CREEDE HINSHAW: When is a prayer too long?

On May 10, 1869, at Promontory Point, Utah, they drove the golden spike that linked the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroad. An iconic photograph shows two steam locomotives facing each other, dignitaries atop each train, flowing moustaches everywhere. It must have felt to them like what Neil Armstrong’s first step felt 100 years later.

Goeffry Ward’s 1996 book “The West: An Illustrated History” describes that dramatic, ceremony linking our nation. But his description of the dedicatory prayer offered at that celebration irritated me: “A clergyman intoned what seemed to be an interminable prayer …”

Interminable? Really? When does a prayer become interminable? According to whom? To the grand poobahs of money? To those whose dark suits soaked up every ounce of Utah sun? To those who wanted a little religion, but not too much? What did they want that day: “Thanks, God, for the last spike pounded, Amen”?

Here’s a bit of advice for committees planning to invite a clergyperson to pray at a public ceremony: Count on that invocation lasting more than 10 seconds.

A little research revealed that the organizers invited the Rev. Dr. John Todd of Pittsfield, Mass., to offer the prayer. How long do you think Todd prayed? Answer: Two minutes! Sorry, but that’s hardly interminable. No holy man or woman on this planet is going to travel 2,000 miles to offer a three-four sentence prayer.

Here’s what Todd prayed:

“Our father and God, and our fathers’ God, God of Creation and God of Providence, thou hast created the heavens and the earth, the valleys and the hills; Thou art also the God of mercies and blessings. We rejoice that thou hast created the human mind with its power of invention, its capacity of expansion, and its guardian of success. We have assembled here this day, upon the height of the continent, from varied sections of our country, to do homage to thy wonderful name, in that thou hast brought this mighty enterprise, combining the commerce of the east with the gold of the west to so glorious a completion. And now we ask thee that this great work, so auspiciously begun and so magnificently completed, may remain a monument to our faith and good works. We here consecrate this great highway for the good of thy people. O God, we implore thy blessings upon it and upon those that may direct its operations. O Father, God of our fathers, we desire to acknowledge thy handiwork in this great work, and ask thy blessing upon us here assembled, upon the rulers of our government and upon thy people everywhere; that peace may flow unto them as a gentle stream, and that this mighty enterprise may be unto us as the Atlantic of thy strength, and the Pacific of thy love. Through Jesus, the Redeemed, Amen.”

Well prayed, Brother Todd. Words judiciously chosen and carefully crafted. From my perspective, he only left one thing out. As the prayer concluded, the eager Leland Stanford hoisted that ceremonial sledgehammer, took a mighty swing and missed everything.

Todd should have prayed for accuracy.

Email columnist Creede Hinshaw at [email protected].