The Dude Abides

Last updated on: January 20, 2009 at 7:08 pm By Cathleen Falsani

Elizabeth Alexander’s Inauguration Poem Praise song for the day. Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others’ eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair. Someone is trying to... Read more

Last updated on: January 20, 2009 at 6:59 pm By Cathleen Falsani

The Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery’s FABULOUS benediction TRANSCRIPT OF LOWERY’S POWERFUL BENEDICTION: God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far along the way, thou who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee. Shadowed beneath thy... Read more

Last updated on: January 20, 2009 at 5:48 pm By Cathleen Falsani

Rick Warren’s beautiful invocation A TRANSCRIPT OF RICK’S LOVELY PRAYER FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THE NATION: Let us pray. Almighty God, our Father: Everything we see, and everything we can’t see, exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you, it all exists for your glory. History is your story. The Scripture tells us, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one.... Read more

Last updated on: January 20, 2009 at 4:12 pm By Cathleen Falsani

Amen and Hallelujah!! “My politics are informed by a belief that we’re all connected. That if there’s a child on the South Side of Chicago that can’t read, that makes a difference in my life even if it’s not my own child. If there’s a senior citizen in downstate Illinois that’s struggling to pay for their medicine and having to chose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer even if it’s not my grandparent. … I am... Read more

Last updated on: January 19, 2009 at 3:49 pm By Cathleen Falsani

GODSTUFF BISHOP ROBINSON’S LOST PRAYER Sunday afternoon, I sat in front of the TV with a box of tissues and watched every second of the “We Are One” concert at the Lincoln Memorial live on HBO. It was a glorious, moving event that had me in tears from start to finish. There were so many highlights — Denzel Washington’s stirring opening remarks; Tom Hanks’ monologue about Abraham Lincoln as the orchestra played Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait”; James Taylor’s soaring rendition... Read more

Last updated on: January 19, 2009 at 12:16 pm By Cathleen Falsani

‘Now is the time.’ “In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.... Read more

Last updated on: January 18, 2009 at 4:27 pm By Cathleen Falsani

I’ve got chills And Adam looks like he’s freezing his arse off. But B’s in great voice. To see them on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, singing that song … whoah. HBO is broadcasting the “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial” LIVE beginning at 2:30 p.m. EST. Click HERE to watch it online. And click HERE to listen live on NPR. Read more

Last updated on: January 17, 2009 at 2:41 am By Cathleen Falsani

‘Bless your crooked little heart’ Down by the riverside motel,It’s 10 below and fallingBy a 99 cent store she closed her eyesAnd started swayingBut it’s so hard to dance that wayWhen it’s cold and there’s no musicWell your old hometown is so far awayBut, inside your head there’s a recordThat’s playing, a song called Hold on Read more

Last updated on: January 16, 2009 at 3:02 pm By Cathleen Falsani

GODSTUFFPRESIDENTIAL PRAY-ERS: OBAMA’S INAUGURAL CHOICES A HARBINGER OF (GOOD) THINGS TO COME The first openly gay Episcopal bishop. The first female president of the Disciples of Christ. The president of the Islamic Society of North America (who also happens to be a woman). Three rabbis. Bono. And one Hawaiian shirt-wearing mega-church pastor. What do they have in common, besides taking part in the official festivities surrounding Barack Obama’s inauguration as the 44th president of the United States? They’re all praying.... Read more

Last updated on: January 11, 2009 at 6:27 pm By Cathleen Falsani

His way Bono’s first op-ed (the first in an occasional series) ran in the NYTimes today. As a fellow columnist, I thought it was a beautiful debut. Even more delightful is the audio of yer man reading his column, also available HERE. Have a listen. Read more