Obama Attends National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral

President Obama began his first day in office at the Washington National Cathedral for the traditional National Prayer Service that has been in place since George Washington's inauguration.

The interfaith service was well represented by leaders in the religious community, including Rev. Samuel Lloyd, dean of the cathedral, which is the seat of the Episcopal Church in Washington, Rev. Otis Moss Jr., a prominent Baptist pastor, Washington Catholic Archbishop Donald Wuerl, and several well-known Jewish, Muslim and Greek Orthodox leaders.

For the first time, the sermon was given by a woman, the Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins, general minister and president of the Protestant denomination Disciples of Christ. The Washington Post reported on the interesting additions to the service, which included the use of prayers drawn from George Washington's 1789 post-inauguration prayer service and Abraham Lincoln's 1865 inaugural address.

The overseer of the cathedral's music and worship, Carol Wade, told the Washington Post that the service was meant to "lift the president up" on his first day of work.

The tradition of a national prayer service dates back to George Washington, when New York's Episcopal bishop led a post-inauguration service for the nation in April 1789. Historian Margaret Shannon told the Washington Post that in 1869, pastors organized "union prayer meetings" and this continued into the 20^th century.

The tradition was officially revived in 1933 after Franklin D. Roosevelt's inauguration. Interest in the service waned until Reagan's inauguration in 1981, when it was held at the National City Christian Church. With Reagan's second inauguration in 1985, the prayer service was held at the Cathedral. With the exception of President Bill Clinton, who chose the Metropolitan AME Church for his prayer services, all the presidents following Reagan have held their prayer services at the Cathedral.

According to the Washington National Cathedral website, in 1791, President George Washington commissioned Major Pierre L'Enfant to "create a visionary plan for the nation's capital." L'Enfant conceived the idea of the cathedral, but the plans weren't put into effect until a century later.

In 1893, Congress granted a charter to the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia to build the cathedral. It was signed by President Benjamin Harrison. The first bishop of Washington, Rt. Rev. Henry Yates Satterlee, chose the land on Mount Saint Alban, "the most commanding spot in the entire Washington area."

The first stone was laid in 1907, but the construction wasn't completed until 1990, marking the end of 83 years of construction. Bethlehem Chapel was open during the construction and was the site of many great historical moments:

1918 - President Woodrow Wilson attends official thanksgiving service for the end of the First World War.

1956 - President Woodrow Wilson's tomb in the Cathedral is dedicated.

1968 - The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., preaches his last Sunday sermon from the Canterbury Pulpit.

In 2004, the Cathedral was the site of President Ronald W. Reagan's funeral and of President Gerald R. Ford's funeral in 2007.

Michelle Boorstein, Debbi Wilgoren, Jacqueline L. Salmon, Obama Begins Day With National Prayer Service, Washington Post

Washington National Cathedral Official Website