she exception of one member. and that's marvin the son who just never got involved in politics.ou he talk about it in big events. this is not not interested in d >> i think that's why he became "w's" best friend r th. >> the other jewel giual gist i bush. >> jim with wright n accepted him as a true texan. i believe i took his library to texas a&m in part because it is the quintessential texas institution. he could have gone to a number of sools like ut and other places, but he went there because he wanted to be assoated with the aggies. he wanted to be a part of the

true blue texas kind of, if you will, dna. >> and it's interesting with housn. the reason houston so embraces the bush fam in some way he was, he is symbolic of how houston became houston, you know. houston is one of america's largest cities, not thanks to texans. thanks to yankees and thanks to northerners moving south, whether it was for a job, a lot of the oil industry. he was a northern immigrant into texas, but in many ways it's the modern republican party wa built by many of these northern immigrants. >> you recall, we took "nightly- news of our across america series. >> and it is more cosmopolitan, not more, you know, it has a -- there is a texas feel to it, bui a larger city where other cities in texas sometimes feel -- >> to the extent that some are

wondering is it political -- we are going to take you inside as this funeral begins. >> the life and faith of our 41st president, george herbert walker bush., if you wouease turn in your bulletins to page 6. let us sing together with strength, o beautiful for spacious skies. ♪ o beautiful for spaciou skies ♪ ♪ for amber waves of grain ♪ for purple mountains majesty

♪ above the fruited plain ♪ america america god shed his grace on thee ♪ ♪ and crown thy good with brotherhood ♪ f ♪m sea to shining sea ♪ o beautiful for pilgrim feet ♪ whose stern impassioned stress ♪ ♪

america america god shed his light on thee ♪

♪e >> ple seated. we have one anthem we are going to play. this was one of the anthems offered on the day of the 41st president's inaugurati. thiss my country.

♪ >> with faith in jesus christ, we receive the body of our brother george herbert walker bushor burial. feat h pray with confidence to ra himo ecti ie god,li gf the oiver coany of the saints. deliver your servant george, o sovereign lord christ from all evil and set him fre every bond, that he may rest with all your saints in the eternal habitations where with the father and the holy spirit you ve and reign one god forever and ever, amen. f let us also pr all who mourn that they may cast their care on god ow the consolation of his lov

almighty go ahead, look with pity upon the sorrows of your servants for whom we pray. remember them, lord, in mercy. nourh them with patience. comfort them with a sense of your goodns. lift up your countenance upon them and give them peace through jesus christ, our lord, amen.

pl sta. >> he that beliefth in me yet shall he live and who liveth and believeth in me shall never die. i know that my redeemer liveth and he shall stand on the latter day of the earth.l i she god whom i shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold and not as a stranger. for none of us leffeth to himself, and no man dieth to or himself,f we live, we live unto the lord.

if we die, we die unto the lordl whether e, therefore, or die, we are the lord's. blessed are the dead who die in the lord. even so, sayeth the spirit, for

they rest from their labors. >> let us sing together our national anthem.ay ♪ oan you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming ♪

b♪ whose broad stripes aght stars through the ♪rilous figh ♪ o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming ♪ ♪ and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ o'er the land of the free

♪ and the home of the brave ♪ >> the lord be with you. remain standin let us pray. o god, whose mercies cannot be numbered exct our prayers on anhalf of thy servant george herbert walker busgrant george an entrance into the land of light and joy and t fellowship of thy saints, jesus christ, thy son, our lord, who liveth and reigneth with anthth the holy spirit, now and forever. amen. please be seated for the

lessons. >> a reading from lamentations. the stead fast love of the lord never ceases. his mercies never come to an end. they are new every morning. great is thy faithfulness. the lord is my portion, says my soul. therefore, i will hope in him. the lord is good to those wh wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. it is good that one should wait quietly for e salvation of the lord, for the lord will not cast off forever, but though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abu of his steadfast love, for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men. the word of the lord.

>> today's appointed psalm is psalm 23. the lord is my shepherd, i shall not want. he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. he leadeth me beside thetill waters he restoreth my soul. he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. >> though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death i nll nfeevil. >> thou prepareth a table before me in the presence of mine enemies, thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. surelygoodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and i will dwell in the

house of the lord forever. >> my friends, we're here day in the house of the lord to say good-bye to a man of great faith and great integrity. a truly beautiful human being. and to honor his noble character, his life of service,h answeet memories he leaves

for his friends, his family, and for our grateful nation. for more than 60 years, george herbert walker bush has been my friend and he's been my role model. today, as we entrust his soul to heaven, his name to history, and his memory to our hearts, i must begin with an apology. heffy, i'm about to do something you alwa hated and that your mother always told you not to do. brag about yourself. i will do this because it must be done, and because, as a , lawysee that thing beloved by all lawyers. a loophole. w, don't brag about yourself, you once wrote.nt let others put your

virtues, your good points. well, today, mr. president, i am that other. with the special privilege and joy of sharing your good points. as we have heard and as we know, george bush was a charter member of the greatest generation. as we gather here to salute him, his incredible service to our nation and the world are already etched in the marble of time. after becoming the youngest naval aviator, he served in increasingly responsible positions on behalf of his country. congressman, ambassador to china, and to the united nations, director of the cia and vice president. then, as history will faithfully record, he became one of our nation's finest presidents and t

beyond any dur nation's very best one-term president. for millions and millions across the globe the world became a better place because george busu ed the white house for four years. he was notonsidered a skilled speaker. but his eds were quite eloquent, and he demonstrated thm r eloquence by carving t into the hard granite of history. they expressed his moral character,nd they reflected his decency, his boundless kindness and consideration of others, his determination alway to do ght thing, and always to do that to the very best of his ability. they testify to a life nobly lived.

he possessed the classic virtues of our civilization and of his faith. the sa virtues that express what is really best about this country.e thme ideals were known to and they were shared by our founding fathers. george bush was temperate and th ght in word and in deed. he considered his chces, and then he chose wisely. the berlin wall fell in november 19 89, less than one year into his presidency.bl it was a remartriumph for american foreign policy as joyous east and west germans danced on the remains of that ha d wall, george bush could have joined them metaphorically and claimed victory for the wey,, for america, and, fran

for himself. but he did not. he knew better.at he understood umility toward and not humiliation of a fall adversary was the very best path to peace and. reconciliati ofd so he was able to unify germany as a membehe north atlantic treaty organization, notwithstanding the initial reservations of france, the united kingdom, and the soviet union.us the cold war ended. not with a bang, but with the sound of a halyard over the kremlin on a cold night in december 1991 as the flag of the soviet union was lowered for the very last time. need we ask about george bush's courage? during world war ii, he risked his life in defense of something

eater than himself. decades later when saddam hussein invaded kuwait in august 1990 and began to brutalize kuwaitis, george bush never wavered. this will not stand, he said, and he got the rest of the world to join him in reversing that aggression. yes, he had the courage of a warrior, but when the time came for prudence, he always maintained the greater courage of a peacemar. he ended the wars in central america. he signed two nuclear arms reduction treaties, and he brought israel and all of its arab neighbors together face to face for the first time to talk peace.ed his for his fellow man always spoke for him. give someone else a hand, he would say. and he did.

when a friend is hurting, show that you care, he would say, and he did. be kind to people, he would say, a d he was. to the parents oung son who lost -- a young son lost to cancer, he wrote, "i hope you will live the rest of your lives with only happy memories of that wonderful son who is now safely tucked in god's loving arms around him." his wish for a kinder, gentler nationas not a cynical political slogan. it came honest and unguarded from his soul. after they left the white house, george and barbara bush continued to display their compassion for others. their dedication to the points of light, the barbara bush foundation for family literacy, aniscountless other charitie

a model for all former first families past, present, and future. to these virtues we can add one more source of his character. his family. as a friend once put it, george bush believed that fily is a source of both personal strength and the values one needs to face life. and, of course, history ha shown that few families have accomplished as much as his has. barbara wrote the book on how to be a great first lady. his legacy lives on with his children who have contributed so very much to making our nation great. rad who knows what the future will bring for hischildren and their children. i have always be proud that george bush used to describe our relationship aone of big brother and little brother.

he used to say that one of the things he liked best about me was that i would always tell him what i thought, even wknew he didn't want to hear it. then we would have a spirited discussion about that issue, but he had a very effective way of letting me know when the discussion was over. he would look at me he said, baker, if you're so smart, why am i president and you're not? he was a leader and he knew it. my hope is that remembering the life of george herbert lker bush and in honoring his accomplishments we will see that we are really praising what is best about our nation. h the natidearly loved and whose values he embodied. there is more to say than time permits, and anyway, when ga

measuredst the eloquence of george bush's character and life, our words are very inadequate.so an conclude these remarks with his wor. written some years ago to his nod tennis buddy, "we have each other a long time," he wrote to me. we have shared joy and sadness. time has indeed gone swiftly by. suw it races on each faster, and that makes me tr even more this line of william butler yates about where man's glory begins and ends. namely, with friends. my glory is i have you as such a friend. to which i reply, on behalf of his friends here today, across america, and throughout e world, we rejoice, mr. president, that you are safely

tucked in now and through the ages with god's loving arms aroundou because our glory, george, was to have had you as our presidenand as such a friend. had you as our president and as such a friend. >> good morning. todai stand before you as th oldest grandson as the man i

tew as gampy. george h.w. bush w most gracious, decent, humble man i will ever know. we're here to give thanks for his extraordinary life. i would like to talk about things he was thankful for. g ndfather was thankful for his family. when he began running for president in 1988, my grandfather released a campaign book outlining his views for the future.e ok opened with a letter to a grandson. it was addressed to me and recounted some of our cent experiences together in maine. pete, the letter read, i've been thinking about it a lot. the most fun was the big rock boat, climbing out onear the end of summer when the moon was full, the tides were high. there was a special day when the boat seemed real.

in those few words my grandfather said more about his life than i could say.ri here's a man g up for the role of a lifetime, yet his mind went back to his family. he found time to tk about an imaginary boat he built with his grandson. he would wake up around 5:00 a.m. and review security briefings. when the coast was clear, all the grandkids would try to grab a spote bed and nestle up between him and gamy. he would be the first to host intense horse shoe match ups among family, secret service or any willing head of ate. while encouraging trash talk like power outage ifhorse shoe was short or wood row wilson if your shoe was long and

you hit the back stop. his typical spread was barbecue, tacos with hot sau and blue bell ice cream with sauce. gr the end of the night he would challenge all thdkids to win the first asleep award. he would write letters of encouragement to us all, whether one of us had a hard semester at tyhool, whether one of us, not me, drove his fiden to the rocks, or whether one of us, not me, ended up in gamy's cross hairs. he wrote an email to us all saying the only thing wrong with the last five montecihs is none you were here enough.

i had to give up fly fishing ofo ths in maine, but there are plenty of wonderful things to do. i think of you a l. i wonder how you're all doing in school and in life. if you need me, i'm here for you .cause i love you very mu in the psalms god makes a promise to show him my salvation. we know my gampy led a long and joyful life. my grandfather was thankful for his country. he was grateful to lead a country where people can go as far and fast as their dreams take the eidividuals working alone or in groups can help individual man, a bright home for america he evoked so brilliantly when hi spoke of 1,000s of light.

he spoke about duty, honor, country,he values that sustained the republic. this wasn't something he just talked about. itas something he lived. having flown 58 combat missions and shot down and rescued at sev he saw his own heroism being greater than anyone else that wore the uniform. he was proud when walkned the marine and i joined the navy. our service never compared to his, yet we could never convince him of that. in our times together, our big wonderful family saw the personal goodness that led to his recognized historical greatnes he left a simple, yet profound legacy to his children, grandchildren and country. when the last words e written on him, they will include this,h fulfillment of a complete life cannot be achieved without service to others.

you should know my grandfather was thankful for his god. he once told us god good, but his love has a cost. we must be good to one another. it was his faith a love for others that fulfilled him, that drove him, that led him to a li of public service. here in houston at a prayer breakfast he once reflected on his timee deck of the submarine that rescued him after he was shot down in world war ii. n went on the deck, stood the watch and lookede dark. he said the sky was clear, the stars were brilliant, there was a calm inner peace. halfway around the world in a war zone, a calm inner peace. god's therapy. today, after 94 years, the heavy hand of time has claimed the life of my gamps. in death as in life, my

grandfather has won. he has exchanged his earthly burdens for a heavenly home and is at peace. george h.w. bush is the most gracious, most decent, most humble man i will ever know. it's the honor of a lifetime to share his name. god bless you, gampy, until we meet again. maybe on that rock boat we built together >> the first letter of paul.

will show you a still mo excellent way. if i speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, i am a noisy gong. if i have prophetic powers and understand all mystend all knowledge and if i have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love i am nothing. if i give away all my on possesand hand over my body so i may ast, but do not have love i gain nothing. love is patient. love is kind. love is not envious or bstful or arrogant or rude. it does not insist on its own wa it is not irritable or resentful. it does not rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices in t truth.

it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. >> love never ends. as for pro at the sis they will come to an end. as for knowledge, it will come rt an end. we know only in when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. when i was a child i spoke like a child, i thought like a child, i reasoned like a child. when i become an adult, i put an end to childish ways. for now we see in a mirror dimly. now i know only in part, then i will know fully even as i have nden fully known. >> now faith, hopeove

abide these three and the greatest of these is love. the word of the lord. >> a favorite him of the president's "eternal father strong to save." we'll sing the first two verses before the gospel, the last two after the gospel. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ >> the holy gospel of our lord jesus christ, according to john. martha said to jesus, lord, if you had been here brother would not have died. even now i know that god will give you whatever you ask of him. jesus said to her, yother will rise again. martha saito him, i know that he will rise again in the r resurrection on the last day. jesus said to her i am the life. those who believe in me even

though they die will live. everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. do you believe this? ree said to him, yes, lord, i believe that youhe mess messiah, the son of god, the one coming into the world. the gospel of the lord. ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ >> bow your heads for prayer. god, the source of all life my our eyes and hearts this day give thanks for this remarkable life. may our eyes and hearts turn tod you ashe heart of this great man. in christ name i pray, amen. a few days before barbara bush's death, i was called to the bush home and the predent asked me to pray with her. i went and knocked on her door

and barbara answered, hello, russ. i'm not checking out yet. we talked for a bit. i asked permission to anoint her head with oil and pray with her. we did. we prayed. i left and then she called me to come back in. are you okay, i said? she said yes. just tell him i adore him. today we are gathered to celebrate the life of a man that we all adored. at the beginning of a journey 12, 1924 george herbert walker bush was born

into the cradle of a loving faly that held fast to theluesf and faith, of integrity, honesty and loyal, of character, courage and service.nd now at thef that journey that cradle that sustained him throughout his 94 years of life has released him into the loving arms ohis heavenly father. the end depends on the beginning. this is a good ending because from the very begiing george bush was committed to a life, not for himself, but for others. so we gather today charged with three tasks. saying good-bye, giving our thanks and lifting up our lives to hope.bi ing fare well is the hardest of these tasks becse we must acknowledge the world is not the same without this great man.

the plates of our world have shifted. in today's world we sometimes mp recoil at the x emotions, instead of shedding tears of or grief that hur loved ones. george bush was never afraid to shed tears. today i bid you to follow his example. we also gather to give thanks for the actions of this incredible public servant who improved the lives of so many around the world, across the nation and in our eat state of texas and our beloved city of houston. each of us gathered here today join untold millions around the globe to mourn the death of ones ofry's greatest leaders. we have lost more thander. he, like his wife of over 70 years barbara, had that unique ability to make you feel like h

was your biend and you were his. he pulled it off with charm and humility and humor with few, if any, rivals. however you do it today whether through quiet meditation, or quiet remembrance, givks his life brushed up against yours. good-bye, thank you. there is one more thing we come to do and that is li up our lives to hope. what i mean by that, well, president bush was a man of faith. a faith that sustained him in this life. the president and barbara bush were active members of this church for over years. in a talk the president gave here in 1982 he spoke of his love for st. martin's, his

memories of teaching sunday school. he said i remember sitting in the back and how my pew wiggled and shook as our fou and sometimes doro got the giggles. how many of you can say of the christmas present my grandson was a shepherd in 1980 and his sister and angel both in the same year. as he was giving this talk, ba ara said did it ever occur t to yy both made it becauseyo had just been elected vice president? there was a deeper purpose in his faith. in an open letter to clergy across the united states just before his inauguration, the president elect bush wrote worship is basic to my own life. our family has endeavored to

uphold our faith by participation in the life of our church.es in an adtwo years into his presidency he recalled president lincoln's response at the height of the civil war when asked if he thought the lord was on lincoln's side. lincoln responded my concern is not whether d is on our side, but whether we are on god's side. make no mistake about it, george bush was on god's side. it's why together we carefully chose the lesss for this service which i hope you'll take home and read and reflect upon.r thlessons that speak of the love of god and the comforte of god andope of life eternal given to us through his son jesus christ.in maf tours is the patron saint of this parish. he's known forearing his cloak in two to cover a barely dressed beggar.

he did so instinct ifly knowing it was the right thing to do. only later was it revealed to him in a dream his self-less act clothed christ himself. ose of us fortunate to worship with george and barbara bush ogtnessed a simply self-lessness as we worshippedher, they never made a show or fuss of arriving or leaving. they loved to spend time with the members here. they had a favorite spot right soer there. if they arrived anone beat them to it, they never created a problem. in fact, particularly crowded days, christmas and easter, they often released their seats to a ldmother overloaded with cn or a son with his elderly parents. one particularly cold day as the president came in the back, he was met by an usher who didn't have on an overcoat. aren't you cold the president asked? the young man said, i'm fine.

before he could finish h sentence, the president whipped off his own coat and placed it d arhe man's shoulders and he walked in with a smile and th t another word. george bush loved our lord and knew our lord loved him.ha it wasconnection that birthed in the 41st president a desire to serve. a few years ago the president and i discussed his deteriorating health. at the time he didn't knowow that struggle would end and he put a question to me about as simply as anybody could. he said what do you think heaven's like? it was a confident statement, one that be spoke of a resolute faith. he didn't want to know if there was a heaven or whher he would be there, he just wanted to know what it was like.

he was rea for heaven and heaven was ready for him. my guess is that on december 30th when the president arrived in heaven that barbara was standing there with her hands on her hips saying what took you so long? then a big old texas-sized hug from his wife and daughter with e words we adore you. behis very first act, afteg sworn into office as the 41st president, was to le our nation in prayer. as the end depends on the beginning, as we say our good-byes, i want to invite you to pray in hor and

thanksgiving and celebration of this man that we know and love, this man we adore. would yobow your heads. this was his prayer on the day his inauguration. it's his first act as president. heavenly father we bow our heads and thank you for your love. peaccept our thanks for the that yields this day and the shared faith that makes nts ue wa continue i can't answer likely make us strong to do your work, willing to heed your will and write on our hearts these words, e power to help people, for we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a

great show in rld, nor a name. there is but one just use of power and it is to serve people. help us remeer, lord. amen. >> we're here, sir. we told you we would be. it's an honor. we first sang for hictober of 1983 on the lawn of t white

house when he was vice presidene anaid fellas -- he always called us fellas. would you sing me a few songs? i'm a big fan. for decades we have sang f him. this is again a real honor to be here.pe what a lot ole may not know he fancied himself to be a goodass singer. he was not. we'll sing for our president. ♪ amazing grace how sweet the sound ♪ ♪ that saved a wretch like me s

♪ i once st but now am found ♪ ♪ was blind but now i see ♪ was grace that taught my heart to fear ♪ ♪ and grace my fears relieved ♪ how precious did that grace appear the hour i first believed ♪

♪ when we've been there 10,000 years ♪ ♪ bright shining as the sun ♪ we know less faith to sg god's grace ♪ ♪ than when we first begun >> in the church, which was the president's tradition, we stand to say things we believe.

in the sure and certain hope ofi resurr i invite you to turn to page four. i believe in god the father all mighty, maker of heaven and earth, in jesus son his only son our lord who was conceived by the ho ghost, born of the virgin mary, was crucifiedead and buried. he descended into hell a the third day he rose again. he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of god. from then he shall judge the dead.e i beli the holy ghost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the resurrection of the body and the life ever lasting, amen.