Rev. Dai Morgan

On Wednesday, September 30, 2015, Twenty-five guests and religious leaders gathered at Grace United Methodist Church in Harrisburg, PA to eat breakfast and share in a time of prayer. The event was hosted by United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania. United Methodist officials from each of the three Pennsylvania UM Annual Conferences participated in the liturgy.

Dr. Christopher Kurien leads the prayer time during the Lawmakers’ Prayer Breakfast at Grace UMC in Harrisburg, PA on September 30, 2015. (Photo provided by Jerry Wolgemuth of the Susquehanna Annual Conference.)

The purpose of the prayer breakfast was to provide a non-political setting where lawmakers could gather in shared faith to pray for one another, the state government, and wisdom for the difficult decisions facing the Senate and House this fall session.

An unexpected and delightful incidence in the proceedings occurred when Representative Jesse Topper (a United Methodist), on the spur of the moment, was able to take on the role of piano accompanist during the hymn singing. Representative Topper majored in musical performance as an undergraduate.

Rev. Dai Morgan, Coordinator of United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania, observed that it has been a long time since there has been an organized prayer breakfast for state lawmakers. “I think this prayer breakfast was needed and appreciated by those in attendance. I’d like to see it happen again. This could be the start of a regular program of similar events sponsored by the United Methodist Church.”