Midshipman Prayer
The "Prayer of a Midshipman" was written by William Nathaniel Thomas in 1938. Thomas (1892-1979) was the Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy. He wrote the "Prayer of a Midshipman" at the request of the midshipmen while Command Chaplain at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. It is said to encompass much of his theology and his ideal of a Naval Officer." He never sought credit for the prayer. There is an original version and an ungendered interfaith version. The prayer has been used at Divine Services at the US Naval Academy Chapel ever  since 1938. A bronze plaque of the prayer resides in the chapel. During Plebe summer 2013 the US Naval Academy Chaplain Center conducted a Midshipman Prayer Sermon Series. “Each Sunday during the Plebe Summer of 2013, the preacher for that week addressed one of the petitions of the Midshipman Prayer. The scripture readings were specially selected to complement and expand on the petition rather than follow the traditional Revised Common Lectionary.”