And here is the Lowery transcript:


Rev. Lowery Inauguration benediction. Transcript.
By
Lynn Sweet
on January 20, 2009 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Transcript courtesy Federal News Service

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 hand may
we forever stand -- true to thee, O God, and true to our native land.

We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we've shared this
day. We pray now, O Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant, Barack
Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his
administration. He has come to this high office at a low moment in the
national and, indeed, the global fiscal climate. But because we know
you got the whole world in your hand, we pray for not only our nation,
but for the community of nations. Our faith does not shrink, though
pressed by the flood of mortal ills.

For we know that, Lord, you're able and you're willing to work through
faithful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal
our wounds and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor or the
least of these and from favoritism toward the rich, the elite of
these.

We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to
inspire our nation to believe that, yes, we can work together to
achieve a more perfect union. And while we have sown the seeds of
greed -- the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the
whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and
we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to
our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your
creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.

And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to
make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion,
not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.

And as we leave this mountaintop, help us to hold on to the spirit of
fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back
to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques,
or wherever we seek your will.

Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle. Look over our little,
angelic Sasha and Malia.

We go now to walk together, children, pledging that we won't get weary
in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone, with
your hands of power and your heart of love.

Help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nation shall not
lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors,
when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and
fig tree, and none shall be afraid; when justice will roll down like
waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and
in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day
when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around
-- (laughter) -- when yellow will be mellow -- (laughter) -- when the
red man can get ahead, man -- (laughter) -- and when white will
embrace what is right.

Let all those who do justice and love mercy say amen.

AUDIENCE: Amen!

REV. LOWERY: Say amen --

AUDIENCE: Amen!

REV. LOWERY: -- and amen.

AUDIENCE: Amen! (Cheers, applause.)

END.

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