On Saturday, September 6, 2025, Pastor Stephanie and members of National City Christian Church were invited by the Texas State Society for this year’s President Lyndon B. Johnson’s birthday celebration at the LBJ Memorial Grove in Washington D.C. President Johnson,was born on August 27, 1908, and this event takes place annually on a weekend near his birthday. This year President Johnson would have been 117 years old. President Johnson and his family worshiped at National City Christian Church during his time as president and later hosted his state funeral on August 25, 1973.
Pastor Stephanie, who was invited by the Texas State Society to share an invocation at the day’s event, was honored to connect to this part of National City’s robust history as the national church. This was Pastor Stephanie’s third time being asked to pray for this special event. The morning started with a Navy Color Guard and continued with guest speakers such as members of President Johnson’s family and Dean JR DeShazo, Dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at UT Austin. The event was keynoted by Tonya Williams a Trustee of the LBJ Foundation and former Chief of Staff at the Department of Commerce. Those gathered heard messages of President Johnson’s resilient and inclusive leadership as he championed legislation that sought racial equity and addressed needs such as food insecurity for all Americans. After the event, Pastor Stephanie had the chance to connect with Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, daughter of President Johnson. Mrs. Robb reminisced about her fathers love of our national church and gave thanks for the ministries that continued to welcome and feed people in body and spirit. Below is the prayer Pastor Stephanie shared at the event:
Holy and Gracious One,
Here we are, gathered together in the glory of your creation celebrating all that you have done with us and for us. Be with us now, make yourself known through the song of the birds, the warmth of the sun, and the love shared here as we honor and remember the birth and life of your child, Lyndon Baines Johnson. Who served as the 36th President of the United States but was a servant of yours his whole life.
We give thanks for the Texas State Society who brought this gathering together. For we know that coming together in just and joyful community is a faithful way to honor all that this beloved father, husband, grandfather, friend, leader and servant of yours O God, was and continues to be. For in his own words he professed “We live in a world that has narrowed into a neighborhood before it has broadened into a brotherhood.” So broaden us into sisters and brothers,
Holy One, Regardless of where we are on our journey with you and each other. Call us to be the Great Society that is needed as much today as it was 60 years ago. Remind us to use our gifts to build the kindom come, Heaven on earth. A Great Society educated well and fully, fed in body and spirit, to care for one another not only for what we have to gain, but for all that we have to lose. For once again as your follower President Johnson once said, “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” And lord we know we win when we put our faith in you and our work toward each other. We need each other. Now and always.
We pray all this in the name of Jesus the Christ, Amen.