Video of Donald Miller’s Prayer at the DNC

Published by bryan | August 25th, 2008 @ 11:36 pm | Filed under speaking

We’re definitely the first blog to go live with this…Here you go…

Don’s DNC Prayer

Published by bryan | August 25th, 2008 @ 9:10 pm | Filed under speaking

Here’s the full text of Don’s Prayer tonight at the DNC.

Please join me for the next few moments in our Benediction.

“Father God,

This week, as the world looks on, help the leaders in this room create a civil dialogue about our future.

We need you, God, as individuals and also as a nation.

We need you to protect us from our enemies, but also from ourselves, because we are easily tempted toward apathy.

Give us a passion to advance opportunities for the least of these, for widows and orphans, for single moms and children whose fathers have left.

Give us the eyes to see them, and the ears to hear them, and hands willing to serve them.

Help us serve people, not just causes. And stand up to specific injustices rather than vague notions.

Give those in this room who have power, along with those who will meet next week, the courage to work together to finally provide health care to those who don’t have any, and a living wage so families can thrive rather than struggle.

Hep us figure out how to pay teachers what they deserve and give children an equal opportunity to get a college education.

Help us figure out the balance between economic opportunity and corporate gluttony.

We have tried to solve these problems ourselves but they are still there. We need your help.

Father, will you restore our moral standing in the world.

A lot of people don’t like us but that’s because they don’t know the heart of the average American.

Will you give us favor and forgiveness, along with our allies around the world.

Help us be an example of humility and strength once again.

Lastly, father, unify us.

Even in our diversity help us see how much we have in common.

And unify us not just in our ideas and in our sentiments—but in our actions, as we look around and figure out something we can do to help create an America even greater than the one we have come to cherish.

God we know that you are good.

Thank you for blessing us in so many ways as Americans.

I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice.

Let Him be our example.

Amen.”

Don Praying Tonight after Key-Note Address

Published by bryan | August 25th, 2008 @ 11:36 am | Filed under speaking

from Don earlier today…

Many of you have heard I will be delivering the closing prayer at the Democratic National Convention Monday night in Denver. After the key-note address, I’ve been asked to close the evening with a short benediction.

I’ll be posting the prayer here shortly before I leave my hotel for the Pepsi Center. I doubt the prayer will be televised, but you can read it on this site a couple hours before I read it off the teleprompter.

I will be notifying twitter followers when I update the site with the prayer. Simply text message the words “follow donmilleris” to the number 40404 to be notified when the prayer has gone online.

It is an honor to be asked to come and pray before such a diverse audience. i am grateful and looking forward to the opportunity.

Sincerely,

Donald Miller

we’ll post the prayer later…

Want to catch Don’s DNC Prayer?

Published by bryan | August 23rd, 2008 @ 6:56 pm | Filed under speaking

Apparently if you text “follow donmilleris” to 40404, you will be notified by text message when the prayer is online.

I’m guessing this means it won’t be on TV.

Stay Tuned…

Don Miller to Give Invocation at DNC

Published by bryan | August 22nd, 2008 @ 10:43 am | Filed under speaking

Cameron Strang, head honcho of the Relevant Media Group, was recently asked to give the invocation at the Democratic National Committee in Denver, Colorado. Cameron initially accepted…but later declined when he realized he would be praying on the main stage of the Convention on National TV. While he felt it was an amazing opportunity for himself (and it was), he also felt it wasn’t the right move for RELEVANT Magazine. You can read all this thoughts here.

In declining the offer, Cameron suggested someone else…

“They still desired to have someone participate who represented this new generation of Christian voters (which is awesome, by the way), and I thought, who better than Blue Like Jazz author Don Miller? He’s a much better representative of our audience than I am, so I gave him a ring and he was more than up for it. Likewise, the committee was thrilled to invite him to give the invocation in my place—a move I think will ultimately be much better for the DNC. Don Miller’s famous; I’m not.”

From what I can find online, CNN will be covering the DNC every night next week starting at 6:00pm EST. I’m assuming the invocation will happen early in the coverage on Monday night August 25th, but I haven’t confirmed that yet. If someone grabs video of the invocation, let me know and we’ll put it up here on the site.

Whether you’re a republican, a democrat, or something else, you’ve got to admit it’s pretty cool that Don was asked to be a part of something like this. Congrats to him on the honor.

Update: Here’s a Q&A with Don regarding the opportunity.

Update #2: According to Don, the prayer will be happening on Monday night between 8:30 and 9pm Denver Time. (That’s between 6:30 10:30pm and 7:00 11:00pm on the East Coast).

Update #3: Don told Jordan Green that his prayer would NOT be televised, so don’t expect it to be. I’ll tape the broadcast anyway, just in case.

(h/t: Jason Boyett)

Happy Happy Birthday Don!

Published by bryan | August 14th, 2008 @ 9:23 am | Filed under of interest

This is a bit late, but Happy Birthday to Don, who turned 37 on Tuesday!

May all your books be best-sellers and all your bike rides be shorter than 3,000 miles.

No Longer Working Alone

Published by bryan | August 6th, 2008 @ 3:51 pm | Filed under journal entries

Don’s getting settled back down in Portland following his wild ride from coast to coast. Here’s his latest update:

D.C. or Bust

Published by bryan | July 23rd, 2008 @ 10:52 am | Filed under of interest

According to one of Don’s latest tweets, the Ride:Well team has arrived in Washington D.C. today. Seems like only yesterday that they were peddling out of the Pacific Ocean. (I guess that’s because I haven’t been the one cycling 100 miles a day for the last 6 weeks.)

Congrats to Don and the team as they finish up what has been a remarkable ride. Looking forward to hearing stories about their trip and what they were able to do for Blood:Water.

Update on Don’s Next Book

Published by bryan | July 15th, 2008 @ 9:20 am | Filed under book news

I have a source over at Thomas Nelson who told me that Don’s next book, which is still titled “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” as far as I know, is expected to release in the Fall of 2009.

The book, which was originally titled “Let Story Guide You”, was at one point going to be released in early 2008. Then it was May 2008. Then it was May 2009. Now it’s the Fall of 2009.

Is there a chance it could slide back even more, like, into 2010? Absolutely. Seems like the priority for Don and TN is having the best book possible, not getting it to market fast. I guess that’s a good thing.

So yeah, don’t hold your breath on this one. But be assured that it is on the way.

By the way, did any of you pre-order on Amazon? I’d love to hear from you in the comments if you did.

Dragon Study Guide

Published by bryan | June 6th, 2008 @ 9:48 am | Filed under Belmont Foundation

Author Larry Shallenberger is teaming up with the Belmont Foundation to write a study guide for To Own a Dragon. You can read some of his thoughts on the book here.