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>> i welcome you to this service in celebration of the life and faith of our 41st president, george herbert walker bush. if you would, please turn in your bulletins to page 6. let us sing together with strength, "o beautiful for spacious skies." [congregation singing]

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>> please be seated. we have one anthem that we are going to play and this was one of the anthems that was offered on the day of the 41st president's inauguration. "this is my country." [choir singing] ♪

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>> with faith in jesus christ, we receive the body of our brother, george h.w. bush for burial. let us pray with confidence to god, the giver of life, he will raise him to the perfection in the company of the saints. deliver your servant, george, o sovereign lord christ from all evil and set him free from every bond that he may rest with all your saints in the eternal habitations where with the father and the holy spirit you live and reign, one god forever and ever, amen. let us also pray for all who mourn that they may cast their care on god and know the consolation of his love.

almighty god, look with pity upon the soros of your servants for whom we pray. remember them, lord, in mercy, nourish them with patience, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon them and give them peace through jesus christ, our lord, amen. please stand.

[silence] >> he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. and whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. i know that my redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. and though this is body be destroyed yet shall i see god whom i shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. for none of us live to himself, and no man dies to himself. for if we live, we live unto the lord. if we die, we die unto the lord.

whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the lord's. blessed are the dead who die in the lord. even so says the spirit while they rest from their labors. [silence]

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[silence] >> let us sing together our national anthem. [orchestra playing] o say can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming. whose broad stripes and bright

stars, through the perilous fight. 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. o 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 standing. let us pray. o god, whose mercies cannot be numbered accept our prayers on behalf of thy servant george herbert walker bush, and grant george and entrance into the land of light and joy in the fellowship of thy saints. jesus christ, thy son, our lord who lives and reigns with thee and the holy spirit, one god, now and forever, amen. please be seated for the lessons.

>> a reading from lamentations. the steadfast 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 who wait for him. to the soul that seeks him. it is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the lord. for the lord will not cast off forever, but though he caused grief he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love. for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men. the word of the lord. >> thanks be to god.

>> psalm 23. the lord is my shepherd, i shall not want. he makes me to lie down in green pastures. he leadeth me beside still waters. he restoreth my soul. he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. yea though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death i will fear no evil. for thou art with me. thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. >> thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. you anoint my head with oil. my cup runs over. surely goodness 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 today in the house of the lord to say goodbye to a man of great faith and great integrity. a truly beautiful human being. and to honor his noble character, his life of service, and the sweet 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 has 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. i am about to do something you always 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 lawyer, i see that thing beloved by all lawyers, a loophole. [laughter] now, don't brag about yourself, you once wrote, let others point out your virtues and your

good points. today i'm the other, mr. president, with the special privilege of joy and 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 responsible positions on behalf of his country, congressman, ambassador to china, and to the united nations, director of the c.i.a., and vice president. then as history will faithfully record, he became one of our nation's finest presidents and

beyond any doubt our nation's very best one-term president. for millions and millions across the globe, the world became a better place because george bush occupied the white house for four years. he was not considered a skilled speaker, but his deeds were quite eloquent. and he demonstrated their eloquence by carving them into the hard granite of history. they expressed his moral character and they reflected his decency, his boundless kindness, and consideration of others. his determination always to do the right thing and always to do that to the very best of his ability. they testified to a life nobly

lived. he possessed the classic virtues of our civilization and of his faith. the same virtues that express what is really best about this country. these same ideals were known to and they were shared by our founding fathers. george bush was temperate in thought, word and deed. he considered his choices and then he chose wisely. the berlin wall fell in november 1989 less than one year into his presidency. it was a remarkable triumph for american foreign policy as joyous east and west germans danced on the remains of that hated wall, george bush could have joined them metaphorically and claimed victory for the west, for america and frankly,

for himself. but he did not. he knew better. he understood that humility toward and not humiliation of a fallen adversary was the very best path to peace and reconciliation. and so he was able to unify germany as a member of the north atlantic treaty organization notwithstanding the initial reservations of france, the united kingdom, and the soviet union. thus the cold war ended not with a bang, but with the sound of a hall yard rattling over the kremlin 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 greater than himself. decades later, when saddam hussein invaded kuwait in august 1990 and began to brutalize kuwaitis, george bush never waivered. 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 peacemaker. 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. his deeds 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, and he was. to the parents of a young son who lost -- of 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 nation was 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 and countless other charities

is 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 family is a source of both personal strength and the values one needs to face life. and, of course, history has 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. and who knows what the future will bring for his grandchildren and their children? i've always been proud that george bush used to describe our relationship as one 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 when i knew 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. [laughter] he would look at me and he would say baker, if you're so smart why am i president and you're not? [laughter] he was a leader and he knew it. my hope is that in remembering the life of george herbert walker bush and in honoring his accomplishments, we will see that we are really praising what is best about our nation, the nation he dearly loved and whose values he embodied. there is more to say than time

permits and anyway, when measured against the eloquence of george bush's character and life, our words are very inadequate. and so i conclude these remarks with his words. written some years ago to his old tennis buddy. we've known each other a long time, he wrote to me. we have shared joy and sadness and time has indeed gone swiftly by. now it races on even faster and that makes me treasure 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 the world, we rejoice, mr. president, that you are safely

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

knew as grandma. -- grandpa. george h.w. bush was the most gracious, humble man i will ever know. we're here to give thanks for his extraordinary life but i want to talk about some of the things he was thankful for. the things that to him mattered most. my grandfather 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. the book opened with a letter to a grandson. it was addressed to me and recounted some of our recent 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 on it watching you and playing on it. near the end of summer when the moon was full, the tides were high there was that special day when it almost seemed like the boat was real. in those few words my

grandfather said more about his life than i could ever tell you this morning. here is a man gearing up for the role of a lifetime and yet his mind went back to his family. a book about policy issues and yet he still found time to write about an imaginary boat that he built with his grandson. in a typical day he would wake up around 5:00 a.m. to review security briefings and grab his first coffee of the day. when the coast was clear the grandkids would try our best to snag a spot on the bad and nestle between him and grandma while they read the paper. a larger than life figure who was fly-fishing in maine talking where the blue fish were running. host horseshoe matches. while encouraging trash tack like power outage or woodrow wilson if your shoe hit the

wooden back stop. his typical spread was barbecue, tacos, and a healthy compliment of blue bell ice cream and klondike bars. always the competitor each night he challenged all the grandkids to the coveted first to sleep award. [laughter] in classic grandpa fashion he would write letters of encouragement to us all. whether we had a hard semester at school and for the record, not me, if one broke his fidelity onto the rocks, or one of us deaf niftily not me ended up in granny's cross hairs. i knew too much. at the close of one summer after he left public service he wrote an email to us all saying the only thing wrong with the last five months is that none of you were here enough. next year promise this old grandpa that you'll spend more time with us here by the sea.

i have had to give up fly-fishing off the rocks in maine but there are plenty of wonderful things to do. i think of you all an awful lot. i wonder how each of you is doing in school and in life. if you need me, i'm here for you because i love you very much. in the psalms god makes this promise with long life i will satisfy him and show him my salvation. today we know that my grandpa did enjoy a long and extraordinary life and we know he is enjoying the beginning of his next life rejoining those whom he lost but now by grace has found again. 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 can take them. a place where individuals working alone or in groups can help the condition of their fellow man on a voluntary basis, a bright hope for america when he spoke of a thousand points of light. he often spoke about the timeless creed of duty, honor,

country, the values that have sustained the republic. but this wasn't something he just talked about. this was something he lived. having flown 458 combat missions in the pacific and shot down and rescued at sea he never saw his own heroism any greater than anyone else who wore the uniform. i know this because i've experienced it personally. he was proud when walker joined the marine corp, when i joined the navy and prouder when we served overseas. our service never compared to his yet we could never convince him of that. in our times together our big wonderful and competitive family saw the personal goodness that led to his recognized historical greatness. he left a simple, yet profound legacy to his children, grandchildren and to this country. service. undoubtedly when the last words are written on him they will certainly include this. that the fulfillment of a complete life cannot be achieved without service to others.

you should know that my grandfather was thankful for his god. he once told us as the grandkids god is good but his love has a cost. we must be good to one another. his faith and love for others that drove him and led him to a life of public service. here in houston at a prayer breakfast he once reflected on his time on the deck of the submarine that rescued him after he was shot down during world war ii. to get some fresh air he went on the deck, stood the watch, looked out in the dark. he said the sky was clear, the stars were brilliant like a blizzard of fire flies in the night. 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 grandpa but in death as in life my grandfather has

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

the corinthians. and i will show you a still more excellent way. if i speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, i am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. and if i have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and 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 of my possessions and if i hand over my body so that i may boast but do not have love, i gain nothing. love is patient, love is kind, love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. it does not insist on its own way. it is not irritable or resentful. it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the

truth. it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. >> love never ends. as for prophesies, they will come to an end. as for tongues, they will cease. as for knowledge, it will come to an end. for we know only in part and we prophesy only in part. but 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 became an adult i put an end to childish ways. for now we see in a mirror dimly. then we will see face-to-face. now i know only in part, then i will know fully, even as i have been fully known. and now faith, hope and love

abide. these three. and the greatest of these is love. the word of the lord. >> thanks be to god. >> a favorite hymn of the president's "eternal father strong to save" we invite you to turn to page 7. we'll sing the first two verses before the gospel, the last two after the gospel. [organ playing] [congregation singing] ♪

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>> the gospel of our lord jesus christ, according to john. martha said to jesus, lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died but even now i know that god will give you whatever you ask of him. jesus said to her your brother will rise again. martha said to him i know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. jesus said to her i am the resurrection and the life. those who believe in me, even though they die, will live. and everyone who lives and

believes in me will never die. do you believe this? she said to him yes, lord, i believe that you are the messiah, the son of god, the one coming into the world. the gospel of the lord. [organ playing] [congregation continuing to "eternal father, strong to

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

and barbara answered, hello, russ, i'm not checking out yet. [laughter] we talked for a bit. i asked permission to anoint her head with oil and pray with her. and we did. we prayed. i left and then she called me to come back in. barb, 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 that began june 12th, 1924, george herbert walker bush was born into the cradle of a

loving family that held fast to the values of friendship and family and faith. of integrity, honesty and loyalty. of character, courage, and service. now at the end of that journey, that cradle that sustained him throughout his 94 years of life has released him into the loving arms of his heavenly father. the end depends on the beginning. and this is a good ending because from the very beginning, george bush was committed to a life not for himself, but for others. and so we gather today charged with three tasks saying goodbye, giving our thanks, and lifting up our lives to hope. bidding farewell is the hardest of these tasks because we must acknowledge that the world is not the same without this great

man, the tectonic plates of our world have shifted and today's world we sometimes recoil at the complex emotions instead of shedding tears of grief that honor our loved ones, tears honor those who love. george bush was never afraid to shed tears and so 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 great 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 one of history's greatest leaders. but we have lost more than a leader. he, like his wife of over 70 years, barbara, had that unique ability to make you feel like

he was your best friend and you were his. and he pulled it off with charm and humility and humor with few, if any, rivals. so however you do it today, whether through quiet meditation or tearful remembrance or jubilant story give thanks his life brushed up against yours. goodbye, thank you, but there is one more thing we come to do and that is to lift up our lives to hope. what do i mean by that? well, president bush was a man of faith, a faith that sustained him in this life and now has brought him new life. the president and barbara bush were devoted and active members of this church, st. martin's, for over 50 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 and serving coffee and

worshipping here. this is what he said, i remember sitting in the back and how my pew wiggled and shook as our four boys and sometimes doria got the gig also. i don't want to hold it over the rest of you but how many of you can say of the christmas pageant my grandson was a shepherd in 1980 and his sister an angel both in the same year. as he was giving this talk, barbara spoke up and said did it ever occur to you they both made it because you had just been elected vice president? [laughter] but 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. in an address two 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. and lincoln responded my concern is not whether god 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 lessons for this service which i hope you'll take home and read and reflect upon. they're lessons that speak of the love of god and the comfort of god and the hope of life eternal given to us through his son, jesus christ. the patron saint of this parish is known to cover a barely clad

beggar knowing that it was the right thing to do. only later was it revealed to him in a dream that his selfless act had clothed christ himself. now those of us fortunate to worship with george and barbara bush here witnessed a similar selflessness as we worshipped together, they never made a show or a fuss of arriving, worshipping or leaving. they loved to spend time with members here. they had a favorite spot right over there but if they arrived and someone had beat them to it, they never created a problem. in fact, particularly crowded days christmas and easter, they often relinquished their seats to a mother with children or a son coming 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.

but before he could finish the sentence the president whips off his own coat and placed it around the gentleman's shoulders and walked into worship with a smile and without another word. george bush loved our lord and knew our lord loved him. and it was that connection 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 know how that struggle would end and he put a question to me about as simply as anybody could. he said what do you think heaven is like? it was a confident statement, one that bespoke of a resolute faith. he didn't want to know if there was a heaven or whether he would be there when the end came. instead he just wanted to know what it was like.

he was ready 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? but then a big old texas-sized hug from his wife and daughter with the words we adore you. his very first act after being sworn into office as the 41st president was to lead our nation in prayer. and as the end depends on the beginning and as we say our goodbyes, i want to invite you to pray in honor and

thanksgiving and celebration of this man that we know and love, this man we adore. would you bow your heads? may his -- this was his prayer on the day of his inauguration, his first act as president. heavenly father, we bow our heads and thank you for your love. accept our thanks for the peace that yields this day and the shared faith that makes its continuance likely. make us strong to do your work, willing to heed and hear your will. and write on our hearts these words, use power to help people, for we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor name.

there is but one just use of power and it is to serve people. help us remember, lord. amen. >> we are here, sir. we told you we would be. and it's an honor. we first sang for him in october of 1983, on the lawn of the

white house, when he was vice president. he said "fellas," he always called us fellas. "would you sing a few songs? i'm a big fan." for decades we have sang for hi him. this is, again, a real honor to be here. what a lot of people may not know is he fancied himself to be a good big singer. [laughter] he was not. [laughter] we will sing for our president. ♪ ♪ amazing grace, how sweet the sound ♪ ♪ that saved a wretch like me ♪ i once was lost ♪ but now am found

♪ was blind but now i see ♪ ♪ t'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 here ten thousand years ♪

♪ bright shining as the sun ♪ we've no less days to sing god's praise ♪ ♪ than when we've first begun [applause] >> the president's tradition, we

stand to say things we believe. in the sure and certain hope of the resolution of the life eternal, let's turn to page 4. together, let us recite the apostle's creed. i believe in god, the father almighty, maker of heaven and earth. in jesus, christ, his only son, our lord, who was conceived by the holy ghost. born of the virgin mary. it suffered under pontius pilate. was crucified, dead, and buried. he descended into hell. the third day, he rose again from the dead. he ascended into heaven, and sat up on the right hand of god, the father almighty. from thence, he shall come to judge the living of the dead. i believe in the holy ghost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. amen. please be seated.

♪ ♪ ♪ our father who art in heaven ♪ hallowed 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 trespassese forgive our debtors ♪ ♪ and lead us not into temptation ♪ ♪ but deliver us from evil

♪ for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory ♪ ♪ forever, amen ♪ give us this day [applause] >> please stand for the prayer of the people.

in peace, let us. to the lord. almighty god. in one communion and in fellowship, and the mystical body of our son, christ, our lord. we beseech the come to the church, paradise, and on earth. amen. >> grant all that you have been baptized into christ's death and resurrection may die to sin and rise to new newness of life. we may pass with him to our joyful resurrection. amen. >> grant to us who are still in our pilgrimage, and to walk as yet by faith, that the holy spirit may lead us in holiness and righteousness all our days. amen. >> grant to the faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins and serve thee with a quiet mind. amen.

>> grant to all who mourn issuer confidence. all the grease from the, may they have the consolation of our love. amen >> give courage and faith to those who are bereaved, that they might have the strength to meet the days ahead in the comfort of a reasonable and holy hope, in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love. amen. >> we pray in the midst of things we cannot understand to the trust in the communion of saints. the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting. amen. >> grant increasing knowledge and love of the, george may go from strength to strength, and the life of perfect service in thy heavenly kingdom. amen. >> grant us, with all who have died in the resurrection, to have our consummation and bliss

and everlasting glory. with all thy saints, to receive the crown of life, which was promised to all who share in the victory of our son, jesus chris christ. in the holy spirit, one god, forever and ever. amen. please sit for the anthem. ♪ ♪ i have seen the glory of the coming of the lord he is

trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored ♪ ♪ he hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword ♪ ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ his truth is marching on

♪ i have seen him in the watch fire's ♪ ♪ of 800 circling camps ♪ they have building him and alter ♪ ♪ in the evening dues and damps damps ♪ ♪ i can read his righteous sentence ♪ ♪ by the dim and flaring lamps ♪ his his day is marching on ♪ ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah

♪ glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ [musical interlude] ♪ ♪ he is coming like the glory ♪ ♪ in the beauty of the lilies

♪ christ was born across the sea ♪ ♪ with a glory in his bosom ♪ that transfigure's you and me me ♪ ♪ as he died to make men holy ♪ let us die to make men free ♪ while god is marching on ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ his truth is marching on

♪ glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ [applause]

>> please stand for the commendation, in the middle of page five. give rest, o christ, to thy servant with our saints. >> or sorrow and pain are no more, christ everlasting. >> thou art immortal, the creator and maker of mankind, and immortal. formed of the earth, and to the earth shall be returned.

when doubt created, unto dust shalt thou return. we go to town to the dust, yet even at the grave, we make our song, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. were sorrow and pain are no mor more. >> in thy hands, merciful savior, we commend thy servant, george. we humbly beseech the, chief of thine own soul, a lamb of thine own flock. a center of thine own redeeming. receive george into the mercy, in the blessed rest of everlasting peace. and into the glorious company of the saints in light. amen. before our bishop, the bishop of the diocese of texas, offers a

blessing, we share with you that when we leave today we will be singing him number 562, onward christian soldiers. on page eight and nine of your booklet. it is one of the favorites of the 41st president. as we leave the church, we would ask that everyone please remain in your seats unless you are instructed to do so otherwise. please remain in your seats until the family, pallbearers, leave the church. and then until we drive away for the president's burial, we will ask that you please remain here and continue in the spirit of for prayer and thanksgiving for this remarkable man's life and thus salvation of his life now with our lord. unto god's gracious mercy and protection, we commit you. lord, bless you and keep you. the lord made his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto

you. the lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace, and may the blessing of god almighty, the father, the sun, and the holy ghost, be amongst you and remain with you always. amen. let us go forth in the name of christ. >> thanks be to god. ♪ ♪ ♪ onward, christian soldiers ♪ marching as to war ♪ with the cross of jesus ♪ going on before

♪ christ, the royal master ♪ leads against the foe ♪ forward into battle ♪ see his banners go ♪ onward christian soldiers ♪ marching as to war ♪ with the cross of jesus ♪ going on before [organ playing]

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>> attention!

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[band begins playing] ["hail to the chief"] ♪

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[soldier gives command]

>> george herbert walker bush leaves saint maarten's episcopal church, his adoptive home in houston, for a final time. officers of the law salute, and his friends and family gather to celebrate. it was as he wanted it, as he had largely planted, as his family had envisioned it. and the body of george herbert walker bush will go, now by motorcade, to a train, off to aggie land and his presidential library, where he would be read to laid

to rest beside his wife. whom, as the reverend dr. levinson said, has already joined in heaven. our coverage continues now on fox news channel on satellite and cable. for those of you watching on fox television stations across the nation, much more later on your local news. i'm shepard smith. fox news, houston. >> shepard: our coverage continues on fox news channel, across the land. for me, the highlight of the day had to have been when the reverend dr. levinson was speaking of george herbert walker bush's inaugural prayer, his first act as president of the united states was to lead the nation in those gathered in prayer. the final passage read by the reverend dr. levenson today was, "there is one just use of power,

and it is to serve the people." dr. levenson spoke of president bush the 41st giving up his regular pew for a mom with kids, or standing in the back when necessary. or that, one day, he recalled where president bush handed off his coat to someone he thought was cold, smiled, and came into the congregation to worship. no doubt, said a hello to everyone he passed. just as you saw president bush the 43rd today. he is now the patriarch of this dynastic power of a family across our nation. it was interesting to watch him throughout the course of the event, sometimes laughing, sometimes singing, sometimes tapping his foot. often crying or reaching over to the hand of his brother. at the end, he was cheering and marveling at the sound of the

choir and the rest of singing "glory, glory, hallelujah" before they walked out of that church today. he gave handshakes and waves to all in attendance. he loved his father, and they shared a lot of moments that maybe we will never learn about as president and father president. but, certainly, much of it was on public display. today we saw them together for the last time. he worked for the presidential personnel all four years, that president bush 41 was in the office. looks around the corner from the church, here. he saw george herbert walker bush on his and his family hera regular basis. your day, your thoughts on a question mark >> a very powerful service. personal, certainly less formal than yesterday. but very warm and very loving. i was struck with first corinthians chapter 13, faith, hope, love, and the greatest of these

these is love. the apostle paul wrote these, but president bush modeled these words of love for so many people. that's what really struck me with the service today. >> shepard: i enjoy watching the family. everyone deals with grief directly. a few of us have ever dealt with seven days of grief in the way that this family will. they are a very strong bunch up front, it's also very. a lot of them. >> shepard: this is an emotional family. i think the country knows how close they are. they are also very emotional. you can see that, that is because of the closeness and intimacy and the relationships they have with each other. that is a powerful model for all of us as americans, and those of us who, of course, have families. i was really moved by just the president -- his design of the service. it was a vintage 41. it wasn't about him, it was

about his family, it was about his friends. at the end of the day, it was about the creator, god, who plucked him out of that ocean and saved him and give him purpose in his life. you saw that when we sang "glory, glory, hallelujah." it was as if he was pointing to the one that saved him and give him purpose in this magnificent life that he led. the agent brad blakeman is also with us, he served in president bush the 41st's -- as both president and vice president. he was a member of the president's senior staff. he was also with the bush family this week in washington, and spent a lot of time with them. my first question for you is, how have they been holding up? you been with it through it all. >> they been holding up great. i had time to spend some time with with the president -- mrs. bush at blair house. they were instructive and telling everybody that this is a celebration of life. 94 years, magnificent public

servant, a great father. a good friend. this is not a time to mourn, it's a time to celebrate a great life. he lived his life just as he preached to others. family, service, faith, honor, duty, country. that was george bush in life, that's the legacy he leaves, and that is the challenge for us to follow in his footsteps. >> shepard: today, during today's service, i wonder if there was a moment that struck you. >> i think of a country music. music was a big part of president george h.w. bush's life, and his family have and fs have said that he wasn't a good singer but it was a point of relaxation and a point for him to escape. i love country music. i think, because of the patriotism and upbeat nests of country music. the people who perform today or people he loved as vice president and president, and established a relationship

with. ganny reba, i didn't realize before, is a longtime friend. more than one person said that he loved to hear her sing. >> he certainly did. one thing that struck me today as we reached the final part of his journey -- he's taking a train trip. while, he took a train trip almost exactly the same as we are going to witness shortly when he opened his library on november 6th in 1997. he came down to his library opening in a train, full of family and friends and dignitaries. but he lectured us, those of us who were on the open committee of his library. "i don't want any hoopla! will have hoopla the next day when we open, but the train is going to come, i'm going to get out, and we will have the big celebration the next day." after he lectured us and got off the phone, we all turned to each other and said "there is going to be hoopla." and we did. there was an arrival ceremony, his son was the governor, we had

marching bands, we had the cadets from the university of texas and texas a&m, we had college station residents come out, and it must have had 500 people out there. it was fantastic. after the ceremony, he called us up to his office at the college and he said "that was a lot of hoopla." but he understood how important it was for the community to welcome him, because it was just as important for them as it was to him. >> shepard: reverend levenson said today, repeatedly, through the homily and otherwise, "we adore you. here, in this place that he knew so well, where he came to worship with his family, where he was sent off on a chilly, overcast day, that adoration was really heartfelt. and pervasive. it will follow him on the train ride to aggie land. we will continue to celebrate the life and times of george

herbert walker bush, and in a bit we will update you on the news of the day. our coverage from houston continues in just a moment. ♪ do i use a toothpaste that whitens my teeth or one that's good for my teeth? now i don't have to choose! from crest 3d white the whitening therapy collection with new spearmint and peppermint oil. it gently whitens, plus it has a fortifying formula to protect your enamel. look for a $1 coupon in this sunday's paper. ...to give you the protein you need with less of the sugar you don't. [grunting noise] i'll take that.

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why rent when you can buy? go to newdayusa.com, or call 1-877-423-5744. >> shepard: during the unveiling back in 2,005 of 4141, this blue and gray locomotive commissioned in honor of the 41st president and unveiled at texas and am, he said that day -- "had this train being available during my presidency, i might have left air force one behind." today, that same 4300-horsepower machine will carry his casket, along with relatives and close friends, for about 70 miles. his journey through five small texas town's expected to take about two and half hours. it will deliver the casket from

suburban houston, college station, and the university where part of the school bears his name. and where, in lieu of flowers and gifts, he asked money to be sent to the memorial fund. let's turn to patrick o'hara will now, he was a secret servie agent assigned to present george w. bush. he said it was his best projective assignment. good to see you. how was airbus protective assignment? >> good afternoon, shep. when you start thinking about all the protective's i've been with as an agent, it's often times the relationship between the agents and the protect the that makes it remarkable. that was the case with vice president bush, and then president bush. i think the fact that a secret service agent was pallbearer when he began his trip to washington speaks

volumes in terms of the relationship between the agent and president bush and his family. they ask the agents to be pallbearers. the men and women of the secret service has been with president bush now for almost 4h him and his family. we really respect the man. >> shepard: i've heard over the last few days, and in fact, during his funeral as well. the closeness he had, and the special attention he took -- especially around holidays, for those who were there to protect and in a way serve him. >> absolutely, shepard. what happened -- i think probably the biggest issue is that he was friendly and respectful of the secret service agents, the staffs, the person n the street. he wasn't, i guess, standoffish -- impressed with himself. he always dropped down to the level of the people around him, and engaged with them.

because of that, he was endearing to himself. >> shepard: this motorcade now taking the former president's body to the train that we have been talking about. one that union pacific originally commissioned for the opening of the exhibits at his presidential library, and it was entitled "trains, track of the iron horse." it was one of the few times that company has painted a locomotive any color other vanilla. union pacific trains are yellow. after a beat down like brief training session during its unveiling 13 years ago, he took the engineer's seat, took the locomotive for a 2--mile excursion. he said at the time, "we just rode on the railroads all the time, i've never forgotten it." they will deliver him to that train for the final trip in just a moment.

>> shepard: continuing coverage on fox news channel as a motorcade makes its way to the train station for that last trip to college station. here with us again, special assistant to the the presidentl personnel. all four years of president bush 41's time in office. was there a particular time or a particular event where you said "this is this president." >> it was the time i was able to introduce my dad to bush 41, the two heroes in my life. my dad, at 50 years old, was

throwing molotov cocktails at soviet tanks that were going through his village during the 1956 hungarian revolution. fast-forward to 19 made to, we had just lost the election to bill clinton. my wife, and, said "why don't you take your dad to the white house?" i had been three times. we were standing in the receiving line, and i'm nervous for my dad. i don't know what he's going to say. he has an eighth grade educatio education. he had this thick, hungarian accent. he sounded like arnold schwarzenegger, who was here today, by the way. very close friend of the family. he said "mr. president, thank you for what you did for my country and for liberating my people." that was quite a moment. the president grabbed him closer and said "and thank you, sir, for all you did." i was just struck at the president's graciousness gratitude toward my father at

that moment. calling him "sir," and to be standing next to these two heroes in my life. one who was resisting the soviet regime, and then say next to the one that presided as commander in chief over its dismantling. >> shepard: bradley can come as well. i'm confident -- if you have a moment, i would love to hear it. >> sure, i will play off of what the presidential historian said yesterday at the funeral here at the national cathedral yesterday. he told the story of the children 'cancer hospital where president bush is visited in krakow, poland. we had just come from auschwitz, and the vice president at that time walked the grounds of auschwitz. he was at the death while we are many people were machine-gunned. two marines assisted him, and tears started to come down the

vice president's cheeks. mrs. bush, as well as our u.s. marines. as he exited to go to the death block were so many people were tortured, he turned back and said "i would like their names." i went back to the marines and they apologize, they said "we are sorry, sir. we aren't supposed to show emotion." i told them how proud the vice president was that our people in uniform could show emotion and feel the feelings of this terrible and awful place. that we helped to liberate. right after that, we went to the children's cancer hospital. he and mrs. bush were surrounded by some children of the very age of robin, the daughter who was taken by a terrible disease, leukemia. yet, they broke down again. as they opened books that mrs. bush had brought, we brought medical equipment -- these are the type of people the bushes were. this is the type of leadership. that really touched all of us on the staff, to see how invested he was as a human being. the power he knew he had, and

the judicious nest of that power. the humanization of that power. that's what we saw on that trip, and that touched me all the years that i've known him. i have seen him at event after event exhibit that same type of leadership. >> shepard: thank you. 26 years in the secret service, i'm confident you saw a lot of things you can't tell us about. of the highlights, one that you could? >> absolutely, shepard. as i'm watching the monitor here, i'm seeing the motorcade go through houston. it reminds me of all the different motorcades that i was on with at the time vice president bush, and then secret service was with him as president bush. probably the most notable story was that right after the election -- not the election, the inauguration, in 1981 -- i had the opportunity of driving and that motorcade. in fact, i drove the a limousine that the vice president and

mrs. bush were in. as we went down pennsylvania avenue, vice president bush was told that in a few feet we would be opening up the roof on the car. he turned it to mrs. bush, and he said "hey, babe, i told you i would take you places." at that point, the roof opened up in the crowd started to roar. the two of them stood up. to this day, i still remember as if it was yesterday. >> shepard: how do you feel about what we seen today in over the past week? >> i must say, i'm very emotional about it. one, i am very proud of the fact that there is a tribute to this hero and this public servant that was a model to all of us. i modeled my career after him. i'm sure many of my colleagues have done the same thing. it is bittersweet. it's an end of an era, and at the same time, if you took a look at the cathedral yesterday, that entire front row is being protected by the men and women of the secret service. it reminds me of my former

career, and in many ways, i go back to the days when i was with vice president and then president bush. >> shepard: patrick, thank you thank you. brad, and les, as well. thanks to all of you. you may notice that have been a lot of houstonians lining the road. the motorcade route was in the papers this morning. they are following along. we will follow the former president's body as he returns to college station for interment at his presidential library. as fox news coverage continues. ♪ >> my hope is that in honoring his life and the compliments, we will see that we are really praising what is best about our

nation. the nation he dearly loved, and whose values he embodied. ♪ >> undoubtedly, when the last words are written on him, they will certainly include this -- that the fulfillment of a complete life cannot be achieved without service to others. ♪ i once was lost ♪ but now am found ♪ ♪ >> we honor those we love. george bush was never afraid to shed tears, and so today i bid you to follow his example. ♪ glory, glory, hallelujah >> we rejoice, mr. president, that you are safely tucked in now. and, through the ages. where god's loving arms around you.

because my glory, george, was to have had you as our president and such a friend. ♪ >> after days of mourning and paying tribute, america says it's fine final farewell to president george to president george w. bush. welcome to "outnumbered overtime" preet i'm harris faulkner. we pick up the coverage we are watching to give your life now is the hearse carrying the former president is traveling to a railway facility just north of houston, texas. that is where a departure ceremony is expected this hour. we are covering this live now. his casket will be loaded onto a