Aloha! I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to all of you for allowing me to join you this morning for your annual retreat. I especially want to thank Deacon Darwin Sen for so graciously extending the invitation for me to come here and share some of my thoughts with you as both a United States Senator and an active churchman.

In my opinion, being a man of the Faith refers to the giving of aid and service to others. Whether it be in a religious, professional, spiritual, humanitarian, legal, medical, or a host of other fashions, the mission of any Christian is to bring greater fulfillment and wholeness into the lives of others.

The call to the ministry is answered in myriad ways and its successes are achieved through infinitely diverse avenues. Though the paths may be abundant, they are neither easy nor easily seen. Our universe is vast; our society is complex; and the circumstances of our existence on earth are constantly changing.

Every generation is challenged in a different way, as it strives to build a safe and secure life for itself and the global community of its time.

Every generation--like a newborn baby--must first crawl, then stand, walk, and run. It needs to learn the right and best way for its feet to carry it in the right and best direction.

We must all be trained to captain our ship of life, to steer it along a course that serves the highest interests of the world.

For me, as for my brother, the Reverend Abraham Akaka, that guidance was an integral part of everyday existence from virtually the moment of birth. My father and mother would have us all gather for ohana time, twice-a-day devotions. We were as one, united by a bond of spiritual strength and love. These were among the most precious of moments for me. They provided us with an unshakable foundation and shaped the future for all the Akaka children. Pa and Ma imprinted in our minds and hearts these eternal thoughts from John 4:8 and John 13:35--Aloha Ke Akua, God is Love; and E Aloha Kekahi i Kekahi, Love one another.

These are foundations upon which we build "the Nation whose God is Lord" (Psalms 33:12). As the Lord teaches us, so must we teach our children, in order to nurture and establish the local, national, and global vision we seek.

Every day I make as sincere an attempt as a human being can to reconcile my words and deeds with what I perceive to be the Christian tenets of life. At the very same time, in my official capacity, I am constitutionally bound to preserve the separation of Church and State.

I ask myself: Am I able to discern, intellectually, when one conflicts with the other? I believe so.

There are those who would label my reasoning contradictory, but I say I believe so because I have the utmost faith that--to paraphrase the hymn--God's voice calls us over the tumult of the wild and restless sea of our times saying, "Christian, follow me."

There are direct and prominent examples of just how such guidance is perceived and accepted. Every week, members of Congress gather for regular prayer breakfasts--Senators on Wednesdays and Representatives on Thursday. Denominations matter not, nor party affiliation, gender, or political philosophies. What matters is that we all share a common acknowledgment that we do not bear the burden of power alone. We minister on behalf of, because of, and with the help of One much higher than ourselves.

So expansive has been the impact of these gatherings that, every January, the House and Senate alternately sponsor the National Prayer Breakfast. The President of the United States attends, as do members of the Cabinet and heads of state from across the world. The stature of the event and the recognition of its significance has achieved such proportions that the largest banquet room in our Nation's Capital cannot accommodate all who wish to attend. While 3,000 participants crowd the main facility, a full 2,000 more are scattered throughout various other holding rooms.

I would say that a distinct and forceful point is made here. Is it contrary or convoluted logic to say that God gives us the wisdom to perceive either a conjoining or a separation of Church and State in the performance of our responsibilities? I say, very logically speaking and with a conspicuous body of evidence, "No!"

All that we are, all that we do, are under one God. That includes the religious and the secular, the theological and the political, the spiritual and the intellectual.

To deny that truth is to forfeit the premise on which this entire speech is based--and my entire career in Congress. To deny that truth is to assert that there is no "public ministry." That no one but a member of the clergy can genuinely do the Lord's work or that no one dedicated to doing the Lord's work can acceptably serve the public-at-large.

That, of course, is utter nonsense.

All that we are, all that we do, are under one God.

The only definitive injunction by which we must abide is this: Let no person give up his or her soul to anything less than the God whose love brought us into being--who has tasked us with building His Kingdom on earth, as Jesus taught us to pray.

What we have a dire need for, in fact, is a greater realization that we can indeed serve in infinite ways; that we can have separation without exclusion; that we can have identical visions without losing identity.

Is it not possible for persons in all walks of life to determine how they can better respond to God's call and to constructively perform these blessed deeds through the individual responsibilities, skills, and work committed to their care?

Is it not possible for churches to be organized to invite and apply the talents of community leaders as ministers in every field of endeavor--to reestablish and transform the City of Man upon the sure foundation of the City of God?

"The City of God is the best place to be, and no matter how much this story of God's City is told, it will never grow old."

Thank you once again for inviting me to speak to you this morning and God bless the Deacons of Central Union Church. I am open for any questions you may have regarding my work in Congress.