trying like Hell to find out when the tradition began and can find nothing so far....help
On Fri, Dec 19, 2008 at 3:24 PM, LesterG <[email protected]> wrote: > > The bigger issue is why should there be an invocation in the first > place. It does not matter who does it as they all are deluded. > > On Dec 18, 10:17 am, CrossBow <[email protected]> wrote: > > Obama Selects Evangelist for Invocation > > By KATHARINE Q. > > SEELYE< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/katharin...> > > Published: December 17, 2008 > > > > Barack Obama< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_o.. > .>has > > selected the Rev. Rick > > Warren< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/w/rick_war...>, > > the evangelical pastor and author of "The Purpose Driven Life," to > deliver > > the invocation at his inauguration, a role that positions Mr. Warren to > > succeed Billy Graham< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/billy_gr.. > .>as > > the nation's pre-eminent minister and reflects the generational > > changes > > in the evangelical Christian movement. > > <javascript:pop_me_up2(' > http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/12/18/us/18inaug_CA0.inline.re..., > > '18inaug_CA0_inline_ready', > > 'width=720,height=600,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')> Left, > > Ramin Talaie/European Pressphoto Agency; Right, Henny Ray > Abrams/Associated > > Press > > > > The Rev. Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church, in Orange County, > > Calif., and the singer Aretha Franklin. > > In a departure from past inaugurations, which usually feature operatic > > soloists, Aretha > > Franklin< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/f/aretha_f.. > .>will > > perform. A quartet that includes Itzhak > > Perlman< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/p/itzhak_p.. > .>and > > Yo-Yo > > Ma< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/yoyo_ma/..<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/> > .>will > > play a piece composed for the inauguration by John Williams, whose > > "Patriot" resounded during Mr. Obama's election night celebration in > Grant > > Park in Chicago. > > > > Mr. Obama's inauguration program, for Jan. 20, was announced Wednesday by > > the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Celebrations. > > > > Inauguration programs follow a traditional outline but also allow a > > president-elect to put his stamp on the proceedings and set the tone for > his > > administration. > > > > *The choice of Mr. Warren, pastor of a megachurch in Orange County, > Calif., > > is an olive branch to conservative Christian evangelicals. Mr. Warren is > an > > outspoken opponent of abortion and **same-sex > > marriage*< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/same_s...> > > * — litmus-test issues for Christian conservatives. In fact, his > selection > > set off a round of criticism by gay rights groups angered by his support > for > > California's ban on same-sex marriages.* > > > > But Mr. Warren has also been one of the most prominent evangelical > leaders > > calling for Christians to expand their agenda and confront global > problems > > like poverty, AIDS, climate > > change< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.. > .>and > > genocide in Darfur. > > > > Mr. Warren flaunted his clout this year when he managed to draw both John > > McCain< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mcc.. > .>and > > Barack Obama to his Saddleback Church for a forum in which he > > interviewed them on stage about faith issues. He has sometimes angered > the > > older generation of conservative evangelical leaders aligned with the > > Republican > > Party< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/r/r...>, > > as when he invited Mr. Obama to speak about AIDS at an earlier event at > his > > church. > > > > Following Mr. Warren will be Ms. Franklin, who grew up singing gospel > music > > before turning to soul and pop. She sang at Bill > > Clinton< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/bill_cli.. > .>'s > > inauguration concert in 1993 ("Someday We'll All Be Free" and "Respect") > but > > not at the inauguration ceremony itself. > > > > Next, Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden > > Jr.< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/joseph_r.. > .>will > > be sworn in by Justice John > > Paul Stevens< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/john_pau...> > > . > > > > Then the new work by Mr. Williams will be played by a classical devotee's > > fantasy quartet: Mr. Perlman on violin, Mr. Ma on cello, Gabriela Montero > on > > piano and Anthony McGill on clarinet. > > > > Chief Justice John G. Roberts > > Jr.< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/john_g_j.. > .>will > > administer the oath of office to Mr. Obama, who will then deliver his > > inaugural address. > > > > A poetry reading will follow by Elizabeth Alexander, who teaches > > African-American studies at Yale and is only the fourth poet to read at > an > > inauguration. (The others were Robert > > Frost< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/f/robert_f.. > .>in > > 1961, Maya > > Angelou< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/a/maya_ang.. > .>in > > 1993, and Miller Williams in 1997.) > > > > Mr. Obama has asked the Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, co-founder with the > Rev. > > Dr. Martin Luther King > > Jr.< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/martin_l.. > .>of > > the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, to deliver the > > benediction. > > > > The ceremony will close with the Sea Chanters of the United States > > Navy< > http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/u.. > .>Band > > singing the National Anthem. > > > > Laurie Goodstein contributed reporting. > > > > -- > > gnothe se auton > > > -- gnothe se auton --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
