President-Elect Barack Obama has chosen Saddleback Chuch pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration on January 20th.

Warren and Obama are good friends and have known each other for several years.    Obama has been very fond of the work Warren has done for AIDS in Africa.

Pro-life pastor Rick Warren will give the invocation at President-Elect Barack Obama’s inauguration. It makes a whole lot of sense. Even though Warren and Obama disagree on the life issue, they do see eye to eye on many social justice issues. This move is also classic Obama because it is a signal to religious conservatives that he’s willing to bring in both sides to the faith discussion in this country. Obama has never shied away from that.

The benediction will be led by Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery. The Civil Rights leader seems to be the perfect pick on such an historic day in this nation’s history.

Obama, along with then Presidential hopeful John McCain, appeared at Warren’s church back in August for an enlightening Forum on the Presidency where Warren asked McCaina and Obama identical questions.

We were lucky enough to cover the forum at Saddleback along with Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, New York Times, and ther rest of the big boys.  Obama selecting Warren for the invocation continues to show, along with his cabinet selections, that he is intend on reaching out to others outside of his political upbringing.

More photos of Obama and Warren from the Saddleback Forum and some behind-the-scene photos as well.

Warren is best known as the mega-selling author of The Purpose Driven Life which has sold over 40 million copies.

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