Rick Warren offered a suitably moving if rather informal invocation at today’s Inauguration, using appropriately nondenominational language. Or at least he touched all the bases: God was referenced as “the Father” and as one “compassionate and merciful”; Jesus was referenced by several names. Toward the end, Warren recited the Lord’s Prayer in close paraphrase. Hopefully the commentary of the day will focus on President Obama’s remarks rather than Warren’s prayer.

Shortly after Warren’s prayer, Associate Justice John Paul Stevens of the United States Supreme Court administered the oath of office to now-Vice President Joseph Biden. A few minutes later, Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office to now-President Barack Obama. And off we go.