Samuel invites the Lord to speak in Sunday's first reading. President-elect Barack Obama has invited Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, to speak at an inaugural event at the Lincoln Memorial. The announcement follows weeks of criticism from Robinson and gay-rights groups over Obama's decision to tap Rev. Rick Warren, who's likened committed gay relationships to incest and polygamy, to pray on inauguration day.

Robinson, an early Obama supporter, said last month the choice of Warren left him feeling as if he'd been slapped in the face. In a telephone interview this weekend, Robinson, of Weare, Massachusetts, said he doesn't believe Obama has included him in response to the Warren criticism. But he said his inclusion won't go unnoticed by the gay and lesbian community.

"It's important for any minority to see themselves represented in some way," Robinson said. "Whether it be a racial minority, an ethnic minority, or, in our case, a sexual minority. Just seeing someone like you up front matters."

Warren, author and high-profile pastor of a California megachurch, will still give the invocation at the January 20 inauguration, shortly before Obama delivers his much-anticipated inaugural address. Robinson will offer his invocation prayer Sunday afternoon on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during an inaugural kick-off event.

Source: Articles by Ann Marie Timmins for the Concord (N.H.) Monitor and FoxNews.com