Mayor's Prayer Breakfast Serves Kindness and Civility

You can listen to the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast in its entirety here! Chapter markers allow you to jump to key points of the presentation (audio and photos by S Jason Cole).

Kindness and Civility were on the menu at the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, hosted at the Elms Hotel and Spa early Tuesday morning. Pastor Mike Boudreaux of the Crescent Lake Christian Center was the emcee for the hour-long event that included a performance from the Excelsior Springs High School Choir, prayers from pastors throughout the community, an address by Mayor Sharon Powell, and featured guest speaker, United States Court of Appeals Circuit Judge, Duane Benton. Benton delivered a message to the crowd of more than 200 guests that encouraged city leaders to find common ground and work together for the betterment of our community. He began with the first rule in George Washington’s hand-written notebook, Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation, reciting, “Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect, to those that are present.” Benton went on to say that although people are free to act and behave however they choose, it’s important to try and avoid self-serving actions and “to use your liberty to serve others rather than yourself.” Respect for one another is the ultimate act of sincerity, he proclaimed, and he urged civic leaders to spend more time listening and trying to understand one another. Although we feel we live in a time that is divided and unforgiving, Benton pointed to the struggles that the world was facing during World War II and the kindness that overcame the atrocities that occurred then. He read this quote from Franklin Roosevelt, “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” In closing, Benton urged attendees to go out into the world showing more caring and kindness in all that they do.

The Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast is an annual event, open to the public with an admission fee of $10 per ticket. To stay up to date on the latest events in Excelsior Springs be sure to sign up for the Excelsior Citizen E-Newsletter. Delivered each Sunday it’s a must-read compendium of the week’s news and upcoming events.

Watch this video of the Excelsior Springs High School Choir directed by Tim Harlan performing at the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, April 19, 2022 (video S Jason Cole).