father beforehim, King David wrote, ‘He that trust [sic] in the Lord, mercy shall surroundhim.’ Our forefathers read and reread these portions of Holy Scripture, andanchored their faith and their future to them. March 2, 2010, prayer.


It is clear that the Bible has had an incredible influence in shaping the historyof our great country, the United States of America. King Solomon wrote inthe Holy Scriptures, ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.’ And sotonight, we seek your help, oh God, through daily prayer and daily Biblereading that we may be able to guarantee for generations to come that weremain one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, forthe more we absorb the Scriptures and seek to live by its precepts… .”September 4, 2012, prayer.


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2 Rice’s words are an introduction typical of the Christian Bible, specifically the writings attributed to Paul. Most of Paul’sletters include a greeting referencing “God Our father.” See Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3;Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; Philemon 1:3. See also James :27.[See Appendix of Out of State Authority]

12COMPLAINT

Christian Clergymen Gave Almost Every Prayer.

39. Of the 126 invocations from 2008 through October 15, 2013, 99% of them

were Christian. Christian clergy delivered 98% (123 of 126) of the prayers. Defendant Jones,

the Pentecostal City Chaplain, gave 112 invocations; the Reverend Paul Toms, a pastor at the

Christian Evangelical Grace Bible Church, gave ten (several in the name of “Christ, our Lord” or

“Christ Jesus Our Lord”); and Father Victor Abegg, pastor at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic

Church, gave one. Rebecca McMurry, then-CEO of the Pismo Chamber of Commerce,

delivered one of the three prayers not delivered by Christian clergy, and it was strikingly similar

to Chaplain Jones’ prayers. See e.g. November 15, 2011, prayer, Exhibit 1 at p. 89. City

Manager Kevin Rice gave the other prayer. Both McMurry’s and Rice’s prayers were Christian.

McMurry addressed the prayer to “Our Heavenly Father,” called for “obedience to Holy

Scripture,” asked the Council to make decisions that will “honor You [God],” and gave the

prayer “in the name of our Lord.” See February 3, 2009, prayer, Exhibit 1, p. 26. Rice invoked

the Christian deity, “God our Father, creator of all.” 2 See November 6, 2012, prayer, Exhibit 1,

p. 111. The sole non-Christian prayer-giver was Rajan Zed, a Hindu cleric from Reno, Nevada,

who gave the invocation on October 1, 2013, reading quotes from Hindu scripture and

addressing the Hindu God, thus making his prayer just as sectarian as the Christian prayers.

Jones Exploits the Prayers to Proselytize, Disparage non-Christians, and Advance

Christianity.

40. Virtually all of Jones’ prayers order citizens to live in accordance with his

god’s laws, criticize citizens who do not do so, or lobby the Council to govern so as to honor his

god. For instance, in his prayer at a City Council meeting on April 6, 2010, City Chaplain Jones

lobbied:

The power of prayer is a dynamic force that repels unrighteousness, butthe influence of prayer has been dramatically reduced in our public life. And the moral compass of the Holy Scriptures has been largely laid

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13COMPLAINT

aside. Public morality is declining to dangerously low points. So helpeach of us to always seek to live justly, and to pursue righteousness,and to be zealous for a lifestyle that honors God. … Give to them yoursolution to every difficulty … May proper decisions be made tonightthat will honor You….”

See Exhibit 1, p. 54, emphasis added. Jones delivered nearly identical prayers on October 7,

2008 and on April 7, 2009. See Exhibit 1, pp. 19, 30. Further, on September 17, 2013, Jones

prayed:

Cause our leaders and our citizens to stand up for clear standardsexpressed in the Bible, the Holy Writings of God. May they stand firmfor our freedoms to live by these standards. .. . Allow your InfiniteWisdom to be graciously bestowed on our City Council whom we havefreely elected. May your leadership be manifested in their lives and intheir decisions as well as the staff that supports them. . . Fill City Halland these Council chambers with the peace and the power of youreternal presence and cause every home and every citizen in PismoBeach to feel the impact.

See September 17, 2013, prayer, Exhibit 1, p. 133, emphasis added.

41. These prayers are official government admonishments to all citizens (“each

of us,” “every home and every citizen in Pismo Beach”) to be zealous for and live a lifestyle that

honors the Christian god, and to the Council to serve and honor the Christian god (and not all

gods of all of Pismo Beach’s people).

42. Plaintiffs are disparaged by government claims that the “moral compass of

the Holy Scriptures has been largely laid aside” and that “public morality is declining.” April 6,

2010, prayer, see Exhibit 1, p. 54. Plaintiffs do not derive their morality from any bible, nor do

they conflate religion with morality. They are denigrated by government claims that one religion

has a monopoly on morality and, that therefore, nonadherents of that religion are immoral.

43. Other examples of official prayers that advance Christianity include:

May we never resist God’s will in our lives but, rather, may we valuegodliness and pursue righteousness each day. For the Bible teaches us thatrighteousness and right living are essential to a healthy society. May we seekthe Lord and obey the Bible, so as to walk daily in the purity of God’s ways. Cause us to make godliness, as recorded in the Scripture, to be our life’sstandards. … cause each of us, as individuals and as a nation, to repent ofour sins and turn wholeheartedly to honor You and to serve You. March17, 2009, prayer.


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14COMPLAINT

In Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse 15, the Holy Scriptures record, ‘See? I’ve set before you today life and good, death and evil, and that I commandyou today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, to keep hiscommandments, his statutes, and his judgments that you may live andmultiply and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go topossess.’ God is asking America to make the same choice today in order forus to rebuild America’s crumbling moral foundation. God has made it clearthat he will continue to bless our land if we choose to love him and walk inhis ways. As a nation and as individuals, we can stand before almighty Godand say to him, we love you Lord, and as a people we will walk in yourways and keep your commandments. March 6, 2012, prayer.

See Exhibit 1, p . 95.

King Solomon … stated, ‘The way of the Lord is strength for the uprightand he who walks in integrity walks securely. The righteous has aneverlasting foundation and will never be moved, and the memory of therighteous is blessed.’ Many of our citizens and leaders have turned from thepath of righteousness in our lives and lifestyles. Infuse this ideal from KingSolomon once again into our public mind, and may it be practiced by ourcitizens. October 16, 2012, prayer.


44. Jones’ prayers affiliate the government he speaks for with the church he

also speaks for. These prayers additionally disparage and ostracize those who do not share City

Chaplain Jones’ faith in his god, or derive their moral code from his holy book:

Two weeks from today, November 4th, as United States citizens, wewill be electing a new president, a full House of Representatives, andnumerous senators. In our city of Pismo Beach, we will be electing ourcity mayor, and two council members. Cause each of our citizens toaccept their responsibility and privilege to vote, and help us asindividual citizens to elect leaders whose lifestyles and judgements havepursued integrity and righteousness. For King Solomon wrote in theHoly Scriptures, ‘Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach toany people.’ October 21, 2008, prayer.


Ethics, morals, standards of behavior, these are determined by God ratherthan majority of people. So tonight, enable each of us to stand firm for ourgodly convictions, understanding it is an honor and a privilege to stand forright. May the deep abiding sense of God’s holiness and God’srighteousness always determine our sense of right and wrong. Tonight westrongly affirm our nation’s motto; in God we trust. Help us to maintainthese and this firm conviction in our hearts and in our lifestyles. For onlythen we will not be helpless or defenseless as we face the future. November18, 2008, prayer.


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28 3 See also, Jones’ nearly identical prayers on October 20, 2009, October 19, 2010, and February 7, 2012, Exhibit 1, at pp. 44,66, and 93.

15COMPLAINT

And God is always true to his character, as we seek his face and prayer andrespond to his holy promise in the Scriptures, it will change the way wethink and the way we behave. For sin and spiritual decline removes thefavor of God, but if we repent, God will forgive and pardon our sins, andreplace them with his righteousness in our lives. Each day we rest upon theunfailing promise found in the Scriptures, Isaiah 41:10, ‘Fear not for I amwith you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I willhelp you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’ May 5, 2009,prayer.


We ask that you will cause every citizen to perform their civic duty andvote this season. Cause us to elect leaders who will stand up for theclear standards that are expressed in the Bible, the Holy Writings ofGod. October 16, 2012, prayer.


City Chaplain Jones Revises and Christianizes History to Advance his Religion.

45. At least 54 of Jones’ prayers contain versions of history revised to misstate

and exaggerate the influence of Christianity on the founders and our country’s founding — a

Christianized version of history.

46. Plaintiffs are excluded and disenfranchised by official governmental

proclamations that dishonestly Christianize United States history. Plaintiffs believe these

historical fabrications give the untrue appearance that Christianity is and has been the basis of the

United States government and is uniquely aligned with our government. This show of favoritism

is evident not only in the Chaplain’s privileged office and opportunity to give governmental

weight to the fabrications, but also in the fabrications themselves. Plaintiffs are marginalized and

disparaged because the Chaplain uses his governmental position and authority to co-opt

America’s greatness for Christianity and thereby advance that religion.

47. For instance, City Chaplain Jones claims include many unspecified

references to the founding fathers’ beliefs in God and the Bible, e.g., May 17, 2011, prayer, see

Exhibit 1, p. 79; August 19, 2008, prayer, see Exhibit 1, p. 16.3

48. Jones also re-imagines history and the actions of the United States’

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4 See also prayers on September 16, 2008, October 21, 2008, February 2, 2010, April 20, 2010, and Exhibit 1, pp. 18, 20, 50,55.

5 Max Farand, The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, Volume 1 (Yale University Press, 1911) p. 452, n. 15. Availableat the Library of Congress website: http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field%28DOCID+@lit%28fr001136%29%29.

16COMPLAINT

founders to show that his religion is the religion of this nation. For example, of Benjamin

Franklin’s prayer proposal at the Constitutional Convention, City Council Chaplain Jones

asserted, “James Madison concurred and such resolution was passed . . .’ June 3, 2008, prayer.

See Exhibit 1, p. 11.4 However, the prayer motion did not pass. The prayer motion was so

unimportant that the Constitutional Convention did not even bring it to a vote, let alone pass it.

Benjamin Franklin wrote of his own motion that “The Convention, except three or four persons,

thought prayers unnecessary.” 5

49. Jones has also said:

• James Madison … said, ‘We have staked the whole future of Americancivilization not upon the power of government, far from it, we havestaked the future upon the capacity of each and all of us to governourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.’ August 5,2008.

See Exhibit 1, p. 15; see also March 2, 2010, and June 7, 2011, prayers, Exhibit 1, pp. 52, 80.

• Our Heavenly Father, Thomas Jefferson … in a prayer March 4, 1805, heprayed, ‘Almighty God, may we always prove ourselves to be a peoplemindful of your favor and glad to do Your Will. Save us from violence, andconfusion, and pride, and arrogance, and from every evil way. Endow withyour spirit of wisdom, those we entrust with the authority of government,that there may be justice and peace, and through obedience to your word,we may show forth your praise among the nations of the world. God, whogave us life, gave us liberty, can the liberties of a nation be thought securewhen we remove the conviction in the minds of people, that these libertiesare the gift of God?’ February 17, 2009, prayer.


• It was George Washington, our first president, who said, ‘It is impossible torightly govern without God and the Bible.’ August 4, 2009, prayer.

See Exhibit 1, p. 39; see also, prayers on March 16, 2010, August 3, 2010, and September 18,

2012, Exhibit 1, pp. 53, 61, 108.

• In 1787 at the Constitutional Convention, James Madison read from theBible, Isaiah 33:22, ‘The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, theLord is our king; he will save us.’ And on the basis of the bible reading, heproposed the plan to divide our central government into three branches:judicial, God our judge; legislative, God our lawgiver; and executive, God

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6 In the same order:

· Madison never said that American civilization is staked on the Ten Commandments or anything similar. SeeRobert Alley, “Public Education and the Public Good,” William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal, Summer 1995,pp. 316-318. Available at http://scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1501&context=wmborj.

· According to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which runs and maintains Jefferson’s estate at Monticello, “Thisprayer was not written or delivered by Thomas Jefferson. It is in fact from the 1928 United States Book ofCommon Prayer.” See http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/national-prayer-peace. · Washington never said or wrote this. See Paul Boller and John H. George, They Never Said It: A Book of FakeQuotes, Misquotes, and Misleading Attributions, 126-7 (Oxford University Press, 1989).

· Madison did not read from the bible at the Constitutional Convention. Historians are certain that separation ofpowers did not come from the bible. It came from Montesquieu who never mentioned or referred to the Bible inhis discussion of the separation. See Barron Charles Louis Joseph de Secondat Montesquieu The Spirit of theLaws, Book XI. Madison devoted the Federalist no. 47 to the workings of “this invaluable precept in the science ofpolitics” and wrote that “no political truth is certainly of greater intrinsic value, or is stamped with the authorityof more enlightened patrons of liberty, than that [of separation of powers.]” He goes on to say “[t]he oracle who isalways consulted and cited on this subject is the celebrated Montesquieu.” Furthermore Isaiah 33:22 does notseparate power; it concentrates power in one being. The founders thought that “concentrating these [powers] inthe same hands is precisely the definition of despotic government” (Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State ofVirginia, Query 13, 120-121, 1784) and that such a concentration was “the very definition of tyranny.” TheFederalist No. 47 (James Madison). Each of these three sources appears in The Founders' Constitution: Vol. IMajor Themes, 318, 319-320, 325-328, 623-628 (Philip B. Kurland, Ralph Lerner eds., Liberty Fund)(2000).

17COMPLAINT

our king. He discovered our model of government from the eternalgovernor.’ June 18, 2013, prayer.


50. Each of these is a fabrication.6 Plaintiffs feel excluded when the

government advances City Chaplain Jones’ religion by approving these sectarian fabrications and

claims that our government was founded on and is aligned solely with his religion.

51. As noted in the attached Exhibit 1, this Complaint does not contain an

exhaustive list of these revisions of history. Other historical fabrications in the prayers include

the idea that “our founding fathers carved words of praise to god in nearly every building and

monument and memorial in our capital city…” (September 2, 2008, prayer, see Exhibit 1 , p.

17), despite the fact that most of those buildings do not include such representations and those

that the Chaplain cites were built in the 20th century; distortions about Congress printing bibles

and about the ministerial training of the signers of the Declaration of Independence (July 7, 2009,

prayer, see Exhibit 1, p. 36 ); and the whopper that “the most frequently cited source in the

founding era of our great country was the Bible.” September 4, 2012, prayer, see Exhibit 1,

p. 106.

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18COMPLAINT

The City of Pismo Beach Gives Both Tangible and Intangible Aid to One Religion.

52. The City Council gives both tangible and intangible aid for sectarian

religious purposes, and in this tangible way, gives its City’s seal, literally, and its seal of approval,

figuratively, to Chaplain Jones. For two examples, the City Council purchased City Chaplain

Jones a nametag and authorized the purchase of business cards bearing the Pismo Beach official

seal. See Exhibit 4, p. 3, City Council Resolution #05-011; see also Exhibit 9.

53. The City Council lends the power and prestige of the government and

people of Pismo Beach to the Chaplain’s particular religious beliefs. The City accords this one

set of sectarian religious beliefs a privileged place at each government meeting and welcomes

that religion’s prayers at such meetings.

54. The City Council has established an official government office and title for

one particular religion, which happens to be the religion of the majority, thereby awarding it the

power and prestige of the government. Only one person, representing one religion, has ever

occupied the office. The Chaplain wields that prestige in recognition of that power: “Tonight, in

the dignity of this public City Council meeting, we invoke your divine presence ...” June 18,

2013 prayer (emphasis added). See Exhibit 1, p. 127; see also August 20, 2013 prayer, Exhibit

1, p. 131.

FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION

VIOLATION OF THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION - PRAYERS

(Against All Defendants)

55. Paragraphs 1 through 54 of this Complaint are incorporated by reference as

if set forth in full.

56. These prayers are given under color of law, by the official City Chaplain,

fulfilling his duty as City Chaplain, with the full knowledge and permission of the City Council

that created the Chaplaincy, during official government meetings conducting city business. The

Council practice of sponsoring these prayers at meetings constitutes the custom and policy of the

City of Pismo Beach.

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19COMPLAINT

57. These prayers serve no secular purpose, have the effect of endorsing one

particular sect, and entangle the government with religion. The prayers proselytize and advance

Christianity while disparaging non-Christians.

58. The fact that the City adopted a non-sectarian prayer policy eight years ago

is not a defense for the City because it is the City Council’s custom and practice not to enforce

the policy, and instead to sponsor sectarian prayers at their meetings.

59. These prayers violate the California Constitution’s No Preference and

Establishment Clauses, which guarantee free exercise and enjoyment of religion without

discrimination or preference, and which prohibit the legislature from making any law respecting

an establishment of religion.

60. Defendants have, under color of state statutes, ordinances, regulations,

policies, custom, and usage, deprived Plaintiffs of rights secured by the California Constitution,

entitling them to a remedy.

61. As alleged herein, an actual controversy has arisen and now exists between

Plaintiffs and Defendants. Plaintiffs contend that Defendants’ acts and omissions as pleaded,

including the prayers, violate the California Constitution. Plaintiffs expect Defendants to contend

that their acts and omissions do not violate the California Constitution. A judicial declaration

resolving these actual controversies between the parties is necessary and appropriate so the

parties may ascertain their respective rights, duties and obligations. Plaintiffs seek a judicial

determination that Defendants are violating California law, and further request permanent

injunctive relief.

SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION

VIOLATION OF THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION - CHAPLAINCY




63. The official appointment of a City Chaplain serves no secular purpose, and

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20COMPLAINT

advances one religion over others and religion over non-religion. It also entangles the

government with religion, in among other ways, by Jones’ recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance

at each City Council meeting at which he leads prayers.

64. Jones uses his official position to proselytize for Christianity, advance that

sect, and disparage non-Christians.

65. The Council practice of sponsoring sectarian prayers at meetings constitutes

the custom and policy of the City of Pismo Beach.

66. Defendants have, under color of state statutes, ordinances, regulations,

policies, custom, and usage, deprived Plaintiffs of rights secured by the California Constitution.



including the chaplaincy, violate the California Constitution. Plaintiffs expect Defendants to

contend that their acts and omissions do not violate the California Constitution. A judicial

declaration resolving these actual controversies between the parties is necessary and appropriate

so the parties may ascertain their respective rights, duties and obligations. Plaintiffs seek a

judicial determination that Defendants are violating California law, and further request permanent

injunctive relief.

THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION

VIOLATION OF THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION - AID




69. The appointment of a City Chaplain and the purchase of a name tag or

badge for the chaplain (and perhaps business cards as well) violate the “no aid” provision of the

California Constitution:

Neither the Legislature, nor any county, city and county, township,school district, or other municipal corporation, shall ever make anappropriation, or pay from any public fund whatever, or grant anything

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21COMPLAINT

to or in aid of any religious sect, church, creed, or sectarian purpose, orhelp to support or sustain any school, college, university, hospital, orother institution controlled by any religious creed, church, or sectariandenomination whatever; nor shall any grant or donation of personalproperty or real estate ever be made by the state, or any city, city andcounty, town, or other municipal corporation for any religious creed,church, or sectarian purpose whatever… .”

See Cal. Const. art. XVI, § 5.

70. No legitimate secular or government interest is served by appointing a City

Chaplain.

71. This aid is not available to secular and sectarian persons or institutions

equally; it is only available to the religious, and, in Pismo Beach, only available to Christians.

72. The prayers and chaplaincy impose a financial burden on the government

and taxpayer. It is not simple financial aid that article XVI § 5 prohibits; it also prohibits all

forms of governmental aid to religion, whether tangible, such as cash, or in the intangible form

of prestige and power. It bans any official involvement which has the direct, immediate, and

substantial effect of promoting religious purposes. In Pismo Beach, both tangible and intangible

benefits are bestowed to a single sect with the establishment of the City Chaplaincy. These

special privileges to the Chaplain and to the religion he represents violate the California

Constitution.



including the prayers, chaplaincy, and aid violate the California Constitution. Plaintiffs expect

Defendants to contend that their acts and omissions do not violate the California Constitution. A

judicial declaration resolving these actual controversies between the parties is necessary and

appropriate so the parties may ascertain their respective rights, duties and obligations. Plaintiffs

seek a judicial determination that Defendants are violating California law, and further request

permanent injunctive relief.

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22COMPLAINT

FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION

VIOLATION OF THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION - CHAPLAINCY


74. Paragraphs 1 through 54 and 63 through 67 of this Complaint are

incorporated by reference as if set forth in full.

75. The City’s Chaplaincy violates Article XX, § 3 of the California

Constitution. That provision lays out the oath and qualifications for any California public office.

The City Chaplaincy is a “public officer and employee” which “includes every officer and

employee of the State, including the University of California, every county, city, city and county,

district, and authority, including any department, division, bureau, board, commission, agency, or

instrumentality of any of the foregoing.”

76. After the secular oath, § 3 reads: “And no other oath, declaration, or test,

shall be required as a qualification for any public office or employment.”

77. The City requires that a religious person with religious training serve as

City Chaplain.

78. No legitimate interest is served by the appointment of a City Chaplain.

Creating a public office and requiring that it be held by a religious person, as Defendants have

done, violates Article XX, § 3 of the California Constitution.



including the chaplaincy, violate the California Constitution. Plaintiffs expect Defendants to

contend that their acts and omissions do not violate the California Constitution. A judicial

declaration resolving these actual controversies between the parties is necessary and appropriate

so the parties may ascertain their respective rights, duties and obligations. Plaintiffs seek a

judicial determination that Defendants are violating California law, and further request permanent

injunctive relief.

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23COMPLAINT

FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION

VIOLATION OF THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION AND THE CIVIL CODE -

COERCION OF CITIZENS


80. Paragraphs 1 through 54 of this Complaint are incorporated by reference as if

set forth in full.

81. California Civil Code (“Civil Code”) § 52.1 authorizes a claim for relief

against anyone who interferes, or tries to do so, by threats, intimidation, or coercion, with an

individual’s exercise or enjoyment of rights secured by federal or state law.

82. This includes claims against anyone who tries to force someone to do

something not required to be done under the law.

83. Defendants force Plaintiffs to undergo a Christian religious ritual in order to

exercise their constitutionally protected right to participate in and monitor their democratic

government and choose their own method and form of worship, including none at all.

84. Defendants are liable under the California Constitution’s No Preference and

Establishment Clauses, and under Civil Code § 52.1 for forcing and coercing Plaintiffs into

religious worship.



violate the California Constitution and Civil Code. Plaintiffs expect Defendants to contend that

their acts and omissions do not violate the California Constitution and/or the Civil Code. A

judicial declaration resolving these actual controversies between the parties is necessary and

appropriate so the parties may ascertain their respective rights, duties and obligations. Plaintiffs

seek a judicial determination that Defendants are violating California law, and further request

permanent injunctive relief.

REQUEST FOR RELIEF

Plaintiffs seek judgment as follows:

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24COMPLAINT

1. On the First Cause of Action, for a declaratory judgment that Defendants’

prayers violate Article I, § 4 of the California Constitution; for nominal damages for past

violations of constitutional rights; for a permanent injunction ordering Defendants to refrain from

prayers at government meetings; and for court costs and attorneys’ fees pursuant to California

Civil Procedure §1021.5, California Civil Code § 52.1 (h), and pursuant to the substantial benefit

doctrine.

2. On the Second Cause of Action, for a declaratory judgment that Defendants’

appointment of a City Chaplain and providing the Chaplain with items of monetary value and

intangible aid at the public expense violates Article I, § 4 and Article XVI, § 5 of the California

Constitution; for nominal damages for past violations of constitutional rights; for a permanent

injunction ordering Defendants to permanently dissolve the position of City Chaplain; and for

court costs and attorneys’ fees pursuant to California Civil Procedure §1021.5, California Civil

Code § 52.1 (h), and pursuant to the substantial benefit doctrine.

3. On the Third Cause of Action, for a declaratory judgment that Defendants’

aid given to prayers and to the City Chaplain violate Article XVI, § 5 of the California

Constitution; for nominal damages for past violations of constitutional rights; for a permanent

injunction ordering Defendants to refrain from providing any tangible or intangible aid for

religious purposes, including without limitation prayers or an official chaplaincy; and for court

costs and attorneys’ fees pursuant to California Civil Procedure §1021.5, California Civil Code §

52.1 (h), and pursuant to the substantial benefit doctrine.

4. On the Fourth Cause of Action, for a declaratory judgment that Defendants’

appointment of a City Chaplain required to adhere to a religion or believe in a god to hold such

public office violates Article XX, § 3 of the California Constitution; for nominal damages for past

violations of constitutional rights; for a permanent injunction ordering Defendants to permanently

dissolve the position of City Chaplain; and for court costs and attorneys’ fees pursuant to

California Civil Procedure §1021.5, California Civil Code § 52.1 (h), and pursuant to the

substantial benefit doctrine.

5. On the Fifth Cause of Action, for a declaratory judgment that forcing

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25COMPLAINT

plaintiffs to attend a Christian religious ritual in order to exercise their constitutionally protected

right to participate in their democratic government, and interfering with plaintiffs’ right to choose

their own method and form of worship, including none at all, violates the California Constitution

and Civil Code § 52.1; for a permanent injunction ordering Defendants to refrain from prayers at

government meetings; and for court costs and attorneys’ fees pursuant to California Civil

Procedure §1021.5, California Civil Code § 52.1 (h), and pursuant to the substantial benefit

doctrine.

6. On All Causes of Action, for such further and equitable relief as the Court

may deem appropriate.

Dated: November 1, 2013 LAW OFFICES OF PAMELA KOSLYN

By: __________________________________PAMELA KOSLYN

Attorneys for PLAINTIFFS

FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATIONDR. SARI DWORKIN

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Superior Court of CaliforniaCounty of San Luis Obispo


Plaintiffs,

v.


Defendants.

Case No.

PLAINTIFFS’ EXHIBITS

1PLAINTIFFS' EXHIBITS

2 PLAINTIFFS’ EXHIBITS LIST

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Exhibit List Exhibit 1 Transcripts of invocations given at Pismo Beach City Council meetings from 2008

through October 2013

Exhibit 2 Pismo Beach City Council proclamation to honor the City Chaplain’s years of “ordained service”

Exhibit 3 Excerpt from March 1, 2005, Pismo Beach City Council Agenda explaining the legal difficulties of the prayers and establishing a chaplaincy

Exhibit 4 Excerpt from March 1, 2005, Pismo Beach City Council Minutes including objections to prayers and chaplains and the vote establishing the chaplaincy

Exhibit 5 Atheists United of San Luis Obispo’s May 15, 2012 letter to the Pismo Beach City Council protesting the sectarian prayers and chaplaincy

Exhibit 6 FFRF’s August 15, 2012 letter to the Pismo Beach City Council protesting the sectarian prayers and chaplaincy

Exhibit 7 Excerpt from August 5, 2003 Pismo Beach City Council Minutes adopting a prayer policy and the policy itself

Exhibit 8 Excerpts from Pismo Beach City Council Minutes where students attended the meetings

Exhibit 9 Photographs of City Chaplain wearing his official city nametag with city seal and giving invocations behind an overlay of the official city seal and text noting invocation as an agenda item.

1 PLAINTIFFS’ EXHIBIT 1: PRAYER TRANSCRIPTIONS

Transcripts of Invocations Given at the Pismo Beach City Council 2008 - 2013

Unless otherwise indicated, the text below is the complete text of an invocation given by the City Chaplain Dr. Paul Jones.

Where only partial text was available, or where a stand-in for Jones gave the invocation, this will be indicated immediately after the date.

In every case, the mayor asks all attendees to stand during the invocation and remain standing while the same invocation speaker also directs the Pledge of Allegiance.1 This direction from the mayor usually takes the form of:

“The next item on our agenda is the invocation, which will be given by [Jones or his stand-in]. Please stand and remain standing for the Pledge.”

In each instance, we endeavored to transcribe the prayers fairly and accurately. It is possible that mistakes have been made. Footnotes were used to note biblical authority or historical inaccuracies and are not part of the actual prayer.

1 In the single instance of a non-Christian giving a prayer, Rajan Zed was not permitted to say the Pledge of Allegiance. The City Chaplain still handled that responsibility.


January 15, 2008

Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, this is the first city council meeting conducted this new year, 2008. And tonight, we reflect on the many ways that you have blessed our great country and our beautiful city in 2007. Many good decisions have been made by our city council, and you have blessed us with your presence, with your divine protection and with prosperity. And tonight we say thank you for the many favors that you have given to us which we enjoy. Thank you especially for our continued liberty and freedoms.

Our founding fathers have declared in our Declaration of Independence the immortal phrase: “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”2 This reinforces our strong beliefs that liberty and freedom are God’s gift to us and that religious liberty and religious expression are irreplaceable underpinnings to freedom in our democracy. I often look at the picture in my home of General George Washington at Valley Forge kneeling in prayer in the snow with his horse tied to the tree.3 General Washington knew it was not enough for an individual or a society to depend on their courage and their goodness, they must also seek help from God their preserver receive our sincere gratitude for the traditional values in our nation that have remained viable through the past centuries. Our American history teaches us that liberty and freedom prosper when religion and spirituality are vibrant and that religion and freedom prosper when we understand the rule of law under God is acknowledged.

And so, tonight, as we pledge our allegiance to our country and to our nation’s flag we say with understanding one nation under God with liberty and justice for all. We are grateful that each of us can be a part of this public city council meeting. We invoke your blessings upon each council member. They are our friends whom we have freely elected and whom we pray for by name daily, cause each of them to understand they cannot properly discharge their responsibilities or their assignments apart from your enablement. Give them and their support staff the strength and the security of your invisible presence. Give your divine direction in their thought processes for this will bring proper solutions to each problem and each need that they encounter and in addition it will benefit each citizen and each guest in our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

2 This is incorrect. The true wording is, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The clause refers not to our Creator, but to “their Creator.” The distinction is deliberate and important. If Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin wished to refer to a specifically Judeo-Christian Creator they would not have chosen the latter. “Their” is a possessive pronoun (e.g., “their car” or “their rights as individuals”) or an indefinite singular pronoun (e.g., “some left their book on the table.”). Either way, in this context the use indicates a choice; that each individual has their own, valid view of “their Creator” and it is not for the government to say which view is better. “The” is a definite article used with specifying or particularizing effect. If Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin wished to specify or single out a particular Creator, the proper phrase would be “the Creator,” or simply name the Creator. The use of “their” and not “the” before the noun indicates that the writers were not speaking about a specific god. 3 Historians agree that this did not happen. There is no contemporaneous report to verify it and the original report is from The Life of Washington, by Parson Mason Weems, who did not include the story until the 17th edition and also gave us the myth of the cherry tree. See Edward G. Lengel, Inventing George Washington, 13, 22-23, 76-86 (Harper Collins Publishers, 2011).


February 5, 2008 Will you please bow your heart in prayer? Our Heavenly Father: we pause tonight to express our gratitude for the gentle rains that has fallen on our community these past days. The ground has been saturated the surrounding hills have become lush green providing grazing future for cattle and likewise sheer beauty for us to enjoy. Rain was so needed on our California coast and you have sent rain and in some areas more than normal. We say thank you for enlarging our water supply. Today is primary election day better known as Super Tuesday. The citizens of many states from our own California to Connecticut and from Idaho to Georgia are going to the polls to select candidates who will lead our nation. Pres. Calvin Coolidge said in 1926, “We live in a republic. This is government by representation. If we are to have any measure of self-government, the voice of the people is the rule. Therefore it is altogether necessary in each election that there should be a fairly full participation by all the qualified voters." We pray tonight for each of those who are seeking public office. May each of us, as citizens, not shirk our responsibility of citizenship and cast our vote, and God, cause Your Will to be done. Do not withdraw your present help from us but forgive our sins so that your divine favor will continue to be out poured upon our great nation. We are especially grateful for your protection upon our country these years since 9/11 and we are so grateful for the continuing efforts of our intelligence community whom you have used to protect our land and each American citizen. We ask that you will unite our hearts and strengthen our hands to work together as Americans for the good of our city, our state and our nation. Continue to be our light and our guide our strength and our courage. And may we so honor you that your promise and Holy Scripture will be fulfilled in us for Scripture says, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper.”4 And tonight, we invoke your blessings upon our city council members grant to them and their support staff the strength and the security of your invisible presence. Give your divine direction for each decision that is made tonight. Bring proper solutions to each new need and to each difficulty that our council will encounter. May each citizen benefit as well as each guest who visits our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our Savior and Lord. Amen.

4 Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” This is a direct rebuke of the personal beliefs of all non-Christians.


February 19, 2008

Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, just yesterday, we were privileged to celebrate a national holiday, President's Day. We especially directed our thoughts to two United States Presidents whose birthdays are in February, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. These were men who honored God, and led our nation in righteous ways. Although our nation faced extremely troubled times, they led in integrity and in truth. They were men of character who were concerned about doing right more than securing high approval ratings. They read often the Holy Scriptures and found direction from them.5 They were men of prayer and understood that they were always answerable to you. 6 As such, they were courageous to walk in obedience and to do what you required of them. The Bible teaches us “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”7 Give to our leaders the wisdom to know what is right, and the will to do it. Cause us to understand the words of Lincoln when he said, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I have nowhere else to go. My own wisdom seemed insufficient for the day.” And so tonight, we boldly declare our nation's motto, “In God, we trust.”

Let us never forget that God promises security and stability to all who put their trust in him, and history teaches us that God chooses human instruments through whom he can infuse his life and his wisdom, with spiritual and civil authority.8 We are grateful for our City Council, and their support staff, and we pray that you would infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Many problems they face seem to defy a solution, but your wisdom causes confusion to fade into harmony, and when our hearts and minds are turned to God in childlike trust, it is then that God the invisible enables us to complete any assignment that he entrusts to us and to do it with courage and success. Tonight we invoke your invisible presence and will to be the resource that you give to each of the leaders of our city. May proper decisions be made tonight that will honor you and benefit the citizens and the guests of our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

5 Unfounded. 6 Unfounded. 7 Psalm 33:12. 8 See Romans 13.


March 4, 2008 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer please? Our Heavenly Father, When we read and reread the words spoken by our national leaders of yesteryear, our hearts are filled with praise and thanks to you. It was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our 32nd president of the United States, who declared in a nationwide radio broadcast in 1935, and I quote, “we can not read the history of our rise and development as a nation without reckoning with the place the Bible has occupied in shaping the advances of our republic. When we have been the truest and the most consistent in obeying its precepts, we have attained the greatest measure of contentment and prosperity.” And six years later on January 16, 1941 he stated, “The nation has placed its destiny in the hands and hearts of its millions of free men and women and its faith in freedom under the guidance of God.” Unquote. Our founding fathers understood and put into practice the words of the profit Isaiah, written to his fellow citizens in chapter 54 verse 14 which says, “you shall establish yourself in righteousness in conformity with Gods’ will and order.”9 Grant that each of us, as citizens of our great nation and city tonight will determine to establish our lives and our lifestyles and righteousness conforming daily to your divine will and order. Our godly heritage revealed in the lives, decisions, and documents of so many who have helped to shape our nation from its earliest years give us boldness tonight to declare our nations motto, in God we trust. We’re grateful to have freely elected our mayor and members of our city council. We pray for them and undergird both them and their support staff with our words and our prayers daily. History teaches us that good government originated in the heart of God and so tonight we invoke God’s divine wisdom and courage to be freely given to each of them so that they shall make good and right decisions. May each determination that is made bring esteem and righteousness toward God, and bring justice and fairness and worth to each citizen and guest visiting our beautiful city. Grant our council your continued blessings upon our intelligence community and grant your protection and your favor upon each of our leaders and our citizens. We thank you for hearing and responding to this prayer of invocation that we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

9 Isaiah 54:14, the prior verse reads “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord.


March 18, 2008 Our Heavenly Father, we lift our hearts in gratitude tonight that we are privileged to participate in our public city council meeting. We offer praise to God for your continued protection over our nation and our city. We pray that your omniscience and knowledge will be granted to our intelligence community. As they continue to safeguard our country and our citizens. May no further terrorist plots be planned or carried out and may any plans made to do us harm be uncovered and defused before they can be realized. Cause righteousness to rein in our lives individually and in our government. It was President Herbert Hoover, our 31st president who said, and I quote, “When there is lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned. There is no such thing as no-mans-land between honesty and dishonesty. Our strength lies in spiritual concepts. It lies in public sensitivity to evil. Our greatest dangers are not from invasion by foreign armies, but rather that we commit suicide from within by complacence with evil or by public tolerance of scandalous behavior.” unquote. The power of prayer is at the dynamic force to repel unrighteousness, but the influence of prayer has been dramatically reduced in our public life, and the moral compass of the Holy Scriptures has been largely laid aside. Public morality is declining to dangerously low points. Help each of us to always seek to live justly and to pursue righteousness and be zealous for lifestyles that honor God. We’re most grateful for our nations motto that strongly instructs us, in God we trust. Thank you for each member of our city council and their support staff. Infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Give them your solution to every difficulty that they face. We invoke your irresistible presence and will tonight to become the resource that you graciously grant to each of the leaders of our city. May proper decisions be made that will honor you and benefit the citizens and the guest of our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen


April 1, 2008

Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, many of us alive today, including myself remember well the many battles of World War II. It was December 1944, our American forces were engaged in one of the largest land battles of the war. And commanding the one half million soldiers of US Third Army was General George Patton. History says he could be tough and stubborn and the very next moment, commune with God the divine. He’d been taught that courage is fear that has said its prayers. He and his chief chaplain wrote a prayer and George Patton signed it and sent it as a Christmas greeting to every commander and every soldier under his command, and I quote, “ Almighty and merciful God, we humbly beseech you. Because of your great goodness, that you restrain the immoderate reins with which we’ve had to contend. Give us fair weather for battle, graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon you that armed with your power, we may advance from victory to victory and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish your justice among men and nations. Amen.”

And to the astonishment of Patton’s soldiers the fog lifted, the rain stopped, and the weather cleared for the critical period December 20 to January 1. General Patton said to his chief chaplain, “Our prayers worked. I knew they would. I’m delighted by what I have seen as the work of divine providence helping the Third US Army up until this moment. A letter was sent by the chief chaplain to every commander of all four hundred and eighty six chaplains of the Third US Army, and it read, “Urge your men to pray. Not only in church, but elsewhere. Pray when driving, pray when fighting, pray when alone, pray with others, pray by night, pray by day, pray by .. for victory, pray for our army, and pray for peace. Be assured that this message on prayer has the approval the encouragement and the enthusiastic support of the Third US Army commander, General George Patton.”

So may each of us tonight, Our Father, as individual citizens be people of prayer. By night and by day, many unfavorable situations exist from time to time in the lives of our citizens, in the lives of our city but you have chosen human instruments through who you can infuse your divine life and wisdom with spiritual and civil authority. Teach us and the members of our city council that it is when our hearts and our minds are turned to God in childlike trust that your that you divinely enable us to complete any assignment from you with courage and with success. Tonight, we invoke your presences and Your Will to become the resource that you give to each of our elected leaders and their support staff. God bless the citizens and the guest of our beautiful city. God bless America and protect America. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


April 15, 2008 Will you please join me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, we offer our gratitude tonight that we are citizens of our great nation, the United States of America. Our country is the hope of the oppressed. Our country is the greatest force for good on the earth. By our actions we declare that freedom and liberty is on the march. The earliest history of our nation teaches us that our pilgrim founding fathers came here in search of religious freedom. Their faith and prayers and writings and lifestyles relate to us that we were founded and continue to be one nation under God. And one of the most unique important characteristics of our country is our own legacy of faith and trust in God, Yet there are some among us who systematically try to censor or suppress our spiritual heritage. It was in August of 1984 that then-President Ronald Reagan said, “Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience. Without God there is a coarsening of the society and without God democracy will not and cannot long endure. And then he concluded by saying, “If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” And so tonight, we reaffirm our nation's motto, In God we Trust. And we would pray that you would continue to guide our intelligence community as they seek to protect our nation and to protect us as citizens. We acknowledge that your gracious guiding hand10 has been seen in our land and our city of Pismo Beach and we ask your blessings upon our mayor and the members of our city council. We have freely elected our fellow citizens. These are our friends who serve us on our city council and as such assume responsibility daily to pray for them by name. Our council members and their support staff seek earnestly to make Pismo Beach a better place to live and to enjoy life with our family and with friends and so tonight we would invoke the power of your eternal presence to cause their thought processes to respond to your divine guidance. May the decisions that are made tonight honor you and be for the betterment of each of us as citizens and all the guest who visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen

10 Nehemiah 2:18, see also, 1 Chronicles 4:10 – “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your Hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” The Christian bible continually references its god as “Your Hand”. See, e.g., Psalm 21:7-8 “For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.”; Psalm 74:10-11 “How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!”; Micah 5:9 “Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies, and all your foes will be destroyed.”; Psalm 139:5, 10; Deuteronomy 3:24; Isaiah 26:11; 1 Kings 8:24; 2 Chronicles 6:15; Acts 4:29-30; Psalm 17:14; Job 1:11; Job 10:7.


May 6, 2008

Would you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father the beloved writer of Holy Scripture, St. Paul, wrote to those of his day, saying, “I urge you first of all to pray for all people. As you make your request, ask for God’s mercy and give thanks and pray for all who are in authority so that we may live in peace and quietness and in godliness and in dignity. For this is good, and this pleases God.”11 St. Paul instructed each of us to pray for good government,12 understanding that good government is the will of God, so we pray tonight for our president, our senators, the members of the House of Representatives. We also pray for our governor and state senators and state assembly persons. It is clear that these guarantee our freedoms of speech and assembly, as well as maintaining law and order, and allow unrestricted communication and travel.

We invoke your leadership upon each of them so they never ignore your guidance, nor spurn your holy presence in either their lives or their leadership. May their plans for integrity and fairness to all be evidenced in reality. Make each one to become righteous role models so that we and our children may emulate them as they seek to aid the poor, the addicted, and safety of hope to all those who are in despair. May each leader and citizen so earnestly seek God’s favor and righteousness that our intelligence community will be used of God to thwart any plot or any device that would harm our beloved nation or any of our citizenry. May we also join unitedly as one nation under God to boldly declare: in God we trust. May our dedicated young servicemen and women stationed around the world sense your presence and your protection as they guard us and guard our land, as they guard our freedoms and our way of life.

We pray tonight especially for the leaders of our city. Our City Council; these are our friends whom we have freely elected to govern us. We pray also for their support staff. May each of these leaders be led and energized by your spirit and by your principles of righteousness. Give them wisdom and courage to make right decisions. Stir and transform their minds, making them righteous and wise leaders. May truth and integrity always rise above personal gain. May they honor you, oh God, and benefit each citizen and each guest, and may each home and all those who live in it, and our beautiful city, be filled with your majestic presence and your glory. This invocation we pray in the blessed name of our Savior and Lord. Amen.

11 1 Timothy 2:1-3 12 Id.


May 20, 2008 Will you please stand and bow your heart with me? Our Heavenly Father, we express our gratefulness for your blessings upon us and our beautiful city. At the same time, our hearts are strongly moved by those who suffer much in Asia today. In China, there's been a devastating earthquake affecting hundreds of thousands of people. And in Burma, the terrifying cyclone has caused upwards of one hundred thousand deaths and those missing. With as many as 1 million losing their homes, as entire villages were swept away. In this time of great suffering, we pray for the many victims. We remember also many of our own citizens in Oklahoma, and Missouri, and Georgia, where storms and tornadoes have caused damage and loss of life. Give strength and courage to those who have been so severely impacted. On May 11, 1950, by joint resolution of Congress, Memorial Day was instituted. The president was asked to call upon our citizens to unite in a day of prayer for permanent peace and freedom and justice. Next Monday our country will again celebrate Memorial Day. Our fallen servicemen and women have given their lives to uphold the liberties that make our country a beacon of hope and freedom to people everywhere. In Arlington, and Gettysburg, and cemeteries of which few have heard, each small marker sanctifies the hallowed ground beneath and boasts the name of one who never sought fame, but served our country unselfishly, not needing to be known. Bless their memories and their loved ones. Tonight we thank you for each member of our city Council and their support staff. Infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Give them your solution to each difficulty that they face, and we would invoke your eternal presence and will to become the resource that you graciously grant to each of the leaders of our citizens and our city. May proper decisions be made tonight that will honor you and benefit the citizens and guest of our city. This invocation we pray in the blessed name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


June 3, 2008 May I ask you again this afternoon to bow your heart with me in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, it was June 28, 1787 that Governor Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania hosted the 55 delegates in Philadelphia to the Constitutional Convention. He said, “I have lived a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proof I see of this truth; that God governs in the affairs of men. Without the concurring aid of God we shall succeed in building this republic no better than the builders of Babel. I therefore move that henceforth prayers, imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing on our deliberations, to be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.” James Madison concurred and such resolution was passed,13 and from that day until today, for the past 221 years, prayers have opened both houses of Congress daily; in the United States Senate, and in our House of Representatives. And it is in this spirit we pray this invocation tonight. We’re grateful for the privilege that we gather publicly in this Pismo Beach Council meeting. We freely elected our mayor and her colleagues to our City Council, and in obedience to Holy Scripture, we support them and undergird them and their staff with our prayers.14 We pray for each of them publicly tonight as we have prayed for each of them daily in our personal prayers. And we are reminded again that good government is not an idea that is generated in the heart of people, but good government is a principle that originated in the heart of God. So give to each of our Council persons tonight your divine wisdom to make good decisions, and we would pray that you would grant that each decision would honor God and be for the betterment of all the citizens of Pismo Beach and the guests who visit our beautiful city. We thank you for hearing our prayer. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

13 This is simply not true. Franklin proposed the prayer and the motion died, it was so unimportant that the Congress did not even vote on the issue. 14 1 Timothy 2:1-2.


June 17, 2008 Will you please bow your hearts with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, we are reminded tonight of the words that were prayed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It was during that time during the Civil War when our beloved country so greatly needed your divine help and intervention, and President Lincoln prayed, and I quote, “It is the duty of Nations as well as men to hold their dependence upon the overruling power of God, and to confess their sins and transgressions and humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that general and genuine repentance will lead to mercy and to pardon, and to recognize the sublime truths announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.” In this spirit we pray this invocation tonight we acknowledge your divine providence Our Father, and we do desire to do Your Will. We are extremely grateful for all of your benefits; for life, and for health, for friends, for prosperity, and we are so grateful that no attacks have been on our homeland since 9/11. This is the first Council meeting since our recent election day, two weeks ago today, the great majority of our voting citizens saw the value of increasing our city sales tax by 1/2 cent. This brings us in line with all of our neighboring cities, and will provide our counsel with an additional $1 million each year to help maintain our infrastructure. We pray that city councils in the future will continue the same degree of integrity as our current council manifests. For these additional funds, we give you thanks. And in heartfelt humility we invoke your divine wisdom to be graciously bestowed upon every member of the City Council. Grant that solutions to each problem and each need will come forth so that you, our God, will be honored, and we, your people, will be benefited. We pray again tonight the prayer of President Theodore Roosevelt when he prayed, “We invoke the direction and the favor of almighty God for our guidance and we do invoke your favor.” We declare our responsibility and our intention to pray daily for your leadership in the lives and the decisions of each council member and the staff that supports them. Fill city hall and these council chambers with the peace and the power of your divine presence. May each home, each citizen, and each guest feel the impact of your powerful presence in our city. Thank you for responding to our united prayers. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


July 1, 2008

Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, in 1789 President George Washington said, “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God. To obey his will and to be grateful for his benefits and humbly implore God’s protection and favor.” The Holy Scriptures speak regarding King David; that he led Israel with the integrity of his heart, and the skillfulness of his hands.15 And when Nehemiah was mayor of Jerusalem, the Bible says of his brother Hanani, that he was a faithful man who honored God more than many.16

The Bible and history continually teach us that God’s favor accompanies righteousness and those who live without compromise. For those who practice righteousness shine like beacons of light. Such righteousness invariably affects positive social change. Cause each member of the City Council to humbly seek the blessings in favor of God, that they may properly discharge their responsibilities and the tasks that have been assigned to them. And as a result, may righteousness flow from City Hall and from these council chambers into each home in our beautiful city and in the lives of each of our citizens.

Thank you for your continued protection and provisions for our city and its citizens. We are grateful for this open Council meeting, where all may participate in the affairs of our city. Bless all who work at City Hall. Cause them to sense the strength and the security of your enabling presence. Grant our city Council and their support staff your divine direction in their thought processes. May they receive your solution for our problems and our needs that they encounter tonight. May each decision honor you and benefit our citizens and the guests who come to our city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

15 Psalm 78:72 16 The Bible says that Nehemiah put Hanani in charge because he “feared God more than most men do.” Nehemiah 7:2.


July 15, 2008 (Dr. Paul Toms) Eternal God, our Heavenly Father, we begin our meeting today seeking your hand of blessing and guidance17 and direction. And we're thankful that we're able to do this. In some places in this world where this is forbidden, we're grateful that we live in a place where freedom exists and reigns, and we can worship as we sense our duty and responsibility. Bless our meeting today. Bless these people who are elected and these who are appointed as officials for this community. We thank you for their willingness to serve. We pray that you will grant wisdom and understanding and a sense of your guiding hand and direction in these activities. And we would not forget to pray for people who are in special need. Some in our community are in harms way. Bless people who are fighting the fires. Bless people who are fighting wars. Bless people who are fighting hunger and depression and uneasiness about the future. Thank you that you are able to meet our needs, and we look to you for guidance and direction. So bless us today as we commend ourselves now into your loving care and seek your guiding hand of blessing and direction18 upon us. We pray in your Holy and Redemptive Name, amen.

17 See e.g., Isaiah 25:10, 66:14; Psalm 139:5. 18 See e.g., Isaiah 25:10, 66:14; Psalm 139:5.


August 5, 2008 Will you bow your heart in prayer please? Our Heavenly Father, James Madison was a principal author of the United States Constitution. He was a father of the Bill of Rights, he was the fourth president of the United States. It was he who said, "We have staked the whole future of American civilization not upon the power of government, far from it, we have staked the future upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."19 For these are fundamental expressions of God’s design for man. And to abandon our nation's moorings would be tragic. And so today we join our hearts with our American founding fathers of the past, whose vision and whose courage has shaped the future of our great country. And today in true repentance, we ask you, our God, to protect and to preserve our beloved country and cause our leaders to honor and to follow you. Grant to each of our leaders nationally and locally clear courage and moral guidance as they make decisions that directly influence our policies and our laws. Is recorded in Holy Scripture that King Solomon declared in 930 B.C. "God is a shield to those who put their trust in him."20 And again he wrote, "He who trust in the Lord shall prosper."21 And yet again he said, "Whoever trust in the Lord shall be safe and secure."22 And his father King David wrote before him, "He that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about."23 Our forefathers read and reread these portions of Holy Scripture and anchored their faith and their future to them. And as a result, president Abraham Lincoln in 1863 had the words in God we trust engraved on each US coin. And later this phrase was authorized to be printed on each piece of US paper currency. And in 1956, the United States Congress passed a resolution declaring our national motto: in God we trust. And so today we boldly affirm our national motto: in God we trust. And in this spirit we pray this invocation. We are grateful that all of us may be a part of this public city Council meeting and we invoke your blessings upon each council member. These are our friends. We have freely elected them to serve us and we pray for them by name daily. Cause each of them to understand that they cannot properly discharge their responsibilities or their assigned task apart from your divine enablement. Bless them and their support staff with the strength and the security of your invisible presence. And grant to each of them your divine direction in their thought processes. This will bring proper solutions to each need and each problem that they encounter and will benefit each citizen and each guest in our beautiful city of Pismo Beach. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

19 This quote is false, or at least not attributable to James Madison. David Barton is responsible for putting this quote into Christian pop-culture. 20 Proverbs 30:5, “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” 21 Proverbs 28:25, “A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.” 22 Proverbs 29:25 23 Psalm 32:10


August 19, 2008 Will you please bow your hearts with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, the first president of the United States said, “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God. To obey his will and to be grateful for his benefits and to humbly implore his protection and favor.” Years later, James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, said, “Before any man can be a member of civil society he must be considered as a subject of the governor of the universe.” The founding leaders of our country believed wholeheartedly the words of Holy Scripture recorded in Psalm 33, "The word of the Lord is right,” “the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord,” and “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”24 Because of this legacy left to succeeding generations, we understand more fully why our U.S. Congress voted the motto of our nation to be: in God we trust. As American citizens of this generation we forthrightly proclaim, “In God we trust.” Cause us, Lord, to ever be mindful that no one is secure in their own accomplishments. Our positions and our achievements never make us invincible. God promises security and stability to those who choose to put their trust and their confidence in him. May we always seek to live justly and righteously and be zealous for the things that honor God. Thank you for each member of our City Council and their support staff. Infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Give your solution to every difficulty and every need that they face. We invoke your irresistible presence and will tonight to become the resource you graciously grant to each of the elected leaders of our city. May proper decisions be made tonight that will honor you and will benefit the citizens and the guest of our beautiful city. We pray especially your blessings upon our mayor, who is out of town, and upon our mayor pro tem, as she leads our council meetings tonight. Give healing to all who were ill on our staff and in our city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

24 There is no evidence to support this claim. The quotes are a mash of several verses: 4, 5, and 12. Others include verse 8, “Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.” Verse 10, “The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.”


September 2, 2008

Will you please bow your hearts in prayer with me? Our Heavenly Father, as we bow our hearts in prayer tonight, we remember the many of our fellow Americans whose lives have been so greatly impacted by the hurricane Gustav. Many who live in the Gulf Coast on the southern border of our nation have evacuated their homes and headed for higher ground and safety. Many will be returning home shortly. Thank you that the newly constructed levees held so that destruction was far less than might have been anticipated. Give to each of these your strength and your courage as they begin their lives anew. Today with all our hearts we boldly affirm our nation's motto: in God we trust. These very words are written over the entrance of US capitol building, and the Ten Commandments are engraved in bronze on the floor of our National Archives, where our Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution are on display. Our founding fathers carved words of praise to God in nearly every building and monument and memorial in our capital city of Washington D.C.25 They did not want future Americans to ever forget that it was God who gave us liberty. For our godly heritage, we give you our thanks. And in heartfelt humility we ask tonight for your continued presence, protection and favor upon our nation. Bless all those in our intelligence community who serve untiringly to thwart any enemy attacks.

We invoke your divine wisdom to be bestowed tonight on each member of our City Council. We ask you to provide solutions to each problem and each need, so you will be honored and we will be benefited. We declare our responsibility to pray daily for your leadership in the lives and decisions of our council members and their support staff. We pray that you would fill City Hall and these council chambers with the peace and the power of your divine presence. And may each home and each citizen and each guest feel the impact of your presence in our city. We pray especially for those who are ill or facing situations in which they have never been involved in heretofore. We invoke your divine presence and power to strengthen and to energize them and their families. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

25 “In God We Trust” was carved into the Capitol, despite a lawsuit, in October, 2009. The cornerstone to the National Archives was laid in February, 1933, the same decade as Supreme Court constructed. “History of the National Archives Building,” National Archives website, http://www.archives.gov/about/history/building-an-archives/building.html (last accessed, Feb. 1, 2013).


September 16, 2008 Let us bow our hearts in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, in our great country we recognize that prayer is a gift from God to every human being. It is a gift that permits us to come before God as a creator, with heartfelt worship and request as well as our deepest hopes. Prayer reminds us that when we bow our hearts or fall on our knees, we are all equal in the eyes of the living God, the Almighty. In prayer, we are assured that we are never alone, whether it be in times of personal difficulty or individual suffering. This is why Benjamin Franklin proposed that the Constitutional Convention of 1787 began each day with prayer. And out of this group of public leaders, who gave themselves to public prayer, was born the Constitution of the United States, 221 years ago tomorrow; September 18, 1787.26 And no legal document has ever been written by man that has done so much good for so many people, and has become the envy and the hope of every generation. Our founding fathers left us a legacy and a testimony to the role of God in America's history. And the Holy Scriptures strongly teach us tonight: “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”27 So once again we give our personal affirmation of our nation's motto: in God we trust. And in the dignity of this council meeting we invoke your divine wisdom and guidance to be upon our mayor and her colleagues, as well as their support staff. May righteousness always fill our City Hall and these council chambers so that each decision will be a good decision and this will honor you, our God, and improve the lives of each citizen and guest in our beautiful city. Tonight we remember our fellow Americans in Galveston and Houston Texas, who have suffered so much, and many who have lost everything in hurricane Ike. Let them be strengthened and encouraged by our prayers and by your abiding presence. In this invocation we pray in our Savior's Name. Amen.

26 This is simply not true. Franklin proposed the prayer and the motion died, it was so unimportant that the Congress did not even vote on the issue. 27 Psalm 33:12


October 7, 2008 (recording partially missing) ... a public tolerance of scandalous behavior." End quote. The power of prayer is the dynamic force that repels unrighteousness, but the influence of prayer has been dramatically reduced our public life, and the moral compass of the Holy Scriptures has been largely laid aside. Public morality is declining to dangerously low points. Help each of us to always seek to live justly and to pursue righteousness and to be zealous for lifestyles that honor God. In the coming election in the next few days, in our city, may our ballots be cast for leaders whose lifestyles have pursued integrity and righteousness. We are most grateful for our nation's motto that strongly instructs us that; in God is our trust. Thank you for each member of our City Council and their support staff. Infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Give them your solution to every difficulty they face. We invoke your irresistible presence and will tonight, to become the resource that you graciously grant to each of the citizens of our city. May proper decisions be made tonight that will honor you and benefit the citizens and the guest of our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


October 21, 2008 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, American history relates that following the Revolutionary War, delegates from all of the colonies met in convention in Philadelphia, 1787. When the convention seemed on the verge of disbanding, with nothing having been accomplished, colonial statesman Benjamin Franklin addressed the convention, and I quote, "In the beginning of the contest with Britain, we daily had prayer in this room for divine protection. Have we forgotten this powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth; that God governs in the affairs of men. I therefore, henceforth, move that prayers imploring the assistance of heaven be held in our assembly every morning before we proceed to business." End quote. And your wisdom did appear,28 and by September 12, 1789, 39 persons representing 13 colonies affixed their signatures to a completed document; the Constitution of the United States. And our Constitution still functions today, 219 years later, giving stability and determination for every citizen. Our Father, today is the last Pismo Beach City Council meeting before the coming election. Two weeks from today, November 4th, as United States citizens, we will be electing a new president, a full House of Representatives, and numerous senators. In our city of Pismo Beach, we will be electing our city mayor, and two council members. Cause each of our citizens to accept their responsibility and privilege to vote, and help us as individual citizens to elect leaders whose lifestyles and judgments have pursued integrity and righteousness. For King Solomon wrote in the Holy Scriptures, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."29 We pray today for our servicemen and women serving us around the globe, protect them with your eternal power. We invoke your divine presence so that it may fill City Hall daily as well as our city council chambers tonight. Give to each member of our City Council and their support staff your wisdom and your understanding for matters at hand tonight and in the future. God bless and protect America and our citizens in guest who visit our beautiful city of Pismo beach. This invocation, invoking your divine leadership tonight, we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

28 Ben Franklin’s proposal was ignored by the Congress, never even receiving a vote. 29 Proverbs 14:34.


November 18, 2008 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, Karl Marx once said, “If we can rip history away from people, they will easily be conquered. For we know that a bouquet of roses die when cut off from their roots.”30 So we clearly understand that no liberty and no freedom is secure when our roots are removed. Those roots that have been determined by God. Ethics, morals, standards of behavior, these are determined by God rather than majority of people. So tonight, enable each of us to stand firm for our godly convictions, understanding it is an honor and a privilege to stand for right. May the deep abiding sense of God’s holiness and God’s righteousness always determine our sense of right and wrong. Tonight we strongly affirm our nation's motto; in God we trust. Help us to maintain these and this firm conviction in our hearts and in our lifestyles. For only then we will not be helpless or defenseless as we face the future; we will do it with confidence. Since our council last met, we have elected a new president nationally as well as new leaders locally. We pray for your wisdom and understanding to be granted to our current President, George W. Bush, as he completes his presidency, and may your wisdom and understanding be granted in like manner to President-elect Obama as he assumes his role to lead our nation. Bless also those who have been elected to serve us in our beautiful city. We thank you for the privilege of meeting together in this council meeting conducted openly in public for the benefits of our citizens. We ask that your invisible presence will fill our City Hall daily, as well as our council chambers tonight. We pray for each of our council members. These are our friends, we have freely elected them to serve us, and to govern us. We pray for them publicly tonight because we pray for them by name daily in our private prayers. Grant that each of our city council members, our mayor, and their support staff will be generously given your divine wisdom and guidance for the matters at hand tonight and in the future. God, bless America and protect our President, our military forces, our citizens of Pismo Beach, and the guests to visit our beautiful city. We invoke your divine leadership tonight upon all who lead our city. This invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

30 No source can be located for this quote, it appears fictional.


December 2, 2008 Will you please join your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the work that has been accomplished by our current council in the previous councils before them. May your blessings rest upon these dedicated citizens. Tonight, our newly elected council persons will be sworn in. We receive our reelected Mayor and each member of our newly elected City Council as God’s gift to us. We have freely elected them to lead us and to govern us. Cause each of them to understand that their example to their family, their example to their business, and their example to our community makes each of them a leader. And as such, may they always lead with integrity and transparency. For integrity and character is our highest honor. Each member of our City Council is an example to our community, when they are in session as the council, or when they move among us in our community. So teach us and you that our personal example has everything to do with righteous influence. May they remain calm and controlled even in difficult times, and as they do, may they manifest such uprightness; demonstrating that in reality they are key pillars in our community. Let your unseen and irresistible presence among us cause the work of our City Council and their support staff to be structured, to be efficient, and father may it always be productive. Let there never be division or confusion, but may they move together in such unity so as to function in the power of one. We pray the prayer president Theodore Roosevelt in behalf of our new council when he prayed, and I quote, "We invoke both the direction and the favor of Almighty God for our guidance." And tonight, once again we reaffirm to you our nation's motto; in God we trust. May the continued nearness of your presence and your divine guidance cause each decision that is made, first to honor you, and then to cause our beautiful city to be a better place to live and to enjoy life. Each of these: benefits for our city, all who live in it, and those who visit here. For these benefits we ask, we do it in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


December 16, 2008 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, it is Christmas time in our city, and our surrounding community. Shops and stores are filled with carols and beautiful music of Christmas. We want to thank you that you have prospered so many, that we may purchase gifts for those we love and who are so dear to us. Allow your favored to rest upon our business community, who have planned so earnestly and worked so diligently to sell their goods and services; and then probably send sales tax and bed tax to our city treasury. For your favor, we are grateful. Let us understand anew that the message of Christmas is simple and wonderful; God wants to enter into all of life circumstances. And God does not choose a beginning point for his wonder-workings apart from human beings. Everyone is important. We pray especially for those families among us tonight whose lives have been impacted by the economic slowdown. We pray that you will graciously provide for them and their families as only you know how. At this Christmas time, we also pray for all of our military personnel, as they serve the noble causes of freedom and liberty around the world. May each one who is deployed be safe and secure, and may their loved ones have God’s comfort and presence, as families are separated one from the other. When our next city Council meeting convenes, Christmas lights will be out, Christmas trees will have faded, Christmas ribbons will have been forgotten, and Christmas carols and cards will have been packed away. But the babe who was born in Bethlehem's manger will yet remain among us.31 He will comfort when we are sorrowful. He will provide meaning when life seems so useless and so empty. He will bring light when the way seems dark, and he will provide joy when circumstances are grim. And long after the carols have hushed and the gift certificates have been cashed, the babe that was born in Bethlehem's manger will continue to bring happiness and satisfaction. 32 And tonight, we pray especially for those in our city who are ill, who are shut in, somewhat lonely. We think of two such persons who have been so active in city activities but are not among us today; Elaine Anthony's leg has been amputated below the knee and she is in a rest home in Morro Bay. Her husband Art has serious problems with his throat and voice. We pray you will bring healing, and hope, and restoration, and may these and many others sense our love for them. Tonight we invoke your divine presence to fill City Hall daily and these council chambers especially tonight. Give your wisdom to our mayor, and her colleagues, and their support staff for the matters that are hand tonight and in the future. God bless America, protect our great country, protect the citizens in Pismo Beach, and protect the guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray, this holy Christmas season, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

31 Luke 2:12. 32 Luke 2:12.


January 6, 2009 May I ask that each of you bow your heart in prayer with me? Our Heavenly Father, today is the first Council meeting in this new year of 2009. Many matters will be agendized and call for thoughtful attention in the coming months. Some matters will be difficult to make an easy and simple decision, but I well remember the day that President Franklin Roosevelt died in April 1945. Vice President Harry Truman was immediately sworn into office as our new president and he addressed the combined US Congress two days later April 16, 1945 with these words, "At this moment I have in my heart a prayer. Almighty God, as I have assumed my heavy duties, I humbly pray the words of King Solomon: 'Give, therefore, your servant and understanding heart to govern your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to govern this so great a people?'"33 And then Mr. Truman continued, "I ask only to be a good and faithful servant of my Lord and my people." King Solomon, the world's wisest political leader, also taught us that the hand of the diligent makes one rich, and he who walks in integrity walks securely.34 So let each of us hear clearly God’s call to daily live in integrity, and to live righteously. For this will produce true freedom and true fulfillment, and it will produce lasting and eternal values. Thank you for the leadership of police chief Joe Cortez and our City Police Department these past seven years. As he enters his retirement years, let your blessing be upon him and upon his family. Our new police chief is to be sworn in today. Cause your special favor to rest upon him as he seeks to maintain law and order in our city. May your continued protection rest upon our city as the rule of law under God is acknowledged. We invoke your wisdom to guide the thought processes of our mayor, her colleagues, and their support staff tonight and in the future. May your solutions to each problem that they encounter benefit each citizen and guest and our beautiful city in 2009. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

33 1 Kings 3:9 34 Proverbs 10:4-9.


January 20, 2009 Our Heavenly Father, today as American citizens, we witness the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Mr. Barack Obama. You alone know the many great responsibilities that he now faces, including our national economic downturn. We pray for him again this afternoon, as we have prayed for him already this morning, and will pray for him each day, that he may daily seek your face for your wisdom and for your guidance for the solution of our nation's affairs. Isaiah the great prophet of yesteryear, spoke often to his nation, and to ever succeeding generations regarding the greatness of God’s might, and the strength of God’s power. Our national leaders have received vision and courage from these words. Grover Cleveland, the mayor of Buffalo and later the governor of New York, was elected 24th president in 1893. Our nation then faced conditions similar to those we now face. History teaches us that there was a treasury crisis, and many farm mortgages were foreclosed on. There was high unemployment. But in his inaugural address, President Cleveland clearly stated, "Let us not trust in human effort alone, but humbly acknowledge the power and the goodness of Almighty God, who presides over the destiny of nations, and who at all times has revealed in our country's history, himself. Therefore let us invoke his aid and his blessings upon our labors. I know there is a supreme being who rules in the affairs of men, whose goodness and mercy has followed the American people. He will not turn from us now if we humbly and reverently seek his powerful aid." And so tonight, with great courage and with great confidence, we as American citizens boldly declare our nation's motto: in God we trust. By your great power, and by your great might, continue to protect our nation and its citizens from those who seek to do us harm. Bless our intelligence community with your favor and your fruitfulness. We invoke the dignity of your divine presence to fill these council chambers tonight. Give your direction and your eternal counsel to our mayor, and her colleagues, and their support staff. May each decision that is made bring honor to you, and bring fulfillment and satisfaction to all who live in our beautiful city and who visit here. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


February 3, 2009 Rebecca McMurry Will you all bow your heads? Our Heavenly Father, our U.S. history has taught us that justice John Jay, the first U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, authorized prayer to be prayed to open U.S. Court sessions. In this spirit, we offer to you this prayer of invocation. We are grateful for the privilege of public gathering in our Pismo Beach City Council meeting this evening. We have selected our mayor and her colleagues to our City Council. In obedience to Holy Scripture, we support them with our prayer, in order that we may live a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness.35 We pray for them publicly tonight, having prayed for them by name in our personal prayers. May each member of our City Council accept their responsibility to lead each of us as citizens with single-mindedness of purpose, and humility of spirit; only then can we confidently anticipate favor and guidance of our eternal God. Guide us with your eternal wisdom tonight, to make wise decisions that will honor you and better conditions for citizens of our beautiful city. Tonight, we also lift up in prayer our city chaplain, Dr. Paul Jones, and ask that your healing touch be placed upon him this night, and that he be made whole and well this very moment. With your almighty help, we can resolve every problem that confronts us. Thank you for hearing our prayers. We ask these things in the name of our Lord. Amen.

35 1 Timothy 2:1-2, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”


February 17, 2009 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of our Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. In a prayer March 4, 1805, he prayed, "Almighty God, may we always prove ourselves to be a people mindful of your favor and glad to do Your Will. Save us from violence, and confusion, and pride, and arrogance, and from every evil way. Endow with your spirit of wisdom, those we entrust with the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace, and through obedience to Your Word, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the world. God, who gave us life, gave us liberty, can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we remove the conviction in the minds of people, that these liberties are the gift of God?"36 We thank you, Our Father, for the freedoms and liberties that we as Americans enjoy tonight. We're mindful that they are gifts of God. Help us to dedicate ourselves individually, to honor righteousness, and always be glad to do Your Will. Let us always affirm our nation's motto wholeheartedly; in God we trust. We are privileged to meet together in this public City Council meeting. We are grateful for every member of our City Council; these are our friends whom we have freely elected to govern our city, and we pray for them daily by name, that they may lead us in integrity and transparency. We invoke your divine wisdom upon each of them and their support staff. May Your Will be done, and may your name be honored in each decision that is made. Be mindful, with your enablement and your assistance, of each individual, and each business that are affected by the current economic conditions in our city and our land. And accept our thanks for the intelligence community, continue to work though them, and cause us to live righteous lives daily, so that we may enjoy your protection from all who would do us harm. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

36 According to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which runs and maintains Jefferson’s estate at Monticello, “This prayer was not written or delivered by Thomas Jefferson. It is in fact from the 1928 United States Book of Common Prayer.” http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/national-prayer-peace


March 3, 2009 Our Heavenly Father, President Calvin Coolidge, the 29th president of the United States, once said, "If American democracy is to remain the greatest hope of humanity, it must continue abundantly in the faith of the Bible." In the Bible, Isaiah the Prophet declared’ "The ways of the Lord are righteousness, and the righteous will walk in them."37 The Bible constantly encourages righteous living on the part of each of us. Help us to display the character of God in our daily living and in our lifestyles. This will cause us to be an expression of God’s love, and God’s compassion, and all we do. May we determine to live and walk in obedience to the Bible. This will cause us to pursue righteousness and value godliness, as each of us seeks God’s presence to surround us, and to surround our city, and our country. This will produce reality for the present and promise for our future. We hear again the prayer of President Theodore Roosevelt, who prayed, "We invoke the direction and the favor of God the Almighty for our guidance." So we pray each citizen of our beloved city will seek the guidance of God in our lives and in our actions. We pray earnestly this day for each individual and each family whose lives have been negatively impacted and disrupted by our current economic downturn. Many are earnestly praying and seeking for answers and solutions. Fulfill the promise of the Bible to them; that God would be a shelter to your people and strength to those who put their trust in you. Cause each lady and gentlemen who we have elected to our City Council, and their support staff, to be sincere and upright. May their convictions be firm and straight as the columns of our National Cathedral. We invoke your divine wisdom and guidance for each matter brought before our City Council tonight. May each decision honor God and benefit each citizen and each guest. This invocation, in which we invoke your invisible presence and your leadership, we pray in the name of our personal Redeemer and Lord. Amen.

37 Isaiah 26:7


March 17, 2009

Will you please bow your heart with me? Our Heavenly Father, it was Franklin Roosevelt, our 32nd US president, who said, "We cannot read the history of the rise and development of our nation without reckoning the place the Bible has occupied in shaping the advances in our republic. Where we have been the truest and the most consistent in obeying its precepts, we obtain the greatest measure of contentment and prosperity." And so, Our Father, your faithfulness to us has been as dependable as the sun that rises each morning. The hillsides and the meadows in our region are lush with new green growth because of the recent rains that you have sent. We are most grateful. Grant that we may sew righteousness in our lives, that we may reap your faithfulness and your mercy. May we never resist God’s will in our lives but, rather, may we value godliness and pursue righteousness each day. For the Bible teaches us that righteousness and right living are essential to a healthy society. May we seek the Lord and obey the Bible, so as to walk daily in the purity of God’s ways. Cause us to make godliness, as recorded in the Scripture, to be our life's standards. Then, God will be our strength, he will be our shelter, and he will dwell among us and he will cause us to prosper. Is in this spirit we boldly affirm our nation's motto: in God we trust.

We give you thanks for the leaders and the actions of our current City Council. Cause our mayor, her colleagues, and their support staff to sense your divine leadership and wisdom in each decision that they make. Continue to provide your understanding and your resources to accomplish Your Will in our beautiful city, even as Your Will is done in heaven. We pray especially for our mayor who is not with us tonight, but is on business in our nation's capital. Give her your favor. May she increase in wisdom and in favor with God, and with man, as she carries out her duties in Washington D.C. May a spirit of unity continue to prevail at all levels of our city government. We invoke your unseen presence in every deliberation tonight. We remember again, publicly, those who are hurting because of the economic downturn both in our nation and our community. Some have had their work hours reduced. Others have lost their jobs. And some of the businesses in our community are suffering economically. We ask you to bring a speedy solution. And cause each of us, as individuals and as a nation, to repent of our sins and turn wholeheartedly to honor you and to serve you. This invocation we pray in the name of our Blessed Redeemer and Lord. Amen.


April 7, 2009 Will you bow your hearts with me in prayer please? Our Heavenly Father, we lift our hearts and gratitude tonight that we are privileged to participate in our public City Council meeting. We offer praise to God for your continued protection over our nation and our city. We pray that your omniscience and your knowledge will be granted to our intelligence community, as they continue to safeguard our country and our citizens. May no further terrorist plots be carried out, and may any plans made to do us harm be uncovered and defused before they can be realized. Cause righteousness to reign in our lives individually, and in our government. It was President Herbert Hoover, our thirty first president who said, "When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned. There is no such thing as no man's land between honesty and dishonesty. Our strength lies in spiritual concepts. It lies in public sensitivity to evil. And our greatest dangers are not from invasions by foreign armies, but rather that we commit suicide from within by complaisance with evil and by the public tolerance of scandalous behavior." The power of prayer is the dynamic force that repels unrighteousness. But the influence of prayer has been dramatically reduced in our public life, and the moral compass of the Holy Scriptures has been largely laid aside. Public morality is declining dangerously. Help each of us to make sure that we live justly, and pursue righteousness, and be zealous for lifestyles that honor God. We are most grateful for our nation's motto that strongly instructs us: in God we trust. Thank you for each member our City Council and their support staff, infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Give them your solution to every difficulty that they face, and we invoke your irresistible presence and will tonight that it will become the resource that you graciously grant to each of the leaders of our city. May proper decisions be made tonight that will honor you and benefit the citizens and the guest of our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


April 21, 2009 Would you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, our third president, Thomas Jefferson, spoke to our nation in 1781. He said, "God who gave us life, gave us liberty, can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we removed their only firm basis; a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God."38 And it was our 24th president, Grover Cleveland, who said, "Above all, I know there is a supreme being who rules the affairs of men, and whose goodness and mercy have always followed the American people. And I know he will not turn from us now if we humbly and reverently seek his powerful aid." This is the spirit in which we pray this invocation tonight. We're grateful that our United States Congress passed a resolution in 1954 stating: We are one nation under God. And two years later in 1956, stated our national motto will be: in God we trust. And so again tonight we boldly affirm our nation's motto: in God we trust. We invoke your blessings upon the city of Pismo Beach, all who live here, and all the guests to visit here. Release your blessings upon all who work at City Hall, and serve our community so faithfully. Cause each one to sense the strength and the security of your invisible presence, and give your eternal wisdom to our friends, whom we have freely elected to serve us on our City Council. From day-to-day, help them as they endeavor to make Pismo Beach a better place to live and to enjoy life. Especially tonight, give your divine guidance in the thought processes of our mayor and each of her council colleagues. May the decisions that are made honor you and be for the betterment of all of our citizens and our guests. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

38 Jefferson actually wrote this in two separate places more than 10 years apart.

1) “The god who gave us life gave us liberty…” is from A Summary View of the Rights of British America (1774). “But let them [members of the parliament of Great Britain] not think to exclude us from going to other markets, to dispose of those commodities which they cannot use, nor to supply those wants which they cannot supply. Still less let it be proposed that our properties within our own territories shall be taxed or regulated by any power on earth but our own. The god who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time: the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them.”

2) “…can the liberties …Gift of God” is from Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII (1785). “For in a warm climate, no man will labour for himself who can make another labour for him. This is so true, that of the proprietors of slaves a very small proportion indeed are ever seen to labor. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever . . .”


May 5, 2009 Will you please bow your heart in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, President Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President of the United States, said, "If American democracy is to remain the greatest hope of humanity, it must continue abundantly in the faith of the Bible." And the leaders of our nation later believed this strongly, for in 1952, by a joint resolution of Congress, the first Thursday in May each year was designated as a national day of prayer. This day was designated as a day of focused prayer for our nation, and its day after tomorrow Thursday, May 7 is the first Thursday of May. Each of us are privileged to be a part in our own way in this annual observance of our national day of prayer. And God is always true to his character, as we seek his face and prayer and respond to his holy promise in the Scriptures, it will change the way we think and the way we behave. For sin and spiritual decline removes the favor of God, but if we repent, God will forgive and pardon our sins, and replace them with his righteousness in our lives. Each day we rest upon the unfailing promise found in the scriptures, Isaiah 41:10, "Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Knowing this, we confidently affirm our nation's motto: in God we trust. And in heartfelt humility, we ask tonight for your protection and your favor upon our nation and our citizens. We especially pray for those who are ill and shut in. We would not forget to pray especially today for one who attends almost every Council meeting and speaks frequently from this podium. Because of his interest in our city and its future, we pray for Tony Spinelli, one of our citizens who's been so ill. Will you allow the healing grace of God to flow through his body, and may healing be swiftly and completely in his body. We pray also for those who are being adversely affected by the economic slowdown. We ask your divine presence and power to comfort and strengthen them and their families. And we invoke your divine wisdom to be bestowed on each member of our City Council. We ask you to provide solutions to each problem and to each need that they face tonight. We declare our responsibility to pray for your leadership in the lives and decisions of each member of our City Council, and their support staff. Fill City Hall and these council chambers with the peace and the power of your divine presence. May each home, each citizen, and each guest sense the impact of your presence in our city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


May 19, 2009 Dr. Paul Toms, recording partially missing ... Thank you for the people who lead us. Thank you with the people who act as our friends and help us day by day. Guide us now in this meeting. May the decisions that are made and all the processes that are followed be in keeping with your plan, and with Your Will. We ask these things in the name of Your Son and our Savior. Amen.


June 2, 2009 recording partially missing … Pray for the army, and pray for peace, and be assured that this message on prayer has the approval, the encouragement, and the enthusiastic support of the third U.S. Army commander, General George Patton.” And so tonight, Our Father, may each of us as individual citizens be people of prayer by day and night. Many unfavorable situations exist from time to time, in the lives of our citizens and in the life of our city. You have chosen human instruments, through whom you can infuse your divine life and your wisdom, with spiritual and civil authority. So teach us, and the members of our City Council, that it is when our hearts and minds are turned to God in childlike trust, that you divinely enable us to complete any assignment from you, with courage and with success. Tonight we invoke your presence and Your Will to become the resource that you give to each of our elected leaders and their support staff. God, bless our citizens and the guests of our beautiful city. God bless America, and protect America. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


June 16, 2009 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, Karl Marx once said, "If we can rip away history from any people, then we will easily conquer them. We have learned that a bouquet of beautiful roses soon die because they are cut off from their roots."39 Ethics and moral standards of behavior are not to be determined by a majority of people, but by God himself. It was President Harry Truman who said, "The fundamental basics of this nation's laws was given to Moses on the Mount, and the fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings of Exodus, Isaiah, St. Matthew, and St. Paul." Let none of us believe the misconception that freedom is a license to sin, or that freedom is a license to go our own way, or the misconception that freedom is a license to do as we wish. Help us to understand that freedom is the responsibility and the power to do what is right. No liberty is secure when it is removed from the roots that have been established by God. Our U.S. Constitution was written by moral people, and it was written for moral people, and it will work for no other but moral people. Our forefathers conceived freedom in their hearts, and they wrote freedom on our documents, and yet freedom is not free. Our freedoms cannot survive without our personal responsibility and courage. Our freedoms cannot survive without our eternal vigilance. So help each of our civic leaders and each of us as citizens to stand firm. Let us never be intimidated by numbers, but cause us to be men and women of conviction, who value moral righteousness above popular acclaim. Grant the light of your irresistible presence to avail, so that no unrighteousness can prevail. As loyal citizens, we boldly proclaim our nation's motto: in God we trust. We invoke your favor upon our city of Pismo Beach. As we confess our sins and forsake our sins, release your blessings upon each of our citizens, and all who work at City Hall and serve our community. Give your eternal wisdom to our friends whom we have freely elected to serve on our City Council, for these we pray for daily by name. Help them as they endeavor to make Pismo Beach a better place to live and to enjoy life. Especially this evening, give your divine guidance to our mayor, and each council member, and their support staff. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.



July 7, 2009 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, the past several days we have relived some of the history of our great nation, and the enumerable blessings of freedom that we enjoy. The Declaration of Independence has rightly been called 'the birth certificate of our United States'. It was approved by the Continental Congress, July 4, 1776, and by August 2, 56 legislators had affixed their signatures. Many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were men of strong godly influence. 29 of the 56 signers had ordained ministerial credentials.40 The first meeting of the Continental Congress convened September 6, 1774, and the first three hours were dedicated to prayer, followed by a study of Psalms 35. The Congress called for 3 million colonists to participate in a national day of prayer and fasting, for God’s favor, as they faced the highly trained British Army and Navy in their quest to overrun and defeat the 13 colonies. General George Washington later said, “The hand of divine providence became so conspicuous.” For in 1781, General Washington forced the surrender of General Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown, ending the Revolutionary War. And by Congressional approval, 20,000 Bibles were printed in 1782,41 and placed in public schools to be used regularly in the classroom, and this practice continued for 181 years, until June 1963 when the U.S. Supreme Court forbid the practice to continue.42 President Andrew Jackson said, “The Bible is the rock upon which our republic rests.” 43

40 This myth comes from David Barton, who claimed the 29 signers had seminary degrees. Only one, John Witherspoon was a minister. Three others, Lyman Hall, Robert Treat Paine and William Williams, studied for but did not go into the ministry (Hall quit theology to become a doctor). See, e.g., Elise Hu and Barbara Bradley Hagerty, “Cue the Tape: How David Barton Sees the World,” National Public Radio, (August 8, 2012) available at http://www.npr.org/2012/08/02/157777697/cue-the-tape-how-david-barton-sees-the-world (last accessed, February 1, 2013). 41 Congress never printed Bible. During the Revolutionary War, a printer, Robert Aitken, asked to publish a Bible under the authority of Congress and to be commissioned by Congress to do so. Congress declined to do this but did “recommend this edition,” in part because it was “an instance of the progress of arts in this country.” Gaillard Hunt, ed., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789, vol. 23, (Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1914), 574. Printing in this country was important because of the British embargo. Aitken used the congressional recommendation to hawk his bibles but, by his own account, they sold so poorly that he lost over £3,000 on the endeavor and could not get Congress to reimburse him or buy the bibles. Robert Aitken to George Washington, June 9, 1790, George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799: Series 4, General Correspondence. 42 This is not true. Congress did not place or approve the placement of Bibles in public schools and many state courts booted the Bible prior to 1963. See, e.g., Weiss v. District Board, 44 N.W. 967, 981 (1890); Herold v. Parish Board of School Directors, 136 La. 1034, 1049-1050, 68 So. 116, 121, L.R.A.1915D, 941 (1915); State v. Scheve, 65 Neb. 853, 91 N.W. 846 (1902) aff'd, 65 Neb. 853, 93 N.W. 169 (1903);Tudor v. Board of Education, 14 N.J. 31, 48-52, 100 A.2d 857, 867-868, 45 A.L.R.2d 729 (1953); Brown v. Orange County Board of Public Instruction, 128 So.2d 181, 185 (Fla.App., 1960); 43 No primary source provided or discernable. The earliest located source is Frederic William Farrar, History of Interpretation: eight lectures preached before the University of Oxford in the year MDCCCLXXXV on the foundation of the late Rev. John Bampton, page xxvii(MacMillian and Co., London, 1886), http://books.google.com/books?id=kVX92B3TRkMC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. According to the title page, Farrar was Archdeacon and Canon of Westminster and Chaplain in Ordinary to the Queen. The Jackson quote is buried in a paragraph that begins, “My main wish has been to show the true basis whereon rests the sacredness of Holy Scripture… It is because there is no Book and no Literature which can for a moment supply the place of the Bible in the moral and spiritual education of mankind that I would do my utmost to save it from the injury of false theories and impossible interpretations.” Although Farrar cites several sources just a few pages earlier, no source is provided for the deathbed quote by Jackson: “ ‘That book sir,’ said the American President, Andrew Jackson, pointing to the family Bible during his last illness, ‘is the rock on which our Republic rests.’ ”


Today, in the troubled times that our nation and our world faces, help each one of us to follow the principles of our founding fathers. May we humbly confess our sin, and seek the wisdom and the aid of our eternal God. For the Holy Scriptures state, “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.”44 Many unfavorable circumstances exist from time to time in the lives of numerous citizens in our community. We are so grateful for the members of our City Council and their support staff, from whom you can infuse your divine wisdom and your divine life, and we join with them in invoking your divine presence and your divine will, to be the resource that becomes the solution to every situation that we face. God, bless the citizens and the guests of our beautiful city, and God bless and protect our country: America. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

44 Psalm 34:15


July 21, 2009 (recording partially missing) ...upon our city of Pismo Beach. As we confess and forsake our sins, release your blessings upon each of our citizens and all who work at City Hall, and serve our community. Give your eternal wisdom to each member of our City Council, these are friends whom we have freely elected to govern our city, and for these we pray daily by name. Assess them, as they endeavor to make our beautiful city a better place to live and to enjoy life. Especially this evening, give your divine wisdom to our mayor, her colleagues on the council, and their support staff. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


August 4, 2009 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, America's founding fathers gave us a constitutional republic, and because of the wisdom and conviction of these righteous people, we are free today. But let us never forget that we could die slaves if we lose sight and understanding of the basic truth that freedom cannot exist without morality. Immoral men and women cannot long endure, and will cease to exist, and history is filled with such examples. Character and moral fortitude is a requirement, if we are to be able to govern ourselves. Whenever morality and righteous lifestyles decline, the abuse of rights always increase. To abandon moral principles and to abandon righteousness, we will lose our freedoms, for our rights come from God, and God gave certain inalienable rights before any human government ever existed. People joined together to form human governments in order to protect these rights, not to grant us rights, or to legislate out of existence these inalienable rights. Make us men and women who are unintimidated [sic], and who value moral righteousness above public acclaim. It was George Washington, our first president, who said, "It is impossible to rightly govern without God and the Bible."45 And all 50 states in our United States, without exception, acknowledge God in their state constitution. In 1879, when our own California State Constitution was written, the preamble began by saying, "We the people of the state of California are grateful to Almighty God for our freedom." Tonight, we feel much like President William McKinley, our 25th president, who declared in his 1897 inaugural address, "I assume the responsible duties as President of the United States, relying on the support of my countrymen and invoking the guidance of Almighty God." In this public City Council meeting tonight, we invoke the wisdom and the guidance of Almighty God to illuminate the thought processes of each of our council members. We have freely elected them to govern us, and therefore we pray for them daily by name. Help each of them; our mayor, her colleagues, and their support staff, as they endeavor to make wise decisions. And since you transmit your blessings and your favor through headship, allow your favor to flow from City Hall, and from these council chambers, to every home, and into every citizen who resides in our city, and every guest who visits our city. Cause our beautiful city of Pismo Beach that borders the blue Pacific, to become a better place to live and to enjoy life. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

45 Washington never said or wrote this phrase. See Paul Boller and John H. George, They Never Said It: A Book of Fake Quotes, Misquotes, and Misleading Attributions, 126-7 (Oxford University Press, 1989).


August 18, 2009 (Dr. Paul Toms) Will you join with me in a word of prayer please? Eternal God, Our Father, it is right and proper that we should begin an important and significant meeting such as this, seeking your blessing and your hand of guidance46 upon us. Thank you for all that you do for us. Thank you that we have food and shelter. Thank you that we have people who help us and sustain us. Thank you for friends who encourage us. Thank you for this community. We pray today your rich and abiding and continued blessing upon this community. And bless, we pray, and is fitting and proper that we should ask this, we pray for your blessing upon those who lead us. You have told us in Your Word that we should pray for those who have authority over us.47 Authority has been granted to this counsel, and to other people represented here today by the people of the community. Bless them as they exercise that authority. Give to them wisdom and understanding, and may we continue to live in a peaceful and quiet situation. Bless those who help us. Bless the children and youth of our community. Bless their teachers as they begin another school year, guide and direct in their influence and their lives. Bless those who protect us, our firemen and our police people. Watch over them. Help them as they protect us, may they be protected as well. Bless each member of this counsel, and all the officers, people who are assigned responsibilities, and all of us as we represent the community. We commend this meeting into your loving care. We seek Your Hand of blessing and guidance48 upon us, and we ask you to all to thank giving through Christ our Lord. Amen.

46 See e.g., Isaiah 25:10, 66:14; Psalm 139:5. 47 1 Timothy 2:1-2 48 See e.g., Isaiah 25:10, 66:14; Psalm 139:5.


September 1, 2009 May I ask you to bow your heart with me in prayer please? Our Heavenly Father, nearly 8 years have come and gone since the day of infamy: 9-11-2001. On this day, 19 foreign born terrorists recognized the vulnerability of our beloved nation, and they seized U.S. commercial airliners in midair, and filled with thousands of gallons of high octane jet fuel, they slammed them into both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and another airliner was flown into the nerve center of our U.S. military, the Pentagon, in Washington D.C., and nearly 3,000 innocent people were killed. Before our next official City Council meeting, September 11, 2009 will be upon us, in just 10 days, many of us will be participating in memorial services. On this day, we will be remembering those who grieve, because of the lives of loved ones, as well as those who are infirmed, physically and mentally, from this cowardly attack. Following that 9/11 attack, members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives met voluntarily for two hours in the rotunda of the capital building to humbly seek the favor of God, asking for the forgiveness of our sins, and for reconciliation and unity. They believe such assist our nation, to realize our potential as the champion of hope, the vindicator of the defenseless, and the guardian of freedom. Our President and all nine Supreme Court Justices were invited to this time of prayer, with no reporters or T.V. cameras, so that each could pray unhindered to God. It is in this spirit that we pray this invocation tonight, for tonight, tens of thousands of our finest youth and military leaders are in Afghanistan and Iraq, seeking to bring peace and prosperity to a people that have been formerly oppressed. It was Thomas Jefferson, our third president, who said, "The tree of freedom is watered by the blood of every generation." And so tonight, we pray earnestly for our President Obama, and his advisers, and every member of Congress. We pray for our servicemen and women. Protect them with the power of your divine presence. And we pray for the families and loved ones who grieve, because of those who paid the supreme sacrifice of their lives. And we stand tonight and affirm our national motto: in God we trust. Especially tonight, our hearts go out to all those who suffer so much because of the inferno of uncontrollable fires that burned so fiercely, especially in Southern California. We ask that you would protect our firemen, who willingly give their all to protect our homes and our businesses. Cause these fires to quickly burn themselves out. We ask your divine presence to fill our City Hall daily, and to fill our council chambers tonight. Give to each member of our City Council your divine wisdom and your divine guidance for the matters at hand tonight and in the future. God, bless and protect America, our citizens and the guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation, invoking your divine leadership tonight, we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


September 15, 2009 May I invite you to bow your hearts with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, throughout our nation's history, our leaders have invoked the aid of divine providence during the moments of trial and war. Perhaps nothing exemplifies this more than the image of George Washington kneeling in the snow in prayer during the terrible winter of 1776 at Valley Forge.49 Honoring this heritage, in years after World War II, Congress added the words: "under God" to our Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, and made the words: in God we trust, our nation's motto in 1956. And so it is in this spirit that I offer this invocation tonight. May we, our lawmakers in Washington D.C., as well as the members of our City Council in Pismo Beach, be often reminded that America is still one nation under God, and may me remember that God will continue to bless our nation, only as long as we boldly affirm our nation's motto with all our hearts: in God we trust. Grant that each citizen, each of our leaders, will seek to be people of conviction who value moral righteousness above public acclaim. May we as individuals never forget that it is our unified prayers, seeing God’s protection and seeking his blessing, that we are our greatest shield from the dangers and threats that we face. Give to each of us a new fidelity, a new integrity, and a deeper purity. For only then will the fullness of your purpose and your ways be revealed in each of us. Tonight, in the dignity of this City Council meeting, guide our mayor and her colleagues whom we have freely elected to serve as our leaders. We pray for them tonight publicly, because we have already prayed for each one by name today in our prayers. We ask that you would crown this council meeting, and our community, with the nearness of your invisible presence. Give your divine guidance in their thought processes, as well as their support staff who work at City Hall. May each decision that is made honor you, and be for the betterment of all of our citizens, and the guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation I pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

49 Historians agree that this did not happen. There is no contemporaneous report to verify it and the original report is from The Life of Washington, by Parson Mason Weems, who did not include the story until the 17th edition and also gave us the myth of the cherry tree. See Edward G. Lengel, Inventing George Washington, 13, 22-23, 76-86 (Harper Collins Publishers, 2011).


October 6, 2009 May I ask you to bow your heart with me in prayer please? Our Heavenly Father, we bow our hearts before you and the dignity of the City Council meeting. The Scriptures teach us, saying, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."50 We recognize that we are a nation under God. Our forefathers have handed us the torch of faith; you alone have given us our freedom, our liberty, and our prosperity. And faith in God is our heritage and our foundation. It was President George Washington who reminded us that morality and faith are the pillars of our republic. But it is evident that these pillars are being eroded in our secular and permissive society. Too long, we have neglected Your Word and ignored your laws. We have tried to solve our problems without reference to you. Your Word is so clear, and is so simple. For Your Word says: righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach and an embarrassment to any people.51 And so we confess to you our sins, and ask that we as a nation and as individuals, may experience a moral and a spiritual restoration. Our leaders in Washington D.C., and our leaders here in our beautiful city of Pismo Beach, often face burdens and responsibilities, that at times, are overwhelming. And we ask tonight your divine guidance and your power to rest mightily upon each of our leaders. In the moment of decision, give to them your uncompromising courage to do what is morally right; with a cool head, and a warm heart. We pray especially tonight for your divine understanding to rest strongly upon our intelligence community. And we pause now to thank you for the two domestic Islamic terrorist plots upon our nation that had been uncovered in recent days. Both of these would have inflicted severe damage to multitudes of our citizens. And so tonight, we boldly declare our nation's motto; in God we trust. And not only is this trust, this truth, engraved on our currency, but we also have enshrined it on our hearts and on our lips. Surround us with your presence and power as we find our security from your promise, which says: I will never leave you, I will never forsake you. Tonight, may our mayor, her colleagues, and their support staff rest confidently in your ability to give solutions to every problem they face; tonight and in the future. And may our united desire always be that Your Word becomes our law, and Your Will becomes our chosen path. This we pray in the name of him who Isaiah called the “Prince of Peace,”52 our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

50 Psalm 33:12 51 Proverbs 14:34 52 Isaiah 9:6 – This is from the Old Testament, the belief that Jesus is the fulfillment of this “prophecy” is an exclusively Christian idea, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”


October 20, 2009 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, it was George Washington, the first president of our great nation, who said, "It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will and to be grateful for his benefits, and to humbly implore his protection and his favor." And then James Madison, the fourth president of our great nation, said, "Before any man can be a member of civil society he must be considered a subject of the governor of the universe." The founding leaders of our country believed wholeheartedly the words of Holy Scripture53 that are recorded in Psalm 33, "The word of the Lord is right. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord, and blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."54 Because of this legacy, left to succeeding generations, we understand more fully why our U.S. Congress voted the model of our nation to be: in God we trust. And as American citizens of this generation, we forthrightly proclaim: in God we trust. Cause us, Lord, to be ever mindful that no one is secure in their own accomplishments. Our positions and our achievements never make us invincible. For God promises security and stability to those who choose to put their confidence and their trust in him. And so may we always seem to live justly, and to live righteously, and be zealous for the things that honor God. Thank you for each member of our City Council, as well as their support staff. We would ask that you would infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Give your solution to every difficulty and every need they face. We invoke your irresistible presence and Your Will tonight, to become the resource that you graciously grant to each of the elected leaders of our city. May proper decisions be made tonight, that will honor you and benefit the citizens as well as the guests of our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

53 Completely unsubstantiated. 54 Verses 4, 5 and 12.


November 3, 2009 Our Heavenly Father, Wednesday, one week from tomorrow, is Veterans Day across our great nation, and in our beloved city of Pismo Beach. And we pause in the dignity of this moment to offer thanks to you for the privilege to be citizens of the greatest nation on earth: the United States of America. And today, we lift loudly our voice in thanks for every military veteran who have proudly worn the uniform of our nation, and served our great country at any cost. These 25 million men and women have willingly fought any enemy, at great sacrifice, to guarantee to each citizen the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Many of their comrades have paid willingly the supreme sacrifice, so that no enemy and no oppressor shall remove from us the unalienable right of freedom. Many of our veterans are hospitalized tonight, suffering loss of limb and body because of wounds they received on the battlefield. To these, we pause tonight to say a sincere and heartfelt thank you. Allow your unseen, but dynamic, presence to be near them and their families tonight. And cause each of us as citizens of our great country to honor deeply in solemn appreciation, these millions of veterans across our great nation, who live among us as friends and as neighbors. And tonight, we give adherence to the wise instruction of our founding fathers. Let us not foolishly trust in wealth, or power, or position, or pleasure, for time has taught us that these are only fleeting and transitory, and so quickly fade away. So cause each of us to boldly proclaim: in God we trust. Today, we pray earnestly for your wisdom to be desired greatly by President Obama, his advisers, and every member of our Congress and Senate. We also pray for all of our servicemen and women serving our country abroad and around the globe, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan; protect them with your eternal power. And tonight we invoke your divine presence, so that it may fill our City Hall daily, as well as our council chambers this evening. Give to each member of our City Council and their support staff your wisdom and your understanding for matters at hand, today and in the future. God, bless America protect our citizens here in Pismo Beach and the guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation, invoking your divine leadership continually, we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


November 17, 2009 May I ask you to bow your heart with me in prayer please? Our Heavenly Father, Thursday of next week has been proclaimed as Thanksgiving day, in our beloved nation. Thanksgiving day is America's defining holiday. As individuals and as a nation, we are blessed above all of the people of the earth, with food in abundance, family and friends. Thanksgiving day in 1986, present Ronald Reagan said, "Perhaps no custom reveals our character as a nation so clearly as our celebration of Thanksgiving day. Rooted deeply in our Judeo-Christian heritage, the practice of offering Thanksgiving underscores our unshakable belief in God as the foundation of our nation, and our firm reliance upon Him from whom all blessings flow." We join with our pilgrim fathers at their first harvest feast in 1621. They believed and obeyed the words of Psalm 28:7, which says, "The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trust in him, and I am helped, and I will give thanks to him." Tonight, we remember and pray for the American military men and women around the world, especially those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, as they serve us with honor and bravery in places of difficulty, danger, and challenge. May they sense our gratitude and your protection. We would remember tonight to ask that you console the victims who survived the massacre at Fort Hood. May your presence and comfort sustain the family members as they cope with the tragic loss of their loved ones. Tonight we lift our hearts with gratitude, and boldly proclaim our nation's motto: in God we trust. May our nation remain 'one nation under God', as President Abraham Lincoln coined the phrase in his Gettysburg address November 19, 1863. And then said, "May we be one nation under God so that our nation of the people, and our government, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from the earth." We are grateful for our freely elected mayor and council members. We undergird them and their support staff with our words and our prayers daily.55 We invoke your divine wisdom and courage to be freely bestowed upon each of them, so that they may make good and right decisions. May each determination bring esteem and righteousness toward God, and bring fairness and justice to each citizen and guest in our city. Grant your protection and favor in abundance upon our civic leaders and our citizens. Thank you for responding to this invocation of Thanksgiving, that we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

55 1 Timothy 2:1-2.


December 1, 2009 Our Heavenly Father, Karl Marx, once said, "If we can remove history from people, then they can be easily conquered. And we know that a bouquet of roses die when cut off from their roots."56 So we clearly understand that no liberty and no freedom is secure when our roots are removed. Those roots that have been determined by God. For ethics, morals, and standards of behavior are determined by God. Standards of behavior are not determined by a majority of people. So enable each of us to stand firm for our godly convictions, understanding that it is an honor and a privilege to stand for right. May the deep abiding sense of God’s holiness and God’s righteousness always determine our sense of right and wrong. Tonight, once again, we strongly affirm our nation's motto: in God we trust. Help us to maintain this firm conviction in our hearts as well as our lifestyles. For only then will we not be helpless or defenseless as we face the future with confidence. We thank you for the privilege of meeting together in this council meeting, conducted openly in public for the benefit of our citizens. We ask that your invisible presence will fill our City Hall daily, as well as our Council Chambers tonight. We pray for each of our council members, for these are our friends whom we have freely elected to serve and to govern us. We pray for them publicly tonight, because we pray for them by name daily in our private prayers. Grant that each of our City Council members, and their support staff, and our mayor will be generously given your divine wisdom and your divine guidance for the matters at hand tonight, and in the future. God, bless and protect America. Bless and protect our president, and our military forces. Bless and protect the citizens of Pismo Beach, and the guest to visit our beautiful city. We invoke your divine leadership tonight upon all who lead our city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.



December 15, 2009 May I ask you please to bow your heart in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, it's Christmas time in our city and surrounding communities. Stores and shops are filled with carols and beautiful music of Christmas. We thank you that so many have been prospered, that they may purchase gifts for those that we love and are so dear to us. We ask you to allow your favor to rest upon our business community, who has planned earnestly and worked diligently to sell their goods and services, and then sent sales tax and bed tax to our city treasury. For your favor, we are grateful. Let us understand anew that the message of Christmas is simple and wonderful. God wants to enter into all of life circumstances. And God chooses a beginning point for his wonder workings in human beings; everyone is important. And so we pray tonight for those families among us whose lives have been impacted by the economic slowdown. Graciously provide for them as only you know how. At this Christmas time, we also remember to pray for our military personnel as they serve the local causes of freedom and liberty around the world. May each one who is deployed be safe and secure, and may their loved ones have God’s comfort in presence, as families are separated one from the other. When our next city Council meeting convenes, the Christmas lights will be out, the Christmas trees will have faded, the Christmas ribbons will be forgotten, and Christmas cards will be packed away. But the babe that was born in Bethlehem's manger will yet remain. 57 He will comfort when we are sorrowful, he will provide meaning when life seems so useless and empty, he will bring light when the way seems so dark, and he will provide joy when the circumstances are grim. And long after the carols were hushed, and long after the gift certificates have been cashed, the babe that was born in Bethlehem's manger will continue to bring happiness and satisfaction. 58 For His name is above all other names, 59 His reign is above all other rulers, 60 and His truth is above all other opinions. And so tonight, we invoke your divine presence to so fill City Hall daily, and these council chambers tonight, that you will give your wisdom to our mayor, and her colleagues, and their support staff, for the matters at hand tonight and for the future as well. God, bless America. Protect our great country. Protect the citizens in Pismo Beach, and protect the guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray, this holy Christmas season, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

57 Luke 2:12. 58 Luke 2:12. 59 Philippians 2:9. 60 1 Timothy 6:15.


January 19, 2010

Will you please bow your heart in prayer with me? Our Heavenly Father, we stand on the threshold of this new year, 2010. But already, our hearts have been deeply moved as we have listened to the news reporters and viewed pictures of the devastating earthquake that has bought such havoc in the city of Port-Au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. Many tens of thousands of citizens in this impoverished island nation have been killed. Many more have lost what meager possessions they had. Great numbers of our fellow Americans are freely giving cash and supplies to assist the Red Cross, and other relief organizations, as they provide emergency food, and water, and clothing, and temporary shelter. We continue daily to undergird these needy people in our earnest prayers, in this their time of desperation. And we pray Lord that you will give them courage and give them strength as they face the seemingly impossible road to recovery.

Chapter 40 of Isaiah in the Holy Scriptures records these encouraging words, "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, he never faints, nor is weary. And he gives power to the weak. And to those who have no might, he increases strength. And our times of human weakness, God will enable us to meet every current difficulty by the greatness of his might and by the strength of his power."61 But Lord, cause us to never forget the need for our devotion to God, and our obedience to his ways. We remember the prayer that was prayed by President Theodore Roosevelt when he said, "We invoke the direction and the favor of Almighty God for our guidance." And this is the stabilizing force that God provides for those who trust in him in these uncertain times. And so again tonight we unitedly affirm our nation's motto: in God we trust.

In the dignity of this public City Council meeting, we invoke your wisdom to guide our elected mayor, and her colleagues, and their support staff. May they make wise decisions that will honor God and benefit our citizens. And with your Almighty help, and with your divine wisdom, we are confident that every problem and every difficulty that confronts our City Council, and our city officials will find your solution, and be properly resolved. Grant this, oh Lord. Thank you for hearing our united prayers. This invocation we pray in the name of our wonderful Savior and Lord. Amen.

61 Verses are 21, 29 and 26, respectively.


February 2, 2010 Will you please bow your hearts with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, our U.S. Constitution gives each of us the guarantee to the right to worship God at home, and at work, and at school. Our founding fathers intended it thus to be. Benjamin Franklin proposed that the Constitutional Convention of 1787 begin each day with prayer.62 George Washington had hoped that all nations would acknowledge the providence of God, and obey his will. Thomas Jefferson warned the new United States to never forget that their liberties are the gift of God. These are testimonies to the role of God in America's history. And Abraham Lincoln later declared, "The sublime truth in the Holy Scriptures, and proven by all history is; that nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord." And Saint Luke admonishes us, "Grant that we may serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness, all the days of our lives."63 It was President Calvin Coolidge who said, "If American democracy is to remain the greatest hope of humanity, it must continue abundantly in the faith of the Bible." And Isaiah urges us to walk righteously, and speak uprightly.64 This is the stabilizing force that God provides those who trust in him, in certain times as well as uncertain times. You alone, oh God, give wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to the discerning.65 So we pray tonight, turn our hearts, and the hearts of our leaders toward you, and once again we boldly affirm our nation's motto: in God we trust. Tonight, we would not forget to ask your guidance, and your help, to all who give of their resources and their abilities to render aid and comfort to the tens of thousands who suffer tonight, and seem so helpless in the little island nation of Haiti. And this because of the result of the recent devastating earthquake. We invoke your presence and your favor to surround our City Council. Grant your divine intervention as unitedly [sic] they seek solutions to the needs of our beloved city. May our council, and their support staff, and all who work at City Hall, sense the nearness of God in their offices and in their places of work as they serve our citizens and the guests who come to our city. We ask your special favor upon our businesses who are finding it difficult financially in these uncertain economic times. May we always determine to honor you and to benefit each other. This invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

62 Again ignoring the conclusion, that the motion was so unimportant it was not voted on. 63 Luke 1:75 64 Isaiah 33:15 65 Daniel 2:21


February 16, 2010 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer please? We're grateful, Our Heavenly Father, to be citizens of our great country, the United States of America. We acknowledge that your power and your blessing has [sic] made us great. We enjoy blessings and benefits that are unknown by the vast majority of earth's population. We have plenteous food, clean water, proper housing, and prosperity that abounds in the lives of so many of our citizens. We accept these and many others as a direct result of the favor of God. We confess that we do not deserve these benefits more than others, but we express thanks and our desire to honor you in our daily lifestyles. With great appreciation, we boldly proclaim: in God we trust. Solomon, the wisest king who ever ruled, penned in the Holy Scriptures these words, "Righteousness exalts the nation, but sin is a reproach and an embarrassment to any people."66 And so tonight, we align ourselves with the words of one of our great statesman, Daniel Webster. He served first as a U.S. Senator and then as Secretary of State, and 150 years ago he declared, "If we abide by the principles taught in the Holy Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper, but if we or our posterity neglect the instructions and the authority of the Bible, no man can tell how suddenly catastrophe may overwhelm us and bear all of our glory in profound obscurity."67 So cause each of us to accept such wise instruction personally, and make it a part of our lives and our lifestyles daily. Tonight, in the dignity of this City Council meeting, we invoke your wisdom to guide our elected mayor, and her colleagues, and their support staff. May they make wise decisions that will honor God, and make better conditions for the citizens and the guests who visit our beautiful city of Pismo Beach. Together with your almighty help, and your divine wisdom, we are convinced that every problem and every difficulty that confronts our City Council will find your solution and be properly resolved. God, grant this. Thank you for hearing our united prayers, this invocation we pray, in the blessed name of our wonderful Savior and Lord. Amen.

66 Proverbs 14:34 67 This quote is inaccurate. The true quote does not mention the “Holy Bible” or the “Bible” at all. It does mention religious institutions but only in conjunction with morality and our political constitution. The following is accurate:

“…if we maintain those institutions of government and that political union, exceeding all praise as much as it exceeds all former examples of political associations, we may be sure of one thing, that, while our country furnishes material for a thousand masters of the historic art, it will afford no topic for a Gibbon. It will have no Decline and Fall. It will go on prospering and to prosper. But if we and our posterity reject religious institutions and authority, violate the rules of eternal justice, trifle with the injunctions of morality, and recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us that shall bury all our glory in profound obscurity. Should that catastrophe happen, let it have no history! Let the horrible narrative never be written! Let its fate be like that of the lost books of Livy, which no human eye shall ever read, or the missing Pleiad, of which no man can ever know more than that it is lost, and lost forever!”

Daniel Webster, An Address Delivered before the New York Historical Society, February 23, 1852, available at http://archive.org/stream/cu31924064123064#page/n5/mode/2up


March 2, 2010 Will you please bow your hearts with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, James Madison was the principal author of U.S. Constitution. He was the father of our Bill of Rights. He was the fourth President of the United States. It was he who said, "We have staked the whole fortune of American civilization not upon the power of government, but far from it, for we have staked the future upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the 10 Commandments of God."68 These are fundamental expressions of God’s design for man, and to abandon our nation's moorings would be absolutely tragic. And tonight, we join our hearts with our American founding fathers of the past, whose vision and whose courage shape the future of our country. In true repentance, we ask you our God, to protect and to preserve our beloved country. And cause our leaders to honor and follow you. Grant to each of our leaders, nationally and locally, clear guidance and moral courage, as they make decisions that directly influence our policies and our laws. For it is recorded in Holy Scripture, and King Solomon declared it 930 B.C., “God is a shield to those who put their trust in him.”69 And again he said, “He who trust in the Lord shall prosper.”70 And again he said, “Whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe and secure.”71 And his father before him, King David wrote, “He that trust in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.”72 Our forefathers read and reread these portions of Holy Scripture, and anchored their faith and their future to them. And as a result, in the year 1863 President Abraham Lincoln had this phrase engraved on every coin; in God we trust. And later this phrase was authorized to be printed on each U.S. paper currency, and in 1956 the U.S. Congress passed a resolution declaring our national motto: in God we trust. And Isaiah many years before wrote, “Anyone who trust in the Lord will not be disappointed.”73 And so tonight, we will boldly and firmly affirm our nation's motto: in God we trust. And it is in this spirit that we pray this invocation. We are so grateful that all of us can be a part of this public City Council meeting. We invoke your blessings upon each council member. These are our friends. We have freely elected them to serve us, and we pray for them daily. Cause each of them to understand that they cannot properly discharge their responsibilities or their assigned task apart from your enablement. Bless them and their support staff with the strength and the security of your invisible presence, and grant to each of them your divine direction in their thought processes. For this will bring proper solutions to each problem and each need that they encounter, and will benefit each citizen and each guest in our beautiful city of Pismo Beach. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

68 This quote is false, or at least, falsely attributed to James Madison. David Barton is responsible for putting this quote into Christian pop-culture. 69 Proverbs 30:5 70 Proverbs 28:25 71 Proverbs 29:25 72 Psalm 32:10 73 Isaiah 49:23


March 16, 2010 Our Heavenly father, America's founding fathers gave us a constitutional republic. Because of the wisdom and the convictions of these righteous people, we are free today. But let us never forget that we could die slaves if we lose sight and understanding of one basic truth; that is that freedom cannot exist without morality. Immoral men and women cannot long endure, and will cease to exist. History is filled with such examples. But character and moral fortitude is a requirement if we are to be able to govern ourselves. Whenever morality and righteous lifestyles decline, the abuse of rights increases. To abandon moral principles and to abandon righteousness, we will lose our freedoms. Our rights came from God before any human government existed. And people joined together to form human government in order to protect these rights, not to grant us rights, or to legislate out of existence these inalienable rights. Make us men and women who are unintimidated, and who value moral righteousness above public acclaim. It was George Washington, our first United States president who said, "It is impossible to govern righteously without God and the Bible."74 All 50 states in our United States without exception acknowledges God in their state constitution. In 1879, when California wrote its constitution, the preamble begins with these words, "We the people of the state of California, are grateful to Almighty God for our freedom." Tonight, we feel much like Pres. William McKinley, our 25th president, who declared in his 1897 inaugural address, "I assume this responsible duty, as President of the United States, relying on the support of my countrymen and invoking the guidance of Almighty God." And so, in this public Council meeting tonight, we invoke the wisdom and the guidance of Almighty God to illuminate the thought processes of each of our City Council members. We have freely elected them to govern us, and we pray for them daily. Help each of them, our mayor, her colleagues, and their support staff, as they endeavor to make wise decisions. And since you transmit your blessing and your favors through headship, allow your favor to flow from City Hall and these Council chambers to every home and to every citizen who resides in our city and to each guest who visits our city. Cause our beautiful city of Pismo Beach, that borders the blue Pacific, to become a better place to live and to enjoy life. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

74 This is not accurate. There is no evidence recording that Washington said or wrote such a statement.


April 6, 2010 Will you bow your hearts in prayer please? Our Heavenly Father, we lift our hearts in gratitude tonight, that we are privileged to participate in our public City Council meeting. We offer praise to God, for your continued protection over our nation and our city. And we pray that your omniscience and your knowledge will be granted to our intelligence community, as they continue to safeguard our country and our citizens. May no further terrorist plots be carried out, and may any plans made to do us harm be uncovered and defused before they can be realized. Cause righteousness to reign in our lives individually and in our government. It was President Herbert Hoover, our 31st president, who said, "Where there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned. There is no such thing as no man's land between honesty and dishonesty. Our strength lies in spiritual concepts; it lies in public sensitivity to evil." Then he said, "Our greatest dangers are not from invasion by foreign armies, but rather that we commit suicide from within, by complaisance with evil or public tolerance of scandalous behavior." The power of prayer is a dynamic force that repels unrighteousness, but the influence of prayer has been dramatically reduced in our public life. And the moral compass of the Holy Scriptures has been largely laid aside. Public morality is declining to dangerously low points. So help each of us to always seek to live justly, and to pursue righteousness, and to be zealous for a lifestyle that honors God. We are most grateful for our nation's motto that so strongly instructs us: in God we trust. Thank you for every member of our City Council and their support staff. Infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Give to them your solution to every difficulty that they face. We invoke your irresistible presence and will tonight to become the resource that you graciously grant to each of the leaders of our city. May proper decisions be made tonight that will honor you and that will benefit the citizens and the guests of our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


April 20, 2010 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, it was June 28, 1787 that Governor Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania hosted the 55 delegates in Pennsylvania to the first Constitutional Convention. He said, "I've lived a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth; that God governs in the affairs of men. If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without God’s notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured in the sacred writings that except the Lord build this house, they labor in vain who build it. Without his concurring aid, we shall succeed in building this Republic no better than the builders of Babel. I therefore move, that henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessings on our deliberations be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service." James Madison concurred, and such resolution was passed.75 And from that day until today, for the past 223 years, prayers of have opened both houses of our Congress daily; in the U.S. Senate, and US House of Representatives. And so it is in this spirit we pray this invocation tonight. We are grateful for the privilege to gather publicly in this Pismo Beach City Council meeting. This is the last Council meeting before Randy Bloom retires as our City Director of Community Development. Thank you for his leadership in our cities these past 10 1/2 years, and all that has been accomplished through his leadership. Our city is a better place for our citizens and our guests because he has served us with his skills. We have freely elected our mayor and her colleagues to our City Council, and in obedience to Holy Scripture, we support, and we undergird them and their staff with our prayers.76 We pray for them tonight publicly, as we have prayed for each of them by name in our personal prayers. We are reminded again that good government is not the idea that was generated in the heart of people, but good government is the principal that originated in the heart of God. So give to each of our Council persons tonight your divine wisdom to make good decisions, and grant that each decision will honor God, and be for the betterment of all the citizens of Pismo Beach and all the guests who visit our beautiful city. We thank you for hearing our prayer. For this invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

75 As pointed out previously, this is false. The motion was not even voted on, let alone passed. 76 1 Timothy 2:1-2.


May 4, 2010 Our Heavenly Father, we pause to offer our heartfelt thanks, giving that you have again extended your protection to our citizens and our nation this past 24 hours. Thank you that the would-be terrorist, who plotted to blow up a car and kill scores and scores of citizens in New York City, has failed in his attempt and was arrested, and now awaits trial. Continue to grant your favor to our intelligence community, as they seek to guard our nation against all those, foreign and domestic, who would terrorize and harm our citizens. It was 1789, President George Washington said, "It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, and to be grateful for his benefit, and to humbly implore God’s protection and favor." When Nehemiah was mayor of Jerusalem, the Bible says of his brother Hanani, that he was a faithful man and honored God more than many.77 The Bible and history unite and continually teach us that God’s favor accompanies righteousness. For those who practice righteousness shine as beacons of light. And such righteousness brings God’s blessings, and his protection. Cause each member of our City Council to humbly seek the blessing and favors of God, that they may properly discharge their responsibilities and the tasks that have been assigned to them. And as a result, may righteousness flow from City Hall, and may righteousness flow from these council chambers, into each home in our beautiful city and into the lives of each of our citizens. Thank you for your continued protection and provisions for our city and its citizens. We are grateful for these open council meetings, and this one tonight, where all may participate in the affairs of our city. Bless all who work at City Hall. Cause them to serve and to sense the strength and the security of your enabling presence. Grant our city Council and their support staff your divine direction in their thought processes, and may they receive your solution for each of the problems and needs that they may encounter tonight. May each decision honor you, and benefit the citizens and the guest of our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

77 The Bible says that Nehemiah put Hanani in charge because he “feared God more than most men do.” Nehemiah 7:2.


May 18, 2010 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer please? Our Heavenly Father, our nation was founded on principles of righteousness by men and women who both knew and loved God. The Pennsylvania State Assembly, in 1751, called for the forging of a bell to commemorate William Penn's original state charter. The legislators included the instructions that a scripture verse from the Holy Bible be inscribed on that bell. And the verse chosen was Leviticus 25:10, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, and unto all the inhabitants."78 Our founding fathers considered important for all generations to know that God is the source of true freedom. So help us to understand, as did our founding fathers, that righteousness does not just happen by accident, but righteousness must be pursued. We refuse to be absorbed by the uncertainty in the daily headlines. The good news is: no one is helpless in the face of the future. Our daily prayer seeking God’s blessing and God’s protection are our greatest shield from any danger or threat that we may face. It was John Jay, our first United States Supreme Court Chief Justice, who said, "Rely upon the good providence of Almighty God for success, in full confidence that without his blessing, all our efforts will inevitably fail." Today, as a nation and as individuals, we are neither ashamed nor embarrassed to let the world know that we indeed boldly affirm our nation's motto: in God we trust. And it is in this spirit that we pray this invocation. In heartfelt humility we implore your protection and your favors. We invoke your infinite wisdom to be graciously bestowed upon the members of our City Council. The problems our city faces are known by our council members, but more importantly, they are known by you, oh God. So grant solutions that will honor you, and be for the betterment of each citizen and each guest who visits our city. We have freely elected five citizens, our friends, to serve as council members to lead our beautiful city. May your leadership be manifest in their lives and in their decisions, as well as their support staff. Where there may be confusion, bring harmony. Give your wisdom for the proper answer and the proper solution. We pray tonight you would fill City Hall and these council chambers with the peace and the power of your eternal presence, and cause each home and each citizen in Pismo Beach to feel the impact of your eternal presence. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

78 The full text, with contextual passages (25:1, 8-12), reads:

“The LORD then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai saying…‘You are also to count off seven Sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven Sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years. You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land. You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines. For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field.’ ”


June 1, 2010 (Dr. Paul Toms) Will you join me please in a moment of prayer? Eternal God, our Heavenly Father, we come to you at the end of a busy day, all kinds of activities and challenges, opportunities. We give you thanks for your provision, for your guidance, for your watchful care over us. Now we come to you again to seek your blessing upon us in this special meeting. Thankful for where we live, thankful for the blessings we enjoy here, we seek your blessing today upon this meeting in a special way. Bless members of this council. Bless these other elected and appointed officials. We thank you for what they do for us. Thank you for their commitment to that which is desirable, and useful, proper, and right. May the blessing of God rest upon us, and upon our community, for which we pray; we pray for the people who live here, we pray for the people who visit here, we pray for the people who come from here who are overseas, and some of them fighting in very difficult places. Watch over them, protect them, help them, bring an end to these conflicts, and return them safely home. Thank you for the people to watch over us here; for our policeman, policewomen, fire department people, for other people who work and succeed in doing so many things that make life comfortable and far more easy for us. So we give you thanks today, we pray your blessing upon this meeting. We ask for your inspiration, we ask it will be led by you. We thank you that these people are seeking to do the right thing. The Bible says that if we lack wisdom, let us ask of God.79 So we ask of you today to give wisdom, and guidance, and direction. Help us as we commend ourselves into your loving care. We pray all these things in the name of the Great Redeemer, your Divine Son, amen.

79 James 1:2, 3, 5 - “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. … If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”


June 15, 2010 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, history teaches each of us that when the capitol building was built in Washington D.C., the designers were well aware of the dependence of the members of Congress upon God and prayer. The eighty third Congress designated a room in the rotunda that is always open for private prayer and meditation for the members of Congress, whenever Congress is in session. This prayer chapel stands as a witness to the need for prayer by our nation's leaders. In the focal point of the room is a stained glass window that depicts General George Washington, kneeling in prayer.80 Surrounding him are the words found in Psalm Chapter 16, “Preserve me, oh God, for in thee, do I put my trust.”81 When our pilgrim fathers came to this new world, they came in search for religious freedom. The faith and the prayers of our founding fathers made us truly one nation under God. Faith in God has played an integral role in the founding and the growth of our great nation. One of the most important characteristics of our country is our legacy of faith and trust in God. So again, we here tonight boldly affirm our nation's motto: in God we trust. And it is in this spirit that we pray this invocation tonight. We are grateful for the privilege to gather publicly in the Pismo Beach City Council meeting. We have freely elected our friends, the mayor and her colleagues, to our City Council to serve us. And in obedience to Holy Scripture, we support them and undergird their support staff with our prayers.82 We pray for them corporately tonight, as we pray for each of them daily by name in our personal prayers. And we understand that good government is a principle that originated in the heart of God. So tonight, cause each of our council members to sense the power of your invisible presence, and we invoke your divine wisdom and your courage be given to each of them to make good and right decisions. Grant that each decision will honor God, and be for the betterment of all citizens of Pismo Beach, and the guests who visit our beautiful city. We thank you for hearing and responding to our prayer. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

80 Although the window may exist, the event portrayed did not happen. 81 Psalm 16:1-1 “Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’ I say of the holy people who are in the land, “they are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.’ Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.” 82 1 Timothy 2:1-2.


July 6, 2010 Would you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, two days ago, Sunday, July 4, the citizens of our great nation celebrated our freedom as a nation – our 234th birthday. It was July 4th, 1776 that John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress led the elected representatives of the thirteen colonies to vote on a resolution declaring their independence from Great Britain. This document, written by Thomas Jefferson, our Declaration of Independence was officially ratified causing the thirteen colonies of America to become the United States of America. In its opening statement, it reads: “All men are created equal, they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights., that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”83 The representatives at the Continental Congress proclaimed themselves to be free and independent with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence. Little wonder then, that the United States Congress in 1956, under the leadership of President Dwight Eisenhower passed a resolution declaring our national motto to be: “In God, We Trust.” And it was President Ronald Reagan on August 23, 1984 who said, “Without God, there is no virtue, because there is no prompting of the conscience. Without God, there is a coarsening of our society. And without God, democracy will not, and cannot, long endure.” He concluded by saying, “If we ever forget that we are one nation, under God, then we will be nation gone under.” So tonight, help us and our generation to never forget the godly principles and the values upon which our great nation was founded. We pray for our mayor, for the members of our City Council, and their support staff. Tonight, we invoke God’s divine wisdom and courage to be freely given to each of the members of our City Council. May each determination that is made bring esteem and righteousness toward God, and at the same time bring justice and fairness and worth to each citizen, and each guest visiting our beautiful city. May your protection, and your favor and abundance, be upon our leaders and our citizens. Thank you for hearing and responding to this prayer of invocation. We pray it, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

83 The full opening reads: “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”


August 3, 2010

Will you bow your heart with me in prayer, please? Our Heavenly Father, it was President George Washington who on one occasion said, “It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible.” 84 In 1864, during the Civil War, the United States Congress approved engraving the phrase “In God, We Trust” on the two cent coin. Forty-four years later, in 1908, legislation was passed to engrave “In God, We Trust” on all U.S. coins. And forty-seven years later, in 1955, when President Eisenhower was our President, Congress passed a resolution that “In God, We Trust” would be printed on all coins and all U.S. currency. One year later, in 1956, the phrase “In God, We Trust” became the national motto of our great country. And tonight, as American citizens, we boldly affirm as a nation, and as individual citizens “In God, We Trust.” And it is in this spirit that we pray this invocation tonight.

As American citizens living in this great nation, we enjoy the blessings of freedom that have been given to us by God. As such, we join our voices with President Warren G. Harding, who once said, “I implore the favor and the guidance of God in heaven.”

Bless all who work and serve us in our City Hall. Cause them to sense the strength and the security of your invisible presence. Bless our City Council whom we have freely elected. These are our friends, for whom we pray daily. May the members of our City Council understand that they cannot properly discharge their responsibilities, or the tasks assigned to them, without your help. Tonight, crown this City Council with your nearness, and give your divine guidance and your divine direction in their thought processes. May each decision that is made honor you and be for the betterment of all of our citizens , and the guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord . . . Amen.



August 17, 2010 (Father Victor Abegg) We pause for a moment to open our hearts and our minds so as to allow the great force of our world that we all recognize in so many different ways, to enter into our lives, to help us be transformed this evening, and to truly help us to derive the wisdom that we need in order to come together for the sake of the needs of the community of Pismo Beach. May all that we know and all that we hold dear come together for the sake of the common good. May we be blessed with wisdom. May we search for a true understanding of what is being said by one another, so that we may come to a consensus and draw ourselves in to a one-ness which leads to the establishment of a more remarkable union as far as our citizens are concerned and as far as our work is concerned. May we all be blessed then, to listen carefully, to understand deeply, and to reflect powerfully, on what is the best. To allow our minds to be changed if they need to be changed, and to allow our hearts to reach out where they need to reach out. May we ask all of this and be guided by all of this, in the name of the one whom each of us holds dear, the one that we call Lord, and make this prayer. Amen.


September 7, 2010 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, our nation was founded on Biblical principles by men and women who knew and honored you. The Pennsylvania State Assembly in 1751 called for the forging of a bell to commemorate William Penn’s original state charter. And then legislators included instructions that required a verse from the Bible to be inscribed on the bell and the verse chosen was recorded in Leviticus chapter 25, verse 10: “Proclaim liberty through all the land, unto all the inhabitants.” Our Founding Fathers considered it important for all generations to know that God is the source of our freedoms. It was on June the 14th, 1954 that President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a joint resolution which added the phrase “under god” to the pledge of allegiance to our flag, and then he said, “In this way we are re-affirming our religious faith in America's heritage and our future. And in this way we constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons that forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and in war.” So tonight, we bow our hearts and our heads to acknowledge your divine providence. We desire to do Your Will. We are most grateful for all of your benefits to us: life and health and friends and your divine presence and our beautiful city. Make us mindful of the words of King Solomon who said, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach and an embarrassment to any people.”85 And heartfelt humility compels each of us to repent of our sins as we implore your protection and your continued favors. Allow your infinite wisdom to be graciously bestowed on our City Council. The problems our City Council faces today are known by our Council members but, more importantly, they are also known by you, our God, and we ask that you would grant solutions that will honor you and benefit each citizen. We have freely elected these five citizens, our friends, to lead our city. May your leadership be manifested in their lives, and in their decisions, as well as the staff that supports them. Where there may be confusion, bring harmony. And where there may be seemingly no solution, give your wisdom for the proper answer. We ask that City Hall and these Council chambers will be filled with the peace and power of your eternal presence, and cause each home and each citizen in Pismo Beach to feel the impact of your eternal presence. This invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord . . . Amen.

85 Proverbs 14:34


September 21, 2010 Our Heavenly Father, tonight in this regular meeting of the Pismo Beach City Council, we are reminded of the words of President Abraham Lincoln, declared a hundred and forty-seven years ago, on March 30, 1863. Our nation at that time was in the midst of the Civil War, and President Lincoln said, “Whereas it is the duty of nations, as well as men, to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God, and to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon and to recognize his sublime truth that has been announced in the Holy Scriptures, and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.” It is in this spirit that we pray this invocation tonight. We join with hundreds of communities across our land, as we salute and honor our brave military youth and veterans of the conflict in the Middle East. These young men and women have strongly believed, and taught us by their lives and their courage and their actions that liberty is dearly bought, it is difficult to keep, and liberty must be continually paid for. These youth have offered their most vital years of youth in service to our country, in our Army and Navy, in our Coast Guard and Marines and Air Force. Shower your wisdom upon our President, and upon all of our national leaders as they seek you tonight. Bless our City Council. These are our friends whom we have freely elected, for whom we pray daily. Help them as they earnestly endeavor to make Pismo Beach a better place for us to live and enjoy life. Crown this Council meeting with the nearness of your presence, and give your divine guidance in their thought processes. May each decision that is made honor you and be for the betterment of all of our citizens, and the guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord . . . Amen.


October 5, 2010 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer, please? Our Heavenly Father, our American history teach us that it was October 3rd, 1789, that's just two hundred and twenty-one years ago last Sunday, that President George Washington gave us these immortal words, when he said, and I quote “It is the duty of nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, and to be grateful for his benefits, and to humbly implore his protection and his favor.” We are exceedingly grateful for the bounty of heaven, that has preserved our nation and our community. Today we enjoy peace and prosperity, and wealth and power that is unknown by any other people on Earth. And tonight as we enjoy your gracious and guiding hand, we do so in our land and our beautiful city of Pismo Beach. We invoke God’s blessing upon our mayor and the members of our City Council. We have freely elected these, our fellow citizens, and we pray for them daily. Our City Council and their support staff seek earnestly to make Pismo Beach a better place to live and to enjoy life with our families and with our friends. We would pray tonight that you would allow for the power of your eternal presence to cause their thought processes to respond to your divine guidance. May the decisions that are made honor you and be for the betterment of Pismo Beach, for all of our citizens, and the guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord . . . Amen.


October 19, 2010 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, George Washington, the first President of our country, said, “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, and to be grateful for his benefits, and to humbly implore his protection and his favor.” And James Madison, our fourth President, said, “Before any man can be a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the governor of the universe.” The Founding Fathers of our country believed wholeheartedly in what these men said and the words of Holy Scripture that are revealed in Psalm 33, which says, “The Word of the Lord is right… The Earth is full of the goodness of the Lord… Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”86 And because of this legacy that was left to succeeding generations, we understand more fully why our Congress voted the motto of our nation to be, “In God, We Trust.” As American citizens of this generation, we proclaim forthrightly, “In God, We Trust.” Cause us Lord to be ever mindful that no one is secure in their own accomplishments. Our positions and our achievements never make us invincible. God promises security and stability to those who choose to put their trust in and their confidence in him. May we always seek to live justly and righteously and be zealous for the things that honor God. Thank you for each member of our City Council, and their support staff. Infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Give each solution to every difficulty and need that they face. We invoke your irresistible presence and will tonight to become the resource that you so graciously grant to each of the elected leaders of our city. May proper decisions be made tonight, that will honor you and benefit the citizens of Pismo Beach, and the guests of our city. This invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

86 Psalm 33:4-12 reads: For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.


November 16, 2010 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, Karl Marx once said, “If we can rip way history from any people, they will be easily conquered.”87 We have learned that a bouquet of beautiful roses soon die because they are cut off from their roots. Ethics and moral standards of behavior are not to be determined by a majority of people, but by God himself. For it was Harry Truman, our President, who said, “The fundamental basics of this nation's laws was given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, and the fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings of Exodus, Isaiah, Matthew and St. Paul.” So let none of us believe the misconception that freedom is a license to sin or go our own way or do as we wish, but rather help us to understand that freedom is the responsibility and the power to do what is right. No liberty is secure when it is removed from the roots that have been established by God. Our U.S. Constitution was written by moral people, it was written for moral people and it will work for no other people. Our forefathers conceived freedom in their hearts, and wrote freedom on our documents, and yet freedom is not free. Our freedoms cannot survive without our personal responsibility and courage and they certainly cannot survive without our eternal vigilance. So help each of our civic leaders, and help each of us as citizens to stand firm. Let us never be intimidated by numbers, but cause us to be men and women of conviction who value moral righteousness above public acclaim. Grant the light of your irresistible presence to avail, so that no unrighteousness can prevail. As loyal citizens, tonight we boldly proclaim our nation's motto, “In God, We Trust.” We invoke your favor upon our city of Pismo Beach, as we forsake and confess our sins. Release your blessings upon each of us as citizens, and all who work at City Hall and serve our community. Give your eternal wisdom to our friends, whom we have freely elected to serve on the City Council, for these we pray daily by name. Help them as they endeavor to make Pismo Beach a better place to live and to enjoy life. Especially this evening, give your divine guidance to our mayor, each council member and their support staff. This invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord . . . Amen.



December 7, 2010 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for each member of our City Council, who has served our city and our citizens so well. You have graciously given us Mary Ann Reese, six years ago as your gift to us, as our mayor. She has led our Council with skill and dignity even when difficult decisions had to be made. It has been rewarding to see each member of our council work together in such a great spirit of unity, though each decision has not been unanimous. The Bible speaks of leadership as quote, “serving with one accord.”88 We have seen this attitude modeled before us regularly. You have graced each of our council members with understanding and courage, yet with a spirit of meekness. They have demonstrated that meekness is not weakness, but meekness is strength and skills under control. And tonight, our newly elected mayor, Shelly Higginbotham, will be duly installed. We believe she is your gift to us, for this season, to help guide our city and this council through somewhat difficult financial times. We offer you gratitude for our council and their support staff, who have shown wisdom and soundness of mind. They have led with integrity and transparency, and have made character a high honor. May they always remain calm and controlled, manifesting uprightness and righteousness. For such leadership shall help keep our city strong as we enter the new year of 2011. Let there never be division or confusion, but may your unseen irresistible presence caused their united efforts to be structured, efficient and productive. We pray the prayer of President Theodore Roosevelt, when he said and I quote, “We invoke the direction and the favor of Almighty God for our guidance.”89 And so tonight, Our Father, we affirm again to you our nation's motto, “In God, We Trust.” May your nearness always hallow these council chambers, and cause each decision that is made to honor you and to make Pismo Beach a better place to live and to enjoy life. We ask each of these benefits to our city, for all of us who live in it, and for the visitors who come to visit us. We ask this invocation in the wonderful name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

88 Romans 15:5-6 NASB: “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, [6] so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 89 There is nothing in the historical record to support this quote attributed to T. Roosevelt.


December 21, 2010 (recording partially missing) . . . will become a reality in the Middle East, in Iraq and Afghanistan, in Iran and on the Korean Peninsula. In the truest sense, let earth receive her king, for the message of Christmas is evident in the lives of our citizens throughout Pismo Beach. In many of our stores, and especially the outlet center, favorite Christmas carols are heard such as, “Silent Night,” “Oh Come All, Ye Faithful” and “Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come.” These carols fill the air, and they fill our hearts, and Christmas teaches us that God is able and willing to bring life to the most barren settings, and that he is able to breathe hope into the most unpromising situations, and all of life's circumstances for each of us today. We thank you for your many gifts to us and to our city this Christmas season. Thank you for the numerous inches of rain that have fallen in our area, making our hills and our countryside lush and green. Thank you for our new mayor, Shelly Higginbotham, and our new mayor pro-tem Chris Vardas, and our united city council and their grand support staff. We would invite your guidance through their skills and their talents as they dedicate them to make Pismo Beach a better place, and a better place to live in 2011. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


January 18, 2011 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer, please? Our Heavenly Father, General George Washington emerged as the most significant leader in the founding of our United States. History has esteemed him as the father of our country. He was surrounded by a host of courageous leaders, brilliant thinkers, passionate orators, many better educated than he. Washington possessed energy, vision and calm demeanor, but the reason cited for his emergence as the supreme leader in the early days of our country was because of his high moral character – his sterling character, combined with his leadership genius. He could be trusted implicitly. Thomas Jefferson wrote of George Washington, “His integrity was most pure. His justice was most inflexible, and no motives of friendship or hatred were able to bias his decisions.” He could lead over a long period of time. He could lead in extraordinary difficulties. He led our trips to victory in the Revolutionary War. He superintended the Constitutional Convention. He was elected unanimously as our first United States President. So, oh God, cause each of us to strive for such character and such righteousness in our lives, and in our decisions. May our nation, and may our community, be strengthened morally by such actions. In this first public City Council meeting of this new year, and this new decade, may each Council member, each staff member, each community leader and each citizen determine to have a positive influence as we dedicate ourselves to lifestyles of character and righteousness. We are most grateful for our new mayor, Shelly Higginbotham, whom you have given to us, as well as her colleagues on our current City Council. We invoke your wisdom, and your understanding to be graciously bestowed in their thought processes. May each decision bring honor to God, and benefit our citizens. We continue to remember in our prayers our fellow American citizens in Tuscon, Arizona and especially those who have lost loved ones, and grieve tonight because of a senseless tragedy. Cause each of those who were injured to be granted a speedy and a complete recovery. Our father, accept our gratitude for your continued protection to our community, and to each citizen and each guest that visits our city. This invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord . . . Amen.


February 1, 2011 Will you bow your hearts with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, we bow our hearts before you in humility. We ask you to unite our hearts and strengthen our hands, to work together for the good of our nation, for our state and for our community. It was Horace Greeley, a respected 19th century newspaper editor, who reminds us in our quote, “Our founding fathers emphasized that liberty cannot be established without morality, nor can morality be established without faith.” Success depends upon God’s word being in our hearts, and our minds, and upon our lips. America was founded upon principles recorded in the Holy Scriptures. Our founders left us an abundance of quotations in their personal correspondence, as well as their public statements, and these show us the profound extent to which their thinking and their lives were influenced from a righteous worldview. They thought, and they reasoned, from a Biblical perspective. This greatly shaped and determined their political ideals for our Republic. We pray for our President tonight, for the House and Senate leadership, and for all those who are seeking to bring peace and justice to our dangerous and troubled world. We pray especially for the citizens of Egypt in their current struggle. Allow your protection to surround all those who serve in our armed forces around the world. Thank you for their commitment to defend our freedoms even at the cost of their own lives. Be near to their families, and assure them of your love and your concern for them. We confess our need of you, and your invisible presence, in this council meeting tonight. For you alone know our future, and only you can bring the strength and the wisdom to our mayor, her colleagues, and their support staff, to meet the challenges, as well as the opportunities, that we face as a city. We invite your blessings upon our city, upon each citizen and each guest who visits our city. And we thank you for friends as well as fellowship. This invocation we pray, in the wonderful name of our Savior and Lord . . . Amen.


February 15, 2011 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer, please? Our Heavenly Father, our world has looked intently for eighteen days as millions of Egyptian citizens have protested in the streets of Cairo, their capital city, and other large cities in their country. They are protesting thirty years of tyrannical reign of the ruthless dictator of this country, Egypt. Eighty million Egyptians believe as our forefathers believed that freedom and liberty does not come from government, but rather it comes from our creator, and since the resignation and departure of their dictator days of jubilation have followed, and we pray that peace and goodwill may be enjoyed now by all the citizens of Egypt. May any who would deny such freedom be thwarted by your divine intervention. We are most grateful for your blessings upon the founders of our beloved country, the United States of America. You have honored their vision for the days they lived, as well as for the 234 years that have followed. And today, we pray the prayer that was written by Samuel Smith, who was a student at Andover University Theological Seminary in 1831, he wrote, “Let music swell the breeze and ring from all the trees. Sweet music, freedom's song. Let mortal tongues awake. Let all that breathe partake. Let rocks their silence break. This song, prolong. Our father's God to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing. Long may our land be bright, with freedom's holy light. Protect us by your might, great God, our king.” And tonight we resoundingly affirm our nation's motto, “In God, We Trust.” Accept our gratitude for our mayor, her colleagues who share with her on our City Council, and their support staff. As citizens of Pismo Beach, we are most fortunate for such talented and skilled people to lead our city, and give watchful care for our concerns. We invoke your wisdom to be graciously given to each of them tonight as they seek solutions to make our city a better place to live, and to enjoy life. This invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord . . . Amen.


March 1, 2011

May I ask you again to bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, each Wednesday morning at 8 o'clock, when Congress is in session, a group of nearly twenty Senators meet to seek and to pray for the guidance of God. These weekly sessions are a tradition of more than sixty years, and during these prayer times they ask God to guide their personal lives and their lives as Senators. The fact that so many of our great leaders have sought spiritual guidance from God the almighty is a testament to the power of prayer. Throughout our history, citizens, and leaders as well, have been involved in prayer to promote progress, to heal wounds, to enhance insight, and to win moral victories.

It was on January 27, 1983 that President Ronald Reagan declared, and I quote, “Prayer is the mainspring of the American spirit. Prayer is the fundamental tenet of our people, since before our Republic was even founded.” As citizens, we are somewhat aware of the chaotic times of unrest around our world, and within our country. And so tonight, we join our hearts with President George Washington and pray again the prayer that he prayed, and I quote, “Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer that you will keep the United States in your holy protection.”90

We pray that you would cause our President Obama, and our leaders in Washington, and our leaders in every state, to take your wisdom and your guidance as they deal with our domestic and foreign issues of urgency. We pray tonight for our City Council, as they seek to privately and to personally govern our city. We our grateful for our mayor, Shelly Higginbotham, and her fellow council members, and their talented staff whom you have given to support them. May each of us citizens seek to keep the ways of the Lord, and to live righteously before you. And as we do, your abundant blessings will continue upon the leaders of our city. Your abundant blessings will continue upon each of us as citizens, and your abundant blessings will continue upon the tens of thousands of guests who visit our beautiful city each year. This prayer of invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord . . . Amen.

90 This is not accurate. This was written by one of Washington’s aides, David Cobb, in a June 8, 1783 letter to the governors of the states, “I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field, and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the Characteristicks of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation.” The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources 1732-1799, (ed. John C. Fitzpatrick, U.S. Gov’t Print. Off.) Vol. 26, page 496. http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www-washington?specfile=/texts/english/washington/fitzpatrick/search/gw.o2w&act=surround&offset=33279213&tag=Writings+of+Washington,+Vol.+26:+CIRCULAR+TO+THE+STATES&query=earnest+prayer&id=gw260534


March 15, 2011 Would you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed in 1955 these words, and I quote, “Without God, there can be no American form of government, nor American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first, and the most basic, expressions of Americanism. Our founding fathers recognized this with God’s help, it will continue to be.” Every session of the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate begins with a prayer. Each House has its own full time chaplain. The 83rd Congress set aside a room in the capitol, just off the rotunda, for the private prayer and meditation of members of Congress. The focal point is a stained glass window showing George Washington kneeling in prayer, and behind him etched the words of Psalm 16, verse 1, “Preserve me, oh gods. For in thee do I put my trust.” 91 The intimate relationships our Presidents and elected leaders have enjoyed with the living God inspire us today. And so we boldly affirm the words of our national motto, “In God, We Trust.” As we pray today, we especially remember the nation of Japan. Last Friday was rocked by a 9.0 earthquake, and attending tsunami. Entire towns have been destroyed and the loss of human lives and those missing number into the tens of thousands. Their grief, and their loss, can only be imagined by us, and so we pray from our heart the comfort of our loving Lord, and his eternal strength will help to regulate their emotions as they endeavor to clean up this disaster and look into the future. May the injured sense the power of your presence. We thank you again for your divine protection upon our country. May each of us demonstrate our gratitude by leading righteous lives that honor and please You. We invoke your divine wisdom and understanding upon our mayor, the members of our City Council, and their support staff. May our City Hall, and these Council chambers, be hallowed and filled with your abiding presence, and may our city be affected by your nearness in the lives of every citizen, and the guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray, in the name of Him who loves us, and who cares for us, our personal Savior and Lord . . . Amen.

91 The event portrayed in the window did not happen. Psalm 16:1-1 “Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’ I say of the holy people who are in the land, “they are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.’ Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.”


April 5, 2011 Will you please bow your heart in prayer with me? Our Heavenly Father, national unrest has caused protestors to fill the cities of Egypt and topple a government of long standing. Tunisia has been in a bloody protest. Protest marches and killings are happening today in Syria. Unrest is being manifest in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Libya is engaged in a bloody civil war to drive out a ruthless dictator of some 42 years, and many protestors are dying in Yemen as we pray this prayer. And our country is involved in two long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Japan's recent 9.0 earthquake and the attending tsunami has created a nuclear disaster that appears to defy human solutions. But at this time we are reminded of an event in the life of Conrad Hilton, who founded the Hilton hotel chain. During our fight with Communism in the Cold War, he published a prayer, a full-page prayer, in major magazines, July 4, 1952, across the length and breadth of our country, and I pray that prayer today, verbatim, 51 years later: “Our Father in Heaven, we pray that you save us from ourselves. That world that you have made for us to live in peace, we have made into an armed camp. We live in fear of war to come. We are afraid. We have turned from you to go our selfish way. We have broken Your Commandments, and denied Your Truth. We have left your altars to serve the false gods of money, and pleasure, and power. Forgive us, and help us. And now darkness gathers around us, and we are confused in all our counsels. Losing faith in you, we lose faith in ourselves. Inspire us with wisdom, all of us, of every color, every race, and every creed, to use our wealth and our strength to help our brother instead of destroying him. Help us to do Your Will as it is done in Heaven, and to be worthy of your promise of peace on earth. Fill us with new faith, new strength, and new courage that we may win the battle for peace. Be swift to save us, dear God, before the darkness falls.” And tonight, Our Father, in true humility we also pray: Lord, save us. May your invisible presence be sensed by all who work at City Hall, and each of us in these Council chambers. Only you have the solutions to the challenges and needs that are faced by our national leaders, and the members of our City Council, and so we invoke your wisdom and your understanding to fill their hearts and their minds with confidence to meet each challenge and each opportunity in which they and their staff will be involved. May righteousness so be a part of our daily conduct as to allow your continued blessings upon our City, upon our citizens, and the guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray, in the name of our Gracious Redeemer and Lord . . . Amen.


April 19, 2011 Will you please bow your heart in prayer with me? Our Heavenly Father, today is April 19th. This day is rich in the history of our great country. On this day in 1865, funeral services were conducted for our slain President, Abraham Lincoln. On this date in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the U.S. is going off of the gold standard, and this same day in 1951, General Douglas MacArthur was relieved of his command by President Harry Truman and then gave his farewell address to Congress in which he coined the phrase “old soldiers never die, they just fade away.” But perhaps the best known event was this day in 1775, the American Revolutionary War began in the villages of Lexington and Concord near Boston. Someone fired a shot as 700 British redcoat soldiers engaged 75 minutemen and in just a matter of seconds, eight dead and ten wounded minutemen lay on the Lexington Greens. But as the redcoats returned to Boston, minutemen lay in ambush behind trees and rocks and woodpiles. Snipers plagued these British soldiers and by nightfall 250 redcoats were killed or wounded, and the colonists had lost 90 minutemen. Hundreds of militiamen shouldered their muskets and marched to Boston, and the struggle for our American independence had begun. On this day, April 19, 1775, Americans fired the shot that was heard around the world. Two years later, September 17, 1777, the Continental Congress convened. Leaders present that day included George Washington, John Rutledge, Patrick Henry and John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. These were joined with Puritan patriots of New England in fervent prayer, and I pray today just a part of the prayer they prayed that day, and I quote: “Almighty God, may order and harmony and peace be effectually restored, and may justice and truth and righteousness prevail and flourish among the people.” John Adams wrote his wife Abigail, and said these words: “Their emotions as they turned, imploring heaven for divine interposition, was enough to melt a heart of stone.”92 92 A search of the text of letters between John and Abigail Adams during the Revolution reveals no such quote; indeed, it does not appear in any original, discernable source. Several letters had similar sentiments regarding melting hearts, but not due to congressional prayers. John Adams, July 7, 1774 letter to Abigail Adams, “I am engaged in a famous cause,—the cause of King, of Scarborough, versus a mob that broke into his house and rifled his papers and terrified him, his wife, children and servants in the night. The terror and distress, the distraction and horror of his family cannot be described by words or painted upon canvas. It is enough to move a statue, to melt a heart of stone, to read the story.” John Adams, September 18, 1774 letter to Abigail Adams, “These votes were passed in full Congress with perfect unanimity. The esteem, the affection, the admiration for the people of Boston and the Massachusetts which were expressed yesterday, and the fixed determination that they should be supported, were enough to melt a heart of stone.” John Adams, June 11, 1775 letter to Abigail Adams “Millions will be upon their knees at once before their great Creator, imploring his forgiveness and blessing; his smiles on American councils and arms.” John Adams, July 7, 1775 letter to Abigail Adams, “Your description of the distresses of the worthy inhabitants of Boston and the other seaport towns is enough to melt a heart of stone.” John Adams, June 26, 1776 letter to Abigail Adams, “Our misfortunes in Canada are enough to melt a heart of stone. The small-pox is ten times more terrible than Britons, Canadians, and Indians, together.” John Adams, April 13, 1777 letter to Abigail Adams, “The graves of the soldiers who have been buried in this ground from the hospital and bettering house during the course of the last summer, fall, and winter, dead of the small-pox and camp diseases, are enough to make the heart of stone to melt away.”


And so today, Our Father, we repent of our sins, and we also pray that justice and truth and righteousness would prevail among our generations of Americans. May we seek to live justly and righteously, and be zealous for those things that honor God. Thank you for every member of our City Council and their support staff. Infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Give your solution for every difficulty and every opportunity that they face. We would invoke your invisible presence and Your Will to be the resource that you graciously grant to our leaders, whom we have elected. May proper decisions be made tonight, that will honor you and benefit the citizens and the guests of our beautiful city. This invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord . . . Amen.


May 3, 2011 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? We join tonight we countless fellow Americans, our Heavenly Father, who have celebrated the demise of Osama bin Laden this past week in Pakistan. Brave and skilled U.S. Navy Seals practiced untiringly for months and carried out this mission with military precision. Our President has declared our world is a better place because he is gone. President George Washington spoke so clearly to his day, and likewise to our day, when he declared, and I quote “No people can be bound to acknowledge and to endure the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States.” So we offer to you, our God, sincere gratitude and sincere appreciation for your continued blessings and bountifulness and protection to our country and citizens. Continue to endow our intelligence community with your favor and with your skills, as they seek each moment to protect each of us as citizens at home and abroad. And tonight, we unite our hearts as a grateful people and boldly affirm our nation's motto, “In God, we trust.” Thursday, day after tomorrow, has been declared our National Day of Prayer by Congressional leadership. Even now, tonight, we bow our hearts in true humility, and ask your forgiveness of our personal sins, and our sins as a nation. Cause us to walk uprightly, and cause us to pursue righteousness, for the Bible teaches us from the writings of King Solomon, recorded in Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach and an embarrassment to any people.”93 And so tonight we invoke your invisible presence to hallow these City Council chambers. May your wisdom and your understanding be freely granted to our mayor, her fellow council members, and their support staff. We pray that this will be the resource that becomes the solution to each situation and each opportunity that we face. God, bless the citizens and the guests of our beautiful City of Pismo Beach. God, bless and protect America. This invocation we pray, in the wonderful name of our Savior and Lord . . . Amen.

93 Proverbs 14:34 - NIV “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” KJV “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”


May 17, 2011 Please bow your heart with me in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, this coming Saturday, the third Saturday in May, we will observe Armed Forces Day. As a nation we have celebrated this patriotic holiday since 1950. This is a day to salute soldiers and all branches of the military and to remember that we would have no peace, no security, no freedom, not even United States, without them. On Memorial Day we honor America's war dead, on Veteran's day we honor those who have served in day's past, but on Armed Forces Day we honor those who are presently serving in our military around the globe. And so tonight, we honor our service men and women, serving our country so honorably in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan and many other needy areas in position of peril. Cause each of them to understand we hold them in honored affection, and in exceptional esteem. Our Father we thank you for the extraordinary privilege to be citizens of this great nation. We are aware that the greatness of America is largely the result of our founding fathers honoring God and honoring the precepts of the Bible. And so tonight, we wholeheartedly join our national leaders of generations past and affirm our nation's motto, “In God, we trust.” Thank you for our mayor, for every member of the City Council, and for their capable support staff. In the midst of complicated situations, and in the midst of unresolved problems, deliver these our friends from any sense of futility. Cause them to feel the support of the prayers daily of many of the citizens of our great city, and above all, we invoke the uplift of your everlasting arms.94 This invocation we pray, in the wonderful name of our Savior and Lord . . . Amen.

94 Deuteronomy 33:26-27 – “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, ‘Destroy him!’ ”


June 7, 2011

Will you please bow your heart in prayer with me? Our Heavenly Father, James Madison was the principal author of the U.S. Constitution; he was the father of the Bill of Rights; he was the fourth President of our great country. He said, “We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”95 These our fundamental expressions of God’s design for man. To abandon our nation's moorings would be tragic. Today we join our hearts with the American founding fathers of the past whose vision and courage shaped the future of our country and in true repentance we ask you, our God, to protect, and to preserve, our beloved country, and cause our leaders to honor and to follow you. Grant to each of our leaders nationally, and locally, clear guidance and moral courage as they make decisions that directly influence our policies and our laws. It is recorded in Holy Scripture that King Solomon declared in 930 B.C., “God is a shield to those who put their trust in him,”96 and again he said, “he who trusts in the Lord, shall prosper,”97 and again he wrote, “Whoever trusts in the Lord, shall be safe and secure,”98 and his father, King David, before him wrote, “He that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall surround him all about.”99 Our foreathers read, and re-read, these portions of Holy Scripture, and they anchored their faith and their future to them. And, as a result, President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 had the phrase “In God, we trust.” engraved on each U.S. Coin, and later this phrase was authorized to be printed on all U.S. paper currency, and in 1956, the United States Congress passed a resolution declaring our national motto to be, “In God, we trust.” And so today, we boldly affirm our nation's motto, “In God, we trust,” and it is in this spirit that we pray this invocation.

We are grateful that all of us may be a part of this public City Council meeting. We invoke your blessings upon council member. These are our friends. We have freely elected them to serve us, and we pray for them daily. Cause each of them to understand that they cannot properly discharge their responsibilities or their assigned tasks apart from your divine enablement. Bless them, and their support staff, with the strength and the security of your invisible presence, and grant to each of them your divine direction in their thought processes. This will bring proper solutions to each problem, and to each need, that they encounter, and will benefit each of us as citizens and guests alike in our beautiful City of Pismo Beach. This invocation we pray, in the name of our personal Savior and Lord . . . Amen.

95 This quote is false, or at least not attributable to James Madison. David Barton is responsible for putting this quote into Christian pop-culture. 96 Proverbs 30:5 97 Proverbs 28:25 98 Proverbs 29:25 99 Psalm 32:10


June 21, 2011 (Reverend Paul Toms) Thank you, will you join together please with a moment of prayer? Eternal God, Our Father in Heaven, we come out of a busy day with all kinds of activities twirl around us, and now we come to an important part of that day and we seek your blessing and your guidance, and your hand of understanding upon us. We thank you today, O God, for the community in which we live. Blessed of you, surrounded by beauty, quietness, success, challenges, blessings, understandings, people that are trying to do the right thing. We are thankful for every good and perfect give that comes from you. You look after us; you provide for our needs; you bless us beyond measure. We think of people today that live in small towns or huge cities . . . in many parts of the world they have nothing to eat, they're destitute, and they're threatened by war and climactic changes. Lord we thank you for what you have done for us here. We don't deserve it, but we rejoice in it. Now we seek your hand of blessing100 upon this council. We thank you for these people, we thank that which they represent, they represent a community, a community of fireman, policemen, who protect us and help us, a community of teachers, a community of parents, a community of children and youth, a community of people who are dedicated to the ways in which we can improve our life here in this place. Thank you for your help. We seek your guidance upon us. Make this a useful, and successful and helpful meeting today. Give us guidance from your hand. Help us to remember that, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”101 We trust you, we ask you to help us and guide today in this meeting, through Christ our Lord, we ask it. Amen.

100 See e.g., Isaiah 25:10, 66:14; Psalm 139:5. 101 Psalm 33:12


July 19, 2011 Will you bow your heart in prayer with me, please? Our Heavenly Father, we bow our hearts before you in the dignity of this city council meeting. The Scriptures teach us that “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”102 We recognize that we are a nation under God. Our forefathers have handed us the torch of faith. You alone have given us our freedoms, our liberties, and our wonderful prosperity. Faith in God is not only our heritage, faith in God is our foundation. It was President George Washington who reminds us, “Morality and faith are the pillars of our republic”, but it is evident that the pillars are being eroded in our secular and permissive society. Too long we have neglected Your Word. Too long we have ignored Your Laws. We have tried to solve our problems without reference to you, but Your Word is clear. The Bible is simple, for it says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach and an embarrassment to any people.” We confess to you our sins and ask that we as a nation and we as individuals experience a moral and a spiritual restoration. Our leaders in Washington, D.C., as well as our leaders in our beautiful city of Pismo Beach face burdens and responsibilities that at times are overwhelming. So we pray tonight that you would cause your divine guidance to rest mightily upon each of our leaders. In the moment of decision, give to them your uncompromising courage to do what is morally right with a cool head and a warm heart. We pray especially tonight for your divine understanding to rest strongly upon our U.S. intelligence community. We want to thank you for the terrorist plots upon our nation that have been uncovered. These would have inflicted severe damage to our citizens. Tonight we boldly declare our nation’s motto, “in God we trust.” No only is this truth engraved on our currency, but we pray that it may also be enshrined in our hearts and placed upon our lips. Surround us with your presence and your power as we find our security from your promise which says I will never leave you; I will never forsake you. Tonight we would remember those so near and dear to our city. We pray for Kevin Rice, our City Manager, whose lovely mother fell just today and broke her nose. Will you help her and help Kevin with your mighty healing power? We will not forget to pray for Burt Brunwin, whom so many of us know, having seen him for so many years in our community, and the husband of our former Mayor Maryann Reiss. We pray for him today as he suffers from a heart disorder. Bring healing and health to him. We pray for so many shut-ins in our community such as Art Anthony and Elaine Anthony who have been such a part of our community and our council meetings but no longer are able to do so. We believe you to help them. Tonight may our mayor and her colleagues and their support staff rest confidently in your ability to give solutions to every problem they face tonight and in the future. And may our united desires always be that Your Word becomes our law and Your Will becomes our chosen path. This invocation we pray in the name of Him who Isaiah called the “Prince of Peace”103 but whom we know as our personal Savior and Lord, in His name we pray. Amen.

102 Psalm 33:12 103 Isaiah 9:6 – This is from the Old Testament, the belief that Jesus is the fulfillment of this “prophecy” is an exclusively Christian idea, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”


August 2, 2011 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, President John F. Kennedy said in 1961 in his inaugural address, “The same beliefs our forbearers fought are still at issue around the globe, the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God. This generation of Americans are unwilling to permit the slow undoing of this human right to which this nation has always been committed.”104 And then he said, “We shall pay any price. We shall bear any burden. We shall meet any hardship. We shall support any friend. And we shall oppose any foe in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty. Let us go, therefore, to lead this land we love asking God’s blessing and God’s help but knowing that God’s work on Earth must truly be our own.” And then President Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We did not pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed to them to do the same.” How grateful we are for your abundant blessings, Our Father, you have bestowed upon our great country, the Unites States of America. Just a few days ago the young man who planned to make two bombs in his apartment and then do great damage to his fellow Americans was apprehended and today is incarcerated behind bars in jail. The goodness of God to America and to its citizens is great and we are deeply appreciative. We join our hearts in praying the prayer of the songwriter, “Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light. Protect us by thy might, great God our king.” May our military men and women and their families experience your protection and your peace and your loving care. We pray today that our President and our national leaders who represent us will seek you and your guidance and rest securely in your ability to grant solutions to every problem that our nation faces today and in the future. Cause our united desires to always be that Your Will becomes our chosen path.105 Tonight we invoke your divine presence to fill city hall and these council chambers. Grant that your wisdom will be granted to our mayor and to her colleagues and to their support staff for the matters at hand tonight and in the future. May we as Americans bless God, and may God bless America. Protect our great country. Protect our citizens of Pismo Beach, and protect our guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our Loving Savior and Lord. Amen.

104 This is a heavily edited version. 105 “Chosen Path” is probably form Psalm 25 – “Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior… He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way… Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.”


August 16, 2011 Will you please bow your heart in prayer with me? Our Heavenly Father, each Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. when Congress is in session, a group of nearly 20 senators meet to pray and to eek the guidance of God. These weekly sessions are a tradition of more than 60 years. During these prayer times they ask God to guide their senatorial lives as well as their personal lives. The fact that so many of our great leaders have sought spiritual guidance from God the almighty is a testament to the power of prayer. Throughout our history, leaders and citizens have been involved in prayer to promote progress and to heal wounds, to enhance insight and to win moral victories. It was on January 27, 1983 that then President Ronald Reagan declared, “Prayer is the mainspring of the American spirit, a fundamental tenant of our people since before our republic was founded.” As citizens we are sometimes aware of the chaotic unrest and upheaval around our world and in our own country. And so tonight we join our hearts with President George Washington and pray again the prayer that he prayed when he said, “Almighty God we make our earnest prayer that you will keep the United States of America in your holy protection.”106 So we pray tonight that you would cause President Obama, our leaders in Washington, and leaders in every state across our great nation to seek your wisdom and your guidance as they deal with domestic and foreign issues of urgency. Tonight we especially remember many of our citizens who dwell in our city who in previous years were very active in the affairs of our city, but with the passing of years and physical infirmities, they can no longer participate. These are our friends and include such wonderful citizens as Art and Elaine Anthony, Robert and Jane Rice, Burt Brunwin and many others. May these sense tonight the power of your presence in their home as well as renewed strength in their bodies. And especially tonight we pray for our city council as they seek to properly govern our city. We are grateful for our Mayor, Shelly Higginbotham, her fellow council members, and the talented staff who support them. May each of us as citizens seek to keep the ways of the Lord and live righteously before you. As we do, your abundant blessings will continue upon the leaders of our city as well as each citizen and the guests who visit our beautiful city. This prayer of thanksgiving and invocation, we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

106 This is not accurate. This was written by one of Washington’s aides, David Cobb, in a June 8, 1783 letter to the governors of the states, “I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field, and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the Characteristicks of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation.” The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources 1732-1799, (ed. John C. Fitzpatrick, U.S. Gov’t Print. Off.) Vol. 26, page 496.


September 6, 2011 Let us bow our hearts in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, Karl Marx once said, “If we can rip away history from any people, they will easily be conquered.” 107 We have learned that a bouquet of beautiful roses soon die because they are cut off from their roots. Ethics, morals, standards of behavior, these are not to be determined by a majority of people but by God himself. It was President Harry Truman who said, “The fundamental basis of this nation’s laws were given to Moses on the mountain. The fundamental basis of our bill of rights comes from the teaching of Exodus, Isaiah, St. Matthew and St. Paul.” Let none of us believe the misconception that freedom is a license to sin or to go our own way or to do as we wish, but help us always to understand that freedom is a responsibility and power to do what is right, for no license is secure when removed from the roots that have been established by God. Our U.S. Constitution was written by moral people. It was written for moral people, and it will work for no other people. Our forefathers conceived freedom in their heart and they wrote on our documents and yet freedom is not free. Our freedoms cannot survive without the personal responsibility and our courage and our eternal vigilance. So help each of our civic leaders and each of us as citizens to stand firm. Let us never be intimidated by numbers, but cause us to be men and women of conviction who value moral righteousness above public acclaim. Grant the light of your irresistible presence to avail so that no unrighteousness can prevail. As loyal citizens, we boldly proclaim our nation’s motto, “in God we trust.” And we invoke your favor upon the city of Pismo Beach as we confess and forsake our sins. Release your blessings upon each of our citizens, all who work at city hall and serve our community. Give your eternal wisdom to our friends who have freely elected to serve on city council. These are our friends. For these we pray daily by name. Help them as they endeavor to make Pismo Beach a better place to live and to enjoy life. And especially this evening, give your divine guidance to our mayor, each council member, and their support staff. As next Sunday, September 11th draws near, we think of the terrorist attack on our nation and its devastation and killing of nearly 3000 of our fellow citizens. We pray for all who yet grieve today because of the unnecessary passing of their loved ones. We also honor the memory of the firefighters and the policemen who gave their lives willingly so that others might be saved. Thank you for your protection upon our land since that fateful day. Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light. Protect us by thy might, great God our King. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.



September 20, 2011 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, two great U.S. Presidents of past generations continue to inspire and motivate us today. They are George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. These were men who honored God and led our nation in righteous ways. Although our nation faced extremely troubled times, they led in integrity and in truth. They were men of character who were concerned about doing right more than securing high approval ratings. They read often the Holy Scriptures and found direction range of motion them. They were men of prayer and understood that they were answerable to you. As such, they were courageous to walk in obedience to what you required of them. The Bible teaches us “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”108 Give to our leaders the wisdom to know what is right and the will to do it. Cause us to understand the words of Lincoln when he said, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom seemed to insufficient for the day.” And so tonight we boldly affirm our nation’s motto, “in God we trust.” Let us never forget that God promises security and stability to all who put their trust in him, and history teaches us that God chooses human instruments through whom he can infuse his life and his wisdom with spiritual and civil authority. We are grateful for our city council and their support staff. Infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Many problems they face seem to defy a solution. But your wisdom causes confusion to fade into harmony. When our hearts and our minds are tuned to God in child-like trust, it is then that God the invisible enables us to complete any assignment that he entrusts to us and to do it with courage and successfulness. Tonight we invoke your irresistible presence and will to become the resource that you give to each of the leaders of our city. May proper decisions be made tonight that will honor you and benefit the citizens and guests of our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the wonderful name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

108 Psalm 33:12


October 4, 2011 (Dr. Paul Toms) Eternal God, Our Father, how grateful we are for all your good gifts to us. You protect us and keep us and help us live in a wonderful place. You guide us in your sovereignty and we rejoice and return our thanks to you. We pray today that you will bless our nation. We pray that you will grant that our ideas and our aspirations will be in accordance with your perfect will. Grant unto us in this community just government and just laws and grand unto us a good education system. Grant unto us justice in our relationship to each other. May we please have a spirit of service in helping each other day by day. Have mercy on us. Bless our humanity and its weaknesses. Deliver us from evil109 and encourage us as we try to do Your Will. We have come to a very important part today of our community life, and we pause for a moment and give you thanks that we are able to do this. There are places in the world where this is not allowed. We are grateful for the freedom that is ours. Bless we pray and help us today in this meeting. We are thankful for people who encourage us and protect us through police department and fire people who serve us in our teaching situation and our doctors and our nurses and all kinds of good neighbors. We are thankful for what you do for us. We seek now your blessing upon this council meeting. Decisions have to be made. They will reflect upon our lives, our money, our future, our children. We commend it all into your loving care and pray that these people may be given divine inspiration and understanding and help today as they make their decisions. We commend this meeting and these your friends into your loving care through Christ, our Lord, we ask it. Amen.

109 This is a quote from the Lord’s prayer, which comes from Matthew 6:9-13 KJV:

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

It is interesting that this Book and Chapter were quoted, but verse 5 may be more apt: “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men…”


November 1, 2011 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, our third President, Thomas Jefferson spoke to our nation in 1781 and he said these words, “God who gave us life, gave us liberty. Can be the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God?”110 And, 112 years later, our 24th President, Grover Cleveland, gave these words at his second inaugural address, “Above all I know there is a Supreme Being who rules the affairs of men and whose goodness and mercy have always followed the American people and I know he will not turn from us if we will humbly and reverently seek his powerful aid.” It is in this spirit tonight that we pray this invocation. We are so grateful that our United States Congress passed a resolution in 1954 stating we are one nation under God, and two years later in 1956 they stated that our national motto shall be, “in God we trust.” And so we boldly affirm tonight that in God we trust. We invoke your blessings upon the city of Pismo Beach and all who live here and all the wonderful guests who visit our beautiful city. Release your blessings upon all who work at city hall and those who serve in our community, in the police vehicles, and in the fire trucks, and we see the pickup trucks going all over town and many men working on projects, and we stop so often and just greet them and let them know how much we appreciate their faithful service to us as citizens of this community. Cause each one to sense the strength and the security of your invisible presence. Give your eternal wisdom to our friends whom we have elected to serve on our city council. From day to day help them as they endeavor to make Pismo Beach a better place to live and to enjoy life. Especially tonight, give your divine wisdom in the thought processes of our Mayor, Shelly Higginbotham, and each of her four council colleagues. May the decisions that are made honor you and be for the betterment of all of our citizens and our guests. This invocation we pray in the name of our wonderful personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

110 Jefferson actually wrote this in two separate places more than 10 years apart.


2) “…can the liberties …Gift of God” is from Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII (1785). This is a comment on the country’s acceptance of slavery: “For in a warm climate, no man will labour for himself who can make another labour for him. This is so true, that of the proprietors of slaves a very small proportion indeed are ever seen to labor. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever . . .”


November 15, 2011 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the privilege of the public gathering in our Pismo Beach council meeting tonight. We have elected our mayor and her colleagues to our city council, and now in obedience to Holy Scripture we support and undergird them with our prayers and our supplications in order that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness.111 Our U.S. history has taught us that Justice John Jay, the first U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice authorized prayer to be prayed to open each U.S. Court session,112 and it is I this spirit we offer to you our prayer of invocation tonight. We pray for our city council publicly, having prayed for them daily by name in our personal prayers. May each member of our city council accept their responsibility to lead our city and each of us as citizens with single-mindedness of purpose and humility of spirit, for only then can we confidently anticipate the favor and the guidance of our eternal God. We pause tonight just to say thank you for the spirit of unity and peace that we enjoy in our city hall and in our city. Guide us with your wisdom tonight to make wise decisions that will honor God and better conditions for the citizens of our beautiful city of Pismo Beach. With your almighty help we can and we will resolve every problem and situation that confronts us. Thank you for hearing our prayer. This invocation we pray in the name of our wonderful Savior and Lord. Amen.

111 1 Timothy 2:1-2. 112 According to John Adams, “When the Congress first met, Mr. Cushing made a motion that it should be opened with prayer. It was opposed by Mr. Jay of New York, and Mr. Rutledge, of South Carolina, because we were so divided in religious sentiments…” John Adams, Sept. 16, 1774 letter to Abigail Adams. Both Jay and Cushing served on the first Supreme Court.


December 6, 2011 Will you please bow your heart in prayer with me? Our Heavenly Father, the story of Christmas is the greatest story ever heard and ever told by mortal man.113 More than 2000 Christmas days have come and gone, but his story remains sacred memory. The names of Caesars and pharohs and emperors and kings of all ages have come and gone and they are just a thought on the pages of history. Their powerful armies are dust on the land and their mighty navies rust on the ocean floor, but the message of the baby that was born in Bethlehem’s manger continues to live on.114 Today, the celebration of His birthday causes traffic jams in New York City and Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. Every event in history and every event in our calendar is dated by how many years since this baby boy was born in Bethlehem. His birth divides all time into B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini, the year of his dominion).115 Google has 373 million references to Christmas. Little wonder our U.S. Congress 141 years ago, in 1870, by federal resolution, declared Christmas a national holiday. We would pray tonight, oh Heavenly Father, that the peace that He brings to mankind would become a reality in the hearts and minds of all those in the Middle East, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Iran and the Korean Peninsula. In the truest sense, “let Earth receive her King.” The message of Christmas is evident in the lives of our citizens throughout Pismo Beach. In many stores, favorite Christmas carols sing out words like, “Silent Night, Holy Night,” “Oh Come All Ye Faithful, joyful and triumphant, and “Joy to the World, the Lord is Come.” The strains of music and these words fill the air as they fill our hearts. Christmas teaches us that God is able and willing to bring life into the most barren settings and bring hope into the most unpromising situations and bring hope into all of life’s circumstances for each of us today. Thank you for your many gifts to us and our city this Christmas season. Thank you for the rains that have fallen recently in our area, causing the hills and countryside to begin to turn green. Thank you for our Mayor, Shelly Higginbotham, and our Mayor Pro Tem, Chris Vardas, and all of their colleagues for a united city council and their wonderful support staff. We would invoke your guidance through their skills and their talents, as they dedicate them to make Pismo Beach a better place and a better place to live in 2011 and onward. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

113 The Christmas story comes from only one source, the Christian bible. Specifically from Matthew, chapters 1 and 2, and Luke chapters 1 and 2. 114 Luke 2:12. 115 This is not accurate. Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Baha’i and Hindu all have their own calendar system. Some Eastern Christian sects use the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian. Ethiopia, Iran, China, and Thailand, both use their own calendars


December 20, 2011

Will you bow your hearts with me in prayer, please? Our Heavenly Father, it is Christmastime in our city and surrounding communities. Stores and shops are filled with carols and the beautiful music of Christmas. We thank you that you have prospered so many of us that we may purchase gifts for those we love and who are so dear to us. Allow your favor to rest upon our business community who have planned so earnestly and worked so diligently to sell their goods and services and send sales tax and bed tax to our city treasury. For your favor we are grateful. Let us understand anew that the message of Christmas simple and beautiful. God wants to enter into all of life’s circumstances. And God chooses a beginning point for his wonder workings in human beings.

Everybody is important, but tonight we pray for those families among us whose lives have been so gravely impacted by the economic slowdown. Will you graciously provide for them, as only you know how to do. At this Christmastime we pray for all of our military personnel as they serve the noble cause of freedom and liberty around the world. May each one who is deployed be safe and secure and may their loved ones have God’s comfort and presence as families are separated one from another, and we would pause to say thank you, and our president announced this week that the nine year war in Iraq had formally come to an end. For this we thank you. When our next city council meets, the Christmas lights will be out. Christmas trees will have faded. Christmas ribbons will be forgotten and Christmas lights will be packed away, but the babe that was born in Bethlehem’s manger will yet remain.116 He will comfort when we are sorrowful. He will provide meaning when life’s seasons seem so useless and so empty. He will bring light when the way seems dark and he will provide joy when circumstances are grim, and long after the carols have been hushed and long after the gift certificates have been cashed, the baby that was born so long ago in Bethlehem’s manger will continue to bring happiness and satisfaction, for His Name is above all other names. His Reign is above all other rulers. His Lordship is above all other authorities. His Words are above all other voices, and his truth is above all other opinions. His love is above all other affections.

Tonight we would invoke your divine presence. Fill city hall daily with your presence and fill these council chambers tonight with your presence. Give your wisdom to our mayor, her colleagues, and their support staff for the matters that are at hand tonight and in the future. We would thank you, Lord, for the graciousness of George Edes to serve so many years as the chief financial officer for our city. Tonight is the last night that George will be with us in a city council meeting, for he will be retiring at the end of this month. Bless him with health and strength and we would ask, Lord, that you would give us someone in his place who will be as skilled and steadfast as George has been these past years. God, bless America. Protect our great country. Protect the citizens of Pismo Beach and the guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray this holy Christmas season in the name of Him who was born in Bethlehem’s manger and who has become our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

116 Luke 2:12.


January 17, 2012 (Dr. Paul Toms) Thank you, madam mayor. It is a pleasure to be with you once again. I am glad to fill in for my friend Paul Jones. It’s hard to fill in for him, as you know, but we’ll do what we can. So join with me if you will, please, in a moment of prayer. Eternal God, our Heavenly Father, we pause to remember people who have been in our midst. We are aware of the quickly passing events of life. We are aware of the blessings that we have. We are aware of how it is necessary to make the most of what we have day by day. We think you for bringing us together here in this important meeting. We seek your hand of blessing117 upon us. We pray for our nation today. We are grateful for this country. We are grateful for its past and its history. We are grateful for people who lead us. We thank you for the opportunities that stretch before us, but we need your help. People are telling us every day these days how they can help us and direct us. We need guidance and direction. We need help from your loving hand.118 Bless us as a nation. Thank you for our community. Thank you for the people that surround us. Thank you for the people that help us. Thank you for the people that encourage us. We are grateful specifically for this community that is represented here in the room today. We seek your blessing upon this council and other people who are here on official business. We are grateful for people who give of themselves in dedication, devotion. We are thankful for people in the police department. We are thankful for people in the fire department, for our school teachers, and others who influence us and help us. We are thankful for families. We rejoice in the sounds of little children’s voices here. We seek your blessing upon our families. Watch over them. Help them. Bless our youth and our children. Bring them up, help them; they face all kinds of challenges. We pray that we as older people may be good models and good influences in their lives. Bless us now as we go through these activities today. Give wisdom and understanding. Give a sense of peace and joy to the members of the council that they may find satisfaction in what they do and that their efforts may be well received and blessed of Your Hand.119 Guide us now and keep us and encourage us by your wisdom and by your love. We thank you for all that you do, and we pray these things through Christ our Lord. Amen.

117 See e.g., Isaiah 25:10, 66:14; Psalm 139:5. 118 See next note 119 1 Chronicles 4:10 – “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your Hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” The Christian bible continually references its god as “Your Hand”. See, e.g., Psalm 21:7-8 “For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.”; Psalm 74:10-11 “How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!”; Micah 5:9 “Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies, and all your foes will be destroyed.”; Psalm 139:5, 10; Deuteronomy 3:24; Isaiah 26:11; 1 Kings 8:24; 2 Chronicles 6:15; Acts 4:29-30; Psalm 17:14; Job 1:11; Job 10:7.


February 7, 2012 Will you please bow your heart in prayer with me? Our Heavenly Father, George Washington, the first president of our great country said, “It is the duty of nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and to humbly implore his protection and favor.” Later, James Madison, the fourth president of our great country said, “Before any man can be a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the governor of the universe.” The founding fathers of our country believed wholeheartedly the words of the Holy Scriptures, which are recorded in Psalm 33. “The Word of the Lord is right. The Earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”120 Because of the legacy left to succeeding generations, we understand more fully why the U.S. Congress voted the motto of our nation to be, “in God we trust.” And as American citizens of this generation, we proclaim forthrightly in God we trust. Cause us, Lord, to be ever mindful that no one is secure in their own accomplishments. Our positions, our achievements never make us invincible. God promises to us security and stability to those who choose to put their trust and their confidence in him. May we always seek to live justly and to live righteously and to be zealous for the things that honor God. Thank you for each member of our city council and their capable support staff. Infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Give your solution to every difficulty and to every opportunity that they face. We tonight invoke your irresistible presence and will to become the source that you graciously grant to each of the elected leaders of our city. May proper decisions be made tonight that will honor you and benefit the citizens and the guests of our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

120 Psalm 33:4-12


February 21, 2012

Will you bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, our beloved nation, the United States of America, was founded by men whose think and whose founding documents were influenced by the Bible, the Holy Scriptures of God. Our Declaration of Independence identifies the source of all authority and all rights as their creator. Individual human rights were got-given, not man made. There was no king or established religion that could stand in the way of human liberty and human dignity. These are unique Judeo-Christian ideals. The 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention represented the religious sentiments of those who shaped the political foundations of our great nation. They were deeply influenced by a biblical view of mankind and government. Their personal writings declare their strong religious beliefs and their faith. Their leadership in establishing and guiding organizations such as the American Bible Society gives overwhelming evidence of their commitment to righteousness.121 Little wonder, under the leadership of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Congress passed a resolution declaring our nation’s motto to be, “in God we trust.” And tonight as American citizens we boldly affirm in God we trust.

We acknowledge your gracious hand and your guiding hand in our nation and in our beautiful city of Pismo Beach. We invite God’s blessing to rest upon our mayor and the members of our city council. We have elected these, our fellow citizens, and we pray for them daily. Our city council and their skilled support staff seek earnestly to make Pismo Beach a better place to live and to enjoy life with our families and our friends, and tonight allow the power of your eternal presence to cause their thought processes to respond to your divine guidance. May the decisions that are made tonight honor you and be for the betterment of all our citizens and guests who visit our city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


March 6, 2012 Will you please bow your heart in prayer with me? Our Heavenly Father, before Moses, the leader of Israel, had the Israelis enter the Promised Land he reminded them of the choice that God had put before them. In Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse 15 the Holy Scriptures record, “See? I’ve set before you today life and good, death and evil, and that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, to keep his commandments, his statues, and his judgments that you may live and multiply and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.”122 God is asking America to make the same choice today in order for us to rebuild America’s crumbling moral foundation. God has made it clear that he will continue to bless our land if we choose to love him and walk in his ways. As a nation and as individuals, we can stand before almighty God and say to him, we love you Lord, and as a people we will walk in your ways and keep your commandments. Daniel Webster, the great American statesman, urged us as a nation under God, “to steadfastly guard our foundation of righteousness.” And in 1852, he declared, “If we reject religious instruction and authority, if we violate the rules of eternal justice, if we trifle with the injunction of morality, if we recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together, no man can tell how suddenly a catastrophe may overwhelm us that shall bury all our glory in profound obscurity.” And God has made it clear he will continue to bless our land as long as we choose to love him and walk in his ways. And it is in this spirit that we boldly our nation’s motto, “in God we trust.” The words of King Solomon motivate us tonight, for he said, “The Lord loves those who pursue righteousness, for he pursues righteousness finds life and prosperity and honor.”123 And in heartfelt humility, we invoke your continued favor upon our nation and upon our city. Release your divine wisdom to be graciously bestowed upon each member of our city council and each dedicated staff members. Fill these council chambers as well as each home in our beloved city with the peace and the power of your divine nearness. May each individual citizen and each guest of our city feel the impact of your irresistible presence. Tonight, may God be honored and each of us benefit in all that is said and done. This invocation we pray in the name of our wonderful Savior and Lord. Amen.

122 The following verses continue, “But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.” 123 This is a n amalgamation of Proverbs 15:9 and Proverbs 21:21 Proverbs 15:9 “The Lord detests the way of the wicked but he loves those who pursue righteousness.” Proverbs 21:21 “He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.”


March 20, 2012 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and our hearts in humble gratitude for the needed rain that you sent to our area this past weekend. Thank you that it did not come as hard pelting rain but rather it came somewhat gentle and the ground has received and contained it. The native hillsides are green everywhere. This speaks to our hearts of your loving care for us and our needs and we are so grateful. Tonight we are reminded of the prayer prayed by Admiral Barry Black who is a retired U.S. Navy Chief of Chaplains and the current Chaplain of the United States Senate. He prayed this prayer more recently, “Lord, thank you for this great land and for our freedom. May the liberty you bring keep our feet in right paths. Eternal Lord God today and always give us wisdom to perceive you. Give us intelligence to understand your ways. Give us diligence to seek you. Give us patience to wait on you. Give us eyes to see you. Give us a heart to meditate on you. And give us a life to proclaim you. Give our leaders in Washington, D.C. and throughout our land the desire to seek your wisdom and the courage to follow your guidance so that your ways will become our chosen paths.” We earnestly pray that you will help us to become once again a “nation whose God is the Lord.”124 From time to time many unfavorable circumstances exist in the lives of citizens in our community. May they receive strength by the promise of Holy Scripture as recorded in Psalm 35:15, which says, “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their cry.”125 We are most grateful for each member of our city council and their distinguished staff. Infuse in their hearts and minds your design wisdom and life with spiritual and civil authority. We join with each of them in invoking your divine presence to be the resource that becomes the solution to every situation we face. God bless the citizens and the guests of our beautiful city, and God bless and protect America, our beloved country. This invocation we pray in the name of our Blessed Savior and Lord. Amen.

124 Psalm 33:12 125 Psalm 34:15 actually, Psalm 35:15 reads “But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing.”


April 3, 2012 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, President John F. Kennedy said in his 1961 inaugural address, “The same beliefs our fore-bearers fought are still at issue around the globe, the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God. This generation of Americans are unwilling to permit the slow undoing of these human rights to which this nation has always been committed. We shall pay any price. We shall bear any burden. We shall meet any hardship. We shall support any friend. We shall oppose any foe that would assure the success and the survival of our liberties. Let us go forth to lead the land we love asking God’s blessing and help but knowing that God’s work on Earth must truly be our own.” Then President Ronald Reagan joined in just a little later declaring, “Freedom is never more than a generation away from extinction. We did not pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for and protected and handed to them to do the same.” How grateful we are for your abundant blessings which you have bestowed upon our great country, the United States of America. We ask that you will give our leaders the desire to seek your wisdom and the courage to follow your guidance. Help us to be a nation whose God is the Lord.126 The goodness of God to American and its citizens is great, and we deeply appreciate them. And so we pray, long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light. Protect us by thy might, great God our king. May our military men and women and their families experience your protection and your peace and your loving care. May our President and our national leaders who represent us seek you in your guidance and rest securely in your ability to grant solutions to every problem that our nation faces today and in the future. Cause our united desire to always be that Your Will becomes our chosen path. Tonight we invoke your divine presence to fill city hall and to fill these county chambers. Grant your wisdom to our mayor and to her colleagues and to their support staff for the matters at hand tonight as well as in the future. May we as Americans bless God. And may God bless America. Protect our great country. Protect the citizens of Pismo Beach and protect our guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

126 Psalm 33:12


April 17, 2012 Our Heavenly Father, President Abraham Lincoln said on March 30, 1863 “it is the duty of nations as well as individuals to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God.” And the Holy Scriptures announced this sublime truth proven by all history that those nations only are blessed “whose God is the Lord.” 127 We as a nation have been recipients of the choice bounties of heaven. We have preserved and persevered in peace and prosperity, but we have forgotten the gracious hand that preserved us and multiplied us and enriched us and strengthened us. Societies decay when their foundation principles erode. Great nations die from within. It is the moral influence and the failure of the country to remember what made it great. We are convinced tonight that we, too, must humble ourselves as individuals and as a nation. It is vital that we ask your forgiveness of our sins and our failures, and we declare tonight that our great and beloved nation, the United States of America, will continue to be blessed only as we allow the Lord to be our God. So, boldly tonight we affirm our nation’s motto, “in God we trust.” In obedience to Holy Scripture, we invoke your divine presence and wisdom upon our mayor and her colleagues and their support staff. We understand that good government is a principle that originated at the heart of God, and so may your wisdom and courage be given to each of them to make good decisions. Grant that each decision will honor God and be for the betterment of all the citizens of Pismo Beach and the wonderful guests that visit our beautiful city. Thank you for Lori who has come once again, having worked here so many years, and now these last months has come to serve as our interim city clerk. We love her and appreciate her. Bless her as again she enters retirement. We thank you for hearing and responding to our prayer. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

127 Psalm 33:12


May 1, 2012 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer, please? Our Heavenly Father, President Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President of the United States said, “If American democracy is to remain the greatest hope of humanity, it must continue abundantly in the faith of the Bible.” The leaders of our nation strongly believe this and in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress, the first Thursday of May each year was designated as a National Day of Prayer. This day is designated as a day of focused prayer for our nation. The day after tomorrow is May 3rd, the first Thursday of May. Each of us are privileged to be a part in our own time and our own way in the annual observance of this National Day of Prayer. God is true to his character. As we seek his faith in prayer and respond to the Holy Scriptures, it will change the way we think and the way we behave. Sin and spiritual decline removes the favor of God, but if we repent, God will forgive and pardon our sins and replace them with his righteousness in our lives. Each day we rest upon the unfailing promise recorded in Isaiah, chapter 41, verse 10: “Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Knowing this, we confidently affirm our nation’s motto, “in God we trust.” And in heartfelt humility, we ask tonight for your protection and your favor upon our nation and its citizens. We especially pray for those who are ill and shut-in. We also remember those who are being adversely affected by the economic slowdown in our nation. We ask your divine presence and power to comfort and to strengthen them and their families. We invoke your divine wisdom to be bestowed on each member of our city council. We ask you to provide solutions to each problem and each need that they face tonight. We declare our responsibility to pray for your leadership in the lives and the decisions of our council and their support. Fill city hall and these council chambers with the peace and the power of your divine presence. May each home and each citizen and each guest of our city sense the impact of your presence in our city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.


May 15, 2012 Will you bow your heart with me in prayer, please? Our Heavenly Father, Karl Marx once said, “If we can rip history away from people, they will easily be conquered.” 128 We know that a bouquet of roses die when they are cut off from their roots, and we clearly understand that no liberty and no freedom is secure when our roots are removed, those roots that have been determined by God, for ethics and morals and standards of behavior, these are determined by God. They are not determined by a majority of people. Dr. Robert George of Princeton University said, “Societies decay when their foundational principles erode. Great nations die from within. It is the moral influence, the failure of the country to remember what made it great. History shows that when countries allow their societies to become amoral, they allow different kinds of immoral activities and lifestyles to flourish, and there is a price that’s paid, not just by the individuals engaged in that lifestyle, but by society as a whole.”129 So enable each of us, Our Father, to stand firm in our convictions, understanding that it is an honor and a privilege to stand for right. May the deep abiding sense of God’s holiness and God’s righteousness always determine our sets of right and wrong. Tonight, we strongly affirm our nation’s motto, “in God we trust.” Help us to maintain this firm conviction in our hearts and in our lifestyles. Only then we will not be helpless or defenseless as we face the future with confidence. We thank you for the privilege of meeting tonight in this city council meeting, conducted openly in public for the benefit of our citizens. We ask that your invisible presence will fill our city hall daily as well as our council chambers tonight. We pray that each of our council members will understand that we love them and that we have freely elected them to serve and to govern us. We pray for them publicly tonight, because we have prayed for them by name daily in our private prayers. Grant that our mayor, our city council members, and their support staff will be generously given your divine wisdom and guidance for the matters that are at hand tonight and in the future. God, bless and protect America, our leaders, and our military forces that are deployed around the world. God, bless and protect our citizens of Pismo Beach and the guests who visit our beautiful city. We invoke your divine leadership tonight upon all who lead our city. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.

128 No source can be located for this quote, it appears fictional. 129 Dubbed by the New York Times “this country’s most influential conservative Christian thinker.” David D. Kirkpatrick, “The Conservative-Christian Big Thinker,” The New York Times, Dec. 16, 2009, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/magazine/20george-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.


June 5, 2012 (Reverend Paul Toms) Join with me please in a moment of prayer. Eternal God, Our Father in heaven, we give you thanks today for your good gifts to us. It is proper and fitting that in the midst of intricate and important discussions we should pause and invoke your presence. The Scripture says that “if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally.”130 We need your wisdom. We need your Will. We need to understand what is right and proper and fitting, and that is not always easy to discover, so we turn to you for help. Bless this council and all who in leadership here today. We commend them into your care. We thank you for people who give of themselves and their backgrounds, their training, and their interests. We seek your blessing upon us. Thank you for all that you do. We are grateful for our community. We are grateful for the people who help us in service, for our police people, our fire department people, and our school people who take care of our children. We thank you for all who give of themselves in service and activity. Bless this community and bless this meeting today and guide us and direct us, we pray, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

130 James 1:5


June 19, 2012 Will you bow your heart in prayer with me, please? Our Eternal God, Noah Webster has been called the father of American scholarship and education. He gave us the first American dictionary of the English language. To do so, he learned 26 languages. He said, “Education enlightens the understanding. It corrects the temper and informs the manner and habits of youth, and it fits them for usefulness in their future stations in life. To give them a good education in manners and arts and science is important, but to give them a religious education is indispensable. An attempt to conduct the affairs of a free government with wisdom and impartiality and to preserve the just rights of all citizens without the guidance of divine precepts will certainly end in disappointment, for God is the supreme moral governor of the world that he has made and if men will not submit to be controlled by his laws, they will be punished by the evils resulting from their own disobedience, and any system of education which limits instructions to arts and sciences and rejects the age of religion informing the characters of citizens is essentially defective.” We learn so much from the principles and the statements left to us, Our Father, by our early founding fathers, and tonight in the invocation we sense anew the heart of this American patriot and we boldly affirm our nation’s motto, “in God we trust.” As our fathers did, so we look to you, the protector and provider and the promise of hope for our nation. Cause us to return to that firm foundation upon which our great nation was built. Let your favor and your blessings be upon each member of our military who serves with dedication and faithfulness throughout our troubled world. We invoke your divine presence to fill these council chambers. Give your wisdom to our mayor, her colleagues, and their support staff. God bless America. God, protect our great country, and God, protect each citizen of Pismo Beach, and protect each guest who visits our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our Lord and our Dearest Friend. Amen.


July 17, 2012 Will you bow your heart in prayer with me, please? Our Eternal God, Abraham Lincoln is thought by many to be the greatest of all of our 44 presidents. He served during a most difficult period of American history, the Civil War. The statue of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. portrays his most admired qualities. One of Lincoln’s hands is clutched tightly to indicate determination and strength. The other hand is open and released, demonstrating the President’s compassion. Lincoln’s goal was preserving the Union as the last best hope on Earth. His reflections of God’s role in American history are clearly stated. The Gettysburg Address consists of 267 words and concludes with this phrase, “This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.” His second inaugural address is composed of only 703 words, and in it he mentions God 14 times and quotes the Bible two times.131 Lincoln relied on the power of divine providence, stating, “He who made the world still governs it.”132 With such firm resolutions, we tonight affirm boldly affirm our nation’s motto, “in God we trust.” And it is in this spirit that we pray this invocation. We invoke your presence and protection upon all of our military men and women, especially those in harm’s way. Bring them home speedily to their home and loved ones. We pray your comfort on the family and friends of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms and our liberty. We invoke you invisible presence in the council meeting tonight. You alone know our future, and only you can provide the strength and the wisdom to our mayor and her colleagues and their support staff to meet the challenges as well as the opportunities that they face. May your blessings rest upon our city. May your blessings rest upon every citizen, and may your blessings rest upon each guest who visits our beautiful city. God, bless and protect America and our City of Pismo Beach. This invocation we pray with a heart of gratitude to God. Amen. 131 Lincoln does not get to god until the second half of the speech and he’s not so much relying on divine providence as Jones suggests, he’s pointing out what a terrible revenge divine providence is exacting: “…Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh." If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said ‘the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.’ With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” 132 This is from an Oct. 25, 1862 letter to Eliza P. Gurney, written some three years before the second inaugural, “I have sought his aid———but if after endeavoring to do my best in the light which he affords me, I find my efforts fail, I must believe that for some purpose unknown to me, He wills it otherwise If I had had my way, this war would never have been commenced; If I had been allowed my way this war would have been ended before this, but we find it still continues; and we must believe that He permits it for some wise purpose of his own, mysterious and unknown to us; and though with our limited understandings we may not be able to comprehend it, yet we cannot but believe, that he who made the world still governs it.


August 7, 2012 Our Eternal God, the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States was created in 1892. It was used in American public schools to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus discovering the new world. It has become a national oath to our country. It has become a motto of unity. It has become a defense of the American way of life. It was used unofficially but recited daily by school children for 50 years. In 1945 the pledge to the flag received its official title, the Pledge of Allegiance, and in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the words, “under god” in the pledge to differentiate the United States from the officially atheist Soviet Union. He declared, “In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and in America’s future, and in this way we shall continually strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and in war.” And so we as citizens of our city join our city council members and our leaders in say aloud in unison the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of our great country in each official city council meeting. And today we also boldly affirm the motto of our nation, “in God we trust.” May our military men and women and their families experience your protection and your peace wherever they serve around the world. May our president and our national leaders who represent us in our republic seek you and your guidance. May they rest securely in your ability to grant your solutions to each problem that our nation faces today and in the future. We pray that Your Will becomes our chosen path. We invoke your divine presence to fill city hall and these council chambers. Grant your wisdom to our leaders, to our mayor pro tem, to his colleagues, and to their dedicated support staff for the matters at hand tonight as well as matters in the future. Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light. Protect us by thy might, great God Our King.133 This invocation we pray in the name of our Blessed Redeemer and our Dearest Friend. Amen.

133 See, Isaiah 33:22 “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.”; Psalm 5:2 “Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.”; Psalm 44:4 “You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob.”; Psalm 47:7-8 “For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.”; Psalm 74:12 “But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth.”; Psalm 95:3 “For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.”; Psalm 145:1 “I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.”


August 21, 2012 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, John Adams was one of the greatest founding fathers of our nation. He served as vice president under George Washington and then was elected the second president of our great country. In October 1798 he wrote a letter to the militia of Massachusetts. In it he stated, “We have no government armed with power and capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Ambition and revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” And when Dwight D. Eisenhower took the presidential oath of office, he publicly placed his hand on the Bible, opened to Psalm 33:12, which states, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” And it was during his presidential administration that the Congress of the United States passed resolutions to 1) place under God in our pledge of allegiance to our flag, and 2) they voted our nation’s motto to be, “in God we trust.” As American citizens in the 21st century, we wholeheartedly affirm our nation’s motto, “in God we trust.” We bend our hearts and faith in prayer in behalf of our City Manager Kevin Rice. His son was severely injured in an automobile accident a week and a half ago. Already you have responded to the united prayers of the citizens of our city and many others as well. We pray tonight to you as the one who gave him life that you will restore him once again to good health and your blessings. Accept our grateful thanks for his continued improvement. Tonight, we invoke the divine presence of God to fill these council chambers. Give your wisdom generously to our mayor and to her colleagues and to their dedicated support staff. God, bless America. God, protect our beloved country and protect each citizen of Pismo Beach and each guest to visits our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of Him who is our Lord. Amen.


September 4, 2012 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, history has documented that the most frequently cited source in the founding era of our great country was the Bible.134 In 1777, Congress desired to have a Bible printed under their care and their encouragement, and then they ordered 20,000 copies of the Bible.135 Patrick Henry who was an orator, a statesman, and the first governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia declared that the Bible is worth all the other books that have ever been printed.136 President Andrew Jackson said the Bible is the rock on which our republic rests.137 And President John Adams reminded his fellow Americans “the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depends on the protection and the blessing of almighty God.” It is clear that the Bible has had an incredible influence in shaping the history of our great country, the United States of American. King Solomon wrote in the Holy Scriptures, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”138 And so tonight, we seek your help, oh God, through daily prayer and daily Bible reading that we may be able to guarantee for generations to come that we remain one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, for the more we absorb the Scriptures and seek to live by its precepts, we discover that God is able to accomplish amazing things for his purposes through our lives, and so unitedly tonight we affirm our nations’ motto, “in God we trust.” May truth and justice and righteousness prevail and flourish among our generations of Americans, and may we seek to live justly and righteously and be zealous for those things that honor God. Thank you for each member of our city council and their wonderful support staff. Infuse in them your wisdom and your understanding. Give your solutions to every challenge and every opportunity that they face. We invoke your irresistible presence and will to become the resource that you graciously grant to our friends, the leaders we have elected. May proper decisions be made tonight to honor you and to benefit each citizen and each guest in our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our wonderful 134 This claim is untenable and unsupported. 135 Congress never printed Bible. During the Revolutionary War, a printer, Robert Aitken, asked to publish a Bible under the authority of Congress and to be commissioned by Congress to do so. Congress declined to do this but did “recommend this edition,” in part because it was “an instance of the progress of arts in this country.” Gaillard Hunt, ed., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789, vol. 23, (Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1914), 574. Printing in this country was important because of the British embargo. Aitken used the congressional recommendation to hawk his bibles but, by his own account, they sold so poorly that he lost over £3,000 on the endeavor and could not get Congress to reimburse him or buy the bibles. Robert Aitken to George Washington, June 9, 1790, George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799: Series 4, General Correspondence. 136 This is not a direct quote from Henry, it is a secondary quote about Henry, first published more than 90 years after his death in William Wirt Henry, Patrick Henry: Life, Correspondence, and Speeches (1891), vol. 2, p. 519. Wirt’s source is a “Statement of George Dabney, MS. Letter to Mr. Wirt, Wirt’s Henry.” The source has not been verified. The full quote given is actually this: “This book is worth all the books that ever were printed, and it has been my misfortune that I have never found time to read it with the proper attention and feeling till lately.” 137 No primary source provided or discernable. The earliest located source is Frederic William Farrar, History of Interpretation: eight lectures preached before the University of Oxford in the year MDCCCLXXXV on the foundation of the late Rev. John Bampton, page xxvii(MacMillian and Co., London, 1886), http://books.google.com/books?id=kVX92B3TRkMC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. According to the title page, Farrar was Archdeacon and Canon of Westminster and Chaplain in Ordinary to the Queen. The Jackson quote is buried in a paragraph that begins, “My main wish has been to show the true basis whereon rests the sacredness of Holy Scripture… It is because there is no Book and no Literature which can for a moment supply the place of the Bible in the moral and spiritual education of mankind that I would do my utmost to save it from the injury of false theories and impossible interpretations.” Although Farrar cites several sources just a few pages earlier, no source is provided for the deathbed quote by Jackson: “ ‘That book sir,’ said the American President, Andrew Jackson, pointing to the family Bible during his last illness, ‘is the rock on which our Republic rests.’ ” 138 Psalm 33:12


Lord. Amen.


September 18, 2012 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, it was President George Washington who said “it is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible.”139 In 1864 during the Civil War, the U.S. Congress approved engraving the phrase, “In God we trust” on the three cent coin. Forty-four years later in 1908, legislation was passed to engrave “In God we trust” on all U.S. coins. Then 47 years later in 1955, Congress passed a resolution that the phrase, “in God we trust” would be printed on all coins and paper currency and one year later in 1956, “in God we trust” became the national motto of our great country. And tonight as American citizens we boldly affirm as a nation and as individual citizens, in God we trust. And it is in this spirit that we pray this invocation tonight. As American citizens in this great nation we enjoy the blessings of freedom given to us by God. And as such, we join our voices with President Warren Harding who said, “I implore the favor and the guidance of God in heaven.” We pray especially tonight that you would allow your protection and your power to strengthen all of our American citizens who travel abroad. We pray especially for each of our American military personnel and our American citizens who find themselves in areas where Islamic extremists are demonstrating radically. Surround them with your safety. We pray you will bless all who work and serve us in our city hall. Cause them to serve with the strength and the security of your invisible presence. Bless our city council whom we have freely elected and our friends for whom we pray for by name each day. May the members of our city council understand that they cannot properly discharge their responsibilities or the tasks that have been assigned to them without your help, oh God. And tonight, we ask you will crown this council meeting with your nearness. Give your divine guidance and your direction in each of the thought processes of our leaders. May each decision that is made honor your and be for the betterment of all of our citizens and guests. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Savior and Lord. Amen.



October 2, 2012 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Eternal God, the founders of our great country, the United States of America, stated over and over again that no nation can long endure without morality and virtue in our citizens. A loss of principles and manners is the greatest threat to free people and will cause its downfall more surely than any foreign enemy. Samuel Adams, the father of the American Revolution said, “While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued.”140 And then he added, “The greatest security from enslavement in a country is morality among the people, desiring to please their Loving Father and Great Creator, they live in accordance with his righteous standards.”141 Noah Webster, one of our well-known founding fathers said, “The moral principles contained in the Holy Scriptures form the basis of all of our civil constitutions and civil laws. And all the miseries and evils men suffer from vice and crime and injustice proceed from neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”142 So we ask that you would forgive us of our sins and our failures and place in our hearts a fervent desire for your divine leadership to reign in our lives. Direct our paths in your way so that Your Will becomes our desire and your way becomes our delight. In this season when our citizens are seeking public offices in the political realm from the White House to the local city councils, may Your Will be done. May every citizen perform their civic duty and go the polls and vote. May the power of your presence bind us together as a people of one nation under God, and to this end, once again we boldly affirm our nation’s motto, “In God we trust.” In the dignity of this city council meeting, we invoke your divine wisdom and guidance to be upon our mayor and her colleagues and their support staff. May righteousness fill city hall and fill these council chambers so that each decision will be a good decision that will honor you and improve the lives of each of our citizens and each guest in our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in our Savior’s name. Amen.

140 “This torrent [of levity, vanity, luxury, dissipation, and indeed vice of every kind] must be stemmed, and in order to do it effectually, there must be an association of men of unshaken fortitude. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader. How necessary then is it for those who are determined to transmit the blessings of liberty as a fair inheritance to posterity, to associate on public principles in support of public virtue. … If you are of my mind, and I think you are, the necessity of supporting the education of our country must be strongly impressed on your mind… Virginia is duly sensible of the great importance of education, and, as a friend in that country informs me, has lately adopted an effectual plan for that necessary purpose. If virtue and knowledge are diffused among the people, they will never be enslaved. This will be their great security.” Samuel Adams, February 12, 1779 letter to James Warren, The Writings of Samuel Adams, Vol. IV, 1778-1802, p. 123-124 (Ed. Harry Alonzo Cushing)(GP Putnam’s Sons, 1908). 141 This is not found in the letter that contains Jones’ preceding quote, nor anywhere else. As stated in the previous footnote, Adams does write something similar regarding public education, “If virtue and knowledge are diffused among the people, they will never be enslaved,” but he never mentions a Loving Father, Great Creator, god or righteous standards of any of the above. There is no evidence to suggest that Samuel Adams ever said this. 142 This somewhat truncated: “But were we assured that there is to be no future life, and that men are to perish at death like the beasts of the field; the moral principles and precepts contained in the scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. …” Noah Webster, History of the United State to which is prefixed a brief historical account of our [English] ancestors from the dispersion at Babel, to their migration to America and of the Conquest of South America by the Spaniards, 309 (Durrie & Peck, 1832). This is also not an exposition on Webster’s views of government, it is from chapter 18 titled “Advice to the Young,” on the preceding page he writes, “To young men I would recommend that their treatment of females should be always characterized by kindness, delicacy and respect. The tender sex look to men for protection and support. Females when properly educated and devoted to their appropriate duties, are qualified to add greatly to the happiness of society, and of domestic life.” Id. at 308.


October 16, 2012 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, this is the last council meeting before our all important election on Tuesday, November 6. In our own city, two council members will be elected. All 435 members of the House of Representatives and one-third of our U.S. Senate will be elected, and nationally we will elect our nation’s president. We humbly ask that people of honesty and truthfulness and integrity will be elected. While hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in advertising this vital event, hundreds of thousands of hours of earnest prayer have been invested by the people of God, our own citizens. King Solomon was a political leader where peace and unprecedented prosperity was enjoyed by the citizens of his nation. And he proclaimed the greatest political idea of all generations. It is written in Holy Scripture and I quote, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach and an embarrassment to any people.”143 And he further stated, “The way of the Lord is strength for the upright and he who walks in integrity walks securely. The righteous has an everlasting foundation and will never be moved, and the memory of the righteous is blessed.”144 Many of our citizens and leaders have turned from the path of righteousness in our lives and lifestyles. Infuse this ideal from King Solomon once again into our public mind, and may it be practiced by our citizens. We ask that you will cause every citizen to perform their civic duty and vote this season. Cause us to elect leaders who will stand up for the clear standards that are expressed in the Bible, the Holy Writings of God. May they stand firm for our freedoms to live by these standards. May we remember corporate righteousness produces corporate benefits. Help us to recall our firm alliance on the protection of divine providence and to give thanks for the freedoms and the prosperities that the people of our nation enjoy. We pray for your continued help and guidance, our wise and loving creator. Allow your infinite wisdom to be graciously bestowed on our city council tonight, these persons whom we have freely elected. May your leadership be manifested in their lives and in their decisions as well as the staff that support them. We seek your wisdom for the solutions to every situation that they consider. Fill city hall and these council chambers with the peace and power of your eternal presence, and cause every home and every citizen in Pismo Beach to feel the impact. This invocation we pray in the strong name of our Loving Lord. Amen.

143 Proverbs 14:34 144 This is an amalgamation of several verses of Proverbs Chapter 10 from the Amplified Bible. Proverbs, 10:29 “The way of the Lord is strength and a stronghold to the upright, but it is destruction to the workers of iniquity.” Proverbs 10:25 “When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous have an everlasting foundation.” Proverbs 10:7 “The memory of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked shall rot.”


November 6, 2012 (City Manager Kevin Rice) God Our Father,145 creator of all,146 thank you for our many blessings. Thank you for this beautiful day on the Central Coast of California. Thank you for being able to live and work in the United States of America. Thank you for our nation’s democracy where the supreme power rests in all the citizens entitled to vote. Thank you for our friends and families. Thank you, God, for our city council members who are the elected representatives of the people of Pismo Beach. As Veteran’s Day approaches this weekend on November 11th, God, please remember to protect those currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces and who are in harm’s way. Also, please care for and protect all Americans serving overseas and give their families strength. God, please hear our invocation. Amen.

145 This is typical of the Christian Bible, specifically the writings attributed to Paul. Paul begins most of his letters with a greeting that references “God Our Father.” See Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthins 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; Philemon 1:3. See also James 1:27. 146 Even taken as a whole this phrase is sectarian Christian. See, 1 Corinthians 8:6 NLT, “But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.”; Malachi 2:10 “Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another?”; Deuteronomy 32:6 “Is this the way you repay the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?”


December 4, 2012 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, as grateful citizens of Pismo Beach, we express to you our gratitude for the rain that has fallen the past three to four days upon our city and region. Much of it fell so gently and soaked into the ground and as a result the air is clean and the hills are turning green. Today, our city council concludes once phase of its administration. We thank you for Ted Ehring who has served so faithfully the past eight years. He has given untiringly of his knowledge and his skills and expended his efforts to better our city. Reward him and his lovely wife Pat with your presence and your blessings in their lives and home. As a new council begins their administration, we humbly seek your wisdom and guidance to be granted to each of them. We remember history September 7, 1774, the first prayer that was prayed in Congress. History says Washington was kneeling there and Patrick Henry and Randolph and Rutledge and Lee and John Jay and to their side there stood many bowed in reverence, the patron puritans of New England who at that moment had reason to believe that armed soldiers were wasting their humble households.147 It was believed that Boston had been bombarded and destroyed, but they prayed fervently for America, for Congress, and for the province of Massachusetts Bay, and especially for the town of Boston. Who can realize the emotions with which they turned imploringly to Heaven for divine interposition? Vice President John Adams said it was enough to melt a heart of stone.148 Included in that prayer were these words: “Be present, oh God of wisdom, and direct the council of this honorable assembly, and enable them to settle all things on the best and surest foundations that order and harmony and peace may be effectually restored and that truth and justice and religion and piety may prevail and flourish among the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and preserve the vigor of their mind.” And in 1789 the newly inaugurated President George Washington gave a prophetic word at Federal Hall in New York City. He declared that America’s prosperity and protection were dependent upon their adherence to God, and later the political leaders of that young nation gathered at St. Paul’s Chapel to pray and commit the nation’s future to God’s purposes. That chapel is located at ground zero and miraculously survived 9/11 virtually unscathed.149 With such a national legacy, we boldly proclaim our nation’s

147 Jones appears to be describing an artistic rendition of this prayer and calling it history. See “The First Prayer In Congress,” painted by T. H. Matteson and engraved by Henry Sadd (1848). Matteson was born 39 years after and painted the work 74 years after the event he portrayed. 148 See footnote for April 19, 2011 prayer discussing this letter. Indeed much of Jones history of this 1774 prayer appears to come from a fabricated letter. Compare the John Adams letter of September 7, 1774 on this link http://www.revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com/john-adams-quotes-2.html which is mostly accurate until about two thirds of the way down, “It had excellent effect upon every body there. I must beg you to read the Psalm.” At which point the letter is a fabrication as can be seen from the original images at the Massachusetts Historical Society website, http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/aea/cfm/doc.cfm?id=L17740916ja. 149 This passage, beginning “And in 1789…” was lifted almost verbatim from www.WND.com from one of multiple stories that essentially claim that 9/11 (and Superstorm Sandy and the recession) were God’s punishment to America for turning our back on him (the main purpose of the articles appears to be to sell a documentary and book with this same hypothesis). The WND paragraph reads:

In 1789, newly inaugurated President George Washington gave a prophetic warning at Federal Hall in New York City. He declared that America’s prosperity and protection were dependent upon its adherence to God. Later, the political leaders of the young nation gathered at St. Paul’s Chapel to commit the nation’s future to God’s purposes. That chapel is located at Ground Zero and miraculously survived 9/11 virtually unscathed.

It appears in at least six WND stories, including: “Mark this Date for Potential Disaster, Isiah 9:10 Code suggests watchful eye on specific day,” (5/14/2012) http://www.wnd.com/2012/05/mark-this-date-for-potential-disaster/#48Oo0hYMuHSaK151.99; “Obama ‘Fulfills’ Isaiah 9:10 Prophecy – Again,” (6/15/2012)


motto tonight, in God we trust. Gratefully, we gather in this public city council meeting. We have fully elected our friends, the mayor, and her colleague to our city council to serve us. In obedience to Holy Scripture, we pray for each of them tonight as in our daily prayers.150 Good government is a principle that originated in the heart of God, so cause each council member to sense the power of your invisible presence and allow your divine wisdom to be given to them to make good and wise decisions, and may each decision honor God and be for the betterment of all the citizens and guests of our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our Lord. Amen.

http://www.wnd.com/2012/06/obama-fulfills-isaiah-910-prophecy-again/#uAUSY3sOIJRJIMBz.99; “Sound off on Whether God is Warning America: Share your thoughts on ‘The Harbinger,’ ‘Isaiah 9:10 Judgment,’” (8/9/2012). http://www.wnd.com/2012/08/sound-off-on-whether-god-is-warning-america/#Ij9kjle8HD7K3W1C.99; “No. 1 Christian Author Defends… Promoting his Book: Under Attack from fellow believers for interviews with certain programs,” (8/9/2012) http://www.wnd.com/2012/08/no-1-christian-author-defends-promoting-his-book/#16J3bHQW4i766Xe2.99; “Isaiah 9:10 Redux in Sandy Aftermath,” (11/4/2012) http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/isaiah-910-redux-in-sandy-aftermath/#azd6XoQLAghrwSlE.99; “Isaiah 9:10 Linked to 9/11 – Again!,” (11/22/2012) http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/isaiah-910-linked-to-911-again/#jPVzrQxfGwAM3dZM.99; “Fall of New York Stock Exchange: The 10th Harbinger?,” (12/21/2012) http://www.wnd.com/2012/12/fall-of-new-york-stock-exchange-the-10th-harbinger/#CQ6f7kgTTfZDJb70.99 And the church was not spared, the organ was “badly damaged by smoke and dirt churned up by the falling twin towers.” Joe Kemp and Corky Siemaszko, “Church Organ from St. Paul’s Chapel damaged in 9/11 attacks returned in time for Easter,” NY Daily News, April 9, 2009. 150 1 Timothy 2:1-2.


December 18, 2012 (Mayor asked for a “moment of silence for those in Connecticut” prior to invocation.)

Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, it is Christmastime in our city and in the surrounding community stores and shops are filled with carols and beautiful Christmas music. Thank you that you have prospered so many that we may purchase gifts to those we love who are so dear to us. Allow your favor to rest upon our business community, those who have planned so earnestly and worked so diligently to sell their goods and services and then send sales tax and bed tax to our city treasurer. For your favor we are grateful. Let us understand that the message of Christmas is simple, and yet it is so wonderful. God wants to enter into all of life’s circumstances and God chooses a beginning point for his wonder workings. To God, everybody is important.

Already we have bowed in a moment of silent prayer, but may we just continue tonight, Our Father, and pray especially for those families in Connecticut whose school children and adult officials at the school were so senselessly gunned down some days ago. May their grieving and sorrowing spirits be brightened by your eternal presence. At this Christmastime we pray for all of our military personnel as they serve the noble causes of freedom and liberty around the world. May each one who is deployed be safe and secure, and may their loved ones here at home have God’s comfort and his presence as they are separated one from another.

When our next city council meets, the Christmas lights will be out. Christmas trees will have faded. Christmas ribbons will be forgotten and Christmas lights will be packed away, but the babe that was born in Bethlehem’s manger will yet remain.151 He will comfort when we are sorrowful. He will provide meaning when life’s seasons seem so useless and so empty. He will bring light when the way seems dark and he will provide joy when circumstances are grim, and long after the carols have been hushed and long after the gift certificates have been cashed, the one whose birthday we celebrate will continue to bring happiness and satisfaction.

Eric Howell is our newest city council member who begins his first full council meeting tonight. May he sense your leadership in his new venture and may the spirit of unity that has characterized our city council these past years continue among us in the days that are ahead. Tonight we invoke your divine presence to fill city hall daily and to fill these council chambers tonight. Give your wisdom to our mayor, her colleagues, and their support staff for the matters that are at hand tonight and in the future. God, bless America. Protect our great country. Protect our citizens young and older. Protect every citizen in Pismo Beach and protect the guests who visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray this holy Christmas season in the name of our personal Lord. Amen.

151 Luke 2:12


January 15, 2013 Would you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, this meeting tonight is the first city council meeting of the New Year 2013. We pause tonight to thank you for the privilege to be citizens of our great nation, the United States of America. The spiritual heritage of our country is a continuing source of inspiration to us today. It was in the year 1800, when the construction of the U.S. Capitol building was finished, and one of the first acts of Congress, was to approve the largest room in the Capitol, the Hall of the U.S. House of Representatives as a church facility.152 Each Sunday, services alternated between the chaplain of the House of Representatives the chaplain of the Senate. U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives, and U.S. Presidents such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and John Quincy Adams regularly attended that church.153 By 1867, the church at the Capitol had become the largest church in Washington D.C. and one of the largest in the nation. Many of our forefathers diligently honored God. All 50 of our U.S. state constitutions acknowledge God in their preambles. For example, Connecticut begins by saying, “We acknowledge with gratitude the good providence of God, in permitting us to enjoy a free government.” The constitution of Florida begins, “We the people of the state of Florida are grateful to Almighty God, for our constitutional liberty.” And our own state of California, our constitution begins by saying, “We the people of the state of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure and perpetuate its blessings do establish this constitution.” With such a spiritual heritage, as citizens of the 21st century we do not forget but we boldly proclaim and affirm our nation’s motto, in God we trust. Tonight we pray for our mayor, members of our city council, and their support staff. We invoke God’s divine wisdom and courage to be freely given to each of them. May each determination that is made bring esteem and righteousness toward God and may each decision bring justice and fairness and worth to each citizen and each guest that visits our beautiful city. May your protection and your favor be in 152 The source of this story is inconclusive. A total of one sentence is devoted to the issue: “The Speaker informed that House that the Chaplains had proposed, if agreeable to the House, to hold divine service every Sunday in their Chamber.” Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1853), p. 797, Sixth Congress, December 4, 1800. No vote is recorded on the issue even though another issue was voted on that same day and the vote recorded. See Id. at 799. No authorization, law, or act is mentioned, just the chaplains’ request. 153 Thomas Jefferson’s attendance at Sunday services in the Capitol is misleading and can be traced to selective quoting of Margaret Bayard Smith’s descriptions of the events which show them to be less religious and more social:

...I have called these Sunday assemblies in the capitol, a congregation, but the almost exclusive appropriation of that word to religious assemblies, prevents its being a descriptive term as applied in the present case, since the gay company who thronged the H. R. looked very little like a religious assembly. The occasion presented for display was not only a novel, but a favourable one for the youth, beauty and fashion of the city, Georgetown and environs. The members of Congress, gladly gave up their seats for such fair auditors, and either lounged in the lobbies, or round the fire places, or stood beside the ladies of their acquaintance. This sabbathday-resort became so fashionable, that the floor of the house offered insufficient space, the platform behind the Speaker's chair, and every spot where a chair could be wedged in was crowded with ladies in their gayest costume and their attendant beaux and who led them to their seats with the same gallantry as is exhibited in a ball room. Smiles, nods, whispers, nay sometimes tittering marked their recognition of each other, and beguiled the tedium of the service. Often, when cold, a lady would leave her seat and led by her attending beau would make her way through the crowd to one of the fire-places where she could laugh and talk at her ease. One of the officers of the house, followed by his attendant with a great bag over his shoulder, precisely at 12 o'clock, would make his way through the hall to the depository of letters to put them in the mail-bag, which sometimes had a most ludicrous effect, and always diverted attention from the preacher. The musick was as little in union with devotional feelings, as the place. Gaillard Hunt, ed., The First Forty Years of Washington Society, Portrayed by the Family Letters of Mrs. Samuel Harrison Smith (Margaret Bayard) from the Collection of Her Grandson, J. Henley Smith, (New York, C. Scribner's Sons, 1906), 14-15.

Smith describes the eventual change to a more solemn tone in the proceedings, but that is not how they began.


abundance upon our leaders and each of our citizens. Thank you for hearing and responding to this prayer of invocation, we pray it in name of our Loving Lord. Amen.


February 5, 2013 Would you please bow your heart with me in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, as we read and reread the writings of our nation’s founding fathers we are continually admonished to honor you and to live daily in your righteous ways. Holy Scripture teaches us that “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach and an embarrassment to any people.”154 It was George Washington, our first U.S. President who said, “Faith is absolutely vital to good government and to strong leadership. A moral nation cannot be maintained without reliance on faith. Of all that leads to political prosperity,” he said, “religion and morality are indispensible supports. Let us not suppose that morality can be maintained without religion, for reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in the exclusion of religious principle.”155 And in 1781 Thomas Jefferson, our third president said, “God who gave us life, gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure if we remove them from the only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that their liberties area gift from God.”156 So tonight it is in this spirit that we offer this invocation and once again we boldly declare and affirm our nation’s motto, in God we trust. We’re exceedingly grateful for the bounties of Heaven that has preserved our great nation. We enjoy peace and prosperity and power and wealth that is unknown by any other people on earth. And we acknowledge your gracious guiding hand157 in our great country and our beloved city. We pause tonight to say thank you, that the little five-year-old boy who was held captive in an underground bunker in Alabama for seven days was released unharmed yesterday. So many people throughout our

154 Psalm 14:34 155 Some of this quote comes from George Washington’s Farewell Address of 1796, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports… And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” The beginning of the quote is fictional. 156 Jefferson actually wrote this in two separate places more than 10 years apart.


2) “…can the liberties …Gift of God” is from Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII (1785). “For in a warm climate, no man will labour for himself who can make another labour for him. This is so true, that of the proprietors of slaves a very small proportion indeed are ever seen to labor. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever . . .”

157 Nehemiah 2:18, see also, 1 Chronicles 4:10 – “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your Hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” The Christian bible continually references its god as “Your Hand”. See, e.g., Psalm 21:7-8 “For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.”; Psalm 74:10-11 “How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!”; Micah 5:9 “Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies, and all your foes will be destroyed.”; Psalm 139:5, 10; Deuteronomy 3:24; Isaiah 26:11; 1 Kings 8:24; 2 Chronicles 6:15; Acts 4:29-30; Psalm 17:14; Job 1:11; Job 10:7.


nation united in their prayers and you responded so graciously. So tonight we invoke your blessing and your wisdom to rest upon our mayor, the members of our city council and their support staff. Even now, allow the power of your eternal presence and a new dimension of your divine enablement to enter their thought processes to respond tonight to your guiding divine guidance. May the decisions that are made tonight honor you and be for the betterment of our beautiful city all of our citizens and each of our visiting guests. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Lord. Amen.


February 19, 2013 Our Heavenly Father, yesterday, Monday, February 18th, we as citizens of our great country celebrated President’s Day, honoring the birthdays of President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln, whose birthdays are only a few days apart this month. Both of these honorable men are remembered as esteemed leaders. In his first inaugural address, President Washington opened with a heartfelt prayer and said, and I quote, “It would be impossible and improper to omit in this first official Act my fervent supplications and prayers to that Almighty Being who rules over the Universe, who presides in the Council of Nations, and whose providential aid can supply every human defect...” Then concluding his inaugural address in a strong spiritual tone, he called each citizen to remember and acknowledge God saying, “We ought to be no less persuaded that the favorable smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained…”158 unquote. Tonight, we honor these great presidents of our nation. We also offer extreme gratitude for the gift that God has given to our city these past nine years in the person of our City Manager, Kevin M. Rice. He became our city manager March the first 2004. One of his primary responsibilities as city manager is to deal with the city’s annual budget and during his leadership our country and our county has faced the greatest recession since the great depression. But Kevin Rice has managed our city’s revenues and helped Pismo Beach become the counties strongest city in terms of financial reserves. This gives such a sense and a feeling of security to our leaders and to each of us as citizens. He has encouraged our counsel to set mid-range and long-term goals. And these goal-setting sessions each year allows our city to accomplish good things for our citizens on schedule. Tonight is the final council meeting Kevin will conduct before his retirement and we say thank you Kevin we deeply appreciate you, your leadership and your lifestyle, has enriched each of us. May god’s blessings continue to rest upon you. And, Our Father, we invoke your blessings upon all who work at city hall. May each one sense the strength and the power of your enabling presence. Grant our mayor and each counsel member and their support staff your divine direction may they receive your solution for every challenge and need that they encounter tonight and in the future. May each decision that is made honor you and benefit our citizens and benefit the guests that visit our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our Loving Lord. Amen. 158 This was not really the conclusion of Washington’s address. This is from the fourth of seven paragraphs—the middle of the address.


March 5, 2013 Will you please bow your heart in prayer with me? Our Heavenly Father we thank you for our great nation, the United States of America. We are grateful for every blessing and benefit that is continually bestowed upon us as citizens. It was June 1954 when an amendment was made by the Congress to add the words “under God” to our Pledge of allegiance to our nation’s flag. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was president said, and I quote, “In this way we are affirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and in its future. In this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and in war. We thank You tonight that we are one nation under God.” And as such we reaffirm our nation’s motto “in God we trust.” We’re so pleased that you’ve sent to us our new city manager, Mr. Jim Lewis. We welcome him whole-heartedly. He has studied and applied himself, thus gaining knowledge. Now in addition to this we ask that you would grant him your divine wisdom and your understanding and as such he will be prepared to face each challenge and each opportunity in a positive and a rewarding manner. May it be evident that he and our City Council work as a team with ease toward future progress in our city. We invoke your blessings on all who work at City Hall. May our mayor and the members of the City Council and their support staff each sense the strength and the power of Your enabling presence so that they may receive your solutions to each item on tonight’s agenda and in the future. May you be honored and may every citizen and each guest in our beautiful city be benefited. This invocation we pray in the name of our Eternal Lord. Amen.


March 19, 2013 Will you again bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, we’re reminded tonight of the words that were prayed by president Abraham Lincoln in 1863 during the Civil War. Our beloved country so greatly needed Your divine help and intervention and he prayed these words: “It is the duty of nations as well as men to owe their dependence upon the over ruling power of God. And to confess their sins and transgressions and humble sorrow yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon. And to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.” And tonight our Heavenly Father, it is in this spirit that we pray this invocation. We do acknowledge Your divine providence and we do desire to do Your will. We are extremely grateful for all of your benefits: For life, and friends, and health, and prosperity, and your protection upon our beloved land. In heartfelt humility we invoke your divine wisdom to be graciously bestowed upon every member of our City Council. Grant solutions to each problem and each need so you, oh God, will be honored and we will be benefited. We pray again the prayer of President Theodore Roosevelt who prayed a one-sentence prayer, saying, “We invoke the direction and the favor of almighty God for our guidance.” We declare our dependability and our responsibility and intention to pray daily for your leadership in the lives and the decisions of each council member and their support staff. We ask you to fill City Hall and these council chambers with the peace and the power of your divine presence. May each home and each citizen and each guest feel the impact of your powerful presence in our city. Thank you for responding to our united prayers. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Lord. Amen. a


April 2, 2013 May I ask you to bow your hearts in prayer? Our Heavenly Father we thank you for the privilege to be American citizens, with all the privileges and responsibilities that this entails. Our founding fathers believed America’s government must be a government under God and wrote protection for the freedoms we enjoy. History and biblical writings taught them that devastation always accompanies sin and sinful lifestyles. However, God’s favor accompanies righteousness and anyone who lives without compromise. These men knew that public prayer and public acknowledgement of God both reflect our national character and promote our common good. Your continued favor has been graciously demonstrated to our nation and to each of us since 9/11. On numerous occasions you have shown your protection upon citizens of our great nation. Today we remember to say thank you and to ask your continued blessings upon those who serve in the FBI and the CIA at home and abroad. And we boldly declare our nation’s motto “In God We Trust.” We invite you to reign supreme in our nation and in our city. May the light of your presence and the light of your power so avail that unrighteousness and no strong hold of evil can ever prevail. We give thanks for our mayor and her colleagues on our city council whom we have freely elected to serve us. These are our friends. We’re grateful for their leadership. And for their concern of our city of Pismo Beach and for each of us as citizens. May your divine guidance be generously bestowed on them tonight and this council meeting. Work through them and their gracious support staff that proper solutions may be given for each item on tonight’s agenda. We invoke the direction and the favor of Almighty God to be our guide. Long may our land be bright with freedom’s Holy Light. Protect us by thy might Great God our King. This invocation we pray in the name of our personal Lord. Amen.


May 7, 2013 Our Heavenly Father, last Thursday, May 2, was celebrated in our nation as a National Day of Prayer. Hundreds of thousands of citizens gathered in groups large and small. We united our voices in prayer to God, to affirm a living faith in our eternal God, and to seek His favor and His blessings upon our beloved country, the United States of America. This annual event was established by a Joint Resolution of Congress, April 17, 1952, and signed into law by President Harry Truman. This is not a political event, but a day that causes us to remember how our Founding Fathers sought the wisdom of God for solutions to critical decisions. Recognizing our sins and our shortcomings, we ask God to grant us His forgiveness. As well, we are aware that our country needs a deep moral and spiritual renewal. So humbly we come before God, seeking His guidance for each of our leaders, and His grace upon us as individual citizens. It was President Franklin Roosevelt who declared, “We cannot read the history of the rise and development as a nation without reckoning the place the Bible has occupied in shaping the advances of our republic. Where we have been the truest and the most consistent in obeying the Scriptures, we have attained the greatest measure of contentment and prosperity.” For the Bible says, “Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord.”159 Once again tonight, we boldly proclaim our nation’s motto “In God We Trust,” and we invoke your divine wisdom upon each member of our City Council and their talented support staff. We ask you to provide solutions to each challenge and each opportunity that they consider, in order that You may be honored and we may be benefitted. Fill City Hall and these council chambers with the peace and the power of your divine presence, and may each home and each citizen and each guest sense the impact of your presence in our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in the name of our Loving Lord. Amen.

159 Jeremiah 17:7. This is passage is meant to be read with 17:5-6: “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.”


May 21, 2013 Our Heavenly Father, throughout history many nations have built monuments to record victories in battle and peoples they have conquered. National monuments and symbols reflect the hearts of the people, and identify what they believe is the source of their nation’s greatness and achievements. But America, our country, is unique. Our monuments have no record of peoples conquered or nations conquered, or the destruction of cities and empires. Our monuments contain the declaration that the source of our birth, the source of our liberties, and the source of our greatness, is God. Our nation was birthed by men who had a firm reliance upon almighty God, and particularly expressed in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., is our nation’s faith in God. And it is inscribed on our buildings and our monuments and our national symbols. In the great hall of the Jefferson building are the Gutenberg Bible and a hand-copied giant Bible. President Andrew Jackson declared, “The Bible is the source upon which our republic rest.” 160 And many Bible quotations can be found on the ceilings and walls, such as Micah 6:8, which says, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God.”161 President Calvin Coolidge, our thirtieth U.S. President, said, “The strength of our country is the strength of its religious convictions.” The foundations of our society and our government rest on the teachings of the Bible. And tonight, we are most grateful for the national heritage left us by our forefathers and our founders. And it is in this spirit that we boldly affirm our nation’s motto “In God We Trust.” As we pray tonight, we will not forget our fellow citizens in Oklahoma and elsewhere. They have suffered because of the powerful tornadoes packing up to 200 mile an hour winds. Whole communities have been destroyed. Many have lost loved ones and family members, and we pray earnestly and sincerely tonight, Our Father, that you would cause them to experience your comfort and your love and your powerful presence. Sustain them in this time of personal loss. And tonight at this City Council meeting we ask that you would cause each of our friends whom we have freely elected to serve on our City Council, that they would lead us on righteous paths. May they manifest integrity of heart and transparency of spirit. Cause each council member that they would receive a new dimension of your divine enablement. Function through them as you did through King 160 No primary source provided or discernable. The earliest located source is Frederic William Farrar, History of Interpretation: eight lectures preached before the University of Oxford in the year MDCCCLXXXV on the foundation of the late Rev. John Bampton, page xxvii(MacMillian and Co., London, 1886), http://books.google.com/books?id=kVX92B3TRkMC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. According to the title page, Farrar was Archdeacon and Canon of Westminster and Chaplain in Ordinary to the Queen. The Jackson quote is buried in a paragraph that begins, “My main wish has been to show the true basis whereon rests the sacredness of Holy Scripture… It is because there is no Book and no Literature which can for a moment supply the place of the Bible in the moral and spiritual education of mankind that I would do my utmost to save it from the injury of false theories and impossible interpretations.” Although Farrar cites several sources just a few pages earlier, no source is provided for the deathbed quote by Jackson: “ ‘That book sir,’ said the American President, Andrew Jackson, pointing to the family Bible during his last illness, ‘is the rock on which our Republic rests.’ ” 161 Micah 6:8 - “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” This quote is on one of the nine symbolic statues in the Library of Congress representing the areas of knowledge. The statues are: Art, Commerce, History, Law, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion and Science. The quote appears about the Religion statue.


David of whom the Bible records, “He led them according to the integrity of his heart, and he guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.”162 We entrust our City Council and their support staff and each citizen to your care and to your keeping, for your honor and our good tonight and in the future. This invocation we pray in the name of our loving and gracious Lord. Amen.

162 Psalm 78:72


June 4, 2013 Would you please join me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, we are very mindful of our fellow citizens who have suffered so deeply because of the powerhouse fires in southern California. Some have lost their homes and all their belongings. Several of our courageous firefighters have been injured. Give proper weather conditions we ask, so that these fires will be totally contained and extinguished quickly. Allow your loving concern to bring peace and comfort to each heart and each life. We express our thanks for all the manifold blessings and your continued favors that we receive, and it is our desire to honor you in our daily lives. With great appreciation we boldly proclaim tonight our nation’s motto “In God We Trust.” Solomon, the wisest king who ever ruled, penned in the Holy Scriptures these words: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach and an embarrassment to any people.”163 Tonight, we ally ourselves with the words of one our greatest statesmen, Daniel Webster. He served as a United States Senator, and then later as Secretary of State. 150 years ago he declared, “If we abide by the principles taught in the Holy Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper. But if we in our posterity neglect the instructions and the authority of the Bible, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us, and bury all of our glory into profound obscurity.”164 So cause each of us to accept such wise instruction personally, and make it a part of our lives and our lifestyles daily. Tonight, in the dignity of this City Council meeting, we invoke your wisdom to guide our Mayor, her colleagues, and their support staff. May they make wise decisions that will honor you and make better conditions for the citizens and the guests who visit our beautiful city of Pismo Beach. Together with your almighty help, combined with your divine wisdom, we are convinced that every challenge that confronts our City Council will find your solution and be properly resolved. God grant this. Thank you for hearing our united prayers. This invocation we pray in the blessed name in the wonderful name of our Savior and Lord. Amen.

163 Proverbs 14:34 164 This quote is inaccurate. The true quote does not mention the “Holy Bible” or the “Bible” at all. It does mention religious institutions, but only in conjunction with morality and our political constitution. The following is accurate:

“…if we maintain those institutions of government and that political union, exceeding all praise as much as it exceeds all former examples of political associations, we may be sure of one thing, that, while our country furnishes material for a thousand masters of the historic art, it will afford no topic for a Gibbon. It will have no Decline and Fall. It will go on prospering and to prosper. But if we and our posterity reject religious institutions and authority, violate the rules of eternal justice, trifle with the injunctions of morality, and recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us that shall bury all our glory in profound obscurity. Should that catastrophe happen, let it have no history! Let the horrible narrative never be written! Let its fate be like that of the lost books of Livy, which no human eye shall ever read, or the missing Pleiad, of which no man can ever know more than that it is lost, and lost forever!”

Daniel Webster, An Address Delivered before the New York Historical Society, February 23, 1852, available at http://archive.org/stream/cu31924064123064#page/n5/mode/2up


June 18, 2013 Would you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, our nation, the United States of America, has been bathed in prayer and respect for the teaching of the Bible since our earliest beginnings. In 1787 at the Constitutional Convention, James Madison read from the Bible, Isaiah 33:22, “The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.” And on the basis of the Bible reading, he proposed the plan to divide our central government into three branches: judicial, God our judge; legislative, God our lawgiver; and executive, God our king. He discovered our model of government from the eternal governor. 165 In 1800 John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, said, “The most effective means of securing the continuance of our civil and religious liberties is to always remember with reverence and gratitude the source from which they flowed.” Warren G. Harding, our 29th president, said, “I implore the favor and the guidance of God in Heaven. With these, I am unafraid and confidently face the future.” And in June 1954 Congress added the words “Under God” to our Pledge. President Eisenhower said in that day, “In this way we reaffirm the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and America’s future. By this, we shall constantly strengthen the spiritual weapons, which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and in war.” And so we now boldly reaffirm our nation’s motto “In God We Trust.” Tonight, in the dignity of this public City Council meeting, we invoke your divine presence to fill these council chambers. Give your wisdom generously to our mayor and her colleagues for the matters placed on the agenda. With your omnipotent help and with your divine wisdom, guide them to think clearly and wisely regarding each challenge that confronts them tonight. Grant to them your solutions to properly resolve each matter that they consider. May you be honored and may each citizen benefit from their decisions. God, bless and protect our beloved country and our beautiful city, and bless and protect each citizen. This invocation we pray in the name of our Loving Lord. Amen.

165 This is simply false. Madison did no such thing. Historians are certain that this idea did not come from the Bible. It came from Montesquieu who never mentioned or referred to the Bible in his discussion of the separation. See Barron Charles Louis Joseph de Secondat Montesquieu The Spirit of the Laws, Book XI. The Federalist no. 47 is entirely devoted to laying out the workings of “this invaluable precept in the science of politics.” James Madison, the author, wrote that “no political truth is certainly of greater intrinsic value, or is stamped with the authority of more enlightened patrons of liberty, than that [of separation of powers.]” He goes on to say “[t]he oracle who is always consulted and cited on this subject is the celebrated Montesquieu.” Furthermore this biblical passage does not separate power; it concentrates power in one being. This is exactly what the Constitution sought to avoid. The founders thought that “concentrating these [powers] in the same hands is precisely the definition of despotic government” (Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 13, 120-121, 1784) and that such a concentration was “the very definition of tyranny.” The Federalist No. 47 (James Madison). Furthermore, the founders thought that “without separation of persons there cannot be a meaningful separation of powers.” The Founders' Constitution: Vol. I Major Themes 312 (Philip B. Kurland, Ralph Lerner eds., Liberty Fund)(2000).


July 2, 2013 Will you please bow your heart with me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, our hearts grieve when we think of the 19 firefighters who died last Sunday fighting an out of control wildfire in Yarnell, Arizona, near Phoenix. So many were young men, leaving wives and children. We pray your comfort to strengthen and to sustain each of them and their loved ones who mourn such great loss. Bless and protect our firefighters and our first responders everywhere. July 4 will be a reality in just two days. All around our great country and in our city, millions of our citizens will celebrate the great document we hold so dear to our hearts, the Declaration of Independence. King George III of England declared the power of the divine right of kings. As such, he held firmly the establishment of absolute tyranny over the 13 colony states. Judges were totally dependent on his will, with a deaf ear to the voice of justice. Patrick Henry, the first elected governor of Virginia, addressed the legislature with eyes uplifted, his hands aloft, and his whole soul burning with divine inspiration,166 he reminded them how God supernaturally delivered Israel from the tyranny of Pharaoh and the Egyptian army.167 He then declared, “The same God still rules in Heaven, and is watching from His throne the oppression of His people in America. He is still strong and mighty to save.”168 And then he spoke so movingly, “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.” Our Declaration of Independence clearly states that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Among them are life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and that to secure these rights, governments are instituted. When the document was read publicly in Philadelphia, great celebration followed. The Liberty Bell rang loudly. It was called the Liberty Bell because on the words of that bell these words were engraved from the Bible: Leviticus 25:12: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land.”169 The 56 signers declared their integrity: “We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” We are grateful tonight for God’s favor upon our country, and we are proud to be called Americans. We invoke your richest favor and wisdom upon each member of our City Council as they lead our citizens to honor God. May your paths become our chosen ways. We conclude this invocation with words written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831: “My native country thee, land of the noble free, thy name I love. I love thy rocks and rills, thy woods and templed hills, my heart with rapture fills, like that above. Let music swell the breeze, and ring from all the trees, sweet freedom’s song. Let mortals tongue awake, and let all that breathe partake, let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong. Our 166 The text of Patrick Henry’s Give me liberty or give me death speech (23 March 1775) is based on supposition. It comes from a biography of Henry written by William Wirt (Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry (Philadelphia) 1836), who was three years old when Henry gave the speech. Wirt began to collect materials for Henry’s biography in 1808, nine years after Henry died. He published the book in 1817, more than 15 years after Henry died. In the words of one writer: “There are no videotapes or films of that day, no audio recordings, not even a stenographer’s record of Henry’s words. We have nothing to guide us but the memories, years removed from the time, of those who were there.” Jim Cox, “The Speech: It may not be the one that Patrick Henry so famously made,” Colonial Williamsburg Journal, Winter 02-03, available at http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/winter02-03/speech.cfm. And Wirt’s biography was “a romanticized, exaggerated, one-sided story.” Id. A computer analysis of the linguistic style of speech shows it to be from Henry Tucker, a source of Wirt and friend of Henry, but not of Henry himself. Id 167 This allusion does not appear in Wirt, or any reputable source’s rendition of the speech. It appears to be invented. 168 Nor does this quote appear in Wirt, or any reputable source’s rendition of the speech. It appears to be invented. 169 The Liberty Bell was forged in 1752 but didn’t get its moniker until the 1830’s when it was adopted by abolitionists. Gary B. Nash The Liberty Bell, 36-38 Yale University Press, (2010).


fathers’ God to Thee, author of liberty, to Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright, with freedom’s holy light, protect us by Thy might, great God our King.” Amen.


July 16, 2013 Dr. Paul Toms Join with me please in a moment of prayer. Eternal God our Heavenly Father, we come before you with thanksgiving this afternoon. We’re grateful for the community in which we live. We’re grateful for all the beauties and the things that we enjoy. We’re grateful for your provision for us and for our families. We’re grateful for every good and perfect gift170 and we begin our meeting today with thanksgiving for all your blessings. We seek today your hand of guidance171 and direction upon us. We thank you for policemen, for firemen, for our schoolteachers, for our doctors and our nurses, our public servants, our families, for our children and youth, for all the good gifts that we have day by day. We think of the great turmoil that goes on in so many parts of the world, even in our own country, and here we are in quietness and peace, and we’re grateful for it. Not only do you tell us to return thanks to you for your blessing but you ask us to give you petitions and prayers.172 And so we come to you today with our needs. This is a busy and significant time, these are public servants that have come today to do work and activities and make decisions that will affect the lives of our community and we commend each one of these people into your care.173 Your Book says, “if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally.”174 And so we need decisions that will be made in keeping with Your Plan and Your Will, that will bless our community, that will bless our young people, that will bless our families, that will help us all. So today we commend this meeting into your care.175 Thank you for public servants, thank you for people who assume responsibility bless every person here today in this room and give us wisdom and guidance and understanding. May the Joy of the Lord be our strength, may the Peace of God guide and keep us and we will be grateful to you for every good and perfect gift that comes down through Christ, Jesus our Lord176 we pray. Amen

170 See James 1:17 (KJV) “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” 171 See e.g., Isaiah 25:10, 66:14; Psalm 139:5 (NLT) 172 Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 173 See Acts 20:32 (KJV) “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” 174 James 1:5 (KJV) “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” 175 See Acts 20:32 (KJV) “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” 176 See James 1:17 (KJV) “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”


August 20, 2013 Our Heavenly Father, in our great country we recognize that prayer is a gift from God to every human being. It is a gift that permits us to come before God our Creator with heartfelt worship and request, and with our deepest hopes. Prayer reminds us that when we bow our hearts or fall on our knees, we are all equal in the eyes of the Living God.177 In prayer we are assured that we are never alone in times of personal difficulty or individual suffering. This is why Benjamin Franklin proposed that the Constitutional Convention of 1787 begin each day with prayer and out of this group of public leaders who gave themselves to public prayer178 was born the Constitution of the United States on September 18,179 1787, nearly 226 years ago. No legal document ever written by man has done so much good for so many people and has become the hope and the envy of every generation. Our founding fathers left us a legacy and a testimony to the role of God in American history. And so tonight we remember the civil strife in Egypt and Syria where innocent men, women, and children are being killed every day by fellow citizens of opposing political persuasion. These needless killings have continued for weeks and even months with seemingly no benefit to society. And so tonight in prayer we pray that there may be a speedy cessation of these hostilities. The Holy Scriptures strongly teach us, and I quote, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”180 And so today we once again give our personal affirmation to our nation’s motto, “In God We Trust.” And in the dignity of this city council meeting, we invoke your Divine Wisdom and Guidance to be upon our mayor and her colleagues as well as their support staff. May righteousness always fill city hall. May righteousness always fill these council chambers. Then each decision will be a good decision and this will honor god and improve the lives of each citizen and each guest in our beautiful city. This invocation we pray in our Savior’s name. Amen

177 Jeremiah 10:10 (NIV) “But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath.” See also, Matthew 16:15 “ ‘But what about you?’ [Jesus] asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ ” 178 Again, no prayer occurred at the Constitutional Convention — Franklin’s motion failed. And if prayer had occurred, it would not have been public prayer—the Convention proceedings were conducted in secret. See Edward J. Larson and Michael P. Winship The Constitutional Convention: A Narrative History from the Notes of James Madison (2005). 179 The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, that is why Constitution Day is celebrated on September 17. 180 Psalm 33:12.


September 3, 2013 Dr Paul Toms, no audio available.


September 17, 2013 Will you bow your heart in prayer with me? Our Heavenly Father, our hearts have been deeply touched by the torrential rains that have fallen in and around Boulder, Colorado. Bridges have been knocked out and roads have been washed away and several people have drowned and hundreds are still missing. Many have lost considerable possessions including their homes. And we ask that God would sustain and comfort their hearts and their lives. And yesterday our nation was shocked as a gunman fired a weapon killing 12 people and wounding many more before he himself was killed. So many families and loved ones have been effected by this senseless action at the Washington D.C. Navy Yard. May the families and the friends of the fallen and injured be strengthened by the power of your presence. We join our hearts today with countless thousands of our citizens who are praying for a spiritual awakening among the citizens of our country. Many of our peoples and our leaders have turned from the path of righteousness in their own lives and lifestyles. King Solomon was a political leader where peace and unprecedented prosperity was enjoyed by the citizens of his nation and he proclaimed the greatest political idea of all generations, it’s written in Holy Scripture, it says: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach and an embarrassment to any people.”181 He further stated, “The way of the Lord is strength for the upright.”182 And he concluded by saying that “He who walks in integrity walks securely.”183 Cause our leaders and our citizens to stand up for clear standards expressed in the Bible, the Holy Writings of God. May they stand firm for our freedoms to live by these standards. Corporate righteousness produces corporate benefits. So help us to refirm—to recall what our forefathers called our firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence and give thanks for the freedoms and prosperities that the people of nation enjoy. We pray for your continued help and guidance. Allow your Infinite Wisdom to be graciously bestowed on our city council whom we have freely elected. May your leadership be manifested in their lives and in their decisions as well as the staff that supports them. We seek your wisdom for the solutions to every situation that they consider. Fill city hall and these council chambers with the peace and the power of your eternal presence and cause every home and every citizen in Pismo Beach to feel the impact. This invocation we pray in the strong name of our Loving Lord. Amen.

181 Proverbs 14:34. 182 Proverbs 10:29. 183 Proverbs 10:9.


October 1, 2013 Rajan Zed

[audio cut off] … Glory of the Deity Supreme, who is inside the heart of the Earth, inside the life of the sky, and inside the soul of the Heaven. May He stimulate and illuminate our minds.184

Lead me from the unreal to the real, lead me from darkness to light, lead me from death to immortality.185

Fulfill all your duties, action is better than inaction, even to maintain your body you are obliged to act. Selfish action imprisons the world. Act selflessly without any thought of personal profit.186

Strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world. By devotion to selfless, one attains the supreme goal of life. Do your work with the welfare of others always in mind.187

May we be protected together. May we be nourished together. May we work together with great vigor. May our study be enlightening. May no obstacle arise between us.188

United your resolve, united your hearts, may your spirits be as one, that you may long dwell in unity and concord. Peace, peace, peace be unto all.189 OM. Thank you.

[The City Chaplain gave the pledge of allegiance, not Mr. Zed]

184 This prayer begins with the Gayatri Mantra, “the most hallowed mantra” of Hindu Scripture. See Sri Chinmoy, Commentaries on the Veda, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, 87 (Aum Publications, 1996). 185 This is a quote from the Upanishads, the texts on which the Hindu religion is based. Like the Christian Bible, they contain revealed truth and make claims about the nature of reality. This particular quote is from the Brihadâranyaka Upanishad, First Adhyaya, Third Brahmana, para. 27. See The Upanishads, Part 2, 83-84 (Max Muller, trans., 1879) available at http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe15/sbe15054.htm. 186 This quote is from the Bhagavad Gita, 3.08-3.09. Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, speaks these words to Arjuna. 187 This is a quote from the Bhagavad-Gita. 188 This is a quote from the Upanishads, it appears several times in the Taittiriya Upanishad. 189 Rig Veda X, 191, 3.


October 15, 2013

Our Heavenly Father, President George Washington spoke so clearly to his day and to our day when he declared and I quote, “No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invincible hand,190 which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States.” So we offer to you tonight our God, sincere gratitude and appreciation for your continued blessings and protection and bountifulness to our country and to our citizens. We ask that you would continue to endow our intelligence community with your favor and your skills as they seek each moment to protect each of us as citizens at home and abroad. And tonight we unite our hearts as a grateful people and boldly affirm our nation’s motto, “In God We Trust.”

Even now, we bow our hearts in true humility and ask your forgiveness for our personal sins and our sins as a nation. Cause us to walk uprightly191 and to pursue righteousness. The Bible teaches us from the writings of King Solomon that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach and an embarrassment to any people.”192 Tonight we invoke your invisible presence to hallow these city council chambers. May your wisdom and your understanding be freely granted to our mayor, her fellow council members and their support staff. We pray this to be the resource that becomes the solution to each challenge and each opportunity we face.

We give you our thanks and our gratitude for the manner in which you continue to bless our city financially. This past July, the transient occupancy tax, the tax our guests pay when they stay in our hotel rooms again exceeded one million dollars in one month. Thank you for blessing our diligent business people, which in turn has blessed our city treasury. God, bless the citizens and the guests of our beautiful city of Pismo Beach. God, bless America and, God, protect America. This invocation we pray in the wonderful name of our Loving Lord. Amen.

190 From Washington’s first inaugural address, but it actually said “invisible hand,” not invincible hand. 191 Proverbs 10:29. 192 Proverbs 14:34.

PROCLAMATION

A PROCLAMATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PISMO BEACH HONORING DR. PAUL E. JONES FOR HIS 60 YEARS OF ORDAINED SERVICE

WHEREAS, Dr. Paul E. Jones graduated from Life Seminary with a Doctor of Theology Degree in 1950; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jones was ordained in Public Ministry in 1950; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jones was Pastor of the Four Square Church in Canon City, Colorado for seven years; Pastor in Portland, Oregon for three years, Pastor in Denver, Colorado for nine years, and Pastor in Santa Fe Springs, California for four years; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jones served as the Supervising Bishop for 16 years for the Southern California District where he planted 125 new churches, resulting in 206 churches and 600 Pastors within the District; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jones has served as the Assistant Protestant Chaplain for the Colorado State Penitentiary for five years; Chaplain of the Civil Air Patrol for 15 years, retiring in rank as Lt. Colonel; Board of Regents for Life Seminary for 10 years; and has served as the Pismo Beach City Chaplin for the past five years; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Jones has been awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity and recently honored with the Gold Ministerial Lapel Pin.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Pismo Beach hereby honors Dr. Paul E. Jones for his 60 years of ordained service and for his outstanding integrity and devotion to serving his fellow man.

Dated this 15th of June 2010

________________________ Mary Ann Reiss Mayor

1PLAINTIFFS' EXHIBIT 2: PROCLAMATION HONORING YEARS OF 'ORDAINED SERVICE'

CcuuTer

CiP1

JoT eI

AGENDACity of Pismo Beach

Council Closed Session

ICALL TO ORDERROLL CALL

760 Mattie RoadPismo Beach California

Mayor Reiss

MayorMayor Pro TernCouncilmembers

ReissGonzales Gee

Higginbotham Natoli Rabenaldt

I PUBLIC COMMENTS

Mayor to ask for public comments specific to the below listed items

I AGENDA ITEM S

Item 1 CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING PENDINGLITIGATION 54956 9

City of Pismo Beach v Gragg Canyon Partners LLC

It is noted that the contents of closed session meetings are confidential and exemptfrom disclosure

I ADJOURNMENT

Affidavit Date Time of Posting

Date Februarv 24 2005 Time 10 30 a m

ByLori Grigsby CMC City Clerk

Title City Clerk

1

1PLAINTIFFS' EXHIBIT 3: MARCH 1, 2005 P.B.C.C. MEETING AGENDA EXCERPT

EXPLAINING LEGAL DIFFICULTIES OF PRAYER AND CHAPLAINCY

11

jI

c

AGENDACity of Pismo Beach

REGULARCit Council Meetin

Tuesday March 1 2005 4 30 p m

760 MattiRoadPismo Beach California I

CALL TO ORDER

ROLL CALL

MayorMayor Pro TemCouncilmembers

ReissGonzales Gee

Higginbotham Rabenaldt Natoli

INVOCATION Dr Paul Jones

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Next Resolution No R 05 009 Next Ordinance No 0 05 03

11 PRESENTATIONS

Item 1 A A Proclamation of the City Council of the City of Pismo Beach HonoringKay Luis

Recommendation Mayor to present Proclamation to Harry Luis

Item 1 B Proclamation regarding American Red Cross Month

Recommendation Mayor to present Proclamation to Kelly VanBuren Public Support Director

2



Council Agenda Tuesday March 1 2005

16 BUSINESS ITEMS

A Resolution oAhe City C uncil of tbe Cityof Pismo Beach Allocating25 000 from th General Fund Contingency Account to Fund the New

Arroyo Grande High School Pool

Item 6 A

Recommendation Mr Starkie to request funding and Counciladopt Resolution by roll call vote

Item 6 BII

Re uest from Mayor Pro Tern Gonzales Gee regarding appointing a CityChaplain

I

Recommendation Discussion and Direction

17 CITY MANAGER S REPORT

Is CITY AHORNEY S REPORT

19 COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

1 Area Agency on Aging NalolilGonzalesGee2 Dinosaur Caves Preservation Society Gonzales Gee Higginbotham3 Economic Vitality Corporation RabenaldVNatoli4 Pismo Beach Conference Visitors Bureau Higginbotham5 Friends of Price House Gonzales GeeHigginbotham6 Inlegrated Waste Management Authority JPA Natoli7 Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Gonzales Gee Natoli8 SLO Council of Governments ReisslGonzalesGee all9 SLO Regional Transit Authority Reiss10 Zone 3 Advisory Commitlee RabenaldtlNatoli alt11 SLO County Water Resources Advisory Commitlee Vacant12 SLO South County Area Transit Gonzales Gee13 SLO Air Pollution Control District GonzalesGee Reiss alt14 Scenic Highway Commitlee Natoli15 South County Youth Coalition Higginbotham Natoli alt16 EOC Higginbotham17 Community Improvement Group Gonzales Gee Rabenaldt18 Ventana Fire Station Gonzales Gee Higginbotham1 g California Joint Powers Insurance Authority Reiss

5



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Council Agenda Tuesday March 1 2005

110 PULLED CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 1

111 ADJOURNMENT

The Council meeting will adjourn by 11 00 p m unless a four fifths vote of the Council wishes to continue

past that time If the meeting is adjourned at 11 00 p m any remaining agenda items will be continued to

the next regular meeting

Affidavit Date llme of Posting

By Date Februarv 24 2005

Title Citv Clerk Time 4 30 o m

General Information The City of Pismo Beach meets on the First Tuesday at 4 30

p m and Third Tuesdays of each month at 4 30 p m unless

otherwise noticed

Council Agendas The City Council agenda is now available for public review at

the City s website at www oismobeach ora and the CityClerk s Office 760 Mattie Road Pismo Beach California on

the Thursday prior to the scheduled meeting

Council Meeting Broadcasting is on Channel 20 three times a day

Notice Regarding Americans with Disabilities Act

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act if you need special assistance to

participate in this meeting please contact the City Clerk s Office at773 7003 at least 48

hours prior to the meeting to ensure that reasonable arrangements can be made to

provide accessibility to the meeting 28CFR 35 102 35 104 ADA Title II

6



PISMO BEACH COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT

SUBJECTfTlTLEA RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PISMO BEACH TO

ESTABLISH THE POSITION OF CITY CHAPLAIN

RECOMMENDATIONCouncil receives report from City Attorney and City Manager and discusses whether it is

appropriate to establish the position of City Chaplain

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ICouncil directed staff to agendize a discussion of whether to establish the n 1 position

of City Chaplain Fresently Pismo Beach has no such position Of the s Catifornia

cities responding to staffs question concerning the same only three cities respondedthat they have a City Chaplain Attachment 1

In October of every year the staff sends a letter to local ministers and churches asking

them to consider volunteering to give an invocation prayer at the beginning of every

regularly scheduled City Council meeting Prior to 2003 many local ministers

volunteered to give an invocation at the City Council meeting Subsequent to the

decision in the Rubin v City of Burbank case 2002 Pismo Beach had approximatelytwo ministers volunteer to give a prayer The essence of the Rubin v Burbank case is

that sectarian invocations are improper ata City Council meeting On the sth of August2003 the City Council of Pismo Beach unanimously passed a resolution prohibitinginvocations that are sectarian in nature Attachment2

If the effect of establishing a City Chaplain position would be to preclude other ministers

from giving an invocation then the City is assuming some undetermined legal risk

Further since the City has no historical chaplaincy program instituting such a program

may have significant constitutional obstacles especially in California s litigious climate

If Council decides to establish the position of City Chaplain staff recommends that the

Council appoint an individual to fill the position for a one year term as this would permitvarious ministers to volunteer for the position Ultimately the Council would interview

candidates and make the selection

FISCAL IMPACT

No cost as this position would not be a paid position

OPTIONS1 Establish the new Chaplain position by Resolution

2 Continue under current City proceduresAgenda Item JJi

Page 1

128



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ATTACHMENTS1 Survey of California Cities2 Resolution R 03 05 dated 5 August 2003 Resolution

Prepared by Kevin Rice City Manager Meeting Date March 1 2005

I if1

City Manager Approval 11 VJt I

Agenda Item 6 8

Page 2

129



SURVEY

Cities that Utilize a ChaplainJanuary 25 2005

A ffMk 1

x X

Burbank X X

Chino X X

Desert Hot Sp ngs X

Diamond Bm X

East Palo Alto X X

El Monte X X

Emeryville X X

Fort Bragg X

Fortuna X X

GaIt X X

Gilroy X X

Glendora X X

Gridley X X 2

Hanford X X

Hollister X

Irvine X X

Kingsburg X X

La Quinta X

Lodi X X

130



[CITY]* [YES]* [NO]*[Police chaplain]*

*Plaintiff's have added this text, it appears in the headingof the chart but cannot be read by the scanner. The police chaplain heading is based on inference

A11lfdtl1e1JT

SURVEYCities that Utilize a Chaplain

January 25 2005

l P

fi

tt

I e

i I

i

LI1

Martinez X

Milpitas X

Monrovia X XI I

Moreno Valley X IMurrieta X X

Newark X X

Oceanside X X

Pico Rivera X

Pinole X

Pittsburg X X

Redding X X

Redlands X X

Richmond X

Salinas X

San Clemente X

San Dimas X

San Leandro X

San Marino X

Santa Clara X

Santa Clariw X

131





SURVEYCities tbatUtilize a Chaplain

January 25 2005

hiff X Iil ft trI r r t

i j f j n F r1 I7il c1 t I

l f lr1

tY

14 t V

J 1 1tJ h t 1

Jl

r

j

t 00 w i

Santa Paula X X Fire

Selma X

Simi Valley X X

Solvang IX

St Helena X

Susanville X

Temecula X X

Tiburon X

Vacaville X X

Whinier X X

Winters X

Woodland X X 3

Yuba City X X

132





Af1tl 2

RESOLUTION NO R03 53

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PISMO BEACHADOPTING AN INVOCATION POLICY FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS

WHERrAS th8 City o IPismo Beach Council lTililetings currenily includes an invocationat the beginning of each Council meeting and

WHEREAS the Court in Rubin v City of Burbank 2002 101 Cal App4lh 1194 heldthat invocations which ra sectarian In nalure ie those which specifically recognize e

religious faith violate the establishment clause under the First Amendment of the UnitedStates Constitution and

IWHERE the Court in Rubin v City ofBurbank permanenUy enjoined the City of

Burbank from klio ingly and intentionally allowing sectarian at city council meetingsand ordered the city to advise anyone conducting a pIllIyer as part of the city council meetingthat sectarian prayers are not permitted and

WHEREAS the City of Pismo Beach wishes to adopt an invocation policy which meetsconstitutional Iltandards consistent with the Court of Appeals ruling in Rubin v City ofBurbank

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Pismo Beachas followa

1 The City Council adopts the following invocation policy

a The City Council prohibits the offering of an invocation that is sectarian inralure i e the City Council will not permitreferenca to any particular deity and

b 1he City Council will advise anyone wishing to offer aQ Invocation at CityCouncil meetings that invocations that are sectarian in nature are not permitted

PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Pismo Beach by motion ofCouncilmember Reiss seconded by Councilmember Rabenaldt at the regular meeting CityCouncil Meeting held this 511I day of August 2003 by the following roll call vole

AYESNOESABSENTABSTAIN

Councilmembers Reiss Rabenaldt Gonzales Gee Natoli and Mayor CreseioneNoneNoneNone

l

nito J rescione Mayor

133



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A1r It1e 3

II Resolution R OS

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PISMO BEACHESTABLISHING THE NON PAID POSITION OF CITY CHAPLAIN

Whereas the City Council of Pismo Beach acknowledges the blessings that the creator

has bestowed on the citizens of Pisrtlo Beach and

Whereas the City Council of Pismo Beach believes it is necessary and appropriate to

commence every Council meeting with a non sectarian prayer

BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of t e City of Pismo Beach to estrl i1ish the

position of City Chaplain Said position will be non paid and filled on a on lear term

Annually Council will interview candidates for the Chaplain position andl ieleel the

Chaplain by voting

UPON MOTION of Councilmember seconded by Councilmember

the foregoing Resolution is hereby approved and adopted the

1st day of March 2005 by the following role call vote to wit

AYESNOESABSTAINABSENT

Mayor Mary Ann Reiss

ATTEST

Lori Grigsby CMC City Clerk

Agenda Item 6 B

Page 7

134



MINUTESCity of Pismo Beach

REGULAR

Cit Council Meetin


The City Council of the City of Pismo Beach met this date in a regular session at 4 33

p m in the City Council Chambers 760 Mattie Road Pismo Beach California with

Mayor Reiss presiding

CALL TO ORDER Mayor Reiss

ROLL CALLPresent

MayorMayor Pro Tem

Councilmembers

Reiss

Gonzales Gee

Higginbotham Rabenaldt Natoli

INVOCATION was given by Dr Paul Jones

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was lead by Mayor Pro Tem Gonzales Gee

Next Resolution No R 05 009 Next Ordinance No 0 05 03

11 PRESENTATIONS

Item 1 A A Proclamation of the City Council of the City of Pismo Beach HonoringKay Luis

Mayor Reiss presented a Proclamation to the family of Kay Luis

Proclamation regarding American Red Cross MonthItem 1 8

Mayor Reiss presented a Proclamation to Phil Harwick Public Support Director

for the American Red Cross

2 PUBLIC COMMENT PERIODAt this time members of the public may comment on any item NOT appearing on the agendaexcept for Consent Calendar items Under State Law matters presented under this item cannot

be discussed or acted upon by the City Council at this time For items appearing on the agendathe public will be invited to make comments at the time the item comes up for Council

consideration At all times please use the microphoneIn response to your comments the Mayor or presiding Councilmember may

Direct staff toassistor coordinate with youA Councilmember may state adesire to meet with you

1PLAINTIFFS' EXHIBIT 4: MARCH 1, 2005 P.B.C.C. MEETING MINUTES EXCERPT

INCLUDING OBJECTIONS TO PRAYERS AND VOTE ESTABLISHING CHAPLAINCY

Regular City Council Meeting Minutes


5

The following citizens spokeLorraine Trussler Joan Knowlton Steve Anderson Dee Sannum Rebecca Reibel

Alan Kaloian Paul Sawko Shelia Blakely Jan McKibbin Jean Edlund Marti

Anderson all spoke regarding this item

MOTION 5 A

Motion by Councilmember Rabenaldt seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Gonzales Gee

to vote in favor of the position of the appellant by Resolution R 05 009 This

item was approved by roll call vote Passed 5 0

AYES Rabenaldt Gonzales Gee Natoli Higginbotham ReissNOES None

16 BUSINESS ITEMS

Item 6 A A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pismo Beach Allocating25 000 from the General Fund Contingency Account to Fund the New

Arroyo Grande High School Pool

Recommendation Mr Starkie to request funding and Council

adopt Resolution by roll call vote

Mr Starkie spoke to Council regarding the AGHS pool facility

Mayor Reiss asked for comments from the public The following citizens spokeJohn Fisher spoke regarding his approval of this resolution Bill Worger notedthe pool would be a great addition to the community

MOTION 6 AMotion by Councilmember Rabenaldt seconded by Councilmember Higginbothamto approve Resolution 05 010 contingent upon the use agreement beingreviewed and approved by Council before release of funding and that all other

agencies will contribute up to 225 000 with the City of Pismo Beach contributingthe final 25 000 for AGHS to meet their goal of 250 000 for the facility This item

was approved by roll call vote Passed 5 0

AYESNOES

Gonzales Gee Natoli Rabenaldt Higginbotham ReissNone

Item 6 B Request from Mayor Pro Tem Gonzales Gee regarding appointing a CityChaplain




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6

Mayor Reiss asked for public comments regarding this item The followingcitizens spoke

Don Day spoke regarding this item and feels Dr Jones is giving back to the

community

Roscoe Mathieu spoke regarding the separation of church and state and the

infringement on the rights of citizens and believes it s inappropriate

MOTION 6 B

Motion by Mayor Pro Tem Gonzales Gee seconded by Councilmember Natoli to

approve Resolution 05 011 establish the position of City Chaplain and order

business cards and name badge This item was approved by roll call vote Passed

5 0

AYES

NOESGonzales Gee Natoli Rabenaldt Higginbotham Reiss

None

17 CITY MANAGER S REPORT

City Manager Kevin Rice reported on the following items Remind everyone

regarding the March 9 2005 5 00 p m Budget Workshop and Public Hearing Mr

Rice noted the hard workof Randy Bloom and his staff

18 CITY ATTORNEY S REPORT

City Attorney Dave Fleishman noted that there have been reports of secret

meetings of the Council As far as Mr Fleishman is concerned no Brown Act

violation has occurred under his watch

19 COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

1 Area Agency on Aging Natoli Gonzales Gee

2 Dinosaur Caves Preservation Society Gonzales Gee Higginbotham3 Economic Vitality Corporation RabenaldtlNatoli4 Pismo Beach Conference Visitors Bureau Higginbotham5 Friends of Price House Gonzales Gee Higginbotham6 Integrated Waste Management Authority JPA Natoli

7 Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Gonzales Gee Natoli

8 SLO Council of Governments Reiss Gonzales Gee alt

9 SLO Regional Transit Authority Reiss

10 Zone 3 Advisory Committee RabenaidtlNatoli aIt

11 SLO County Water Resources Advisory Committee Vacant

12 SLO South County Area Transit Gonzaies Gee

13 SLO Air Pollution Control District Gonzales Gee Reiss alt



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7

14 Scenic Highway Committee Natoli15 South County Youth Coalition Higginbotham Natoli alt16 EOC Higginbotham17 Community Improvement Group Gonzales Gee Rabenaldt

18 Ventana Fire Station Gonzales Gee Higginbotham19 California Joint Powers Insurance Authority Reiss

Council member Natoli traveled to Navajo and reported on his meeting

Councilmember Higginbotham attended the EOC meeting and reported the

concerns of budget cuts and eliminating the CDBG Grants She also attended theCVB meeting with Mike Madden and reported on the upcoming car show

Councilmember Rabenaldt reported that he would be on the Dave Cogelton radio

show KVEC 940 AM this Thursday at 4 00 p m

Mayor Reiss attended the Mayor s meeting they discussed funding for cities

110 PULLED CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS

111 ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business Council adjourned at 7 09 p m

ATTEST APPROVED

k



http://www.meetup.com/San-Luis-Obispo-Atheists/

DATE: May 15, 2012Contact: [email protected]

Objection to Invocations at the City Council Meetings of Pismo Beach

Atheists United of San Luis Obispo objects to both the content and intent of

invocations preceding the main City Council meetings of the City of Pismo Beach. The

practice of giving invocations is inherently based in religion, and the courts have

recognized that giving invocations at government meetings is likely to be prejudicial

to members of the community who do not share the faith of the person giving the

invocation (for example, Joyner v. Forsythe County). While Atheists United of San Luis

Obispo strongly believes that invocations are inherently dismissive to non-religious

persons, the invocations used in Pismo Beach do not even fall within the permissive

standards currently accepted in law.

Courts have ruled that invocations can mention “God” as long as they do not

mention any particular god. This rule of thumb is often jokingly referred to as the

“don't say Jesus” rule. While Dr. Paul Jones, who nearly always gives the invocations,

does refrain from mentioning Jesus specifically, he routinely and blatantly violates the

spirit of the rule.

Jones frequently uses explicitly Christian turns of phrase such as “Our Lord and

Savior” and “Our Heavenly Father.” For example, at the December 20th meeting, Jones

stated “the baby that was born so long ago in Bethlehem's manger will continue to

bring happiness and satisfaction, for his name is above all other names, his reign is

above all other rulers, his Lordship is above all other authorities, his words are above

all other voices, and his truth is above all other opinions . . .” While Jones does not

mention Jesus by name, we know exactly which deity he is referring to and that he is

placing that deity in a position of primacy in this community with the tacit

endorsement of its elected and appointed officials present.

1/2

1PLAINTIFFS' EXHIBIT 5: AUSLO MAY 15, 2010 LETTER TO P.B.C.C. OBJECTING TO PRAYER

http://www.meetup.com/San-Luis-Obispo-Atheists/

mailto:[email protected]

These sorts of statements, which are routine in Jones' invocations, privilege

Christian beliefs over those of other faiths, and over those without faith. In addition, a

frequent theme of Jones' is to state that the civic order is dependent on religious

faith. This latter type of statement is highly exclusionary to the non-religious as it

claims that people of faith are the ones creating community – and implies that non-

religious residents of and visitors to the Central Coast are not a part of the

community. While Jones is entitled to his opinions, and entitled to express them,

giving him a forum at these meetings constitutes an endorsement of his speech by

the City Council. The City Council cannot seriously claim to be a secular body when

meetings are routinely preceded by such exclusionary statements.

We also contend that an honest appraisal of invocations would recognize that

invocations are inherently dismissive of non-religious persons. To invoke is to call

upon an authority or justification for one's actions – and even a generically religious

invocation implies that the authority of the City Council does not derive from state

law and the consent of the governed but rather from some sort of divine mandate.

Both the United States and California Constitutions claim authority on the basis of the

general consent of the governed. Authority based on divine mandate is not simply

unmentioned, it is explicitly rejected, most famously in the Establishment Clause of

the First Amendment. Article 16, section 5 of California's Constitution also forbids

local governments from providing aid of any kind to particular religious organizations

or creeds.

The City Council of Pismo Beach should recognize that their authority derives

from the general consent of the community, not a divine mandate envisioned by

particular members of that community. Atheists United calls upon the City Council of

Pismo Beach to immediately cease using invocations at its meetings.

Sincerely,

Atheists United of San Luis Obispo

2/2

2PLAINTIFFS' EXHIBIT 5: AUSLO MAY 15, 2010 LETTER TO P.B.C.C. OBJECTING TO PRAYER

1PLAINTIFFS' EXHIBIT 6: FFRF AUGUST 15, 2010 LETTER TO P.B.C.C. OBJECTING TO PRAYER


REGULAR

City Council Meeting

The City Council of the City of Pismo Beach met this date in a regular session at632pmin the City Council Chambers 760 Mattie Road Pismo Beach Californiawith Mayor Crescione presiding

ROLL CALLPresent

MayorMayor Pro Tem

Councilmembers

INVOCATION

CrescioneRabenaldt

GonzalesGeeNatoli Reiss

was led by Dr Paul Jones

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was led by Councilmember Reiss

Next Resolution No R0351 Next Ordinance No00303

At this time members of the public may comment on any item NOT appearing on the agenda It is recommended to keepyour comments to 3 minutes Under State Law matters presented under this item cannot be discussed or acted upon bythe City Council at this time For items appearing on the agenda the public will be invited to make comments at the timethe item comes up for Council consideration Atall times please use the microphone

Marjorie Elwood spoke regarding the special class that Shell Beach ElementarySchool had during the summer months and congratulated the school board for

promoting such an outstanding teacher and program

Mike Rose spoke regarding the issue of the meaning of major and minor forconstruction He would like a good interpretation of the Municipal Codepertaining to this item

1PLAINTIFFS' EXHIBIT 7: AUGUST 5, 2003 P.B.C.C. MEETING MINUTES EXCERPT

ADOPTING A PRAYER POLICY AND THE POLICY ITSELF

Motion by Councilmember Reiss seconded by Councilmember Natolito approve Resolution NoR0352 with the placement of the name

Dolliver to another street within the City Staff is to look at ShellBeach Road as possible PCH name for the future This item was

approved by the following voice vote

AYESNOES

GonzalesGeeRabenaldt Reiss Natoli CrescioneNone

Item 6A

Item 6B

A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pismo Beach Adopting an

Invocation Policy Prohibiting Council Meeting Invocation Prayer that at is

Sectarian in Natureie No Reference to any Particular God in Light of

Recent Court of Appeals Decision in Rubin v City of Burbank DietrickFile 1111

Recommendation Adopt Resolution by roll call vote

Christine Dietrick City Attorney gave the staff report

Mike Rose spoke regarding his opposition of this resolution

David Taub spoke in support of this resolution

ACTION Passed 50 by the following motion

MOTION 6AMotion by Councilmember Reiss seconded by Mayor Pro TemRabenaldt to approve Resolution R0353 This item was approvedby the following roll call vote

AYES GonzalesGee Rabenaldt Reiss Natoli CrescioneNOES None

Consideration and discussion regarding recruitment of City Attorneypertaining to InHouse or Contract hire Grigsby


A lengthy discussion ensued regarding this item

ACTION Passed 312 by the following motion

MOTION 6B

7



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A1r It1e 3

II Resolution R OS

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PISMO BEACHESTABLISHING THE NON PAID POSITION OF CITY CHAPLAIN

Whereas the City Council of Pismo Beach acknowledges the blessings that the creator

has bestowed on the citizens of Pisrtlo Beach and

Whereas the City Council of Pismo Beach believes it is necessary and appropriate to

commence every Council meeting with a non sectarian prayer

BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of t e City of Pismo Beach to estrl i1ish the

position of City Chaplain Said position will be non paid and filled on a on lear term

Annually Council will interview candidates for the Chaplain position andl ieleel the

Chaplain by voting

UPON MOTION of Councilmember seconded by Councilmember

the foregoing Resolution is hereby approved and adopted the

1st day of March 2005 by the following role call vote to wit

AYESNOESABSTAINABSENT

Mayor Mary Ann Reiss

ATTEST

Lori Grigsby CMC City Clerk

Agenda Item 6 B

Page 7

134




REGULARCity Council Meeting

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The City Council of the City of Pismo Beach met this date in a regular session at 5:36 pmCityCouncil Chambers, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach California with Mayor Reiss presiding.

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Reiss

1. ROLL CALL:

Present:Mayor ReissMayor Pro Tem HigginbothamCouncilmember EhringCouncilmember VardasCouncilmember Waage

StaffPresent:

Kevin Rice, City ManagerDave Fleishman, City AttorneyRandy Bloom, Community Development DirectorEmily Colborn, Deputy City ClerkGreg Ray, Acting Public Works Director/City Engineer

Absent:Dwayne Chisam, Public Works Director/City EngineerGeorge Edes, Administrative Services Director

City Council Regular Meeting http://pismobeach.granicus.com/MinutesViewer.php?view_id=...

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PLAINTIFFS' EXHIBIT 8: P.B.C.C. MEETING MINUTES EXCERPTSWHERE STUDENTS ATTENDED

2. INVOCATION: Dr. Paul Toms

3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Dr. Paul Toms

At this time, Mayor Reiss recessed the City Council meeting to theClosed Session previously convened at 4:30 p.m.

4. PRESENTATIONS

No items scheduled.

At 6:10 p.m. Mayor Reiss reconvened the City Council meeting andannounced no reportable action was taken at the Closed Session.

5. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

Shell Beach Elementary G.A.T.E. Students: Jocelyn Reynolds, PalakPatel and Leila Assal invited Council to attend the annualG.A.T.E. Olympics (Gifted and Talented Education). The event will beheld Saturday, May 30, from 10:51 a.m. - 3:03 p.m. at Shell BeachElementary School.

Tom Murray representing SLO Green Build announced the GreenRetrofit Sweepstakes for residents of older homes in San Luis ObispoCounty. Additional information is available at www.slogreenbuild.org.

Grover Beach Mayor John Shoals and Mayor Pro Tem Bill Nicollspresented Council with the Grover Beach Rotary Annual Bowl-A-ThonFundraiser plaque in honor of their win during the 2009 City CouncilChallenge.

Chet Hogoboom Manager of the SeaVenture Hotel invited Council toattend the annual Volunteer Appreciation lunch in honor of thebeach clean up volunteers. The lunch is scheduled for Saturday, June6th at 1:00 p.m.

6. CONSENT CALENDAR

Item 6.A: Clerk’s Report of Posting. The agenda of the regular May 19, 2009 CityCouncil meeting was posted on the City Council Chamber bulletin board onMay 14, 2009. (Frontella)


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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The City Council of the City of Pismo Beach met this date in a regular session at 5:30 pmCityCouncil Chambers, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach California with Mayor Reiss presiding.

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Reiss

1. ROLL CALL:

Present:Mayor ReissMayor Pro Tem HigginbothamCouncilmember EhringCouncilmember VardasCouncilmember Waage

StaffPresent:

Kevin M. Rice, City ManagerDave Fleishman, City AttorneyEmily Colborn, City ClerkRandy Bloom, Community Development DirectorDwayne Chisam, Public Works Director/City EngineerGeorge Edes, Administrative Services Director

Absent:


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None

2. INVOCATION: Dr. Paul Jones

3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Dr. Paul Jones

4. PRESENTATIONS

Item 4.A: Presentation by Elected Official(s), if any.

No presentations were given at this time.

Item 4.B: Employee of the Year Presentations. (Garcia)

The City Council read the proclamation into the record with Mayor Reisspresenting the proclamation to Suzen Brasile, Mid-Manager of the Year2009.

Item 4.C: Proclamation Declaring February 2010 as Grand Jury Awareness Month. (Dorothy Schlitz)

The City Council read the proclamation into the record with Mayor Reisspresenting the proclamation to Val McClure and Frank Fink.

Item 4.D: Proclamation Declaring the Month of February as Heart Healthy Month.(Brasile)

The City Council read the proclamation into the record with Mayor Reisspresenting the proclamation to Suzen Brasile, CVB Director.


Marilee Hyman asked if the Council will report on their Goal Settingsession. Kevin Rice, City Manager announced that a detailed reportwould be made at the next Council meeting on February 16, 2010.

Kiana Underwood from Destination Imagination thanked the Council fortheir support of the Destination Imagination program. She reported ontheir work with Special Education students and presented invitations tothe Council for their upcoming production of the "Three Piggy Opera."


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Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The City Council of the City of Pismo Beach met this date in a regular session at 5:30 amCityCouncil Chambers, 760 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach California with Mayor Higginbothampresiding.

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Higginbotham

1. ROLL CALL:

Present:Mayor HigginbothamMayor Pro Tem VardasCouncilmember EhringCouncilmember ReissCouncilmember Waage

StaffPresent:

Kevin Rice, City ManagerDavid Fleishman, City AttorneyEmily Colborn, City ClerkJon Biggs, Community Development DirectorGeorge Edes, Administrative Services DirectorDwayne Chisam, Public Works. Director/City Engineer

Absent:


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None

2. INVOCATION: Dr. Paul Jones

3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Dr. Paul Jones

4. PRESENTATIONS

Item 4.A: Presentation by Elected Official(s), if any.

No presentations were given at this time.

Item 4.B: Proclamation for Hunter Norton. (Council)

The City Council read the Proclamation into the record with MayorHigginbotham presenting the Proclamation to Hunter Norton.

Item 4.C: Presentation by Destination Imagination. (Michelle Berlin)

Mike Liebo, Head of the Drama Department and Michelle Berlin, DramaCoach, spoke regarding Destination Imagination and thanked the CityCouncil for all their continuous support. Students spoke regarding theirexperiences while being a part of Destination Imagination.


Laurie Nunez, owner/operator of Confusion Culinary mobile catering,asked Council to review the prohibition of mobile catering withinthe City.

Diane Cotter brought attention to a perceived blighted area on DolliverStreet and Stimson Avenue.

Don Day requested that Council consider pulling Item 6.E: from theConsent Agenda; a resolution approving the updated Engineer’sParcel/EDU Table, setting the water service special tax rate for FY 12 to$181.50, and approving posting of said tax to the County AssessmentRoll.

6. CONSENT CALENDAR


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1 PLAINTIFFS' EXHIBIT 9: PHOTO OF CITY CHAPLAIN WITH OFFICIAL NAMETAG, SEAL, ETC.

2PLAINTIFFS' EXHIBIT 9: PHOTO OF CITY CHAPLAIN WITH OFFICIAL NAMETAG, SEAL, ETC.

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Superior Court of CaliforniaCounty of San Luis Obispo


Plaintiffs,

v.


Defendants.

Case No.

PLAINTIFFS’ APPENDIX OF OUT-OF-STATE AND OTHER AUTHORITIES

1 PLAINTIFFS' APPENDIX OF OUT-OF-STATE AND OTHER SOURCES

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Table of Contents

Historical References Robert Alley, “Public Education and the Public Good,” William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal, Summer 1995. .......................................................................................................................... 3 The Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia, entry for “National Prayer for Peace,” available from the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/national-prayer-peace.......................................................................................................... 8 Paul Boller and John H. George, They Never Said It: A Book of Fake Quotes, Misquotes, and Misleading Attributions (Oxford University Press, 1989) .................................................................. 10 Max Farand, The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, Volume 1 (Yale University Press, 1911) ....................................................................................................................................................... 15 The Founders' Constitution: Vol. I Major Themes (Philip B. Kurland, Ralph Lerner eds., Liberty Fund) (2000) .......................................................................................................................................... 19

Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 13 (1784) ................................................ 21 James Madison, The Federalist No. 47............................................................................................... 23 Barron Charles Louis Joseph de Secondat Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws, Book XI.......... 20,27

Biblical References The Precise Parallel New Testament (Ed. John Kohlenberger III, Oxford University Press) (1995)...................................................................................................................................................... 33

Romans 1:7 ......................................................................................................................................... 36 1 Corinthians 1:3................................................................................................................................. 38 2 Corinthians 1:2................................................................................................................................. 40 Galatians 1:3 ....................................................................................................................................... 42 Ephesians 1:2 ...................................................................................................................................... 44 Philippians 1:2 .................................................................................................................................... 46 Colossians 1:2 ..................................................................................................................................... 48 2 Thessalonians 1:1............................................................................................................................. 50 2 Thessalonians 2:16........................................................................................................................... 52 Philemon 1:3 ...................................................................................................................................... 54 James 1:27........................................................................................................................................... 56


Volun1e 4 ! Issue 1

Public Education and the Public Good RobertS. Alley

Repository Citation

RobertS. Alley, Public Education and the Public Good, 4 \Vtn. & Mary Bill Rts.]. 277 ( 1995 ), http:// scholarship.law.wtn.edu/WI1lborj/vol4/issl/ 6

Cop}Tight c 199S by the authors. 'Ihis article is b rought to you by the \Vilkun & Iv1ary Law School Scholarship Repo sitory.

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A1tide 6


PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THE PUB.LIC GOOD

Robert S. Alley"

I. INTRODUCTION

The year 1995 has brought a new leadership to the United States House of Representatives that appears poised to initiate actions calculated to amend the ReHgion Clauses of the First Amendm.ent and to offer legislation authorizing some form of vouchers for parents to send children to private schools. 1 That agenda; annou~ced by Speaker Newt Gingrich, threatens the fundamental principles of religious non-establishment and freedom espoused by our eighteenth-century Founders., promotes a degradation of the nation's public schools, and bodes ill for any sense of national identity that transcends narrow sectarian divisions.

The new power in Washington espouses a general contempt for government and for career politicians. This contempt contrasts sharply with the views of the Founders whom Mr. Gingrich is so fond of quoting and recommending for winter reading. James Madison was a consummate practitioner of the art of politics. Ooventment was a genuine craft for the architect of the Bill of Rights. As we listen to those current residents of the District of Columbia who sneer at the government, a democracy that has bee.n our guiding star for more than 200 years; one might wen ponder words from one of Virginia's political leaders, Edmund Pendleton, who in a letter to Madison urging the latter's election to the 1788 Virginia Ratification Convention wrote:

[I]t is exceedingly difficul~ indeed impossible, to make the good people at large well Acquainted with the different forms & combinations of Power necessary to constitute Government for the protection of liberty and property: and hence they are exposed to impositions from designing men, and particularly Of those in Opposition to Government> who have the popular side, and by decrying powers as dangerous to

• Professor of Humanities~ Emeritus, University of Richmond. Has taught religion at the University of Richmond since 1963. Author of JAMES MADISON ON RELIGIOUS LIB~ ERTY (1985); THE SUPREME COURT ON CHURCH AND STATE (1988); SCHOOL PRAYER:

THE COURTt THE CONGRESS, AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT ( 1994), Recipient of 1994 Virginia ACLU Bill of Rights Award.

1 The Sayings of Speaker Gingrich; The House Leader on Teen Pregnancy, Bad Schools, Volunteerij·m and Saving the City, WASH. POST, Feb. 5, 1995. at C4.

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316 WILLIAM & MARY BILL OF RIGHTS JOURNAL [Vol. 4: I

be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that Service."242 The Convention members briefly debated the issue and "after several unsuccessful attempts for silently postponing the matter by adjourn~ ing the adjournment was at length carried, without any vote on the motion. "20 The Convention convened the foB owing morning, June 29th, for a full day of business. 244

In spite of "historian" Gingrich, the delegates did not stop either a day or an hour for fasting arid prayer at that . time or thereafter. It is shameful to distort history intentionally to achieve some pious rub-off effect from a non~ event. The efficacy of prayer was not at issue for the leaders in Philadel~ phia. They were men satisfied that they were endowed with minds with which to think. Some were devout Christians, but those patriots in Philadelphia were not about the business of creating some form of a pious image of then1selves. Of course there is no reason to suggest that because Madison has no record of the Convention stopping for prayer during the entire sum~ mer, prayer was rejected as a concept by individual members.

C. The Ten Commandments Hoax

In July, 1994, the organization Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) pointed out that Rush Limbaugh had incorrectly attributed to Jan1es Madison a quotation concerning the centrality of the Ten Commandments to "American civilization."245 Quickly rising to Limbaugh's defense were several California residents who wrote letters to the Los Angeles Times. One \vriter prefaced the alleged quotation with the following: ''Here {as quoted in The .. Myth of Separation by David Barton) is precisely what Madison said. "246 The bogus quote followed: "We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.'~47 What the writer, Rick Crowell, did not ten us was that Barton cited as his only sources for those words two twentieth century writers, Harold K. Lane in Liberty! Cry Liberty!/48 and Fred-

1_.2 MADISON1 DEBATES, supra note 64, at 182.

z.u !d. 244 ld. 245 Howard Rosenberg, Limbaugh Devotees Rush to his Defense~ L.A. TIMES. July

11, 1994, at F 1. 246 Jd. at Fl. 247 !d. 148 DAVID BARTON, THE MYTH OF SEPARATION 308 (1992) (Citing HAROLD K.


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1995) PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THE PUBLIC GOOD 317

erick Nyneyer in First Principles in Morality and Economics: Neighborly Love and Ricardo's Law of Association.249

Responding to the public hubbub, editors of The Papers of James Madi~ son, John Stagg and David Mattern, referred all inquirers to a letter dated November 23, 1993t in which Mr. Mattern wrote concerning the alleged quotation: 4·we did not find anything in our files remotely like the sentiment expressed in the extract you sent us. In addition, the idea is inconsistent with everything we know about Madison 's views on religion and government, views which he expressed time and time again in public and in private.H250 This expert response has not dampened the ardor of those who would have Madison affinn their own distorted version of American history. Crowell accused Mr. Mattern of "revisionism at its worst.''251 I offer here a reconstruction of the convoluted trek of the words in question.

In citing David Barton's The Myth -of Separation as the source, Mr. Crowell apparently missed the fact that Barton did not include the words, ''of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind-for selfgovern.ment.H:;!s;z In a video tape Barton inserts "of all our political institutions" but sti11 omits the "capacity of mankind.'~2$3 This video version was read into the Congressional Record by Representative Dannemeyer on Octo~ ber 7, 1992.254

Barton's sources are two, or three, depending upon how you sort out his confusion. Apart from citing the Lane volume of 1939, he offers as his other source Frederick Nyneyer's First Principles in Morality and Economics: Neighborly Love and Ricardo's Law of Association.155 In fact, his source appears to be an article entitled Neighborly Love and Ricardo's Law of Association.256 Far from appearing in a source by Nyneyer, the alleged quote is found in the latter article and drawn H[f]rom the 1958 calendar of Spiritual Mobilization.H257 Barton's attempted documentation becomes exponentially more curious. He seems to have no clue as to his sources. When approached about his mythical additions to Jefferson's letter to the Danbury

LANE, LIBERTY! CRY LIBERTY 32-33 (1939)). 2.t

9 FREDERICK. NYNEYER, FIRST PRINCIPLES IN MORALITY AND ECONOMICS: NEIGH~

BORLY LOVE AND RICARDO ' S LAW OF ASSOCIATION 3i (1958}. 250 Letter from David Mattern to Gene Garman, Nov. 23, 1993. A copy of this letter

was supplied to the author by Mr. Mattern, current editor of The Papers of James Mad-is on.

251 Rosenberg, supra note 245, at F 1. m BARTON~ supra note 248, at 155. 253 Barton, supra note 82, at E3072. 2S4 Jd. at E3071. m BARTON> supra note 248, at 308. 256 4 PROGRESSIVE CALVINISM 31 (1959). 2s1 Id.


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318 W!.LLIAM & MARY BILL OF RIGHTS JOURNAL [VoL 4:1

Baptists, he deleted the references in a later edition of his tape.158

The connection between the Ten Commandments and James Madison has been variously advanced, by numerous commentators from the political right over the past several decades. In I 9645 Clarence Manion wrote:

As Nfadison stated in the {T]he Federalist~ our entire political experiment swings upon our capacity to govern ourselves according to the moral law. . . . The only people who can afford the great luxury of a civil government strictly limited by law are those people who recognize and are willing to live by their natural, God~imposed obligations and responsiw bilities under the Ten Commandments.259

There is nothing in The Federalist Papers remotely resembling what is ar .. gued by Manion. Madison never mentioned the Ten Commandments in any of The Federalist essays. There are, however, two points to be made. First, Manion, while claiming to cite The Federalist Papers, does not have the temerity to quote Madison. Second, while Manion espouses generally the same sentiment about the Ten Commandments as does the Barton material, the references to the Decalogue are utterly different from the Barton version.

Proving that a quotation does not exist is a daunting task. If you cannot find it in any extant manuscripts or collections of Madison's works, just how does ·one prove it will not tum up in someone,s attic tomorrow? Of course you cannot. That is why the Madison editors were carefu) in how they phrased their response. But, after all, it is incumbent solely upon the perpetrators of this myth to prove it by at least one citation. This they cannot do. Their style is not revisionism, it is anti-historical.

We likely have not heard the last of this nonsense, but it is important to press the new media frauds to document what they claim. Because they cannot do so in most instances, time may ultimately discredit the lot of them.

IV. THE SUPREME COURT ON CHURCH AND STATE! 1940-1960

Madison's death in 1836 marked the end of the era of the Founders. He was the last living member of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. As evidenced by correspondence late in Madison's life, the popular perception of the nation was, by the 1830s, frequently phrased in terms of a Protestant

· hegemony. 260 In fact, if not in law, the huge Protestant majority enforced a

25a See supra text accompanying notes 233-36. l

59 CLARENCE MANION, THE CONSERVATIVE. AMERJCAN 197 (1964). Manion attrib~ utes these sentiments to Madison in Federalist No. 39.

260 Letter from James Madison to Reverend Jasper Adams (circa 1834), in 9 THE WRITINGS OF JAMES MADISON, supra note 73, at 484~88 (internal references of this let-


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National Prayer for Peace « Thomas Jefferson's Monticello http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/national ...

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A number of sources attribute a "National Prayer of Peace" to Thmnas J efferson

D~~n~~~~~~Llli~~ief~.Thetextisasfullows:

Almighty God, Who has given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land with honorable ministry, sound learning, and pure manners.

Save us fro1n violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitude brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues.

Endow with Thy spirit of wisdom those to whom in Thy N arne we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we 1nay show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth.

In time of prosperity fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in Thee to fail; all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

This prayer was not written or delivered by Thomas Jefferson. It is in fact from the 1928 United States Book of Common Prayer. Explanations of the 1928 revision of the Book of Common Prayer make no mention of an earlier source for the prayerJf l (# footnote J t.m e jnrq) C# note -o'~ which is identified simply as "For Our Country." 12 ] ( #footnote:.. 7t1lls:r?) i.Jf noh'·L)

Interestingly, although we can find no evidence that this prayer has a presidential source, it was used by a subsequent president in a public speech. Several months after his 1930 Thanksgiving Day Address as Governor of New York, it was pointed out that Franklin Delano Roosevelt's speech bore a striking resemblance to the very same prayer discussed above.b.l (t: footnotea .. .J.!l~D.itulillt.::.;,ll

Ultimately, it seems unlikely that Jefferson would have composed or delivered a public prayer of this sort. He considered religion a private matter, and when asked to recommend a national day of fasting and prayer, replied "I consider the government of the United States as interdicted by the Constitution from inter meddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises ... "W .GWllitl!.!2.t~.!9f.9 1 z LL-tt:....Jll11:t~:~u

FURTHER SOURCES

• Fake History. "Thomas .Jefferson an(l a Praver for Peace (http:/ /fakehistorv.wordr ress.com/20ll/02/o6/thomas-·

ief ersc n.:JJ.llCL .. a .. m .. · y_~r-·fOt::J2f1.l£hl·"

• Sheridan, Eugene R. Jgf/j;rSQ]J.'s R eligiO.LL.Jhttp: / / v. IUW.t.uorldcut.orgjocl:l.'N.tJ6fi;?78) Charlottesville, Va.: Thomas Jefferson Foundation, 1998.

FOOTNOTES

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National Prayer for Peace « Thomas Jefferson 's Monticello http://wwvv.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/national .. .

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L__(.'Lf;t;)<ftiliru§~@srQj}G>rl~r1 D.D., The New American Prayer Book: Its History and Contents (New York:

Macmillan Company, 1929), Chapter VIII. The New Prayer Book: Enrichment. Available online

at http: I I c.lnglicanhistorv.org/bep/ chorlev19':>91 o8.htrn1 (http:/ /angiicanhistorv.org/bcp/ cbor1evl9? q

/ o~Lh.1Jn1) .

2 . Cli'o(l,]iJ. D[;€'fl!.]Jlttial:15f'rayer, 35, available online at httv.J.L:i!l.§.tus.angliean.org/resourees/hep/l928

fPrav&Th 'lgks.htnl (bttn: I /iustus.andiean.org / resources/bcp/19 ::..8/Prav&'Iha nks.htm) .

3.· (¥lli1itlj11i1l~r:@;nglf1rroclamations," TIME, February 23, 1931. Available online at http://ww\v.time.eom

/ti rn_g/_pl t:~KgJng/articlej.!),917~.3.0:3:3q,oo . htrnl (http:Lfvv, .. ·v-v .time.ec m/ time/mm;azin e/article

L9_,_9J.ZL!l3i!.33.g,_Q.£L.b_t!JJJl.

4 . cllho:m£l&·iJleffi1rto'omnto Reverend Samuel Miller, 23 January, 1808. Ford, (h tt p:/ /\\~"W\·V.montkello.org

L!iilt' /r~.~.§£D..Uil.::,g_nd-<;,:QL!.£.c.:t ions/ short ·· titi~J ist2_ 9:17 4-176.

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D!SCUSS!Oi !

An excellent read on the topic of Jefferson and religion can be found in an offering by Daniel

L. Dreisbach: Thomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation Between Church and State. 1 ,Jeff \Vinkler (/s itc· /blog-and-comnJunit v/ uscrs/kff-win k!er) - Jefferson/Monticello Enthusiast

February 8, 2011, 7:23pm

This prayer actually first appeared in the 1885 Book of Common Prayer where it was added

at the suggestion of a committee appointed to revise it in 1880. A commission appointed in

1913 suggested further revisions, and these were incorporated into the version printed in the

1928 edition.

The author of the original prayer, according to Christopher L. Webber (Give Us Grace: An

. Anthology of Anglican Prayers, [Harrisburg PA, 2004], p. 318), was George Lyman Locke

(1835-1919).

1 I did a piece on this at FaJ<el:li§J.QI'Y (bttp:/ !fakehi stqr.Y::~~lpress.comJ ::..onLo2/o§JthorllilltJefferson

L\Dsl:.§:.l2.l1ll.:.t!.:::ful'.:ll . llfi"J_l .

~N1 Vsit ;&.log-and-romnnmitv/t ls "rs/sbh) - Jefferson/Monticello Enthusiast February 7, 2011, 6:39pm

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10/16113 3: 17 PM

9PLAINTIFFS' APPENDIX OF OUT-OF-STATE AND OTHER SOURCES

126 They Never Said It

vetius accurately enough, and there was no desire on Evelyn Hall's part to mislead anybody.22o

~) Washington, George (1732-1799)

ANTI-JEWISH QUOTE "They work more effectively against us than the enemy's armies. They are a hundred times more dangerous to our liberties and the great cause we are engaged in. It is much to be lamented that each state, long ago has not hunted them down as pests to society and the greatest enemies we have to the happiness of America-The Jews."

This quote, popular among American anti-Semites, is a distortion of a statement Washington once made about speculators in currency during the American Revolution. "This tribe of black gentry," he wrote, "work more effectually against us, than the enemy's arms. They are a hundred times more dangerous to our liberties, and the great cause we are engaged in. It is much to be lamented, that each State, long ere this, has not hunted them down as pests to society, and the greatest enemies we have to the happiness of America." Washington was, in fact, utterly without religious prejudice. When he visited Newport, Rhode Island, in August 1790, he had a friendly exchange with the Jewish community there in which he declared that Government of the United States "gives to bigotry no sanction" and "to persecution no assistance. "221

BIBLE QUOTE "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."

Washington was baptized in the Anglican (later Episcopal) church, served as a vestryman, attended church fairly regularly, and believed that religion was the foundation for morality, but he rarely mentioned the Bible in his letters and public addresses, and never said, publicly or privately, that


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George Washington 127

it was "impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." In notes which he jotted down in preparation for one of his speeches, he did say something about the Bible and human depravity. "The blessed Religion revealed in the word of God," he wrote, "will remain an eternal and awful monument to prove that the best Institutions may be abused by human depravity; and that they may even, in some instances be made subservient to the vilest of purposes." In the end, however, for whatever reasons, he decided not to make use of this statement, which is the only serious reference he ever made to the Bible.222

CAN'T-TELL-A-LIE QUOTE "I cannot tell a lie."

The assertion that when the Father of Our Country was a little boy he told his dad he couldn't tell a lie is itself a prevarication. It's an innocent one all the same. It was put into circulation by an Anglican minister, Mason Locke ("Parson") Weems, a writer with a bent for hagiography, who wrote a biography of Washington shortly after the latter's death in 1799. When George was about six years old, Weems tells us, his father gave him a hatchet, and the boy at once hacked up a handsome young cherry tree belonging to the family. "George," said the father sternly, confronting the boy, "do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden?" This, says Weems, was "a tough question) and George staggered under it for a moment." Recovering himself, though, he bravely cried out: "I can't tell a lie, Pa; you know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet."

The Great Confrontation Scene ends with a Great Embrace. "Run to my arms, you dearest boy," cries Washington's father, in transports, "run to my arms; glad am I, George that you killed my tree, for you have paid me for it a thousand fold. Such an act of heroism in my son, is worth more than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold."22B


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128 They Never Said It

DEFICIT-SPENDING QUOTE "Continued deficit spending must ultimately endanger all governments."

The Father of His Country would probably have been stupefied by the way the national debt skyrocketed during Ronald Reagan's eight years in the White House, but he never said anything in his own day about "deficit spending." The term, deficit spending, is strictly 20th-century, and not even Alexander Hamilton, Washington's Secretary of the Treasury, used it. But Hamilton did devise a plan by which the new Federal Government took over both the national and state debts left over from the American Revolution. And Washington approved the plan.224

DIE-HARD QUOTE "Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go. Bring me the Book.''

Shortly before he died at Mount Vernon on December 13, 1799, Washington is supposed to have asked for a Bible. But neither his doctors nor Tobias Lear, his private secretary, recorded any such request, and they were all with him at the end and wrote up his last moments afterwards. Washington did tell Dr. James Craik, "Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go," but he went on, not to request a Bible, but to add, "My breath cannot last long." But these were not his last words. Although he had difficulty speaking toward the end, he did manage to ask what time it was, urge the doctors to "let me go off quietly," and express some concern lest he be buried alive. "I am just going," he finally told Lear. "Have me decently buried, and do not let my body be put into the vault in less than three days after I am dead." Lear nodded dolefully. "Do you understand?" Washington asked in a faint voice. "Yes, sir," said Lear. "'Tis well," breathed Washington. These were his last words.225

LORD-GOD-OF-GODS QUOTE "The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, He knoweth, and Israel He shall know; if it be

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d It

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Ipetald said TID,

.lexury, new .tate ash-

d to

13, But :ary, : the ston not

1t to : his

the :tors ;the ... ear. put

Lear sked thed

Lord it be

George Washington 129

rebellion, or if in transgression against the Lord (save us not this day)."

A little girl is supposed to have heard Washington utter this prayer on the eve of battle during the American Revolution, and Woodrow Wilson included it in his biography of Washington in 1896. But there is no evidence for Washington's ever having uttered such a prayer, and it is entirely out of character. Washington was a Deist, not an orthodox Christian, and though he belonged to the Episcopal Church and regarded religion as an important civilizing force in society, he simply was not given to outbursts of evangelical fervor. 226

NOT-A-CHRISTIAN-COUNTRY QUOTE "The Government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion."

Freethinkers have made much of this supposed statement by Washington when he was President. But the statement was not Washington's; it was Joel Barlow's, and it appeared in the Treaty of Peace and Friendship which Barlow, American consul in Algiers, concluded with Tripoli on November 4, 1796. Eager to make it clear that Christianity was not an American state religion, and that therefore the U.S. government bore no official hostility toward Islam, Barlow included a clause in the treaty stating: "As the Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility of Musselmen; and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."227


THE RECORDS OF THE

FEPERAL CONVENTION

EDITED BY

l\1AX FARRAND 'P».OFESSO:R OJ' RISTOJ.Y J:N 'YALE UNIVEUrn

VoLUI.1E I

. .. . . . . . . ......

NEW HAVEN': YALE UNJV.EltSITY PRESS

LONDON: HENRY FROWDE.

OXFORD UNIVEB.SITY PR.ESS

MCMXl

, JJ

.. ,_ """' .. ~_ .. ........ "' - ..._


450 .RECORDS OF 1·.HE FEDERAL CONVENTION ---------- ·--··--· ----·· · ·-·-··~

Thursda-y l\.1A.DISON . ]uftt ~8 -----------·-- ·-----------------for equa.lity of votes · among the St.a.t.es is that the States .as such bein.g equal, and being represented not as · districts ~of jndividuah, but in their political & corporate capacities;· ate entitled to an equality of ~uffrage. .1\ccording to this mode of reasoning the representation of the burrough~ in Engld which has been allowed on all hands to be the rotten part of the· Constitution, is perfectly- right & pi'opel'. T~1ey arc like-the States represented in thP.ir corporate capacity Hke the Stat~s therefore they are entitled to equal voices, old Sarum to as many as London. And instead of the injury supposed hitl1erto ·to· be done to London, the true groond of complaint lies with old Sru-un1; for London instead of t;wo ~;h~ch is. her p~oper share, sends four representati\'CS to Parliament.

l\1r. Sherman. The question is not what rights . natuz:aily· belong to men; but how they ma_y he t'I)C)st equally & effectually tn guanlcd in Society. And if som·e give up n1or~ tl~ail others in order to· obtain this end, there can be {no} room. for cotnp1aint. To do otherwise, to require a.n equal con.c.ession . from all, if it would create danger to the rights of some, would . be sacrificing the ·end to the means. The rich man \vho enters into Society along with the poor ~an, givt?S up more than the poor man. yet with a.n equal vote· he is ·equally safe~. \Verc he to have more votes than the poor man in proportion. to his superior stake, t he righ •~~ {")f the poor man would immedi.:. ateiy cease to be secure. This OOllsideration preva-iied when : ·-the article~ of confederation were for1ned. · . ·, ,; .. ·-'· . · · ·

(fhe determination of the question from -striking out the . word "not"' was put oft' · tiU to· morrow · at the req.ue5t' of the· · · · · Deputies of N. _York.}12 . . · . .. , .

[Dr. Franklin.}~~ . . . . · .. ·. Mr. President The small progress we have n1ade after. 4 ·or ~ve weeks. ·dose. · · · · ·

co Cr~ed out .. best". •2 •taken from jo.ul.;iill. · · · · "'Madison originally m.1de an dbstract of Ftiilnldin~9 speet:b in.about ~ worda.

•J"hjs 'MUi later ~>trickcn OUt -;- ilt'l.d this DOt~ made: "tee Oppoatt.e ... pa~ & W~!'l lhe. $pe~h oi Doctr Fin this place.b On the oppoaitc page u~der,the ht:.tding. ~·June zS, in convention,.. i(\ the ~pcecb which is i ~re gh'cn- but without Frankltn~s iiame. .

Among the Fr~nkiin Papers in the ~brart of Cong:n:ss is a .ct,py of. t~is · s~~~ .· .. · ·. difleri~ hardly at all from the text except in more frequent -use Of c:~,:;)ital!. . . . "'. . ·.


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RECORDS OF THJ.: Ji'J:DERAL CONVE~"TION . 451

sda-y ~fADISON --------~ ... ., ..... · · '-·· · """~

1dance &: continual J'easonings \.vith .. each other--.: our rent sentiments on almost eve.ry question:f several of ~he producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancho1y f of the in1perlection of the Human Understanding. We ~d seem to feel 13 our own \Vant of political wis9oJn, since Lave been running about in search of it. \Ve have gone to ancient history for models of Government, and exam-.

the different forms of those Republics l'tthich having been ed \Vith the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer • ..t\nd we ha'\."e vie\~·ed Jvl,)dern Stale~ all round Europ~, find none of their Constitutions suitable to our circum~cs .. n this situation of this Assembly~ groping as ·it were in lark to find politic~} truth, aud scarce able to distinguish 1cn presented to us, hov1t has it happened, Sir, that we

not hltherto once thought of humbly applying to the er of lights to illuminate out under& tan dings ( -In the 1ning of the Contest \\rith G. Britain, when l\'C w~rc ble of danger wt had daily prayer iu ll1is room for ·th~ : Le protection.--Our prayers, Sir, were ·he~r~, .. a.nd .they graciously answered. All of us who \Ver~ engag~d in. · · ·

1truggle must have observf.d frequent instances of a ~u- . · ·· Ltending providence in our favor. To that kind: proV.i~ : · · . :. · e we 0\\'e thi3 happy opportunity of consulting in. peace . ···: . . . 1e means of establishing our future national felicity... :And we no\v forgotten that po"'rerlul frien4! .or do we:imag;n.e we no ]ol)ger need his assistance? I have lived~ ··Sir, a: time, and the longer I live, the more convinci.ng . . proo~s

: of this trn th -- that God l 4 gcr~t'rfl.J .. in tkt . a.lf ai.~.s of men. if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground :without his ·noticet :>robable that an empire can rise \vitl:tout his ajd? \\le .h·a\.·e . assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, th-at " ·e:xcept the

build the House they labour in vain that build it." I . y belit:ve this; and I also believe that withou~ his cOn- · ng aid we shall succeed in this· political building 110 better the Builders of Ra.bel: We shall be di':'ided by .our little

J.1 "!oc.-:P' is ~underscored in Frnnldin 1\>fS. M "God'' mice und~I"$C'<-'r~d in F r-.anHio :\fS.


452 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL ·CONVENTION

Junt il$

partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, a~d we ourselves shaU become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And \\'hat is worse., mankind may hereafter from thi unfortunat in$tanc , de pair of csub ishing Gov rnments by tluman Wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conqu st.

I erefore b g leave to tnove - that h nc forth prayen imploring the ssistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning b fore we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Cl rgy of this City be requested to officiate in that service---

Mr .. Shannan seconded the motion. Mr. Hamilton &. s veral others expressed their ap.pr heo

sions that how'ever proper suc'h a resolution might have been at the beginning of the convention, it might at this late day, 1. bring on it om disagre able animadversions. & 2. lead the public to belie¥ that the embarrassment.') and dissentions within the conv·ention, had suggested this measure. It was answered by Doer. F. Mr. Sh n:nan & others, that the past omission of a duty couJ.d not justify a further omission- that the rejection of $UCh a proposition \vould pose the Con .. vcntion to more unpleasant ani.r adve io~ than the adoptlon of it.: and t.ha the alarm out of doors that might be · cite-d .fror the state of things within. would at le~ t e as likely to do good as ill.

fr. Williamson) observed that the true cause of th omi.saion could not be mistak n. The Conv ntion had no fu.nds ..

r. Randolph propos d in order to giv a favorable a·spect to ye. measure, th t sermon be preached at tbe t·equest of the convention on 4th of July, d1e anniversary .of Independence,& thenc forward prayer be used in ye Convention every morning. Dr. Frankn. zded. this motion After several unsucc sful atten1pts for sil ntly postponing the matter by adjourng. the adjournment was at l ngtb carried, without any vote. on the motion. u

11 la tbe Ft ~ lin . ~S . the followi~g uou is dded:- '•ne Convention, UO(:f't

three or four pene>ns., thought P yen UDneceu ry.•' A distorted account of this ~ incidtJiat i$ t iven in Appctnd.U: A, CCCLV; t« a CXCV

1 CCCLXVII, CCCI..uXXTX

and CCCXCIJL


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e s' nst·

Edited by

Philip B ~ Kurland and

Ralph Lerner

VOLUME ONE

Major Themes

ms~ Liberty Fund

Indianapolis

tio


CHAPTER 10, SEPARATION OF POWERS, NO. 5

possible to keep the Legislative and Executive Parts asunder, that they may be a check upon one another. Our Government trusts the King with no part of the Legislative but a Negative Voice, which is absolutely necessary to preserve the Executive. One part of the Duty of the House of Commons is to punish Offenders, and redress the Grievances occasion'd by the Executive Part of the Government; and how can that be done if they should happen to be the same Persons, unless they would be publick-spirited enough to hang or drown themselves?

But in my Opinion, in another thing of no less Importance, we deviated in Charles the Second's time from our Constitution: for tho we were in a Capacity of punishing Offenders, yet we did not know legally who they were. The Law has been always very tender of the Person of the King, and therefore has dispos'd the Executive Part of the Government in such proper Channels, that whatsoever lesser Excesses are committed, they are not imputed to him, but his Ministers are accountable for them: his great Seal is kept by his Chancellor, his Revenue by his Treasurer, his Laws are executed by his Judges, his Fleet is manag'd by his Lord High Admiral, who are all accountable for their Misbehaviour. Formerly all Matters of State and Discretion was debated and resolv'd in the Privy Council, where every Man subscrib'd his Opinion, and was answerable for it. The late King Charles was the first who broke this most excellent part of our Constitution, by settling a Cabal or Cabinet Council, where all Matters of Consequence were debated and resolv'd, and then brought to the Privy Council to be confirm'd. The first footsteps we have of this Council in any European Government were in Charles the Ninth's time of France, when resolving to massacre the Protestants, he durst not trust his Council with it, but chose a few Men who he call'd his Cabinet Council: and considering what a Genealogy it had, 'tis no wonder it has been so fatal both to King and People. To the King: for whereas our Constitution has provided Ministers in the several parts of the Government to answer for Miscarriages, and to skreen him from the hatred of the People; this on the contrary protects the Ministers, and exposes the King to all the Complaints of his Subjects. And 'tis as dangerous to the People: for whatever Miscarriages there are, no body can be punish'd for them; for they justify themselves by a Sign Manual, or perhaps a private Direction from the King: and then we have run it so far, that we can't follow it. The Consequence of this must be continual Heartburnings between King and People: and no one can see the Event.

5 MoNTESQUIEU, SPIRIT oF LAws,

BK. 11, CHS. 6-7 1748

(See ch. 17, no. 9)

318

6 WILLIAM BLACKSTONE, CoMMENTARIES

1: 149-51' 259-60 1765

It is highly necessary for preserving the ballance of the constitution, that the executive power should be a branch, though not the whole, of the legislature. The total union of them, we have seen, would be productive of tyranny; the total disjunction of them for the present, would in the end produce the same effects, by causing that union, against which it seems to provide. The legislature would soon become tyrannical, by making continual encroachments, and gradually assuming to itself the rights of the executive power. Thus the long parliament of Charles the first, while it acted in a constitutional manner, with the royal concurrence, redressed many heavy grievances and established many salutary laws. But when the two houses assumed the power of legislation, in exclusion of the royal authority, they soon after assumed likewise the reins of administration; and, in consequence of these united powers, overturned both church and state, and established a worse oppression than any they pretended to remedy. To hinder therefore any such encroachments, the king is himself a part of the parliament: and, as this is the reason of his being so, very properly therefore the share of legislation, which the constitution has placed in the crown, consists in the power of rejecting, rather than resolving; this being sufficient to answer the end proposed. For we may apply to the royal negative, in this instance, what Cicero observes of the negative of the Roman tribunes, that the crown has not any power of doing wrong, but merely of preventing wrong from being done. The crown cannot begin of itself any alterations in the present established law; but it may approve or disapprove of the alterations suggested and consented to by the two houses. The legislative therefore cannot abridge the executive power of any rights which it now has by law, without it's own consent; sim:e the law must perpetually stand as it now does, unless all the powers will agree to alter it. And herein indeed consists the true excellence of the English government, that all the parts of it form a mutual check upon each other. In the legislature, the people are a check upon the nobility, and the nobility a check upon the people; by the mutual privilege of rejecting what the other has resolved: while the king is a check upon both, which preserves th executive power from encroachments. And this very executive power is again checked, and kept within du bounds by the two houses through the privilege they hav of enquiring into, impeaching, and punishing the cond.u t (not indeed of the king, which would destroy his constitutional independence; but, which is more beneficial to th . public) of his evil and pernicious counsellors. Thus eve branch of our civil polity supports and is supported, r ulates and is regulated, by the rest; for the two houses n~ -


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CHAPTER 10, SHAilATION OF IPOWE!ltS, NO. 9

. · two directions of opposite interest, and t.H••Ih drawl~g 1: another still different from them both, l Jr rogauve d. h .

l l • r Jl keep each other from excee mg t e1r ht· , mutua Y . d f

t 1. . . while the whole ts prevente rom separa-

~r tm1tS, · d ~ro,,- d dicially connected together by the mrxe na-

n afl ar 1 f h l · 1 · d uo ~· of the crown, which is a ~art o t e. ~g1s auve, a~ wr t utive magistrate. Ltke three d1stmct powers m th • ·o e exec . . .

· they J·omtly tmpel the machme of government antes, . . . d . t1·0 n different from what etther, actmg by them-lrec . . .

ould have done; but at the same tlme m a dlrec-1 'w . . . taking of each, and formed out of all; a dtrecuon uon par . . . wm li1 constitutes the true lme of the hberty and happmess

of tdile community.

] lil this distinct and separate existen.ce of ~he judicial er in a peculiar body of men, nommated mdeed, but

p0W ' . t removeable at pleasure, by the crown, conststs one

::m.lil preservative of the public libe~t~; wh~ch cannot sub-'st long in any state, unless the admtmstrauon of com~on

jl!l.stice be in some degree separated both from the legtslauiw.e and also from the executive power. Were it joined with the legislative, the life, liberty, and property, of the subject would be in the hands of arbitrary judges, whose decisions would be then regulated only by their own opini9ns, and not by any fundamental principles of law; which, though legislators may depart from, yet judges are bound to observe. Were it joined with the executive, this union might soon be an over ballance for the legislative. For which reason, by the statute of 16 Car. I. c. 10. which abolished the court of star chamber. effectual care is taken to remove all judicial power out of the hands of the king's privy council; who, as then was evident from recent instances, might soon be inclined to pronounce that for law, which was most agreeable to the prince or his officers. Nothing therefore is more to be avoided, in a free constitution, than uniting the provinces of a judge and a minister of state. And indeed, that the absolute power, claimed and exercised in a neighbouring nation, is more tolerable than that of the eastern empires, is in great measure owing to their having vested the judicial power in their parliaments, a body separate and distinct from both the legislative and executive: and, if ever that nation recovers it's former liberty, it will owe it to the efforts of those assemblies. In Turkey, where every thing is centered in the sultan or his ministers, despotic power is in it's meridian, and wears a more dreadful aspect.

7 JOHN ADAMS, THOUGHTS oN GovERNMENT

Apr. 1776

Papers 4:88-90

(See ch. 4, no. 5)

8 [NSTIRUCTA:ONS OIF THE lNHA!BITANTS OIF THE TOWN

o F BosTON To THEIR R EPRESENTATIVES

I N CoNGlllJEss

1776

Nil~s 133

It is essential to liberty, that the legislative, judicial, and executive powers of government be, as nearly as possible, independent of, and separate from each other; for where they are united in the same persons, or number o f persons, there would be wanting that mutual check which is the principal security against the making of arbitrary laws, and a wanton exercise of power in the execution of them. It is also of the highest importance, that every person in a judiciary department employ the greatest part of his time and attention in the duties of his office; we therefore further"instruct you, to procure the enacting such law or laws, as shall make it incompatible for the same person to hold a seat in the legislative and executive departments of government, at one and the same time: that shall render the judges, in every judicatory through the colony, dependent, not on the uncertain tenure of caprice or pleasure, but on an unimpeachable deportment in the important duties of their station, for their continuance in office: and to prevent the multiplicity of offices in the same person, that such salaries be settled upon them as will place them above the necessity of stooping to any indirect or collateral means for subsistence. We wish to avoid a profusion of the public moneys on the one hand, and the danger of sacrificing our liberties to a spirit of parsimony on the other.

9 THOMAS jEFFERSON, NOTES ON THE STATE OF

VIRGINIA, QUERY 13, 120-21 1784

4. All the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judiciary, result to the legislative body [in the Virginia Constitution of 1776]. The concentrating these in the same hands is precisely the definition of despotic government. It will be no ·alleviation that these powers will be exercised by a plurality of hands, and not by a single one. 173 despots would surely be as oppressive as one. Let those who doubt it turn their eyes on the republic of Venice. As little will it avail us that they are chosen by ourselves. An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one which should not only be founded on free principles, but in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among several bodies of magistracy, as that no one could transcend their legal limits, without being

319


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effectually checked and restrained by the others. For this reason that convention, which passed the ordinance of government, laid its foundation on this basis, that the legislative, executive and judiciary department should be separate· and distinct, so that no person should exercise the powers of more than one of them at the same time. But no barrier was provided between these several powers. The judiciary and executive members were left dependant on the legislative, for their subsistence in office, and some of them for their continuance in it. If therefore the legislature assumes executive and judiciary powers, no opposition is likely to be made; nor, if made, can it be effectual; because in that case they may put their proceedings into the form of an act_ of assembly, which will render them obligatory on the other branches. They have accordingly, in many instances, decided rights which should have been left to judiciary controversy: and the direction of the executive, during the whole time of their session, is becoming habitual and familiar. And this is done with no ill intention. The views of the present members are perfectly upright. When they are led out of their regular province, it is by art in others, and inadvertence in themselves. And this will probably be the case for some time to come. But it will not be a very long time. Mankind soon learn to make interested uses of every right and power which they possess, or may assume. The public money and public liberty, intended to have been deposited with three branches of magistracy, but found inadvertently to be in the hands of one only, will soon be discovered to be sources of wealth and dominion to those who hold them; distinguished too by this tempting circumstance, that they are the instrument, as well as the object of acquisition. With money we will get men, said Caesar, and with men we will get money. Nor should our assembly be deluded by the integrity of their own purposes, and conclude that these unlimited powers will never be abused, because themselves are not disposed to abuse them. They should look forward to a time, and that not a distant one, when corruption in this, as in the country from which we derive our origin, will have seized the heads of government, and be spread by them through the body of the people; when they will purchase the voices of the people, and make them pay the price. Human nature is the same on every side of the Atlantic, and will be alike influenced by the same causes. The time to guard against corruption and tyranny, is before they shall have gotten hold on us. It is better to keep the wolf out of the fold, than to trust to drawing his teeth and talons after he shall have entered.

10 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CoNvENTION

[1 :86; Madison, 2 june] Mr. Dickenson considered the business as so important

that no man ought to be silent or reserved. He went into a discourse of some length, the sum of which was, that the

320

Legislative, Executive, & Judiciary departments ought to be made as independt. as possible; but that such an Executive as some seemed to have in contemplation was not consistant with a republic; that a firm Executive could only exist in a limited monarchy. In the British Govt. itself the weight of the Executive arises from the attachments which the Crown draws to itself, & not merely from the force of its prerogatives. In place of these attachments we must look out for something else. One source of stability is the double branch of the Legislature. The division of the Country into distinct States formed the other principal source of stability. This division ought therefore to be maintained, and considerable powers to be left with the States. This was the ground of his consolation for the future fate of his Country. Without this, and in case of a consolidation of the States into one great Republic we might read its fate in the history of smaller ones. A limited Monarchy he considered as one of the best Governments in the world. It was not certain that the same blessings were derivable from any other form. It was certain that equal blessings had never yet been derived from any of the republican form. A limited monarchy however was out of the question. The spirit of the times-the state of our affairs, forbade the experiment, if it were desireable. Was it possible moreover in the nature of things to introduce it even if these obstacles were less insuperable. A House of Nobles was essential to such a Govt. Could these be created by a breath, or by a stroke of the pen? No. They were the growth of ages, and could only arise under a complication of circumstances none of which existed in this Country. But though a form the most perfect perhaps in itself be unattainable, we must not despair. If antient republics have been found to flourish for a moment only & then vanish forever, it only proves that they were badly constituted; and that we ought to seek for every remedy for their diseases. One of these remedies he conceived to be the accidental lucky division of this country into distinct States; a division which some seemed desirous to abolish altogether.

[1 :97; Madison, 4 June] First Clause of Proposition 8th relating to a Council of

Revision taken into consideration. Mr. Gerry doubts whether the Judiciary ought to form

a part of it, as they will have a sufficient check agst. encroachments on their own department by their exposition of the laws, which involved a power of deciding on their Constitutionality. In some States the Judges had actually set aside laws as being agst. the Constitution. This was done too with general approbation. It was quite foreign from the nature of ye. office to make them judges of the policy of public measures. He moves to postpone the clause in order to propose "that the National Executive shall have a right to negative any Legislative act which shall not be afterwards passed by parts of each branch of the national Legislature."

Mr. King seconds the motion, observing that the Judges ought to be able to expound the law as it should come before them, free from the bias of having participated in its formation.



beyond controversy; in the bills of rights or constitutions of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina and Georgia, it is expressly declared. "That the legislative, executive and judicial departments, shall be forever separate and distinct from each other." In Pennsylvania and Delaware, they are effectually separated without any particular declaration of the principle. In the other states indeed, the executive branch possesses more or less of the executive [legislative?] power-And here it must appear singular that the state of Massachusetts, where the doctrine of a separate jurisdiction is most positively established, and in whose bill of rights these remarkable words are to be found: "The executive shall never exercise the legislative and judicial powers, or either of them, to the end it may be a government of laws and not of men ." (§30) Yet in that commonwealth and New-Hampshire, the executive branch, which consists of a single magistrate, has more controul over the legislature than in any other state; for there, if the governor refuses his assent to a bill, it cannot be passed into a law, unless two-thirds of the house afterwards concur. In New-York the same power is given to a Council of Revision, consisting of the Governor, the Chancellor and Judges of the Supreme Court, or any three of them, of which the Governor is to be one. In Rhode-Island and Connecticut, whose governments were established before the revolution, the Governor has a single vote as a member of the upper house, and New-Jersey has adopted this part of their constitution. In Georgia the laws are to be revised by the Governor and Council, but they can do no more than give their opinion upon them. In Maryland the bills are to be signed by the governor before they can be enacted, and in South-Carolina they are to be sealed with the great seal, which is in the governor's custody. But in the first of these states, the constitution prescribes, that the governor shall sign the bills, and in the latter, a joint committee of both houses of legislature is to wait upon chief magistrate to receive and return the great seal, which implies that he is bound to deliver it to them, for the special purpose of affixing it to the laws of the state. Pennsylvania has proceeded upon a much more rational ground, their legislature having a particular seal of their own, and their laws requiring only to be signed by the speaker. If in Maryland or South-Carolina a difference should ever arise between the legislature and the governor, and the latter should refuse to sign the laws, or to deliver the great seal, the most fatal consequences might ensue.

Here then we see the great leading principle of the absolute division of the legislative from the executive jurisdiction, admitted in almost every one of the American states as a fundamental maxim in the politics of a free country. The theory of this general doctrine is every where established, though a few states have somewhat swerved from it in the practice. From whence we must conclude, that even the knowledge and full conviction of a new political truth will not always immediately conquer inveterate habits and prejudices. The idea of the negative, which the constitution of England gives to the monarch over the proceedings of the other branches of parliament, although it has so

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long become obsolete, has had an effect upon timid minds, and upon the minds of those who could not distinguish between the form and spirit of the British constitution. They would not grant to the executive branch an absolute negative over the legislature, but yet they tried every method to in troduce something similar to it. They reprobated the doctrine in the most express words, and yet they could not bear to part entirely with it. It is curious to observe how many different ways they have endeavored to conciliate truth with prejudice. Of those states who have allowed the executive branch to intermeddle with the proceedings of the legislature, no two (New-Hampshire and Massachusetts excepted) have done it exactly in the same manner. They have tried every possible medium, but having lost sight of the original principle which they had already established, and which alone could have been their safest guide, they groped about in the dark, and could not find any solid ground on which to establish a general rule. Like Noah's dove, being once out of the ark of truth, they could not find elsewhere a place to rest their feet.

13 jAMES MADISON, fEDERALIST, NO. 37, 233-34

11 Jan. 1788

(See ch. 9, no. 9)

14 jAMES MADISON, FEDERALIST, NO. 47, 323-31

30 Jan . 1788

One of the principal objections inculcated by the more respectable adversaries to the constitution, is its supposed violation of the political maxim, that the legislative, executive and judiciary departments ought to be separate and distinct. In the structure of the federal government, no regard, it is said, seems to have been paid to this essential precaution in favor of liberty. The several departments of power are distributed and blended in such a manner, as at once to destroy all symmetry and beauty of form; and to expose some of the essential parts of the edifice to the danger of being crushed by the disproportionate weight of other parts.

No political truth is certainly of greater intrinsic value or is stamped with the authority of more enlightened patrons of liberty than that on which the objection is founded. The accumulation of all powers legislative, executive and judiciary in the same hands, whether of one, a few or many, and whether hereditary, self appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. Were the federal constitution therefore really chargeable with this accumulation of power or with a mix-


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ture of powers having a dangerous tendency to such an accumulation, no further arguments would be necessary to inspire a universal reprobation of the system. I persuade myself however, that it will be made apparent to every one, that the charge cannot be supported, and that the maxim on which it relies, has been totally misconceived and misapplied. In order to form correct ideas on this important subject, it will be proper to investigate the sense, in which the preservation of liberty requires, that the three great departments of power should be separate and distinct.

The oracle who is always consulted and cited on this subject, is the celebrated Montesquieu. lf he be not the author of this invaluable precept in the science of politics, he has the merit at least of displaying, and recommending it most effectually to the attention of mankind. Let us endeavour in the first place to ascertain his meaning on this point.

The British constitution was to Montesquieu, what Homer has been to the didactic writers on epic poetry. As the latter have considered the work of the immortal Bard, as the perfect model from which the principles and rules of the epic art were to be drawn, and by which all similar works were to be judged; so this great political critic appears to have viewed the constitution of England, as the standard, or to use his own expression, as the mirrour of political liberty; and to have delivered in the form of elementary truths, the several characteristic principles of that particular system. That we may be sure then not to mistake his meaning in this case, let us recur to the source from which the maxim was drawn.

On the slightest view of the British constitution we ·must perceive, that the legislative, executive and judiciary departments are by no means totally separate and distinct from each other. The executive magistrate forms an integral part of the legislative authority. He alone has the prerogative of making treaties with foreign sovereigns, which when made have, under certain limitations, the force of legislative acts. All the members of the judiciary department are appointed by him; can be removed by him on the address of the two Houses of Parliament, and form, when he pleases to consult them, one of his constitutional councils. One branch of the legislative department forms also, a great constitutional council to the executive chief; as on another hand, it is the sole depositary of judicial power in cases of impeachment, and is invested with the supreme appellate jurisdiction, in all other cases. The judges again are so far connected with the legislative department, as often to attend and participate in its deliberations, though not admitted to a legislative vote.

From these facts by which Montesquieu was guided it may clearly be inferred, that in saying "there can be no liberty where the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or body of magistrates," or "if the power of judging be not separated from the legislative and executive powers," he did not mean that these departments ought to have no partial agency in, or no controul over the acts of each other. His meaning, as his own words import, and still more conclusively as illustrated by the example in his eye, can amount to no more than this, that

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where the whole power of one department is exercised by the same hands which possess the whole power of another department, the fundamental principles of a free constitution, are subverted. This would have been the case in the constitution examined by him, if the King who is the sole executive magistrate, had possessed also the compleat legislative power, or the supreme administration of justice; or if the entire legislative body, had possessed the supreme judiciary, or the supreme executive authority. This however is not among the vices of that constitution. The magistrate in whom the whole executive power resides cannot of himself make a law, though he can put a negative on every law, nor administer justice in person, though he has the appointment of those who do administer it. The judges can exercise no executive prerogative, though they are shoots from the executive stock, nor any legislative function, though they may be advised with by the legislative councils. The entire legislature, can perform no judiciary act, though by the joint act of two of its branches, the judges may be removed from their offices; and though one of its branches is possessed of the judicial power in the last resort. The entire legislature again can exercise no executive prerogative, though one of its branches constitutes the supreme executive magistracy; and another, on the empeachment of a third, can try and condemn all the subordinate officers in the executive department.

The reasons on which Montesquieu grounds his maxim are a further demonstration of his meaning. "When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person or body" says he, "there can be no liberty, because apprehensions may arise lest the same monarch or senate should enact tyrannical laws, to execute them in a tyrannical manner." Again "Were the power of judging joined with the legislative, the life and liberty of the subject would be exposed to arbitrary controul, for the judge would then be the legislator. Were it joined to the executive power, the judge might behave with all the violence of an oppressor." Some of these reasons are more fully explained in other passages; but briefly stated as they are here, they sufficiently establish the meaning which we have put on this celebrated maxim of this celebrated author.

If we look into the constitutions of the several states we find that notwithstanding the emphatical, and in some instances, the unqualified terms in which this axiom has been laid down, there is not a single instance in which the several departments of power have been kept absolutely separate and distinct. New-Hampshire, whose constitution was the last formed, seems to have been fully aware of the impossibility and inexpediency of avoiding any mixture whatever of these departments; and has qualified the doctrine by declaring "that the legislative, executive and judiciary powers ought to be kept as separate from, and independent of each other as the nature of a free government will admit; or as is consistent with that chain of connection, that binds the whole fabric of the constitution in one indissoluble bond of unity and amity." Her constitution accordingly mixes these departments in several respects. The senate which is a branch of the legislative department is also a judicial tribunal for the trial of empeachments. The president who is the head of the executive department, is the presiding


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member also of the senate; and besides an equal vote in all cases, has a casting vote in case of a tie. The executive head is himself eventually elective every year by the legislative department; and his council is every year chosen by and from the members of the same department. Several of the officers of state are also appointed by the legislature. And the members of the judiciary department are appointed by the executive department.

The constitution of Massachusetts has observed a sufficient though less pointed caution in expressing this fundamental article of liberty. It declares "that the legislative department shall never exercise the executive and judicial powers, or either of them: The executive shall never exercise the legislative and judicial powers, or either of them : The judicial shall never exercise the legislative and executive powers, or either of them." This declaration corresponds precisely with the doctrine of Montesquieu as it has been explained, and is not in a single point violated by the plan of the Convention. It goes no farther than to prohibit any one of the entire departments from exercising the powers of another department. In the very constitution to which it is prefixed, a partial mixture of powers has been admitted. The Executive Magistrate has a qualified negative on the Legislative body; and the Senate, which is a part of the Legislature, is a court of impeachment for members both of the executive and judiciary departments. The members of the judiciary department again are appointable by the executive department, and removeable by the same authority, on the address of the two legislative branches. Lastly, a number of the officers of government are annually appointed by the legislative department. As the appointment to offices, particularly executive offices, is in its nature an executive function, the compilers of the Constitution have in this last point at least, violated the rule established by themselves.

I pass over the constitutions of Rhode-Island and Connecticut, because they were formed prior to the revolution; and even before the principle under examination had become an object of political attention.

The constitution of New-York contains no declaration on this subject; but appears very clearly to have been framed with an eye to the danger of improperly blending the different departments. It gives nevertheless to the executive magistrate a partial controul over the legislative department; and what is more, gives a like controul to the judiciary department, and even blends the executive and judiciary departments in the exercise of this controul. In its council of appointment, members of the legislative are associated with the executive authority in the appointment of officers both executive and judiciary. And its court for the trial of impeachments and correction of errors, is to consist of one branch of the legislature and the principal members of the judiciary department.

The constitution of New-Jersey has blended the different powers of government more than any of the preceding. The governor, who is the executive magistrate, is appointed by the legislature; is chancellor and ordinary or surrogate of the state; is a member of the supreme court of appeals, and president with a casting vote, of one of the legislative branches. The same legislative branch acts again

as executive council to the governor, and with him constitutes the court of appeals. The members of the judiciary department are appointed by the legislative department, and removeable by one branch of it, on the impeachment of the other.

According to the constitution of Pennsylvania, the president, who is head of the executive department, is annually elected by a vote in which the legislative department predominates. In conjunction with an executive council, he appoints the members of the judiciary department, and forms a court of impeachments for trial of all officers, judiciary as well as executive. The judges of the supreme court, and justices of the peace, seem also to be removeable by the legislature; and the executive power of pardoning in certain cases to be referred to the same department. The members of the executive council are made EX OFFICIO justices of peace throughout the state.

In Delaware, the chief executive magistrate is annually elected by the legislative department. The speakers of the two legislative branches are vice-presidents in the executive department. The executive chief, with six others, appointed three by each of the legislative branches, constitute the supreme court of appeals: He is joined with the legislative department in the appointment of the other judges. Throughout the states it appears that the members of the legislature may at the same time be justices of the peace. In this state, the members of one branch of it are EX OFFICIO justices of peace; as are also the members of the executive council. The principal officers of the executive department are appointed by the legislative; and one branch of the latter forms a court of impeachments. All officers may be removed on address of the legislature.

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Maryland has adopted the maxim in the most unqualified terms; declaring that the legislative, executive and judicial powers of government, ought to be forever separate and distinct from each other. Her constitution, notwithstanding makes the executive magistrate appointable by the legislative department; and the members of the judiciary, by the executive department.

The language of Virginia is still more pointed on this subject. Her constitution declares, "that the legislative, executive and judiciary departments, shall be separate and distinct; so that neither exercise the powers properly belonging to the other; nor shall any person exercise the powers of more than one of them at the same time; except that the justices of the county courts shall be eligible to either house of assembly." Yet we find not only this express exception, with respect to the members of the inferior courts; but that the chief magistrate with his executive council are appointable by the legislature; that two members of the latter are triennially displaced at the pleasure of the legislature; and that all the principal offices, both executive and judiciary, are filled by the same department. The executive prerogative of pardon, also is in one case vested in the legislative department.

The constitution of North-Carolina, which declares, "that the legislative, executive and supreme judicial powers of government, ought to be forever separate and distinct from each other," refers at the same time to the legislative department, the appointment not only of the executive



chief, but all the principal officers within both that and the judiciary department.

In South-Carolina, the constitution makes the executive magistracy eligible by the legislative department. It gives to the latter also the appointment of the members of the judiciary department, including even justices of the peace and sheriffs; and the appointment of officers in the executive department, down to captains in the army and navy of the state.

In the constitution of Georgia, where it is declared, "that the legislative, executive and judiciary departments shall be separate and distinct, so that neither exercise the powers properly belonging to the other." We find that the executive department is to be filled by appointments of the legislature; and the executive prerogative of pardon, to be finally exercised by the same authority. Even justices of the peace are to be appointed by the legislature.

In citing these cases in which the legislative, executive and judiciary departments, have not been kept totally separate and distinct, I wish not to be regarded as an advocate for the particular organizations of the several state governments. I am fully aware that among the many excellent principles which they exemplify, they carry strong marks of the haste, and still stronger of the inexperience, under which they were framed. It is but too obvious that in some instances, the fundamental principle under consideration has been violated by too great a mixture, and even an actual consolidation of the different powers; and that in no instance has a competent provision been made for maintammg in practice the separation delineated on paper. What I have wished to evince is, that the charge brought against the proposed constitution, of violating a sacred maxim of free government, is warranted neither by the real meaning annexed to that maxim by its author; nor by the sense in which it has hitherto been understood in America. This interesting subject will be resumed in the ensuing paper.

15 jAMES MADISON, FEDERALIST, NO. 48, 332-38

1 Feb. 1788

It was shewn in the last paper, that the political apothegm there examined, does not require that the legislative, executive and judiciary departments should be wholly unconnected with each other. I shall undertake in the next place, to shew that unless these departments be so far connected and blended, as to give to each a constitutional controul over the others, the degree of separation which the maxim requires as essential to a free government, can never in practice, be duly maintained.

It is agreed on all sides, that the powers properly belonging to one of the departments, ought not to be directly and compleatly administered by either of the other departments. It is equally evident, that neither of them ought to possess directly or indirectly, an overruling influence

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over the others in the administration of their respective powers. It will not be denied, that power is of an encroaching nature, and that it ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it. After discriminating therefore in theory, the several classes of power, as they may in their nature be legislative, executive, or judiciary; the next and most difficult task, is to provide some practical security for each against the invasion of the others. What this security ought to be, is the great problem to be solved.

Will it be sufficent to mark with precision the boundaries of these departments in the Constitution of the government, and to trust to these parchment barriers against the encroaching spirit of power? This is the security which appears to have been principally relied on by the compilers of most of the American Constitutions. But experience assures us, that the efficacy of the provision has been greatly over-rated; and that some more adequate defence is indispensibly necessary for the more feeble, against the more powerful members of the government. The legislative department is every where extending the sphere of its activity, and drawing all power into its impetuous vortex.

The founders of our republics have so much merit for the wisdom which they have displayed, that no task can be less pleasing than that of pointing out the errors into which they have fallen. A respect for truth however obliges us to remark, that they seem never for a moment to have turned their eyes from the danger to liberty from the overgrown and all-grasping prerogative of an hereditary magistrate, supported and fortified by an hereditary branch of the legislative authority. They seem never to have recollected the danger from legislative usurpations; which by assembling all power in the same hands, must lead to the same tyranny as is threatened by executive usurpations .

In a government, where numerous and extensive prerogatives are placed in the hands of a hereditary monarch, the executive department is very justly regarded as the source of danger, and watched with all the jealousy which a zeal for liberty ought to inspire. In a democracy, where a multitude of people exercise in person the legislative functions, and are continually exposed by their incapacity for regular deliberation and concerted measures, to the ambitious intrigues of their executive magistrates, tyranny may well be apprehended on some favorable emergency, to start up in the same quarter. But in a representative republic, where the executive magistracy is carefully limited both in the extent and the duration of its power; and where the legislative power is exercised by an assembly, which is inspired by a supposed influence over the people with an intrepid confidence in its own strength; which is sufficiently numerous to feel all the passions which actuate a multitude; yet not so numerous as to be incapable of pursuing the objects of its passions, by means which reason prescribes; it is against the enterprising ambition of this department, that the people ought to indulge all their jealousy and exhaust all their precautions.

The legislative department derives a superiority in our governments from other circumstances. hs constitutional powers being at once more extensive and less susceptible


CHAPTER 17, CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT, NO. 9

Care of their Subjects Health, without being consulted; and to vomit, bleed, purge, and scarify them at Pleasure, whether they would or no, just as these established Judges of Health should think fit? If this were the Case, what a Stir and Hubbub should we soon see kept about the established Potions and Lancets? Every Man, Woman, or Child, though ever so healthy, must be a Patient, or woe be to them! The best Diet and Medicines would soon grow pernicious from any other Hand; and their Pills alone, however ridiculous, insufficient, or distasteful, would be attended with a Blessing.

Let People alone, and they will take Care of themselves, and do it best; and if they do not, a sufficient Punishment will follow their Neglect, without the Magistrate's Interposition and Penalties. It is plain, that such busy Care and officious Intrusion into the personal Affairs, or private Actions, Thoughts, and Imaginations of Men, has in it more Craft than Kindness; and is only a Device to mislead People, and pick their Pockets, under the false Pretence of the publick and their private Go[o]d. To quarrel with any Man for his Opinions, Humours, or the Fashion of his Clothes, is an Offence taken without being given. What is it to a Magistrate how I wash my Hands, or cut my Corns; what Fashion or Colours I wear, or what Notions I entertain, or what Gestures I use, or what Words I pronounce, when they please me, and do him and my Neighbour no Hurt? As well may he determine the Colour of my Hair, and controul my Shape and Features.

True and impartial Liberty is therefore the Right of every Man to pursue the natural, reasonable, and religious Dictates of his own Mind; to think what he will, and act as he thinks, provided he acts not to the Prejudice of another; to spend his own Money himself, and lay out the Produce of his Labour his own Way; and to labour for his own Pleasure and Profit, and not for others who are idle, and would live and riot by pillaging and oppressing him, and those that are like him.

So that Civil Government is only a partial Restraint put by the Laws of Agreement and Society upon natural and absolute Liberty, which might otherwise grow licentious: And Tyranny is an unlimited Restraint put upon natural Liberty, by the Will of one or a few. Magistracy, amongst a free People, is the Exercise of Power for the Sake of the People; and Tyrants abuse the People, for the Sake of Power. Free Government is the protecting the People in their Liberties by stated Rules: Tyranny is a brutish Struggle for unlimited Liberty to one or a few, who would rob all others of their Liberty, and act by no Rule but lawless Lust.

9 MoNTESQUIEU, SPIRIT OF LAws, BK. 6, cH. 2;

BK. 11, CHS. 1-7, 20 1748

[Book 6]

2.-0f the Simplicity of Criminal Laws in different Governments

We hear it generally said thatjustice ought to be administered with us as in Turkey. Is it possible, then, that the most ignorant of all nations should be the most clearsighted on a point which it most behooves mankind to know?

If we examine the set forms of justice with respect to the trouble the subject undergoes in recovering his property or in obtaining satisfaction for an injury or affront, we shall find them doubtless too numerous: but if we consider them in the relation they bear to the liberty and security of every individual, we shall often find them too few; and be convinced that the trouble, expense, delays, and even the very dangers of our judiciary proceedings are the price that each subject pays for his liberty.

In Turkey, where little regard is shown to the honor, life, or estate of the subject, all causes are speedily decided. The method of determining them is a matter of indifference, provided they be determined. The pasha, after a quick hearing, orders which party he pleases to be bastinadoed, and then sends them about their business.

Here it would be dangerous to be of a litigious disposition; this supposes a strong desire of obtaining justice, a settled aversion, an active mind, and a steadiness in pursuing one's point. All this should be avoided in a government where fear ought to be the only prevailing sentiment, and in which popular disturbances are frequently attended with sudden and unforeseen revolutions. Here every man ought to know that the magistrate must not hear his name mentioned, and that his security depends entirely on his being reduced to a kind of annihilation.

But in moderate governments, where the life of the meanest subject is deemed precious, no man is stripped of his honor or property until after a long inquiry; and no man is bereft of life till his very country has attacked him-an attack that is never made without leaving him all possible means of making his defence.

Hence it is that when a person renders himself absolute, he immediately thinks of reducing the number of laws. In a government thus constituted they are more affected with particular inconveniences than with the liberty of the subject, which is very little minded.

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In republics, it is plain that as many formalities at least are necessary as in monarchies. In both governments they increase in proportion to the value which is set on the honor, fortune, liberty, and life of the subject.

In republican governments, men are all equal; equal


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they are also in despotic governments: in the former, because they are everything; in the latter, because they are nothing.

[Book 11]

1.-A general Idea

make a distinction between the laws that establish political liberty as it relates to the constitution, and those by which it is established as it relates to the citizen. The former shall be the subject of this book; the latter I shall examine in the next.

2 .-Different Significations of the word Liberty

There is no word that admits of more various significations, and has made more varied impressions on the human mind, than that of liberty. Some have taken it as a means of deposing a person on whom they had conferred a tyrannical authority; others for the power of choosing a superior whom they are obliged to obey; others for the right of bearing arms, and of being thereby enabled to use violence; others, in fine, for the privilege of being governed by a native of their own country, or by their own laws. A certain nation for a long time thought liberty consisted in the privilege of wearing a long beard. Some have annexed this name to one form of government exclusive of others: those who had a republican taste applied it to this species of polity; those who liked a monarchical state gave it to monarchy. Thus they have all applied the name of liberty to the government most suitable to their own customs and inclinations: and as in republics the people have not so constant and so present a view of the causes of their misery, and as the magistrates seem to act only in conformity to the laws, hence liberty is generally said to reside in republics, and to be banished from monarchies. In fine, as in democracies the people seem to act almost as they please, this sort of government has been deemed the most free, and the power of the people has been confounded with their liberty.

3 .-In what Liberty consists

It is true that in democracies the people seem to act as they please; but political liberty does not consist in an unlimited freedom. In governments, that is, in societies directed by laws, liberty can consist only in the power of doing what we ought to will, and in not being constrained to do what we ought not to will.

We must have continually present to our minds the difference between independence and liberty. Liberty is a right of doing whatever the laws permit, and if a citizen could do what they forbid he would be no longer possessed of liberty, because all his fellow-citizens would have the same power.

4.-The same Subject continued

Democratic and aristocratic states are not in their own nature free. Political liberty is to be found only in moder-

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ate governments; and even in these it is not always found. It is there only when there is no abuse of power. But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go. Is it not strange, though true, to say that virtue itself has need of limits?

To prevent this abuse, it is necessary from the very nature of things that power should be a check to power. A government may be so constituted, as no man shall be compelled to do things to which the law does not oblige him, nor forced to abstain from things which the law permits.

5.-0f the End or View of different Governments

Though all governments have the same general end, which is that of preservation, yet each has another particular object. Increase of dominion was the object of Rome; war, that of Sparta; religion, that of the Jewish laws; commerce, that of Marseilles; public tranquility, that of the laws of China: navigation, that of the laws of Rhodes; natural liberty, that of the policy of the Savages; in general, the pleasures of the prince, that of despotic states; that of monarchies, the prince's and the kingdom's glory; the independence of individuals is the end aimed at by the laws of Poland, thence results the oppression of the whole.

One nation there is also in the world that has for the direct end of its constitution political liberty. We shall presently examine the principles on which this liberty is founded; if they are sound, liberty will appear in its highest perfection.

To discover political liberty in a constitution, no great labor is requisite. If we are capable of seeing it where it exists, it is soon found, and we need not go far in search of it.

6.-0f the Constitution of England

In every government there are three sorts of power: the legislative; the executive in respect to things dependent on the law of nations; and the executive in regard to matters that depend on the civil law.

By virtue of the first, the prince or magistrate enacts temporary or perpetual laws, and amends or abrogates those that have been already enacted. By the second, he makes peace or war, sends or receives embassies, establishes the public security, and provides against invasions. By the third, he punishes criminals, or determines the disputes that arise between individuals. The latter we shall call the judiciary power, and the other simply the executive power of the state.

The political liberty of the subject is a tranquillity of mind arising from the opinion each person has of his safety. In order to have this liberty, it is requisite the government be so constituted as one man need not be afraid of another.

When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty; because apprehensions may arise, lest the same monarch or senate should enact tyrannical laws, to execute them in a tyrannical manner.


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Again, there is no liberty, if the judiciary power be not separated from the legislative and executive. Were it joined with the legislative, the life and liberty of the subject would be exposed to arbitrary control; for the judge would be then the legislator. Were it joined to the executive power, the judge might behave with violence and oppressiOn.

There would be an end of everything, were the same man or the same body, whether of the nobles or of the people, to exercise those three powers, that of enacting laws, that of executing the public resolutions, and of trying the causes of individuals.

Most kingdoms in Europe enjoy a moderate government because the prince who is invested with the two first powers leaves the third to his subjects. In Turkey, where these three powers are united in the Sultan's person, the subjects groan under the most dreadful oppression.

In the republics of Italy, where these three powers are united, there is less liberty than in our monarchies. Hence their government is obliged to have recourse to as violent methods for its support as even that of the Turks; witness the state inquisitors, and the lion's mouth into which every informer may at all hours throw his written accusations.

In what a situation must the poor subject be in those republics! The same body of magistrates are possessed, as executors of the laws, of the whole power they have given themselves in quality of legislators. They may plunder the state by their general determinations; and as they have likewise the judiciary power in their hands, every private citizen may be ruined by their particular decisions.

The whole power is here united in one body; and though there is no external pomp that indicates a despotic sway, yet the people feel the effects of it every moment.

Hence it is that many of the princes of Europe, whose aim has been levelled at arbitrary power, have constantly set out with uniting in their own persons all the branches of magistracy, and all the great offices of state.

I allow indeed that the mere hereditary aristocracy of the I tali an republics does not exactly answer to the despotic power of the Eastern pr!nces. The number of magistrates sometimes moderate the power of the magistracy; the whole body of the nobles do not always concur in the same design; and different tribunals are erected, that temper each other. Thus at Venice the legislative power is in the council, the executive in the pregadi, and the judiciary in the quarantia. But the mischief is, that these different tribunals are composed of magistrates all belonging to the same body; which constitutes almost one and the same power.

The judiciary power ought not to be given to a standing senate; it should be exercised by persons taken from the body of the people at certain times of the year, and consistently with a form and manner prescribed by law, in order to erect a tribunal that should last only so long as necessity requires.

By this method the judicial power, so terrible to mankind, not being annexed to any particular state or profession, becomes, as it were, invisible. People have not then the judges continually present to their view; they fear the office, but not the magistrate.

In accusations of a deep and criminal nature, it is proper the person accused should have the privilege of choosing, in some measure, his judges, in concurrence with the law; or at least he should have a right to except against so great a number that the remaining part may be deemed his own choice.

The other two powers may be given rather to magistrates or permanent bodies, because they are not exercised on any private subject; one being no more than the general will of the state, and the other the execution of that general will.

But though the tribunals ought not to be fixed, the judgments ought; and to such a degree as to be ever conformable to the letter of the law. Were they to be the private opinion of the judge, people would then live in society, without exactly knowing the nature of their obligations.

The judges ought likewise to be of the same rank as the accused, or, in other words, his peers; to the end that he may not imagine he is fallen into the hands of persons inclined to treat him with rigor.

If the legislature leaves the executive power in possession of a right to imprison those subjects who can give security for their good behavior, there is an end of liberty; unless they are taken up, in order to answer without delay to a capital crime, in which case they are really free, being subject only to the power of the law.

But should the legislature think itself in danger by some secret conspiracy against the state, or by a correspondence with a foreign enemy, it might authorize the executive power, for a short and limited time, to imprison suspected persons, who in that case would lose their liberty only for a while, to preserve it forever.

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And this is the only reasonable method that can be substituted to the tyrannical magistracy of the Ephori, and to the state inquisitors of Venice, who are also despotic.

As in a country of liberty, every man who is supposed a free agent ought to be his own governor; the legislative power should reside in the whole body of the people. But since this is impossible in large states, and in small ones is subject to many inconveniences, it is fit the people should transact by their representatives what they cannot transact by themselves.

The inhabitants of a particular town are much better acquainted with its wants and interests than with those of other places; and are better judges of the capacity of their neighbors than of that of the rest of their countrymen. The members, therefore, of the legislature should not be chosen from the general body of the nation; but it is proper that in every considerable place a representative should be elected by the inhabitants.

The great advantage of representatives is, their capacity of discussing public affairs. For this the people collectively are extremely unfit, which is one of the chief inconveniences of a democracy.

It is not at all necessary that the representatives who have received a general instruction from their constituents should wait to be directed on each particular affair, as is practised in the diets of Germany. True it is that by this way of proceeding the speeches of the deputies might with


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greater propriety be called the voice of the nation; but, on the other hand, this would occasion infinite delays; would give each deputy a power of comrolling the assembly; and, on the most urgent and pressing occasions, the wheels of government might be stopped by the caprice of a single person.

When the deputies, as Mr. Sidney well observes, represent a body of people, as in Holland, they ought to be accountable to their constituents; but it is a different thing in England, where they are deputed by boroughs.

All the inhabitants of the several districts ought to have a right of voting at the election of a representative, except such as are in so mean a situation as to be deemed to have no will of their own.

One great fault there was in most of the ancient republics, that the people had a right to active resolutions, such as require some execution, a thing of which they are absolutely incapable. They ought to have no share in the government but for the choosing of representatives, which is within their reach. For though few can tell the exact degree of men's capacities, yet there are none but are capable of knowing in general whether the person they choose is better qualified than most of his neighbors.

Neither ought the representative body to be chosen for the executive part of government, for which it is not so fit; but for the enacting of laws, or to see whether the laws in being are duly executed, a thing suited to their abilities, and which none indeed but themselves can properly perform.

In such a state there are always persons distinguished by their birth, riches, or honors; but were they to be confounded with the common people, and to have only the weight of a single vote like the rest, the common liberty would be their slavery, and they would have no interest in supporting it, as most of the popular resolutions would be against them. The share they have, therefore, in the legislature ought to be proportioned to their other advantages in the state; which happens only when they form a body that has a right to check the licentioJsness of the people, as the people have a right to oppose any encroachment of theirs.

The legislative power is therefore committed to the body of the nobles, and to that which represents the people, each having their assemblies and deliberations apart, each their separate views and interests.

Of the three powers above mentioned, the judiciary is in some measure next to nothing: there remain, therefore, only two; and as these have need of a regulating power to moderate them, the part of the legislative body composed of the nobility is extremely proper for this purpose.

The body of the nobility ought to be hereditary. In the first place it is so in its own nature; and in the next there must be a considerable interest to preserve its privilegesprivileges that in themselves are obnoxious to popular envy, and of course in a free state are always in danger.

But as a hereditary power might be tempted to pursue its own particular interests, and forget those of the people, it is proper that where a singular advantage may be gained by corrupting the nobility, as in the laws relating to the

626

supplies, they should have no other share in the legislation than the power of rejecting, and not that of resolving.

By the power of resolving I mean the right of ordaining by their own authority, or of amending what has been ordained by others. By the power of rejecting I would be understood to mean the right of annulling a resolution taken by another; which was the power of the tribunes at Rome. And though the person possessed of the privilege of rejecting may likewise have the right of approving, yet this approbation passes for no more than a declaration, that he intends to make no use of his privilege of rejecting, and is derived from that very privilege.

The executive power ought to be in the hands of a monarch, because this branch of government, having need of despatch, is better administered by one than by many: on the other hand, whatever depends on the legislative power is oftentimes better regulated by many than by a single person.

But if there were no monarch, and the executive power should be committed to a certain number of persons selected from the legislative body, there would be an end then of liberty; by reason the two powers would be united, as the same persons would sometimes possess, and would be always able to possess, a share in both.

Were the legislative body to be a considerable time without meeting, this would likewise put an end to liberty. For of two things one would naturally follow: either that there would be no longer any legislative resolutions, and then the state would fall into anarchy; or that these resolutions would be taken by the executive power, which would render it absolute.

It would be needless for the legislative body to continue always assembled. This would be troublesome to the representatives, and, moreover, would cut out too much work for the executive power, so as to take off its attention to its office, and oblige it to think only of defending its own prerogatives, and the right it has to execute.

Again, were the legislative body to be always assembled, it might happen to be kept up only by filling the places of the deceased members with new representatives; and in that case, if the legislative body were once corrupted, the evil would be past all remedy. When different legislative bodies succeed one another, the people who have a bad opinion of that which is actually sitting may reasonably entertain some hopes of the next: but were it to be always the same body, the people upon seeing it once corrupted would no longer expect any good from its laws; and of course they would either become desperate or fall into a state of indolence.

The legislative body should not meet of itself. For a body is supposed to have no will but when it is met; and besides, were it not to meet unanimously, it would be impossible to determine which was really the legislative body; the part assembled, or the other. And if it had a right to

prorogue itself, it might happen never to be prorogued; which would be extremely dangerous, in case it should ever attempt to encroach on the executive power. Besides, there are seasons, some more proper than others, for assembling the legislative body: it is fit, therefore, that the


CHAPTER 17, CoNSTITUTIONAL GovERNMENT, No. 9

executive power should regulate the time of meeting, as well as the duration of those assemblies, according to the circumstances and exigencies of a state known to itself.

Were the executive power not to have a right of restraining the encroachments of the legislative body, the latter would become despotic; for as it might arrogate to itself what authority it pleased, it would soon destroy all the other powers.

But it is not proper, on the other hand, that the legislative power should have a right to stay the executive. For as the execution has its natural limits, it is useless to confine it; besides, the executive power is generally employed in momentary operations. The power, therefore, of the Roman tribunes was faulty, as it put a stop not only to the legislation, but likewise to the executive part of government; which was attended with infinite mischief.

But if the legislative power in a free state has no right to stay the executive, it has a right and ought to have the means of examining in what manner its laws have been executed; an advantage which this government has over that of Crete and Sparta, where the Cosmi and the Ephori gave no account of their administration.

But whatever may be the issue of that examination, the legislative body ought not to have a power of arraigning the person, nor, of course, the conduct, of him who is intrusted with the executive power. His person should be sacred, because as it is necessary for the good of the state to prevent the legislative body from rendering themselves arbitrary, the moment he is accused or tried there is an end of liberty.

In this case the state would be no longer a monarchy, but a kind of republic, though not a free government. But as the person intrusted with the executive power cannot abuse it without bad counsellors, and such as have the laws as ministers, though the laws protect them as subjects, these men may be examined and punished-an advantage which this government has over that of Gnidus, where the law allowed of no such thing as calling the Amymones to an account, even after their administration; and therefore the people could never obtain any satisfaction for the injuries done them.

Though, in general, the judiciary power ought not to be united with any part of the legislative, yet this is liable to three exceptions, founded on the particular interest of the party accused.

The great are always obnoxious to popular envy; and were they to be judged by the people, they might be in danger from their judges, and would, moreover, be deprived of the privilege which the meanest subject is possessed of in a free state, of being tried by his peers. The nobility, for this reason, ought not to be cited before the ordinary courts of judicature, but before that part of the legislature which is composed of their own body.

It is possible that the law, which is clear sighted in one sense, and blind in another, might, in some cases, be too severe. But as we have already observed, the national judges are no more than the mouth that pronounces the words of the law, mere passive beings, incapable of moderating either its force or rigor. That part, therefore, of

the legislative body, which we have just now observed to be a necessary tribunal on another occasion, also is a necessary tribunal in this; it belongs to its supreme authority to moderate the law in favor of the law itself, by mitigating the sentence.

It might also happen that a subject intrusted with the administration of public affairs may infringe the rights of the people, and be guilty of crimes which the ordinary magistrates either could not or would not punish. But, in general, the legislative power cannot try causes: and much less can it try this particular case, where it represents the party aggrieved, which is the people. It can only, therefore, impeach. But before what court shall it bring its impeachment? Must it go and demean itself before the ordinary tribunals, which are its inferiors, and, being composed, moreover, of men who are chosen from the people as well as itself, will naturally be swayed by the authority of so powerful an accuser? No: in order to preserve the dignity of the people and the security of the subject, the legislative part which represents the people must bring in its charge before the legislative part which represents the nobility, who have neither the same interests nor the same passions.

Here is an advantage which this government has over most of the ancient republics, where this abuse prevailed, that the people were at the same time both judge and accuser.

The executive power, pursuant of what has been already said, ought to have a share in the legislature by the power of rejecting; otherwise it would soon be stripped of its prerogative. But should the legislative power usurp a share of the executive, the latter would be equally undone.

If the prince were to have a part in the legislature by the power of resolving, liberty would be lost. But as it is necessary he should have a share in the legislature for the support of his own prerogative, this share must consist in the power of rejecting.

The change of government at Rome was owing to this, that neither the senate, who had one part of the executive power, nor the magistrates, who were intrusted with the other, had the right of rejecting, which was entirely lodged in the people.

627

Here, then, is the fundamental constitution of the government we are treating of. The legislative body being composed of two parts, they check one another by the mutual privilege of rejecting. They are both restrained by the executive power, as the executive is by the legislative.

These three powers should naturally form a state of repose or inaction. But as there is a necessity for movement in the course of human affairs, they are forced to move, but still in concert.

As the executive power has no other part in the legislative than the privilege of rejecting, it can have no share in the public debates. It is not even necessary that it should propose, because as it may always disapprove of the resolutions that shall be taken, it may likewise reject the decisions on those proposals which were made against its will.

In some ancient commonwealths, where public debates were carried on by the people in a body, it was natural for


CHAPTER 17, CONSTITUT IONAL GOVERNMENT, NO. 10

the executive power to propose and debate in conjunction with the people, otherwise their resolutions must have been attended with a strange confusion.

Were the executive power to determine the raising of public money, otherwise than by giving its consent, liberty would be at an end; because it would become legislative in the most important point of legislation.

If the legislative power was to settle the subsidies, not from year to year, but forever, it would run the risk of losing its liberty, because the executive power would be no longer dependent; and when once it was possessed of such a perpetual right, it would be a matter of indifference whether it held it of itself or of another. The same may be said if it should come to a resolution of intrusting, not an annual, but a perpetual command of the fleets and armies to the executive power.

To prevent the executive power from being able to oppress, it is requisite that the armies with which it is intrusted should consist of the people, and have the same spirit as the people, as was the case at Rome till the time of Marius. To obtain this end, there are only two ways, either that the persons employed in the army should have sufficient property to answer for their conduct to their fellow-subjects, and be enlisted only for a year, as was customary at Rome; or if there should be a standing army, composed chiefly of the most despicable part of the nation, the legislative power should have a right to disband them as soon as it pleased; the soldiers should live in common with the rest of the people; and no separate camp, barracks, or fortress should be suffered.

When once an army is established, it ought not to depend immediately on the legislative, but on the executive power; and this from the very nature of the thing, its business consisting more in action than in deliberation.

It is natural for mankind to set a higher value upon courage than timidity, on activity than prudence, on strength than counsel. Hence the army will ever despise a senate, and respect their own officers. They will naturally slight the orders sent them by a body of men whom they look upon as cowards, and therefore unworthy to command them. So that as soon as the troops depend entirely on the legislative body, it becomes a military government; and if the contrary has ever happened, it has been owing to some extraordinary circumstances. It is because the army was always kept divided; it is because it was composed of several bodies that depended each on a particular province: it is because the capital towns were strong places, defended by their natural situation, and not garrisoned with regular troops. Holland, for instance, is still safer than Venice; she might drown or starve the revolted troops; for as they are not quartered in towns capable of furnishing them with necessary subsistence, this subsistence is of course precarious.

In perusing the admirable treatise of Tacitus "On the Manners of the Germans," we find it is from that nation the English have borrowed the idea of their political government. This beautiful system was invented first in the woods.

As all humans things have an end, the state we are speaking of will lose its liberty, will perish . H ave not Rome,

628

Sparta, and Carthage perished? It will perish when the legislative power shall be more corrupt than the executive.

It is not my business to examine whether the English actually enjoy this liberty or not. Sufficient it is for my purpose to observe that it is established by their laws; and I inquire no further.

Neither do I pretend by this to undervalue other governments, nor to say that this extreme political liberty ought to give uneasiness to those who have only a moderate share of it. How should I have any such design, I who think that even the highest refinement of reason is not always desirable, and that mankind generally find their account better in mediums than in extremes?

H arrington, in his "Oceana," has also inquired into the utmost degree of liberty to which the constitution of a state may be carried. But of him, indeed, it may be said that for want of knowing the nature of real liberty he busied himself in pursuit of an imaginary one; and that he built a Chalcedon, though he had a Byzantium before his eyes.

7.-0f the Monarchies we are acquainted with

The monarchies we are acquainted with have not, like that we have been speaking of, liberty for their direct view: the only aim is the glory of the subject, of the state, and of the sovereign. But hence there results a spirit of liberty, which in those states is capable of achieving as great things, and of contributing as much, perhaps, to happiness, as liberty itself.

Here the three powers are not distributed and founded on the model of the constitution above mentioned; they have each a particular distribution, according to which they border more or less on political liberty; and if they did not border upon it, monarchy would degenerate into despotic government.

20.-The End of this Book

I should be glad to inquire into the distribution of the three powers, in all the moderate governments we are acquainted with, in order to calculate the degrees of liberty which each may enjoy. But we must not always exhaust a subject, so as to leave no work at all for the reader. My business is not to make people read, but to make them think.

10 RICHARD HENRY LEE TO ---

31 May 1764

Letters 1:5-7

Many late determinations of the great, on your side of the water, seem to prove a resolution, to oppress North America with the iron hand of power, unrestrained by any sentiment, drawn from reason, the liberty of mankind, or the genius of their own government. 'Tis said the House of


1 r

RoMANS 1 Greek New Testament

TIPOL: POMAIOYL:

1 nauAOS' OOUAOS' Xpunou 'ITJCTOU, KATJTOS' d.m)CTTOAOS' d.¢wpLCTilEVOS' de; EJJayyEALOV 8Eou, 2 o npoEnTJyydA.aTo

8u1 TWV npo¢TJTWV QlJTOU EV ypa¢ciic; ay(mc; 3 1TEpl TOU uLou mhou Tou yEVO!lEvou EK crnEPilaToc; ~au'L8 Kma crcipKa, 4 Tou 6pw8EvToc; ulou 8Eou €v 8uvci11EL KaTa nvEiilla ayLWCTUVTJS' E~ d.vaCTTclCTEWS' VEKploV, 'ITJCTOU XpLCTTOU TOU KUpLOU TJill;:lV, 5 8L' ou EAcl~OilEV xcipLV Kal d.noaTOAT]V ELS' imaKoi]v TTLCTTEWS' €v niicrw TOLS' E!evww imE:p Tou 6v611aTOS' UlJTOU, 6 EV oLS' ECTTE KUL UllELS' KATJTOL 'ITJCTOU XpLCTTOU, 7 TT<ICTLV TOLS' Ol!CTLV EV 'PW!lTJ d.yaTTTJTolS' 8EOU, KATJTolS' ay(OLS', xcipLS' u!l'Lv KUL dp~Vfl d.no 8EOU naTpoc; TJilWV KUL Kup[ou 'ITJCTOU XpwTou.

s npwTov 11E:v El!xapwTw T0 8E0 11ou aLa 'ITJcroD XpwTou nEpl. ncivTwv UllWV on i] TTLCTTLS' UllWV KaTayyEAAETaL Ev OA4J Tl\> KOCTil4l· 9 llclPTUS' ycip !lOU ECTTLV 6 8EOS', tV AaTpEUW EV Tl\> TTVEU!lUTL !lOU EV T0 EuayyEAL4J TOU ui.ou avTov, we; d.8wA.dnTWS' llVEtav UllWV TTOLOU!laL 10 ncivTOTE €nl. Twv npocrEuxwv !lOU OEO!lEVOS' EL nwc; ~OTJ noTE Euo8w8~CTO!laL EV T0 8EA~IlUTL TOU 8EOU EA8ELV npoc; UlliiS'. 11 €m no8w yap t8E'Lv u11iis, '[va n llEm8w xcipwiJ.a ViJ.'lv TTVEUIJ.UTLKOV Etc; TO CTTTJPLX8~vm UIJ.US', 12 TOUTO OE ECTTLV

Amplified Bible

THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE

ROMANS

1 FROM PAUL, a bond servant of jesus Christ (the Messiah) called to be an apostle, (a special messenger) set apart to

[preach] the Gospel (good news) of and from God, 2 Which He promised in advance [long ago] through His

prophets in the sacred Scriptures-3 [The Gospel] regarding His Son, Who as to the flesh (His

human nature) was descended from David, 4 And [as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holi

ness was openly adesignated the Son of God in power [in a striking, triumphant and miraculous manner] by His resurrection from the dead, even jesus Christ our Lord (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

5 It is through Him that we have received grace (God's unmerited favor) and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name's sake among all the nations,

6 And this includes you, called of jesus Christ and invited [as you are] to belong to Him.

7 To [You then] all God's beloved ones in Rome, called to be saints and designated for a consecrated life: Grace and spiritual blessing and peace be yours from God our Father and from the Lord jesus Christ.

8 First, 1 thank my God through jesus Christ for all of you, because [the report o~ your faith is made known to all the world and is bcommended everywhere.

9 For God is my witness, Whom 1 serve with my [whole] spirit [rendering priestly and spiritual service] in [preaching] the Gospel and [telling] the good news of His Son, how incessantly 1 always mention you when at my prayers.

10 1 keep pleading that somehow by God's will I may now at last prosper and come to you.

11 For 1 am yearning to see you, that 1 may impart and share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen and establish you;

792 King }ames Version

THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE

ROMANS

1 Paul, a servant of jesus Christ, called to be an apostle. separated unto the gospel of God,

2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

3 Concerning his Son jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience ro the faith among all nations, for his name:

6 Among whom are ye also the called of jesus Christ: 7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord jesus Christ.

8 ~ First, 1 thank my God through jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

9 For God is my witness, whom 1 serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing 1 make mention of you always in my prayers;

10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

Rheims New Testament


ROMANS

1 Paul, a servant of jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

2 Which he had promised before, by his prophets, in the holy scriptures,

3 Concerning his Son, who was made to him of the seed of David, according to the flesh,

4 Who was predestinated the Son of God in power, according to the spirit of sanctification, by the resurrection of our Lord jesus Christ from the dead;

5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith, in all nations, for his name;

6 Among whom are you also the called of jesus Christ: 7 To all that are at Rome, the beloved of God, called to be

saints. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord jesus Christ.

8 First 1 give thanks to my God, through jesus Christ, for you all, because your faith is spoken of in the whole world.

9 For God is my witness, whom 1 serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son , that without ceasing I make a commemoration of you;

10 Always in my prayers making request, if by any means now at length I may have a prosperous journey, by the will of God, to come unto you.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual grace, to strengthen you:

AB: a Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. b Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament.


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793 New American Standard Bible

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE

ROMANS

1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant cif David

according to the flesh, 4· who was declared the Son of God with power 'by the resur

rection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, jesus christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to

bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name's sake, 6 among whom you also are the called of jesus Christ;

' 7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ. s First, I thank my God through jesus Christ for you all,

because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.

9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching if the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention ofyou, 10 always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at las t by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you , that you may be established;

1 Or, as a result qf

New American Bible

THE LETTER TO THE

ROMANS

1 Paul, a slave of Christ jesus, called to be an apostle and set

1 apart for the gospel of God, 2which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, 4but established as Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, jesus Christ our Lord . SThrough him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, 6among whom are you also, who are called to belong to jesus Christ; 7to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ.

Bfirst, I give thanks to my God through jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is heralded throughout the world. 9God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in proclaiming the gospel of his Son, that I remember you constantly, toaJways asking in my prayers that somehow by God's will I may at last find my way clear to come to you . ttfor I long to see you , that I may share with you some spiritual gift so that you may be strengthened,

R OMANS 1 New International Version

ROMANS

1 Paul, a servant of Christ jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God- 2the gospel he promised before

hand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3regarding his Son , who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4and who through the Spirita of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of Godb by his resurrection from the dead : jesus Christ our Lord. SThrough him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith . 6And you also are among those who are called to belong to jesus Christ.

7To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord jesus Christ.

Bfirst, I thank my God through jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world . 9God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you toi n my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong- t2that is , that you and I may be mutu-

a 4 Or who as to his spirit b 4 Or was appointed to be the Son qf God with power

New Revised Standard Version

THE LETTER_OF PAUL TO THE

ROMANS

1 Paul, a servanta of jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2which he promised beforehand

through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spiritb of holiness by resurrection from the dead, jesus Christ our Lord , sthrough whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, 6including yourselves who are called to belong to jesus Christ,

7 To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus

Christ.

8 First, I thank my God through jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. 9for God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospelc of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers , toasking that by God's will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you . ttfor I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you- t2or

a Gk stave b Or Spzlit c Gk my spiri£ in the gospel


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1 CORINTHIANS 1 Greek New Testament

TTP02: KOPIN8IOY2: A

1 TiauAos- KAr]TOS' cim)aToAos- XpwToiJ ' IT]aou 8u1 8EA~IWTOS' 8EOu Kal L:wa8EVT]S' 6 ci8EA¢os- 2 T~ EKKAT]a[q

Tou 8Eou Ti] ova\] EV Kop[v84J , ~ytaa!lEVOLS' EV XpwT~ 'ITjaOV, KA'rjTOLS' ayLOLS', aiw TrQULV Tciis ETTLKaAOU!lEVOLS' TO ovo11a TOU Kup[ou ~11wv 'IT]aou XpwTou EV TiavTl TOTI4J, QlJTWV KQL ~ll-WV" 3 xcipLS' U!lLV KQL dp~VT] ciTio 8EOU TiaTpos- ~11wv Kal Kup[ou 'IT]aou XpwTou.

4 EuxapwTw T0 8E0 11ou mivToTE nEpl u11wv ETil TlJ xciPLTL TOU 8EOU TlJ 8o8da\] u!llv EV XpwT0 'IT]OOU, 5 OTL EV TfQVTL ETIAOUTL08T]TE EV QliT!~, EV TIOVTL Acly4J KQL TfclO\] yvwaEL , 6 Ka8ws- To llapTupLov Tou XpwTou E~E~mw8T] Ev Ull-LV, 7 WGTE Ull-QS' llil UGTEpELG8m EV !lT]8EVL xapLG!lOTl ciTIEKOEXO!lEVOUS' Tilv ciTioKciAuljnv TOU Kup[ou ~11wv 'IT]aou XpwTou· 8 os- Kal. ~E~mwaEL u11as- Ews- TEAous civqKA~Tous- EV Tfj ~11EP9- Tou Kup[ou ~11wv 'IT]aou [XpwTou]. 9 maTos 6 8E6s, 8L • ou EKAi]8T]TE ELS Kmvwv[av Tou uiou a{nou 'IT]aou XpwTou Tou Kup[ou ~11wv.

Amplified Bible

THE FIRST LEITER OF PAUL TO THE

CORINTHIANS

1 PAUL, SUMMONED by the will and purpose of God to be an apostle (special messenger) of Christ jesus, and our brother

Sosthenes, 2 To the church (assembly) of God which is in Corinth, to

those consecrated and purified and made holy in Christ Jesus, [who are] selected and called to be saints (God's people), together with all those who in any place call upon and give honor to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

3 Grace (favor and spiritual blessing) be to you and [heart] peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ.

4 I thank my God at all times for you because of the grace (the favor and spiritual blessing) of God which was bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,

5 [So] that in Him in every respect you were enriched, in full power and readiness of speech [to speak of your faith] and complete knowledge arid illumination [to give you full insight into its meaning].

6 In this way [our] witnessing concerning Christ (the Messiah) was so confirmed and established and made sure in you

7 That you are not [consciously] falling behind or lacking in any special spiritual endowment or Christian grace [athe reception of which is due to the power of divine grace operating in your souls by the Holy Spirit], while you wait and watch [constantly living in hope] for the coming of our Lord jesus Christ and [His] being made visible to all.

8 And He will establish you to the end [keep you steadfast, give you strength, and guarantee your vindication; He will be your warrant against all accusation or indictment so that you will be] guiltless and irreproachable in the day of our Lord jesus Christ (the Messiah).

9 God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were


THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE

CORINTHIANS

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. both theirs and ours:

3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and .from the Lord jesus Christ.

4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by jesus Christ;

5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift ; waiting for the coming of

our Lord jesus Christ: 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be

blameless in the day of our Lord jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship

of his Son jesus Christ our Lord.


THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE

CORINTHIANS

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes a brother,

2 To the church of God that is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ jesus, called to be saints, with all that invoke the name of our Lord jesus Christ, in every place of theirs and ours.

3 Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord jesus Christ.

4 I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God that is given you in Christ jesus,

5 That in all things you are made rich in him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

6 As the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 So that nothing is wanting to you in any grace, waiting for

the manifestation of our Lord jesus Christ. 8 Who also will confirm you unto the end without crime, in

the day of the coming of our Lord jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful: by whom you are called unto the fellowship

of his Son jesus Christ our Lord.

AB: a joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon Q( the New Testament.


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873 New American Standa rd Bible

THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE

CORINTHIANS

1 Paul, called as an apostle of jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

2 to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ. 4 I thank Jmy God always concerning you, for the grace of God

which was given you in Christ jesus, 5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech

and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in

you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the

revelation of our Lord jesus Christ, 8 who shall also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day

of our Lord jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellow

ship with His Son, jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Some ancient mss. do not contain my

New American Bible

THE FIRST LETTER TO THE

CORINTHIANS

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ jesus by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2to the church of God that is in

Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ.

4I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ jesus, 5that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, 6as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, 7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord jesus Christ. SHe will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord jesus [Christ]. 9God is faithful, ~nd by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, jesus Christ our Lord.

1 CORINTHIANS 1 New Interna tio na l Version

1 CORINTHIANS

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

2To the church of God in Corinth , to those sanctified in Christ jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord jesus Christ-their Lord and ours:

3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ.

4I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ jesus. 5for in him you have been enriched in every wayin all your speaking and in all your knowledge- 6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. ?Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord jesus Christ to be revealed. BHe will keep you strong to the end , so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord jesus Christ. 9God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.


THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE

CORINTHIANS

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord jesus Christ, both their Lorda and ours :

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ.

4 I give thanks to myb God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ jesus, 5for in every way you have been enriched in him , in speech and knowledge of every kind- 6just as the testimony ofc Christ has been strengthened among you- 7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord jesus Christ. BHe will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord jesus Christ. 9God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, jesus Christ our Lord.

a Gk theirs b Other ancient authorities lack my c Or to


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2 CORINTHIANS 1 Greek New Testament

TIPOl: KOPIN8JOY2: B

1 TiauAos- cirrooToAos- XpwTou 'lfloou ou:l 6EA~IlaTos- 6EOu KQl TL!l06EOS' 6 aOEAcpOS' Tfl EKKAT]OLQ- TOU 6EoiJ TD OUOlJ

EV Kop[v6tp avv TotS ayLOLS' TnlOLV TOLS' OUOLV EV OAlJ TD 'Axatr;r., 2 xcipLS' u111v Kal. Elp~vTJ cnro 6Eou rraTpos- ~llc;:w KaL Kuplou 'IT]ooiJ XpwTou.

3 EuAoyT]Tos- 6 eEos- Kat rraT~P Tou Kup[ou ~jlwv 'ITJaou XpwTou, 6 rraT~P Twv oLKTLpjlWV KUL 6EOS' rrciOT]S' rrapaKA~OEWS' , 4 6 rrapaKaAwv ~jldS' E'rrl. rrciolJ TD 6A[lj;EL ~11wv ElsTO 8uvao6m ~\laS' rrapaKaAELV TOUS' E'v rrciolJ 6A.tlj;EL 8La TTtS' rrapaKA~OEWS' ~S' rrapaKaAOUjlE6a auTo!. urro ToiJ 6Eou. 5 on Ka6ws- rrEpLOOEUEL Ta rra6~jlaTa ToiJ XpwTou Eis~\ldS', OliTWS' OLa TOiJ XpLOTOU rrEpLOOEUEL Kal. ~ rrapciKATJOLS' ~jlWV. 6 dTE OE 6A.L~Oj1E6a, urrE:p TftS' UjlWV rrapaKA~OEWS' KQL OWTT]p[as-· ElTE rrapaKQAOUj1E6a , urrE:p TllS' UjlWll rrapaKA~oEwS' TllS' EVEpyoujlEVTJS' EV urrojlovfj TWV auTwv rra6T]jlciTwv wv Kal. ~jlELS' rrcioxollEv. 7 Kal. ~ E'A.rrl.s- ~fi.wv ~E~ata urrEp UjlWV ElBOTES' on l~S' KOLvwvo[ EOTE Twv rra6T]jlciTwv , oihws- Kal. TllS' rrapaKArJOHuS'.

Amplified Bible

THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO THE

CORINTHIANS

1 PAUL, AN apostle (a special messenger) of Christ jesus by the will of God, and Timothy [our] brother, to the church (assem

bly) of God which is at Corinth, and to all the saints (the people of God) throughout Achaia (most of Greece):

2 Grace (favor and spiritual blessing) to you and [heart) peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source) of every comfort (consolation and encouragement),

4 Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress , with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God.

5 For just as Christ's (aown) sufferings fall to our lot b[as they overflow upon His disciples, and we share and experience them] abundantly, so through Christ comfort (consolation and encouragement) is also (shared and experienced] abundantly by us.

6 But if we are troubled (afflicted and distressed), it is for your comfort (consolation and encouragement) and [for your) salvation; and if we are comforted (consoled and encouraged), it is for your comfort (consolation and encouragement), which works [in you) when you patiently endure the same evils (misfortunes and calamities) that we also suffer and undergo.

7 And our hope for you [our joyful and confident expectation of good for you) is ever unwavering (assured and unshaken); for we know that just as you share and are partners in (our) sufferings and calamities, you also share and are partners in [our] comfort (consolation and encouragement).

954 King James Version

THE SECOND EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE

CORINTHIANS

1 Paul , an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at

Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: 2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, andftom

the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 ~ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord jesus Christ,

the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be

able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us , so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

7 ~And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shallye be also of the consolation.



CORINTHIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother: to the church of God that is at Corinth,

with all the saints that are in all Achaia: 2 Grace unto you and peace from God our Father, and from

the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, the

Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation; that we also may

be able to comfort them who are in all distress , by the exhortation wherewith we also are exhorted by God.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us: so also by Christ doth our comfort abound.

6 Now whether we be in tribulation, it is for your exhortation and salvation: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation: or whether we be exhorted, it is for your exhortation and salvation, which worketh the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.

7 That our hope for you may be steadfast: knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation.

AB: a Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testamem. b Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.


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THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE

CORINTHIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth

with all the saints who are throughout Achaia: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord

jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, the

Father of mercies and God of all comfort; 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able

to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;

7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.

New American Bible

THE SECOND LETTER TO THE

CORINTHIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth,

with all the holy ones throughout Achaia: zgrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ.

3BJessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement, 4who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. SFor as Christ's sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow. 61f we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation; if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7Qur hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement.

2 CORINTHIANS 1 New International Version

2 CORINTHIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:


3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles , so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God . SFor just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6Jf we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.



CORINTHIANS


To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia:


3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, 4who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God . Sfor just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. 6Jf we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. 7Qur hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.


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GALATIANS 1

Greek New Testament

TIPOL: r AAA TAL:

1 ITauA.os cim:laTOAOS' OUK an' av8pwnwv ov8i.= 8L > av8pwnou ciA.A.cl 8u1 'lrpou XpwTou Kal 8Eou naTpos Tou E:ydpav

TOS' QVTOV EK VEKpwv, 2 Kal o'L avv EllOL nciVTES' a8EA¢ot TULS' EKKAT]GLaLS' T~S' faAaT[as, 3 xcipLS' VllLV Kal dp~VTJ uno 8wu naTpos ~11wv Kat KUplou 'lT]aou XpwTou 4 Tov 86vTos EauTov uni=p Twv O.J..wpnwv ~J.l.WV, cmws E:~EATJTaL ~J.Liis E:K Tau atwvos Tau E:vwTwTos novTJpou KaTa To eE:A.wa Tou 8Eov Kat naTpos ~11wv, 5 c;J ~ 86~a ELs Taus alwvas Twv alwvwv, clJ.l.~V.

6 eaullci(w OTL OlJTWS' TUXEWS' J.l.ETGTL8Ea8E cino TOU KUAEGUVTOS' Uj.l.iiS' EV xcipLTL [XpwTOU] ELS' ETEpov EuayyEALOV, 7 0 OUK EGTLV aAA.o, El ll~ TLVES' ELGLV ol. TapciaaOVTES' VJ.Los Kat 8E:A.ovTES' llETaaTpb)!m To EuayyEALOv Tou XpLaTOU. 8 ana KUL E:av ~llELS' ~ ayyEAOS' E~ oupavov EuayyEAL(TJTaL [uj.l.Lv] nap ' o EUTJYYEAwci!lE8a u11'Lv, civci8Eila EGTW. 9 WS' npoELp~KaJ.l.EV KUL apn nciALV AEyw, d TLS"

VJ.LiiS' EuayyEAL(ETm nap' o napEAU~ETE , civci8Eila EaTw.

Amplified Bible


GALATIANS

1 PAUL, AN apostle-[special messenger appointed and commissioned and sent out] not from [any body of) men nor by or

through aany man, but by and through Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and God the Father, Who raised Him from among the dead-

2 And all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace and spiritual blessing be to you and (soul] peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah),

4 Who gave (yielded) Himself tip [bto atone] for our sins (and ct:o save and sanctify us], in order to rescue and deliver us from this present wicked age and world order, in accordance with the will and purpose and plan of our God and Father-

S To Him [be ascribed all] the glory through all the ages of the ages and the eternities of the eternities! Amen (so be it).

6 I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly dturning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you eby the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) (and that you are transferring your allegiance] to a different (even an opposition] gospel.

7 Not that there is (or could be] any other (genuine Gospel], but there are (obviously] some who are troubling and disturbing and bewildering you [lwith a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert and distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) [into something which it absolutely is not] .

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!

9 As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that which you received [from us], let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!



GALATIANS

1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, andfiom our Lord Jesus Christ,

4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 6 ~ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called

you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you,

and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other

gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.



GALATIANS

1 Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead, 1

2 And all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia.

3 Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 1

4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this presem wicked world, according to the will of God and otir Father:

5 To whom is glory for ever and ever. Amen . 6 I wonder that you are so soon removed from him that called

you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel. 7 Which is not another, only there are some that trouble you,

and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to

you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema.

9 As we said before, so now I say again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.

AB: a Marvin Vincent, Word Stlldies in the New Tescament. b Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament . c Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. d joseph P. Lightfoot, Notes on the Epistles q/Saint Paul. e Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. J Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament.


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GALATIANS

1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men, nor through the agency of man. bur through jesus Christ, and God the Father, who

raised Him from the dead) , 2 and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of

Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father. and the Lord

jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out

of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

5 to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen. 6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who

called you by the grace of Christ. for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are dis

turbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven. should preach

to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you. let him be accursed. · 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is

preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.

New American Bible

THE LETTER TO THE

GALATIANS

1 Paul, an apostle not from human beings nor through a human being but through jesus Christ and God the Father

who raised him from the dead, 2and all the brothers who are ,with me, to the churches of Galatia: 3grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins that he might rescue us from the present evil age in accord with the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

6I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by [the] grace [of Christ] for a different gospel 7(not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. BBut even if we or an angel from heaven should preach [to you] a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! 9As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed!

GALATIANS 1 New International Version

GALATIANS

1 Paul, an apostle-sent not from men nor by man. but by jesus Christ and God the father. who raised him from the

dead- 2and all the brothers with me.

To the churches in Galatia :

3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. Sto whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- 7which is really no gospel at alL Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. BBut even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted. let him be eternally condemned!



GALATIANS

1 Paul an apostle-sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through jesus Christ and God

the Father, who raised him from the dead- 2and all the members of God's famiJya who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord

jesus Christ. 4who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. 5to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

6 I am astonish~d that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- 7not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. BBut even if we or an angelb from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! 9As we have said before, so now I repeat. if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!

a Gk all the brothers b Or a messenger


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EPHESIANS 1 Greek New Testament

TTPOL:; E<PEL:;IOYL:

1 TiauA.os- cino<noA.os- ~pwTou 'IT]aou 8u1 8EA~I-wTos- 8Eou TolS" ayLOLS" TOtS ovaLV [Ev 'E<jlEG<;J] KQL TILCJTOLS" EV

XpwT<i] 'IT]aou, 2 xcipLs- UflLV Kai dp~vTJ cino 8Eou naTpos~flGJV Ka'L Kup[ou 'IT]aOu XpwTou.

3 EuA.oyT]Tos- 6 8Eos Kal naT~P Tou KUptou ~11wv 'IT]aou XpwTou, 6 EuA.oyijaas ~11as EV ncial] EuA.oy[q. nvEuflaTLKi] EV Tots Enoupav[oLs Ev XpwT<jj, 4 Ka8ws E~EAE~aTo ~fliiS EV auT<jj npo KUTa~oA.iis KOG!lOU Elvm ~flQS ay[ous Kal clflWflOUS" KUTEVWTILOV auTOU EV ciycinl] , 5 npoop[aas ~flQS ELS UL08Eaf.av OL<l 'IT]GOU XpLCJTOU ELS auTOV, KQTQ T~V EVOOKLaV TOU 8EArlflUTOS auTOU, 6 ELS ETiaLVOV OO~T]S TiiS xcipLTOS auTOU ~s ExapLTWGEV ~flQS EV T<jj ijyaTIT]flEV4J. 7 EV 4i EXOflEV T~V cinoA.uTpwmv OLa TOU a'[flaTOS at.JTOU, T~V a<jlEaLV TWV napaTITWflclTWV, KGTU TO TIAOUTOS TllS xciplTOS auTOU 8 ~s ETIEpf.aaEUGEV ELS ~flUS, EV ncial] ao<jl[q. Kal ¢povijaEL, 9 yvwp[aas ~flLV To flUaTijpLov TOU 8EAr'jf1.aTOS Ql.JTOU, KaTa T~V EUOOKLQV mJTOU ~v npoE8ETO EV auT<jj

Amplified Bible


EPHESIANS

1 PAUL, AN apostle (special messenger) of Christ jesus (the Messiah), by the divine will (the purpose and the choice of

God) to the saints (the consecrated, set-apart ones) aat Ephesus who are also faithful and loyal and steadfast in Christ jesus:

2 May grace (God's unmerited favor) and spiritual peace [which means peace with God and harmony, unity, and undisturbedness) be yours from God our Father and from the Lord jesus Christ.

3 May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm!

4 Even as [in His love) He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own) in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.

5 For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [bbecause it pleased Him and was His kind intent]-

6 [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

7 In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor,

8 Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence),

9 Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:) In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in cHim,



EPHESIANS

1 Paul , an apostle of jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ

jesus: 2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, andftom

the Lord jesus Christ. 3 ~ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ,

who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:



EPHESIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of jesus Christ, by the will of God, to all the saints who are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ jesus.

2 Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ:

4 As he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unspotted in his sight in charity.

5 Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children through jesus Christ unto himself: according to the purpose of his will :

6 Unto the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he hath graced us in his beloved son.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins, according to the riches of his grace,

8 Which hath superabounded in us in all wisdom and prudence,

9 That he might make known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in him,

AB: a Some manuscripts do not contain "at Ephesus.·· b Marvin Vincent. Word Studies in the New Testament. c Some commentators interpret "in Him" to mean "in Himself, "while others see it as "in Christ."


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EPHESIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are tat Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ

Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord

Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, who

has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before 2!-lim. In love

5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, 8 which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to

His kind intention which He purposed in Him

Some ancient mss. do not contain at Ephesus 2 Or, Him, in love.

New American Bible

THE LETTER TO THE

EPHESIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ jesus by the will of God, to the holy ones who are [in Ephesus] faithful in Christ jesus: 2grace to

you and peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ. , 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, 4as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love She destined us for adoption to himself through jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, 6for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.

7In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace Bthat he lavished upon us . In all wisdom and insight, 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that

1, 1: [In Ephesus]: the phrase is lacking in important early witnesses such as P46 (3rd cent.), and Sinaiticus and Vaticanus (4th cent.), appearing in the latter two as a fifth-century addition. Basil and Origen mention its absence from manuscripts.

EPHESIANS 1 New International Version

EPHESIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ jesus by the will of God,

To the saints in Ephesus, a the faithfulb in Christ Jesus:


3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love Shec predestined us to be adopted as his sons through jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will- 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace Bthat he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And hed made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he

a 1 Some early manuscripts do not have in Ephesus. b 1 Or believers who are c 4,5 Or sight in love. SHe d 8,9 Or us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9he



EPHESIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithfuJa in Christ

jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord

jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4just as he chose us in Christb before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. SHe destined us for adoption as his children through jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace Bthat he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that

a Other ancient authorities lack in Ephesus, reading saints who are also Jaitlful b Gk in him


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PHILIPPIANS 1

Greek New Testament

TTPO:L: <PIAITTTIH:L:IOY:L:

1 ITauA.os- Kal TLf1-08EOS' oouA.m XpLoTou 'l11aou rriimv TOLS' ayLOLS' EV XpwTtiJ 'lllO"OU TolS' OlJO"LV EV ¢LAL TrTrOLS' avv

EmaKorrms- Kal owKovms-, 2 xcipLS' ufJ.'lv Kal Elp~v11 cirro 8Eou rraTpos- ~fl.WV wl Kup[ou 'l11aou XpwTou.

3 Euxapwn0 n~ 8E0 fl.OU Errl rrcial] TTJ jlVEL<;L u11wv 4 rrciVTOTE EV rrcial] OE~O"EL jlOU urrEp rrcivTwv VjlWV, jlETa xapiis- T~V OEllO"LV TrOLOUjlEVOS'' 5 ETrL TTJ KOLVlLJVL<;L UjlWV ELS' TO EUayyEALOV cirro nlS' rrpWTllS' ~llEPGS' axpl TOU vvv, 6 TrETrOL8WS' auTO TOUTO, ClTL 6 EVap(cifJ.EVOS' EV Ufl.LV Epyov ciya8ov ETrLTEAE<JEL axpl ~llEPGS' XpwTOU 'lllO"OU' 7 Ka8WS' EO"TLV OLKaLOV EjlOL TOUTO ¢poVELV UTrEp rraVTWV Vfl.WV OLa To EXELV w Ev TTJ wpo[q ufJ.os, Ev TE To'Ls- ow11o'Ls- 11ou Kal Ev TTJ cirroA.oy[q_ Kal ~E~mwaEL Tou EuayyEA.[ou auyKmvwvous- fl.OU Tf]S' xcipLTOS' rrcivTGS' Ujl(JS OVTGS'. 8 jlclpTUS' ycip 11ou 6 8EOS' ws- Emrro8w rrcivms- ujliiS' Ev arrAciyxvmsXpwTou 'l11aou. 9 Kal TOUTO rrpoaEuxo11m, 'Lva ~ ciycirr11 Vfl.WV En wrAA.ov Kal fJ.iiAAov TIE pwaEUT] EV Em yvu)aEL Kal

Amplified Bible

THE LEITER OF PAUL TO THE

PHILIPPIANS

1 PAUL AND Timothy, bond servants of Christ jesus (the Messiah), to all the saints (God's consecrated people) in

Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops (overseers) and deacons (assistants):

2 Grace (favor and blessing) to you and [heart] peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) .

3 l thank my God in all my remembrance of you. 4 In every prayer of mine l always make my entreaty and peti

tion for you all with joy (delight). 5 [I thank my God] for your fellowship (your asympathetic

cooperation and contributions and partnership) in advancing the good news (the Gospel) from the first day [You heard it] until now.

6 And l am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

7 It is right and appropriate for me to have this confidence and feel this way about you all, because byou have me in your heart and I hold you in my heart as partakers and sharers, one and all with me, of grace (God's unmerited favor and spiritual blessing). [This is true] both when l am shut up in prison and when I am out in the defense and confirmation of the good news (the Gospel).

8 For God is my witness how I long for and cpursue you all with love, in the tender mercy of Christ jesus [Himsein!

9 And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight [that your love may ddisplay itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment],



PHILIPPIANS

1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops

and deacons: 2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father; and

.from the Lord jesus Christ. 3 ~ l thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request

with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until

now; 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun

a good work in you will perform it until the day of jesus Christ: 7 ~ Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I

have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

8 For God is my record, how greatly l long after you all in the bowels of jesus Christ.

9 ~ And this l pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;



PHILIPPIANS

1 Paul and Timothy, the servants of jesus Christ; to all the saints in Christ jesus, who are at Philippi, with the bishops

and deacons. 2 Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from

the Lord Jesus Christ. . . 3 l give thanks to my God in every remembrance of you, 4 Always in all my prayers making supplication for you all,

with joy; 5 For your communication in the gospel of Christ from the

first day until now. 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he, who hath begun

a good work in you, will perfect it unto the day of Christ jesus. 7 As it is meet for me to think this for you all, for that I have

you in my heart; and that in my bands, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of my joy.

8 For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the bowels of jesus Christ.

9 And this l pray, that your charity may more and more abound in knowledge, and in all understanding:

AB: a Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. b Alternate translation. c joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon ef the New Testament. d Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament.


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New Ame rican Standa rd Bible


PHILIPPIANS

· Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ jesus, to all the saints in Christ jesus who are in Philippi , including the over

s ers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord .sus Christ. :; I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you ~ .

5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

{, For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ jesus. z For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, ecause I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment nd in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are artakers of grace with me. s For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affec

tion of Christ jesus. 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and

more in real knowledge and all discernment,

New American Bible

THE LETTER TO THE

PHILIPPIANS

~~ Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ jesus, to all the holy ones ~ in Christ jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and ministers: 2grace to you and peace from God our Father and the l!.ord jesus Christ.

'"31 give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you, 4praying.always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, Sbecause of ¥.our partnership for the gospel from the first day until now. 6] am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ jesus. 7It is ri&,ht that I should think this way about all of you, because I hold pu in my heart, you who are all partners with me in grace, both

m my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the g0spel. BFor God is my witness, how !long for all of you with the affection of Christ jesus. 9And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of

P HILIPPIANS 1

New In ternational Version

PHILIPPIANS

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ jesus ,

To all the saints in Christ jesus at Philippi, together with the overseersa and deacons :


3] thank my God every time 1 remember you. 41n all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy sbecause of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ jesus.

7Jt is right for me to feel this way about all of you , since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God 's grace with me. BGod can testify how I long for all of you with the affec tion of Christ jesus.

9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, wso that you may be

a 1 Traditionally bishops



PHILIPPIANS

1 Paul and Timothy, servantsa of Christ jesus, To all the saints in Christ jesus who are in Philippi , with the

bishopsb and deacons:c · 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord

jesus Christ ·

3 I thank my God every time I remember you , 4constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, Sbecause of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6J am confident of this , that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of jesus Christ. _7Jt is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart,d for all of you share in God's gracee with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospeL BFor God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ jesus. 9And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with

a Gk slaves b Or overseers c Or overseers and helpers d Or because I hold you in my heart e Gk in grace


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COLOSSIANS 1 Greek New Testament

TIPOL: KOAOL:l::AEil::

1 nau)..os anciaToAos XpwTou 'lrwou 8La 9EATUJ.aTos 9Eou KaL Tq.J.69EOS' 6 a8EA.cpos 2 nils EV KoAoaaals Q_')'LOLS'

KGL 1TLGTOLS' a8EA¢0LS' EV XpwT4), xcipLS' Ul.l.LV Kal Eip~VT] am) 9EOU naTpOS' ~11-WV.

3 EuxapLGTOUiJ.EV T4) 9E0 naTpl TOU KUpLOU ~i.J.WV 'IT]GOU XpwTou ncivTOTE nEpl Ul.l.WV npoaEUXOI.l.EVOL, 4 aKm)aavTES' TTJV 1TLGTLV Ul.l.WV EV XpwT0 'IT]GOU KGL TTJV ayriTIT]V flv EXETE ElS' ncivms TOUS' ayi.ous 5 8L<1 TTJV EATIL8a TTJV anoKELI.l.EVT]V Ui.J.LV EV TolS' oupavo'ls, flv npOT]KOlJGGTE EV T4) A.6y4J T~S' aA.r]9das TOU EuayyEALou 6 Tou napcivTOS' Eis ul.liiS', Ka9ws Kal. €v navTl T0 KOGI.l.Lfl €aT\. v Kapnocpopou-11-Evov Kal au~aVOil-EVOV Ka9ws Kal EV UJ..llV, a¢' ~S' ~J..l.Epas ~KOUGGTE Kal ETIEYVWTE TTJV xcipLV TOU 9EOU EV UAT]9Ei.q.. 7 Ka9ws EJ..lcl9ETE ana 'Ena¢pii TOU ayanT]TOU auv8ouA.ou ~11-WV, OS' EGTLV 1TLGTOS' UTIEp UJ..l.WV OLclKOVOS' TOU XpLGTOU, 8 6 Kal 8T]A.waas ~J..!.Lv TTJV UJ..l<;-JV ciycinT]V EV TIVEUJ..l.UTL.

9 t.La TOUTO KaL ~J..l.ELS', a¢' ~S' ~J..l.EPUS' ~KOUGUJ..l.EV, OU rraUOJ..lE9a unE:p UJ..l.WV npoaEUXOJ..lEVOL KGL al TOUJ..l.EVOL, '£va rrA.T]pw9~TE TTJV €ni.yvwaw Tou 9EA~J..laTos atJTOU €v ncialJ aocpi.q. KGL GUVEGEL 1TVEUJ..l.UTLKTJ, 10 1TEpLTraT~GaL a~LWS"

Amplified Bible


COLOSSIANS

1 PAUL, AN apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), by the will of God, and Timothy [our] brother,

2 To the saints (the consecrated people of God) and abelieving and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace (spiritual favor and blessing) to you and [heart] peace from God our Father.

3 We bcontinually give thanks to God the Father of our Lord jesus Christ (the Messiah), as we are praying for you,

4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [ct:he leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness] and of the love which you [have and show] for all the saints (God's consecrated ones),

5 Because of the hope [of experiencing what is] laid up (dreserved and waiting) for you in heaven. Of this [hope] you heard in the past in the message of the truth of the Gospel,

6 Which has come to you . Indeed, in the whole world [that Gospel] is bearing fruit and still is growing 8[by its own inherent power], even as it has done among yourselves ever since the day you first heard and carne to know and understand the grace of God in truth. [You came to know the grace or undeserved favor of God in reality, deeply and clearly and thoroughly, becoming accurately and intimately acquainted with it.]

7 You so learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ in our stead and as our representative and !Yours.

8 Also he has informed us of your love in the [Holy] Spirit. 9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have

not ceased to pray and make (Yspecial] request for you, [asking] that you may be filled with the hfull (deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [iin comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things-



COLOSSIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of jesus Christ by the will of God , and Tirnotheus our brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ.

3 ~ We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ jesus, and of the love whichye have to all the saints,

5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard Q/it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. 9 ~ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not

cease to pray for you , and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;



COLOSSIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, a brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ jesus, who are at Colossa.

3 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.

4 Hearing your faith in Christ jesus, and the love which you have towards all the saints.

5 For the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard in the word of the truth of the gospel,

6 Which is come unto you, as also it is in the whole world, and bringeth forth fruit and groweth, even as it doth in you, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.

7 As you learned of Epaphras, our most beloved fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ jesus;

8 Who also hath manifested to us your love in the spirit. 9 Therefore we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not

to pray for you, and to beg that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding:

AB: a Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. b Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament: "Continually·· belongs with "give thanks,'" not elsewhere. c Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon qfthe Greek New Testament. d Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. e Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon . J Many ancient manuscripts read ""yours."" g Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. h Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. i Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon.


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COLOSSIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of jesus Christ by the will of God. and Timothy our brother,

2 to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4 since we heard of your faith in Christ jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you

previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is con

stantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard Q/ it and understood the grace of God in truth;

7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on tour behalf,

8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. 9 For this reason also, since the day we heard Q/ it, we have

not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

I Some later mss. readyour

New American Bible

THE LETTER TO THE

COLOSSIANS

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2to the holy ones and faithful brothers

in Christ in Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4for we have heard of your faith in Christ jesus and the love that you have for all the holy ones Sbecause of the hope reserved for you in heaven . Of this you have already heard through the word of truth, the gospel, 6that has come to you. just as in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing, so also among you, from the day you heard it and came to kr-ww the grace of God in truth, 7as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave, who is a trustworthy minister of Christ on your behalf Band who also told us of your love in the Spirit. .

9Therefore, from the day we heard this, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding toto

COLOSSIANS 1 New International Version

COLOSSIANS


2To the holy and faithfuJa brothers in Christ at Colosse:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.b

3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4because we have heard of your faith in Christ jesus and of the love you have for all the saints- Sthe faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. ?You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on ourc behalf, Band who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and under-

a 2 Or believing b 2 Some manuscripts Father and the Lord jesus Chn'st c 7 Some manuscriptsyour



COLOSSIANS


2 To the saints and faithful brothers and sistersa in Christ in Colossae:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord jesus Christ, 4for we have heard of your faith in Christ jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, sbecause of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel 6that has come to you. just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. 7This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant.b He is a faithful minister of Christ on yourc behalf, Band he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God'sd will in all spiritual wisdom and understand-

a Gk brothers b Gk slave c Other ancient authorities read our d Gkh1's


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2 THESSALONIANS 1 Greek New Testament

TIP02: 8E2:2:AAONIKEI2: B

1 TiaDA.os Kal. LLA.ouavos Kal. Tq.t68Eos Tfj EKKATJOLCf ewaaAOVLKEWV E:v 8E<{i naTpl ~iJ.WV KQL KUPL4J 'IT]OOU

X pLaT[[>, 2 xapLS' UiJ.LV Kal ELp~VT] cino 8EOD naTpos [~iJ.WV] Kat Kvplou 'IT]aou XpwTov.

3 EuxapLaTELV o¢dA.OiJ.EV T<{j 8E0 TIGVTOTE T!Epl UiJ.WV, cioEA.cpo(, Ka8ws a~Lov E:anv, on vnEpau~civEL ~ n(ans ViJ.wv Kal nA.Eova(EL ~ ciycinTJ Evos EKaaTou ncivTwv u11wv Ets ciA.A.~A.ous, 4 waTE a1nous ~!las E:v ViJ.LV E:yKauxaa8m E:v Tats EKKAT]aLaLS' TOU 8Eou vnEp T~S' VTTOiJ.OV~S' ViJ.WV Kal TILOTEWS' E:v naaw TCfLS' OLWYiJ.OLS' UiJ.WV Kat TaLs 8A.LtjJEaLV ats civExw8E, 5 EVoEL Ylla T~S' EiLKalas KplaEWS' Tou 8Eou Ets To KaTa~Lw8~vm UiJ.US' T~S' ~aaLA.Elas Tou 8EOu, vnEp ~S' Kal nciaXETE, 6 ELnEp 8[Kawv napa 8E0 civTano8ouvm TolS' 8A.[~ouaw UiJ.US' 8A.ltj.JLV 7 Kat ujl'iv TolS' 8A.L~OiJ.EVOLS' avww iJ.E8' ~iJ.WV, E:v TD cmoKaA.utjJEL Tou Kvplou 'IT]aou cin' ovpavov jlET' ciyyEAWV bUVQjlEWS' auTOU 8 EV nupL cpA.oyos, OLOOVTOS' EKbLKT]OLV TOLS' ll~ ElbOOLV 8EOV KGL TOLS' ll~ unaKououaLv T0 EuayyEAL4J Tou Kvp[ou ~11wv 'IT]aou,

Amplified Bible


THESSALONIANS

1 PAUL, SILVANUS (Silas), and Timothy, to the church (assembly) of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord

jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One): 2 Grace (unmerited favor) be to you and [heart] peace from

God the Father and the Lord jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

3 We ought and indeed are obligated [as those in debt] to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, as is fitting , because your faith is growing exceedingly and the love of every one of you each toward the others is increasing and abounds.

4 And this is a cause of our mentioning you with pride among the churches (assemblies) of God for your steadfastness (your unflinching endurance and patience) and your firm faith in the midst of all the persecutions and crushing distresses and afflictions under which you are holding up.

5 This is positive proof of the just and right judgment of God to the end that you may be deemed deserving of His kingdom [a plain token of His fair verdict which designs that you should be made and counted worthy of the kingdom of God], for the sake of which you are also suffering.

6 [It is a fair decision] since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with distress and affliction those who distress and afflict you,

7 And to [arecompense] you who are so distressed and afflicted [by granting you] relief and rest along with us [your fellow sufferers] when the Lord jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in a flame of fire,

8 To deal out retribution (chastisement and vengeance) upon those who do not know or perceive or become acquainted with God, and [upon those] who ignore and refuse to obey the Gospel of our Lord jesus Chn"st.



THESSALONIANS

1 Paul. and Silvanus , and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ:

2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ.

3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

5 ~ Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God , that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord jesus Christ:



THESSALONIANS

1 Paul, and Sylvanus , and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father, and the Lord jesus Christ.

2 Grace unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord jesus Christ.

3 We are bound to give thanks always to God for you , brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you towards each other, aboundeth:

4 So that we ourselves also glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith, and in all your persecutions and tribulations, which you endure,

5 For an example of the just judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which also you suffer.

6 Seeing it is a just thing with God to repay tribulation to them that trouble you:

7 And to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with the angels of his power:

8 In a flame of fire, giving vengeance to them who know not God, and who obey not the gospel of our Lord jesus Christ.

AB: a Raben jamieson, A.R. Fausser and David Brown. A Commentary on the Old and New rescaments.


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THESSALONIANS

1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ:

2 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord jesus Christ.

3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is on{y fitting , because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;

4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.

5 This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.

6 For after all it is on{y just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to

those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord jesus.

New American Bible

THE SECOND LEITER TO THE

THESSALONIANS

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ:

2grace to you and peace from God [our] Father and the Lord jesus Christ.

3We ought to thank God always for you, brothers, as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more, and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever greater. 4Accordingly, we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God regarding your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions you endure.

SThis is evidence of the just judgment of God, so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which you are suffering. 6For it is surely just on God's part to repay with afflictions those who are afflicting you, ?and to grant rest along with us to you who are undergoing afflictions, at the revelation of the Lord jesus from heaven with his mighty angels, Bin blazing fire, inflicting punishment on those who do not acknowledge God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord jesus. 9These

2 THESSALONIANS 1 New International Ve rsion

2 THESSALONIANS

1 Paul, Silasa and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ:

2Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord jesus Christ.

3We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4Therefore, among God 's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

SAil this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you ?and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. BHe will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the

a I Greek Silvanus. a variant of Silas


THE SECOND LEITER OF PAUL TO THE

THESSALONIANS

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the

Lord jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God oura Father and the Lord

jesus Christ. 3 We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and

sisters,b as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing. 4Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring.·

5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, and is intended to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering. 6For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ?and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us , when the Lord jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels Bin flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the

a Other ancient authorities read the b Gk brothers


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2 THESSALONIANS 2, 3 Greek New Testament

'lrpous XpwTOS' Kat [6] 8EOS' 6 rralijp ~fl.WV o ayarr~aas ~!1-0-S' Kat 8ous rrapciKA.llaLv aLwv[av Kat EA1TLOa ci.yaS~v Ev xcipL TL' 1 7 rrapaKUAEUQL U[lWV TOS KapOLUS' Kat UTllPLEm Ev rravTL EPY4l Kat Mytp ci.ya80.

3 To A.oLTiov rrpoaEl1xw8E , ci.8EA.<jlo[, rrEpL ~flwv, 'iva 6 Myos Tou KUptou TPEXlJ Kat ooEci(llTaL Ka8ws Kat rrpos

V!l-OS, 2 Kat 'iva puaSw[lEV ci.rro Twv ci.T6rrwv Kat 1TOVllPWV ci.vSpwrrwv· ou yap rrcivTwv ~ rrtans. 3 maTos 8E' E:anv 6 K!lpLOS', as aTllPLEEL U[J.as Kat ¢uA.ciEEL ci.rro -iou rrovfJpoiJ. 4 1TE1TOL8a!1-EV OE EV KUpltp E<jl' VIlaS' ' C>TL a rrapayyEAAO!l-EV [Kat] rroLELTE Kat rrm~aETE. 5 '0 8€ KupLOS' KaTEu8uvm u11wv Tas Kapotas ELs T~v ci.ycirrw Tou 8EOu Kat ELs T~v V1TO[l.OV~V TOU XpLUTOU.

6 TiapayyE'AA.o[lEV 8€ U!l-LV, ci8EA.<jlo[, EV ov61wTL Tou Kup[ou [~11wv] 'l11aou XpwTou aTE'A.A.wSm VIlaS' ci.rro rravTos ci.8EA.¢ou cnciKTws rrEpLrraTouvTos Kat fl.~ KaTa T~v rrapci-8oaLv ~V 1TUpEAci~oaav rrap' TWWV. 7 UlJTOt yap OlOUTE rrws 8E"i fl.LflE"iaSm ~[las, on ouK ~TUKT~aa11Ev Ev v!l-"iv 8 OUOE 8wpEaV apTOV E:¢ci.yo[J.EV rrapci TLVOS', ci.A.A.' EV K01T4J Kat 116x84J vuKTos Kat ~fl.E'pas Epya(owvm rrpos To fl.~ Em~apf]aa[ nva U[lwv· 9 oux on ouK EXOflEV EEova[av,

ci.A.A' 'Lva E:auTous Turrov owwv Ufl.LV ds- TO fl.LflEI.aSm ~[las. 10 Kat yap aTE ~fl.EV rrpos u11as, ToiJTo rrapmyE'AA.oflEV U[J.LV, on El TLS ou 8EAEL Epyci(w8m [1T]8E E'a8LETW.

Amplified Bible

16 Now may our Lord jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, Who loved us and gave us everlasting consolation and encouragement and well-founded hope through [His] grace (unmerited favor),

1 7 Comfort and encourage your hearts and strengthen them [make them steadfast and keep them unswerving] in every good work and word.

3 FURTHERMORE, BRETHREN, do pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may speed on (spread rapidly and run its course)

and be glorified (extolled) and triumph, even as [it has done] withyou, ·

2 And that we may be delivered from perverse (improper, unrighteous) and wicked (actively malicious) men, for not everybody has faith and is held by it.

3 Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one] .

4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do the things which we suggest and with which we charge you.

5 May the Lord direct your hearts into [realizing and showing] the love of God and into the steadfastness and patience of Christ and ain waiting for His return.

6 Now we charge you, brethren, in the name and on the authority of our Lord jesus Christ (the Messiah) that you withdraw and keep away from every brother (fellow believer) who is slack in the performance of duty and is disorderly, living as a shirker and not walking in accord with the traditions and instructions that you have received from us.

7 For you yourselves know how it is necessary to imitate our example, for we were not disorderly or shirking of duty when we were with you [we were not idle].

8 Nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and struggle we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden or impose on any of you [for our support].

9 [It was] not because we do not have a right [to such support], but [we wished] to make ourselves an example for you to follow.

10 For while we were yet with you, we gave you this rule and charge: If anyone will not work, neither let him eat.


16 11 Now our Lord jesus Christ himself. and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

3 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have.free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith .

3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

6 11 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.


15 Now our Lord jesus Christ himself, and God and our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope in grace,

16 Exhort your hearts, and confirm you in every good work and word.

3 For the rest, brethren, pray for us, that the word of God may run, and may be glorified, even as among you;

2 And that we may be delivered from importunate and evil men; for all men have not faith.

3 But God is faithful , who will strengthen and keep you from evil.

4 And we have confidence concerning you in the Lord, that the things which vye command, you both do, and will do.

5 And the Lord direct your hearts, in the charity of God, and the patience of Christ.

6 And we charge you, brethren, in the name of our Lord jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly, and not according to the tradition which they have received of us.

7 For yourselves know how you ought to imitate us : for we were not disorderly among you;

8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing, but in labour and in toil we worked night and day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you.

9 Not as if we had not power: but that we might give our: selves a pattern unto you, to imitate us.

10 For also when we were with you, this we declared to you: that, if any man will not work, neither let him eat.

AB: a joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Le;a'con Q/ the New Testament.


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New American Standard Bible

16 Now may our Lord jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, ·t•7 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.

3 Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;

2 and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men ; for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect

you from the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that

you are doing and will continue to do what we command. 5 And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and

into the steadfastness of Christ. 6 Now we command you , brethren, in the name of our Lord

Jesus Christ, that you keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our exam

ple, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you,

B nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you; 9 not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to

offer ourselves as a model for you, that you might follow our example. 10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone will not work, neither let him eat.

New American Bible

' J6May our Lord jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, I?encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.

-3 Finally, brothers, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified, as it did among you,

2and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith. 3But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 4We are confident of you i_n the Lord that what we instruct you, you [both] are doing and will continue to do. sMay the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.

6We instruct you, brothers, in the name of [our] Lord jesus Christ, to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us. ?for you know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, snor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. 9Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. wrn fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. 1 JWe hear that some are

2 THESSALONIANS 2, 3 New International Version

16May our Lord jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 1 ?encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

3 Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored , just as it was with you.

2And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith . 3But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4We have confi dence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. SMay the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.

6]n the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you , brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teachinga you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, snor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. IDFor even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

a 6 Or tradition


16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 1 ?comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

3 Finally, brothers and sisters,a pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just

as it is among you, 2and that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people; for not all have faith. 3But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.b 4And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will go on doing the things that we command. SMay the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

6 Now we command you, beloved,a in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who arec living in idleness and not according to the tradition that theyd received from us. ?for you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, sand we did not eat anyone's bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. 9This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. IDfor even when we were with you, we gave you this command : Anyone unwilling to work

a Gk brothers b OrJrom evil c GkJrom every brother who is d Other anciem authorities readyou


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PHILEMON

Greek New Testament

TIPOL: 8IAHMONA

1 nau>..os 8ECJ[1LOS' XpWTOU 'lT]CJOU Kai TL[108EOS' 6 ci.8EA.¢os <lhAi)[lOIJL Tc{J ci.yaTTT]Tc{J Kat CJUVEpyc{J TJ[lWIJ 2 Kat 'An¢[q T~ ci.8EA¢fj Kal 'ApXLTTTTl[J Tc{J CJUCJTpanWT\] TJ[lWIJ Kat Tfj KaT' OLKOIJ CJOU EKKAT]CJLc;t, 3 xci.pLS' U[lLIJ Kat Elpi]vT] ci.no 8EoD naTpos TJflWV Kat Kup(ou 'IT]aou XpwTou.

4 EuxapwTw T0 8E0 f1ou navToTE flvdav aou nmouf1Evos ETTL TUJV TTpOCJEUXWIJ [lOU, 5 aKOUWIJ CJOU T~V ci.yci.TTT]IJ Kat T~v n(anv, ~v EXELS' npos Tov KUpLov 'lT]CJOuv Kat Els navTaS' TOUS' ay(ous, 6 OTTWS' Tj KOLIJWIJLQ Tf)S' TTLCJTEWS' CJOU EVEPY~S' yEvT]TaL Ev EmyvwCJEL navTOS' ci.ya8oD TOU Ev TJ[lLV ELS' XpLCJTOIJ. 7 xapav yap TTOAA~IJ ECJXOV KQL napaKAT]CJLIJ ETTL Tfj ci.yci.TT\] CJOU, OTL Tel CJTTAciyxva TCJV ay[wv CJ.VaTTETTaUTaL 8La CJOU, ci.8EA¢E.

8 LlLo no>..A~v Ev XpwT0 nappT]atav EXWV Em TaaaELV aoL TO ci.vf}KOv 9 8u1 T~v ci.yci.TTT]V [J.Ci.>..Aov napaKaA.w, TOLOUTOS' wv ws Dai:>>..os npw~uTT]S' vuv\_ 8€ Kat 8Eaf1LOS' XpwTou 'IT]aou· 10 napaKa>..w aE TTEpi Tou E[lOU TEKvou, ov Eyt:'vVT]Ga EV TOLS' 8Ea[lOLS', 'OvTjaL[lOV, 11 TOV TTOTE aoL axpTJGTOV vvv\. 8€ [Kal.] aol. KQL E[lOL EUXPTJGTOV, 12 OIJ

Amplified Bible

THE LETTER OF PAUL TO

PHILEMON

PAUL, A prisoner [for the sake] of Christ jesus (the Messiah), and our brother Timothy, to Philemon our dearly beloved sharer with us in our work,

2 And to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier [in the Christian warfare], and to the church [assembly that meets] in your house:

3 Grace (spiritual blessing and favor) be to all of you and [heart] peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ (the Messiah).

4 I give thanks to my God for you always when I mention you in my prayers,

5 Because I continue to hear of your love and of your loyal faith which you have toward the Lord jesus and [which you show] toward all the saints (God's consecrated people).

6 [And I pray] that the participation in and sharing of your faith may produce and promote full recognition and appreciation and understanding and precise knowledge of every good [thing] that is ours in [our identification with] Christ jesus [and unto His glory].

7 For I have derived great joy and comfort and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints [who are your fellow Christians] have been cheered and refreshed through you, [my] brother.

8 Therefore, though I have abundant boldness in Christ to charge you to do what is fitting and required and your duty to do,

9 Yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you just for what I am-I, Paul, an ambassador [of Christ jesus] and an old man and now a prisoner for His sake also-

tO I appeal to you for my [own spiritual] child, Onesimus [meaning profitable], whom I have begotten [in the faith] while a captive in these chains.

11 Once he was unprofitable to you. but now he is indeed profitable to you as well as to me.


THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO

PHILEMON

11 Paul , a prisoner of jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,

2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house: · 3 Grace to you , and peace, from God our Father and the Lord

jesus Christ. 4 111 thank my God, making mention of thee always in my

prayers, 5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the

Lord jesus, and toward all saints; 6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual

by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ jesus.

7 For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

8 11 Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,

9 Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of jesus Christ.

10 1 beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:

11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:


THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO

PHILEMON

Paul, a prisoner of Christ jesus, and Timothy, a brother: to Philemon, our beloved and fellow labourer;

2 And to Appia, our dearest sister, and to Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church which is in thy house:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord jesus Christ.

4 I give thanks to my God, always making a remembrance of thee in my prayers.

5 Hearing of thy charity and faith, which thou hast in the Lord jesus, and towards all the saints:

6 That the communication of thy faith may be made evident in the acknowledgment of every good work, that is in you in Christ jesus.

7 For I have had great joy and consolation in thy charity, because the bowels of the saints have been refreshed by thee, brother. ·

8 Wherefore though 1 have much confidence in Christ jesus, to command thee that which is to the purpose:

9 For charity sake I rather beseech, whereas thou art such a one, as Paul an old man, and now a prisoner also of jesus Christ.

10 I beseech thee for my son, whom I have begotten in my bands, Onesimus,

11 Who hath been heretofore unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable both to me and thee,


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New American Standard Bible

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO

PHILEMON

i Paul, a prisoner of Christ jesus, and Timothy our brother, to philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, z and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow sol

Mer, and to the church in your house: ~ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord esus Christ. ~ I thank my God always, making mention of you in my

,rayers. . . 5 because I hear of your love, and of the fanh whtch you have

0ward the Lord jesus, and toward all the saints; 6 1 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become

effective 1through the knowledge of every good thing which is in ~ou for Christ's sake.

.,-'/t For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, lleeause the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, !lr~ther . .JS<· Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to e'rder you to do that which is proper, 9 '•yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you-since I am such a

p,efson as Paul, the aged , and now also a prisoner of Christ jesus-10 .I appeal to you for my child, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, JQnesimus, jJ 1 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.

f, Or, in 2 Some ancient mss. read us 3 I.e .. useful

New American Bible

THE LETTER TO

PHILEMON

1,)'Paul, a prisoner for Christ jesus, and Timothy our brother, to

Jlhilemon, our beloved and our co-worker, 2to Apphia our sister, 'l\Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church at your house. J~race to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus €nrist. 1 · ~ 1 give thanks to my God always, remembering you in my prayers, sas I hear of the love and the faith you have in the Lord Jl~us and for all the holy ones, 6so that your partnership in the f~ ith may become effective in recognizing every good there is in u.~it~at leads to Christ. a 7for I have experienced much joy and encouragement from ~<ilur love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been ~refreshed by you, brother. BTherefore, although I have the full right in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9J rather urge you out of love, being as I am, Paul, an old man , and now also a pr.iponer for Christ jesus. IOJ urge you on behalf of my child 9n"esimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment, 11who was once useless to you but is now useful to [both] you

PHILEMON

New International Version

PHILEMON 1Paul, a prisoner of Christ jesus. and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:

3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord jesus Christ.

4I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, Sbecause I hear about your faith in the Lord jesus and your love for all the saints. 6J pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. ?Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you , brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

BTherefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul-an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ jesus- IOI appeal to you for my son Onesimus,a who became my son while I was in chains. II Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

a 10 Onesimus means usiful.


THE LETTER OF PAUL TO

PHILEMON

Paul, a prisoner of Christ jesus, and Timothy our brother,a To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, 2to Apphia our

sister,b to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:


4 When I remember youc in my prayers , I always thank my God sbecause I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord jesus. 6J pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that wed may do for Christ. 7I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.

8 For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, 9yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love-and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ jesus.e IOJ am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Itformerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful' both to you and to me. I7. J am sending him, that

a Gk the brother b Gk the sisrer c From verse 4 through verse 21 ,you is singular d Other ancient authorities readyou (plural) e Or as an ambassador if Chn'st jesus, and now also his pn'soner J The name Onesimus means us¢.11 or (compare verse 20) benijicial


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jAMES 1, 2 Greek New Testament

cmoi:os ~ll . 25 6 6E: napaKvtjJas Els llO!lOll TEAELOll TOll Tf)S' EAEu8Ep(as Kal napallELvas, OtJK ciKpoaT~ S' EmAT")GilOllf)S' yEvollEvos ci\1--a notTJT~S' Epyou, ouTos llaKciptos e'v Tfj TIOl ~O"EL Ql!TOU EO"TUL.

26 E'( TlS' bOKEL 8pT]O"KOS' ELllat ll~ xaAtvayc.uywv y\waaall a-lnou ciA'"-a cinaTwv Kap8tall ainou, TOVTou 11ciTmos ~ 8pTJaKda. 27 8pT]OKELa Ka8apa Kat clll laVTOS' ;mpa T0 8E0 Kat TiaTpl QUTT] EO"Tlll, ETILO"KETITE0"8at 6p¢allOUS' Kat x~pas Ell Tij 81--LtjJEl alJTWll, aam.AOV E:auTOV TTJPELV cino TOU KOO"!lOU.

2 'A8EA<j>o( !lOU, 11il Ell npoawTIOATJiltjJLatS' EXETE Ti]v n(anv Tou KVptou ~11wv ' IYJaou XpwTou Tfis so~TJs. 2 E:a.v yap

El.oE:A81J ELS' avvaywyr]V u11wv civi]p xpuao8aKTDALOS' EV Ea8f)Tt AallTIP~. ElaEA81J 8E: Kal. TITWXOS' Ell punap~ E:a8f)n, 3 E:m~AEtjJT]TE 8E: E:nt TOll ¢opoullTa Tijll Ea8f)Ta Tijll AallTIPclll Kat E'L TIT]TE, L;u Kci8ou w8E KaAWS', Kai. T0 TITWX0 d TIT]TE, "l:u aTf)8t EKE'i ~ Kci8ou uno To unon68toll !lOU, 4 ou 8tEKpL8TJTE Ell E:auTo"is Kat E:yE:vw8E Kpt Tat 8w1--oytalll~JV TTOllTJPWll;

5 'AKouoaTE , ci8EA<j>o( 110u ciyaTTTJTOL" oux 6 8EOS' E ~EAE ~aTo TOUS' TITwxous T0 KOO"Il4l nAoua(ous EV TILO"TEt Kat KATJpOVO!lOUS' Tf)S' ~aotAdas ~S' ETITJYYELAaTo TOtS' ciyanwmv QUTOll; 6 UllELS' OE ~TLilciO"aTE TOll TITWXOV . oux oL TIAOUO"LOL KaTa8vvaaTEvouatv UllWV Kai. auTot EAKOUOLV UJlO.S' ELS' KpL T~pta; 7 ouK mhot ~Aaa¢TJilOliO"LV TO KaMv ovo11a TO

Amplified Bible

25 But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does nor bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person's religious service is worthless (futile, barren).

27 External ereligious worship ['religion as it is expressed in ourward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.

2 MY BRETHREN, pay no servile regard to people [show no prejudice, no partiality]. Do nor [attempt to] hold and practice

the faith of our Lord jesus Christ [the Lord] of glory [together with snobbery]!

2 For if a person comes into your congregation whose hands are adorned with gold rings and who is wearing splendid apparel, and also a poor [man] in shabby clothes comes in,

3 And you pay special attention to the one who wears the splendid clothes and say to him, Sit here in this preferable seat! while you tell the poor [man] , Stand there! or, Sit there on the floor at my feet!

4 Are you not discriminating among your own and becoming critics and judges with wrong motives?

5 Listen, my beloved brethren : Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and in their position as believers and to inherit the kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him?

6 But you [in contrast] have insulted (humiliated, dishonored, and shown your contempt for) the poor. Is it not the rich who domineer over you? Is it not they who drag you into the law courts?

7 Is it not they who slander and blaspheme that precious name by which you are distinguished and called [the name of Christ invoked in baptism]?


25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and conrinuerh therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed .

26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain .

2 7 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this , To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

2 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord jesus Christ , the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him , Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

4 Are ye nor then partial in yourselves. and are become judges of evil thoughts?

5 Hearken, my beloved brethren , Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?


25 Bur he that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty, and hath continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 And if any man think himself to be religious. not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man 's religion is vain.

27 Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one's self unspotted from this world.

2 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord jesus Christ of glory with respect of persons .

2 For if there shall come into your assembly a man having a golden ring, in fine apparel, and there shall come in also a poor man in mean attire ,

3 And you have respect to him that is clothed with the fine apparel, and shall say to him: Sit thou here well; but say to the poor man: Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool:

4 Do you not judge within yourselves, and are become judges of unjust thoughts?

5 Hearken, my dearest brethren: hath not God chosen the poor in this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him?

6 But you have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you by might? and do not they draw you before the judgment seats?

7 Do not they blaspheme the good name that is invoked upon you?

AB: e Robert jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown, A Com men cary on che Old and New Testaments: "Religion in its rise interests us about ourselves; in its progress, about our fellow creatures ; in its highest stage, about the honor of God. " J G. Abbott-Smi th, Manual Greek Lexicon Q/the New Testament.


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25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law. the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. 27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

2 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord jesus Christ with an attitude if personal favoritism.

2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,

3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,"

4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves , and become judges with evil motives?

5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

New American Bible

zsBut the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does.

Z6If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this : to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

2 My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord jesus Christ. ZFor if a man with gold rings

on his fingers and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, 3and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Sit here, please," while you say to the poor one, "Stand there," or "Sit at my feet," 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?

susten, my beloved brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? 6But you dishonored the poor person. Are not the rich oppressing you? And do they themselves not haul you off to court? ?Is it not they who blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over you? BHowever, if

jAMES 1, 2 · New International Version

the perfect law that gives freedom , and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.

26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

2 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. zsuppose a man comes into your

meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3Jf you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man , "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

susten, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? oBut you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? ?Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?


law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act-they will be blessed in their doing.

26 If any think they are religious , and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

2 My brothers and sisters,a do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord jesus Christ?b ZFor if a per

son with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet, "c 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? susten, my beloved brothers and sisters.d Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? ?Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

a Gk A'[Y brothers b Or hold cheJaich Q/ our glondus Lord jesus Chn'sc wichout acts Q/Javon'cism c Gk Sit under myJootscool d Gk brothers


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