An Invocation: MCPA 031807 (and a Benediction)

The following is the invocation I offered at tonights Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association Annual Awards Banquet:

Dear God,

We once again thank you for this opportunity to gather in the spirit of our profession and its mission, To Protect and To Serve.

We thank you for the opportunity tonight to acknowledge and recognize the outstanding contributions that Minnesota law enforcement professionals have made to their communities this past year. It has been said that there are two opposing forces in this world, order and chaos. We thank you God for the presence of these professionals when there is the need to restore order to the inevitable chaos that has a constant presence in this imperfect world.

We also give thanks for the blessing this association has received, for its leaders, for its membership, but most of all for its spirit. It is the spirit of this organization that gives it its strength, its professionalism and its purpose.

Please bless the food we receive tonight as nourishment for our bodies, the stories told as nourishment for our minds and the fellowship we share as nourishment for our souls.

Amen

and the benediction:

Dear God,

We give thanks for the success of this year’s Executive Training Institute. Please continue your blessings on this conference throughout its duration. We ask for your protection upon all who have participated as they travel home to their families and communities and protect them throughout the coming year.

Amen