our life today cavu everything is perfect. we could not have asked for better lives we are truly happy and truly at peace. as i looked over the waters of walker's point on that golden september afternoon in maine, i was reminded of the lines simple and true that speak to the real nature of george bush and his love of his wonderful family and precious surroundings. there are wooden chips, there are sailing ships, there are ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships and may they always be

>> relax, george told me i only had ten minutes. he was very direct about it. it wasn't even funny [ laughter ] now i first met my friend, my dear friend, george bush, in 1962 when my father millard simpson was a member of the united states senate and just elected. i came towashington and had to settle in his new office being

vacated by one senator prescott bush, george's father. well, then we met again when my parents left washington and sold their home to a brand spanking new congressman from texas named george herbert walker bush so george and barbara, mom and pop, did the sale on a handshake. sound familiar then i came to the senate in 1978 and soon after that ronald reagan cornered me and asked me to support him for president and i said i would, not knowing that my friend, george, would enter the fray hearing that i called and i said, george, i want to tell you i'd love to help but i already committed to ronald reagan george's response -- well, al, i'm sorry about that i probably should have let you

know sooner. and actually a guy doesn't get very many calls from a friend who says they can't support him. sound familiar of course it does. because in george bush's theme of life during all the highs and lows there was the simple credo, what would we do without family and friends? and our enjoyable friendship was refreshed and the four of us had many, many pleasant times together my life in washington was rather tumultuous i went from the "a" social list to the "z. [ laughter ] and never came back to the "a. in one dark period i was feeling awful low, and all my wounds were self-inflicted, all of

them and george called me early one morning, always early in the morning, country music playing in the background, and he said, i see the media is shooting you pretty full of holes actually, he said it a bit more pungently than that. and he said, why don't we go up to camp david. you and ann come over and we'll have a weekend together. at that time his popularity rating was 93% mine was 0.93% and so off we went, the media, of course, all gathered as we headed to marine one and george said, now wave to your pals over there in the media, al. and they didn't wave back. so the next morning he's routing

through all the papers in the u.s. aha, here is the one i've been looking for. a picture of barbara, ann and george with his arm and hand on my back. and later we're having a sauna and i said, george, i am not unmindful as to what you are doing. you are propping up your old wounded duck pal while you're at the top of your game, you reach out to me while i'm tangled in rich controversy and taking my lumps. and he said, yep there were staff members, al, who told me not to do this al this is about friendship and loyalty. sound familiar we have an awful lot of fun, too, always a delight to be in the president's boxat the kennedy center off to a play at the national theater or the

warner with the bushes and outside of the president's box one evening there was a massive six-foot vase with an extraordinary glaze. i hope you know the difference, 35 bucks now george walked up to it and he said, al, wait, i think that's a truscan i noticed the blue/grayish clay from that period can only be found during that era. and i said, no, no, george it gives me the perception it's possibly older, perhaps of greek origin with that particular herbal paste before firing of course people gathered around mumbling about these expert observers. and barbara and ann finally came

by and said, get out of here, both of you. get back in that box well, we did it was impressive for a while. and then of course one night the four of us went to see michael craw toford singing the songs o andrew lloyd webber. all four of us were singing as we went back to the white house -- ♪ don't try for me argentina and tidbits from "phantom of the opera" and other magic of webber a few days later he was getting hammered by the press for some trivia and suddenly he sings out ♪ don't cry for me argentina ♪ the press then wrote he was finally losing his marbles

these honored guests before us who have held this noble post know of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, he was a class act from birth to death. gained that that extraordinary mother, we compared our mothers as velvet hammers. and, of course, most awesome fathers. the history books will and are treating him most fairly while uncovering some other powerful traits, his great competitiveness, his raw courage and his self-discipline, recall the andrews air base conclave where congressional participants drafted a remarkable bill that dealt with-to two year budgetin,

health care, social security solvency and much more but it required a critical ingredient called revenue. translated into the word taxes translated into the words, read my lips. and the group went to george and said, look, we can get this package done but we must have some revenue, and he said, i'll never forget it, he said, what i've said on that subject sure puts a hell of a lot of heat on me and then they all said, yes, but we can get it done and it will be bipartisan. and george said, okay, go for it, but it will be a real punch in the gut bob dole then, a loyal warrior for george, took it back to the senate and we won a very strong bipartisan vote.

and it went over to the house where his own party turned on him. surely one of the main factors assuring his return to private life, but he often said when the really tough choices come, it's the country not me it's not about democrats or republicans, it's for our country that i fought for. and he was a man of such great humility, those who travel the high road of humility in washington, d.c., are not bothered by heavy traffic. [ laughter ] he had a very serious flaw kn n known, he loved a good joke. he would throw his headback an give that great laugh. but he never, ever could remember a punch line.

and i mean never so the punch line for george herbert walker bush is this. you would have wanted him on your side. he never lost his sense of humor. humor is the universal solvent against the abrasive elements of life that's what humor is he never hated anyone. he knew what his mother and my mother always knew, hatred corrodes the container it's carried in the most decent and honorable person i ever met was my friend george bush. one of nature's noble men, his epitaph perhaps just a single letter, the letter "l" for loyalty. it pours through his blood loyal to his country loyal to his family. loyalty to his friends

loyal to the institutions of government and always, always, always a friend to his friends none of us were ready for this day. we mourn his loss from our own lives, and what he was to each of us, that is so personal, so intimate, so down inside it would have been so much easier to celebrate his life with him here, but he is gone, irrevocably gone and now we have loosed our grip upon him we shall always retain his memory in our hearts god has come now to take him back we all knew on one unknown day he would return to his god now we give him up we commend him to your loving han hands. thank you for him, god rest his soul

♪ in the long and honored history of america ♪ ♪ there are names that shine like beacons in the night ♪ ♪ the patriots gave us meaning ♪ kept the lamp of freedom

burning bright ♪ ♪ in the long and honored history of america ♪ ♪ there are those who pay the last and final ♪ ♪ brought upon by chance or desperate circumstance ♪ ♪ the ultimate sacrifice ♪ a grateful nation bows its head in sorrow ♪ ♪ and in thanks for guaranteein a tomorrow ♪ ♪

♪ the last full measure of devotion ♪ ♪ that's what they gave to the cause ♪ ♪ the last full measure of devotion and though they cannot hear all applause ♪ ♪ we honored them forever and pay tribute to the lights and give up all the glory ♪ ♪ the measure of devotion beyond the call of duty ♪ ♪ the last full measure of devotion ♪ ♪ and they give their lives for

the greater need ♪ ♪ survive and come back home alive ♪ ♪ they join in praise ♪ that he not die in vain ♪ the last full measure of devotion ♪ ♪ beyond the call of duty ♪ the last full measure of devotion ♪ ♪ he gave himself to serve the

greater needs ♪ ♪ and for those who did survive and came back home alive ♪ ♪ they join in praise of those who were slain snoet ♪ ♪ that he not die in vain

>> distinguished guests, including our presidents and first ladies, government officials, foreign dignitaries, and friends, jeb, neil, marv, doro and i and our families thank you all for being here i once heard it said of man that the idea is to die young as late as possible. [ laughter ] at age 85 a favorite pastime of george h.w. bush was firing up

his boat "the fidelity" and opening up the three 300 horsepower engines to fly, joyfully fly, across the atlantic with the secret service boats straining to keep up at age 90 george h.w. bush parachuted out of an aircraft and landed on the grounds of st. ann's by the sea in kennebunkport, maine the church where his mom was married and where he worshipped often. mother liked to say he chose the location just in case the chute didn't open. in his 90s he took great delight when his closest pal, james a. baker, smothered a bottle of grey goose vodka into his hospital room. apparently it paired well with the steakbake her delivered

from morton's. as he aged he taught us how to grow with dignity, humor and kindness and when the good lord finally called, how to meet him with courage and with the joy of the promise of what lies ahead one reason dad knew how to die young is that he almost did it, twice. when he was a teenager, a staph infection nearly took his life a few years later, he was alone in the pacific on a life raft, praying that his rescuers would find him before the enemy did. god answered those prayers it turned out he had other plans for george h.w. bush for dad's part, i think those brushes with death made him cherish the gift of life, and he vowed to live every day to the fullest. dad was always busy, a man in

constant motion but never too busy to share his love of life with those around him. he taught us to love the outdoors he loved watching dogs flush a cubby. he loved landing the elusive striper. and once confined to a wheelchair he seemedhappiest sitting in his favorite perch on the back porch at walker's point contemplating the majesty of the atlantic the horizons he saw were bright and hopeful. he was a genuinely optimistic man and that optimism guided his children and made each of us believe that anything was possible he continually broadened his horizons with daring decisions he was a patriot after high school he put college on hold and became a navy fighter pilot as world war ii broke out.

like many of his generation, he never talked about his service until his time as a public figure forced his hand we learned of the attack and the shootdown. we learned of the death of his crewmates whom he thought about throughout his entire life, and we learned of the rescue and then another audacious decision he moved his young family from the comforts of the east coast to odessa, texas he and mom adjusted to their surroundings quickly he was a tolerant man. after all, he was kind and neighborly to the women with whom he, mom and i shared a bathroom in our small duplex, even after he learned their profession ladies of the night. [ laughter ] dad could relate to people from all walks of life.

he was an empathetic man he valued character over pedigree, and he was no cynic. he looked for the good in each person, and he usually found it. dad taught us that public service is noble and necessary, that one can serve with integrity and hold true to the important values like faith and family he strongly believed that it was important to give back to the community and country in which one lived. he recognized that serving others enriched the giver's soul to us his was the brightest of 1,000 points of light. in victory he shared credit. when he lost, he shouldered the blame. he accepted that failure is a part of living a full life, but taught us never to be defined by failure. he showed us how setbacks can

strengthen none of his disappointments could compare with one of life's greatest tragedies, the loss of a young child. jeb and i were too young to remember the pain and agony he and mom felt when our 3-year-old sister died. we only learned later that dad, a man of quiet faith, prayed for her daily. he was sustained by the love of the almighty and the real and enduring love of our mom dad always believed one day he would hug his precious robin again. he loved to laugh, especially at himself. he could tease and needle but never out of malice. he placed great value on a good joke that's why he chose simpson to speak. [ laughter ]

on e-mail he had a circle of friends with whom he shared or received the latest jokes. his grading system for the quality of the joke was classic george bush. rare 7s and 8s were considered huge winners most of them off color george bush knew how to be a true and loyal friend. he nurtured and honored his many friendships with a generous and giving soul. there exists thousands of handwritten notes encouraging or sympathizing or thanking his friends and acquaintances. he had an enormous capacity to give of himself. many a person would tell you that dad became a mentor and a father figure in their life. he listened and he consoled. he was their friend. i think of don rhodes, taylor blanton, jim nantz, arnold

schwarzenegger, and perhaps the unlikeliest of all, the man who defeated him, bill clinton my siblings and i refer to the guys in this group as brothers from other mothers he taught us that a day was not meant to be wasted he played golf at a legendary pace i always wondered why he insisted on speed golf he's a good golfer here's my conclusion he played fast so that he could move on to the next event, to enjoy the rest of the day, to expend his enormous energy to live it all. he was born with just two settings, full throttle then sleep. he taught us what it means to be a wonderful father, grandfather and great-grandfather. he was firm in his principles and supportive as we began to seek our own ways.

he encouraged and comforted but never steered. we tested his patience i know i did but he always responded with the great gift of unconditional love last friday when i was told he had minutes to live, i called him. the guy answered the phone said i think he can hear you but he hasn't said anything for most of the day. i said, dad, i love you and you've been a wonderful father and the last words he would ever say on earth were, i love you, too. to us he was close to perfect but not totally perfect. his short game was lousy he wasn't exactly fred astaire on the dance floor the man couldn't stomach vegetables especially broccoli.

and, by the way, he passed these genetic defects along to us. finally, every day of his 73 years of marriage dad taught us all what it means to be a great husband. he married his sweetheart. he adored her. he laughed and cried with her. he was dedicated to her totally. in his old age dad enjoyed watching police show reruns. the volume on high all the while holding mom's hand after mom died, dad was strong, but all he really wanted to do was hold mom's hand again. of course dad taught me another special lesson he showed me what it means to be a president who serves with integrity, leads with courage, and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country. when the history books are written, they will say that

george h.w. bush was a great president of the united states, a diplomat of unmatched skill, a commander in chief, a formidable accomplishment, and a gentleman who executed to do these of his office with dignity and honor. in his inaugural address the 41st president of the united states said this, we cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account. we must hope to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend, a loving parent, a citizen who leaves his home, his neighborhood, and town better than he found it what do we want the men and women who work with us to say when we are no longer there? that we were more driven to succeed than anyone around us, or that we stopped to ask if a sick child had gotten better, and stayed a moment there to trade a word of friendship

well, dad, we're going to remember you for exactly that and much more. and we're going to miss you. your decency, sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever so through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man. the best father a son or daughter could have. and in our grief let us smile knowing dad is hugging robin and holding mom's hand again [ applause ]

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♪ ♪ >> please stand. the holy gospel of our lord jesus christ according to matthew. jesus said you are the light of the world, a city on a hill cannot be hidden, neither do

people light a lamp and put it under a bowl instead, they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. in the same way let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven. the gospel of the lord >> bow your heads in prayer, please almighty god, console us, of all light, strengthen us, of all love inspire us. to love you and to love those you send our way amen. please be seated it is a tremendous honor to follow these speakers and especially someone whom i admire

so much, our 43rd president. sir, your father always welcomed my visits and never made me feel rushed and always said thank you for coming, never made me feel like i was going on too long your mother -- usually said, good sermon, too long i got your e-mail. you're a lot like your mother. ladies and gentlemen, children of god, when death comes as it does to us all, life has changed not ended. the way we live our lives, the decisions we make, the service we render matter they matter to our fellow human beings, to this world that god

has given to us, and they matter to god few people have understood this as well and lived their lives as accordingly as president george herbert walker bush. hear what i said, lived it, not earned it or strived to achieve it it was as natural to him as breathing is to each of us president bush was a good man, a decent man, a godly man full of grace and love and a quality of absolute necessity to enter the kingdom of god, humility grounded in a desire to serve his god and all god has sent his way. how did i know this? because for nearly a dozen years my wife, laura, and our children and i, we have laughed with him. we have fished with him.

president bush brought up riding in fidelity. the secret service was behind us he was at full throttle. i saw many of them reaching for what i thought was protective armor but i found they were actually crossing themselves we've been blessed to share meals and tears and moments of silence and prayers and times of great strength and times of great weakness never, not once, did i witness anything but care and concern for those around him the job of a pastor or priest, a rab rabbi, is to call on them to look to god to do the right

thi thing, to serve others and to love and president bush made my job so easy. our lesson from the hebrew scriptures remind us god is light, and the president reflected that light his whole life through he once said i'm a man who sees life in terms of missions defined and missions completed we were called when america and her citizens of his mission and ours to be points of light but with one aim to leave our world better than we found it. i have a political cartoon of the 41st president i keep it in my desk with caricatured big ears sitting at his desk looking at his watch saying to himself, communism is dead, the wall is down, apartheid is falling, mandela is free, the sandinistas are ousted, germany is reuniting, the cold war is over, i've returned my calls and,

heck, it's not even lunch time we sometimes forget all that president bush did for us in large part because he decided to shine not upon himself but to shine to others. president bush gave me this plaque several years ago and on the back is a note. russ, my good friend gave this to me. it may be of help to you in some way. it reads simply, breathe christ at all times if necessary use words t. remains on my desk as a remind they're faith means more than words. jesus christ for george bush was at the heart of his faith. but his was a deep faith a generous faith, a simple faith in the best sense of the word.

he knew jesus' two greatest commandments to love god and to love your neighbor the president loved and served not just some but all that god sent his way he lived his own adage that tolerance is a virtue not a vice he respected and befriend e eed christians of every denomination comrades from every nation and race yes, he was a republican, but for him political parties were but a line in the sand to brush away in times of the greater good to be that kinder and gentler nation the gospel that was read to us a moment ago reminds that's jesus told his followers to be the light of the world so the world could turn their hearts toward god and others let your light shine before others so they may see your good

works and give glory to your father in heaven and so was president bush. his life was defined by his faith and his service that are worthy of all those made in god's image. in september of 1990 president bush spoke to those gathered outside those doors for the dedication of this great cathedral. he pointed inside to that magnificent rose window right there from the outside and he spoke these words from where we now stand the rose high above seems quite conformist to some perhaps but when we enter we see it back lit by the sun it dazzles in astonishing splendor and reminds us without faith we, too, are but stained glass windows in the dark. the president understood even in the darkest of nights things can

be transformed if handed over to the almighty no one on that first good friday expected easter sunday but it came it came because the light that brought creation into being. we call that resurrection. only days ago i was humbled along with members of the president's staff, his outside standing and loyal medical teams, so many friends, sully, who i believe has gotten more press than the president in the past few days. loving members of his family who called in, who spoke with him throughout the day and as our 43rd president just said inspired his last words, words of love. sitting with us was somebody the

president liked to call his little brother, james baker and his wife susan as i said wonderful hugs and kind words throughout the day, kisses throughout the day. toward the end secretary baker and i were sitting a few steps away and he whispered to me, you know, that man changed my life a bit later secretary baker was at the foot of the president's bed, and toward the end jim baker rubbed and stroked the president's feet for perhaps half an hour the president smiled at the comfort of his dear friend here i witnessed a world leader who was serving a servant who had been our world's leader. and what came to mind was jesus. on that last night before his own crucifixion having said

everything he had to say wrapped a towel around his waist and without words washed his disciples feet as jesus finished, he said, i've set an example for you do as i have done. serve one another. by this the world will know you're my disciples if you love and serve one another. at the end we all knelt. we all placed our hands on the president. we said our prayers together and then we were silent. for a full long measure as this man who changed all of our lives, who changed our nation, who changed our world left this life for the next. it was a beautiful end it was a beautiful beginning

for a moment, but a moment only, that dear point of light we know as george herbert walker bush, dimmed, but it now shines brighter than it ever before has. and now it godly man, this servant, this child of god is in the loving arms of barbara and robin and the welcoming arms of our lord who embraced him with his divine love. some have said in the last few days this is an end of an era. but it does not have to be perhaps it's an invitation to fill the hole that has been left behind the president so loved his church he loved the episcopal church. he so loved our great nation he so loved you, his friends

he so loved every member of his family but he was so ready to go to heaven, and heaven was so ready to receive him because he lived those two great commandments if you want to honor him and if you call yourself a daughter or a son of god, then love god. love your neighbor there's no greater mission on planet earth my hunch is heaven, as perfect as it must be, just got a bit kinder and gentler leaving behind that hole for you and me to fill. preach christ at all times if necessary use words

mr. president, mission complete. well done, good and faithful servant. welcome to your eternal home where ceiling and visibility are unlimited. and live goes on forever amen ♪

♪ ♪ packing up the dreams in the first you ♪ ♪ i can't believe those and the chapter in your life is through ♪ ♪ we'll keep you close as alw s always ♪ ♪ it won't even seem you've gone ♪ ♪ because our hearts will keep

the love that keeps us strong ♪ ♪ friends are friends forever i the lord's the lord of them ♪ ♪ and a friend will not say never because the welcome will not end ♪ ♪ though it's hard to let you o go ♪ ♪ that a lifetime is not too long to live as friends ♪ the faith and love is god's gift ♪ ♪ springing from the hope we know ♪ ♪ and we will pray the joy

you're living ♪ ♪ is the strength now you show ♪ we'll keep you close as always ♪ ♪ i ♪ because our hearts in big and small ways will keep the love that keeps us strong ♪ ♪ friends are friends forever i the lord is the lord to them and a friend will not say never because the welcome will not end ♪ ♪ it's hard to let you go in th father's hands we know that a lifetime is not too long to live

as friends ♪ ♪ friends are friends forever b if the lord's the lord to them and a friend will not say never because the welcome will not end ♪ ♪ though it's hard to let you g in the father's hands we know that a lifetime is not too long to live as friends ♪ ♪ no a lifetime is not too long to live as friends ♪

in the assurance of eternal life given at baptism let us proclaim our faith and say -- i believe in god, the father the all mighty creator of heaven and earth, i believe in jesus christ, his only son, our lord he was conceived by the power of the holy spirit and born of the virgin mary. he suffered under pontius pilot, was crucified, died and was buried he descended to the dead on the third day he rose again he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the father he will come again to judge the living and the dead. i believe in the holy spirit,

the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting amen. ♪ our father which art in

heaven glory be thy name ♪ ♪ ♪ thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven ♪ ♪ give us this day our daily

bread and forgive us our trespasses as forgive those who trespass against us ♪ ♪ lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil ♪ ♪ for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forev forever ♪ ♪ amen

>> for our brother george, let us pray to our lord, jesus christ, who said, i am resurrection and i am life for you consoled martha and mary in their distress, draw near to

us who mourn for george and draw the tears of those who weep. >> hear us, o lord. >> you wept at the grave of lazarus your friend, comfort us in our sorrow. >> hear us, o lord. >> you raised the dead to life, give to our brother eternal life >> hear us, o lord >> you promised paradise to the thief who repented bring our brother to the joys of heaven. >> hear us, o lord. >> our brother was washed in baptism and anointed with the holy spirit, give him fellowship with all your saints >> hear us, o lord >> comfort nous our sorrows at the death of our brother let our faith be our consolation and eternal life our hope. >> hear us, o lord

>> father, we pray to you for george and for all those whom we love, but see no longer. grant to them eternal rest let light shine upon them. may his soul and the souls of all the departed through the mercy of god rest in peace amen. ♪

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