U.S. Senate chaplain on spirituality of nation's leaders; an Adventist's privilege

Government officials and United States citizens who have gathered in the nation's Capitol today for the inauguration of president-elect Barack Obama celebrated many firsts, but they'll also rely on a framework preserved for more than 200 years, bolstered by such standbys as the inaugural prayer, says U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black.

A prayer isn't something to take a red pen to, he says. Unlike speeches, prayers are not "another act in the drama," says Black, a Seventh-day Adventist and former U.S. Navy chaplain. Rather, prayers ought to be reflective and deeply sincere. "I would be very concerned if someone or some committee was standing by to scrutinize what someone had passionately felt compelled to say to God on behalf of the people for a particular occasion," Black says.

Black, who will deliver the invocation for the traditional inaugural luncheon immediately following today's inauguration, says those on Capitol Hill have heard him pray enough -- he opens every session of Senate with a prayer -- to be assured he won't say anything "out in left field."

Plus, Black says, the vetting process for hiring a chaplain or, in the case of Rick Warren and Joseph Lowry -- both of whom are offering prayers during today's inaugural ceremony -- is "sufficiently rigorous that you have confidence that the individual will offer an appropriate prayer."

Black says some might argue that prayer during state events, such as inaugurations, is little more than a formality or tradition -- George Washington initiated the first such prayer after he was sworn in by a chaplain who used the Book of Common Prayer. Others have gone so far as to claim that an inaugural prayer is unconstitutional and violates the separation of church and state.

However, Black says the country's need for prayer is as crucial as ever. "The Framers, despite their commitment to keep church and state separate, recognized the need for a spiritual dimension of government." Black's position itself was established in 1789, at the suggestion of Framers such as Benjamin Franklin, who Black says is credited with saying that it was "highly unlikely" for a nation to rise without God's assistance if a "sparrow cannot fall without [His] notice."

The post of Senate chaplain continued a tradition established during the first Continental Congress in 1774. Today, the chaplain's duties include providing spiritual care and counselling for senators, their families and their staffs, as well as opening each day's session with prayer.

The acknowledgement of God's leading in the rise and fall of nations still echoes in the chambers of the U.S. Congress today, Black says.

"I think what Paul says in Philippians 4 -- 'They're saints in Caesar's household' -- could be said of many working on Capitol Hill," Black says, adding that as many as 35 of the country's 100 senators -- from both sides of the aisle -- regularly attend weekly prayer breakfasts and Bible studies. Among those who attend are Obama and vice president-elect Joseph Biden, both of whom Black says are "very spiritual individuals." The former chief of Navy chaplains say's he's had the opportunity to interact on a regular basis with Obama, whom he considers a friend. The then senator from Illinois provided an endorsement of the back cover of Black's 2006 book, "From the Hood to the Hill."

Working on Capitol Hill, "particularly the ponderous, deliberative nature" of the legislative process and the significance of handling that level of responsibility, can be draining, leaving senators "spiritually vulnerable," Black says. "Whatever level of spirituality you bring to the job is doubled, I think, as you discover an intense need to nurture that connection [with God]."

During his years as a spiritual guide to the nation's leaders, Black says he has observed the impossibility of completely separating "the spirituality of an individual from the work that he or she does." Certainly, he adds, in certain circumstances Senators must vote against their personal convictions for the good of their constituents, but "the spirituality that so many of our lawmakers possess permeates them sufficiently enough that it's going to impact their judgment, their worldview and how they go about making decisions."

Black, whose office overlooks the National Mall, says the "awe-inspiring" view contributes to the "sense of wonder" he experiences each time he enters the nation's Capitol.

"I have the opportunity to interact with some of the brightest people I know of, and they're interested in my opinions on the ethical dimensions of the issues they're debating in the chamber. That privilege -- that responsibility -- is sobering, and very, very exciting," Black says.