by Sandy » Wed Apr 03, 2019 3:02 pm
After the fact, a few Republicans and supporters defending her is not a surprise.
I do not believe that a prayer at the beginning of a legislative session has to be an empty formality or a sham, putting on a show. If you've been asked to open a legislative session with prayer, then the content of your prayer would be to start by praying for the forgiveness of your own sin so that you are able to be a channel of prayer, pray for God's presence and guidance, for the legislators who are open to his leading to be discerning with their words and their votes, for their safety during the session, intercede for those who need it, or who have family members who need it. Offer up words of praise and worship to encourage and assist those who are also genuinely praying. Pray for the legislature to get to the correct choice on issues, particularly the tough, divisive ones and pray that political disagreement doesn't rupture relationships. Close in Jesus' name if you choose and that's the way you normally would. No problem praying for specific government officials mentioned by name, regardless of party. All of that could have been done here, including praying for the new house member's discernment and peace, and the safety of her and her family, without the prayer being a sham or an empty formality.
Using a prayer to laud the president for his Israel policy, which was just a statement, turned the prayer into a political formality. The Pennsylvania legislature does not have anything to do with national relations to Israel, so why would that be in the content of a prayer in that forum? That would be like pulling out your personal prayer list with all of your sick relatives and friends and personal prayer requests on it and praying for each one by name and their condition in front of your whole congregation.
You can see the reaction of those in the video, including Speaker Turzai, who was standing next to her, and who gave her a couple of looks that said "cut it off" before touching her elbow to shut her up. And as a Christian, under any directive of scripture, she clearly offended the new Muslim house member, who said so, politely and respectfully.