In Memory of President Bush

(4 Minute Read)

President George H. W. Bush

President George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st president of the United States (1989-1993), died Friday, November 30, 2018, at age 94.

Many words have been written and spoken memorializing President Bush. Click Memorial of President Bush for one such memorial.

Most memorials have focused on his accomplishments and extended family. Far less attention, however, has been focused on what may have been the most important part of his life — the Christian faith of President Bush.

Interestingly, in eulogizing President Bush, President Trump mentioned Bush’s faith first, before mentioning his well-known commitments to family and country:

“Through his essential authenticity, disarming wit, and unwavering commitment to faith, family, and country, President Bush inspired generations of his fellow Americans to public service — to be, in his words, ‘a thousand points of light’ illuminating the greatness, hope, and opportunity of America to the world. . . . With sound judgement, common sense, and unflappable leadership, President Bush guided our Nation, and the world, to a peaceful and victorious conclusion of the Cold War. As President, he set the stage for the decades of prosperity that have followed. And through all that he accomplished, he remained humble, following the quiet call to service that gave him a clear sense of direction. Along with his full life of service to country, we will remember President Bush for his devotion to family — especially the love of his life, Barbara.”
(Excerpted from the official Statement from President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the Passing of Former President George H.W. Bush.)

George & Barbara Bush
Faithfully married for 73 years

President Bush was known for his strong Christian faith throughout most of his adult life. His faith had practical consequences. In this day of frequent divorce, his faithful marriage of 73 years to Barbara set an example for family, friends, and all of America. In George W. Bush’s eulogy for his father, he repeatedly emphasized the fervent love of his father for his mother. Above all his father’s accomplishments, this love for Barbara seemed to be what most impressed him about his father’s life.

In the Presidential Proclamation on Thanksgiving Day 1989 President Bush explicitly proclaimed his faith in the Creator and acknowledged His manifold blessings in these excerpts:

On Thanksgiving Day, we Americans pause as a Nation to give thanks for the freedom and prosperity with which we have been blessed by our Creator. Like the pilgrims who first settled in this land, we offer praise to God for His goodness and generosity and rededicate ourselves to lives of service and virtue in His sight. . . .
Through the eloquent words of President Washington’s initial Thanksgiving proclamation – the first under the Constitution – we are reminded of our dependence upon our Heavenly Father and of the debt of gratitude we owe to Him. “It is the Duty of all Nations,” wrote Washington, “to acknowledge the Providence of almighty God, to obey his Will, to be grateful for his Benefits, and humbly to implore His Protection and Favor.” . . .
. . . we continue to offer thanks to the Almighty – not only for the material prosperity that our Nation enjoys, but also for the blessings of peace and freedom. . . .
As we pause to acknowledge the kindnesses God has shown to us – and, indeed, His gift of life itself – we do so in a spirit of humility as well as gratitude. . . .
Today, we, too, pause on Thanksgiving with humble and contrite hearts, mindful of God’s mercy and forgiveness and of our continued need for His protection and guidance. On this day, we also remember that one gives praise to God not only through prayers of thanksgiving, but also through obedience to His commandments and service to others, especially those less fortunate than ourselves. . . .
Today, we continue to offer thanks and praise to our Creator, that “Great Author of every public and private good,” for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us. In so doing, we recall the timeless words of the 100th Psalm:
Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations. . . .
I call upon the American people to gather together in homes and places of worship on that day of thanks to affirm by their prayers and their gratitude the many blessings God has bestowed upon us and our Nation.

Subsequent Thanksgiving Proclamations by President Bush contained similar references to the Creator and calls to acknowledge His blessings, forgiveness, and grace.

Here’s a relevant Rebus puzzle. Can you figure out the phrase that this puzzle represents? Try to solve the puzzle before you look at the answer below.

It is clear that President Bush personally believed in the Great Creator and committed his life to Him. In the book Billy Graham: God’s Ambassador, Evangelist Billy Graham said of Bush, “He says straight out that he has received Christ as his Savior, that he is a born-again believer, and that he reads the Bible daily.”

Bush’s biographer Doug Meacham eulogized Bush at the Washington D.C. memorial service. In Meacham’s Bush biography Destiny and Power, Meacham reported Bush’s response to the question, “Are you born again?” Bush answered, “If by ‘born again’ one is asking, ‘Do you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?’ then I could answer a clean-cut ‘Yes. No hesitancy, no awkwardness.’”

James Baker was Bush’s best friend. Baker had served under President Ronald Reagan as White House Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Treasury and as Secretary of State and White House Chief of Staff for President George H. W. Bush. Baker said this about Bush:
“He had great faith in God. He was a religious person who didn’t wear his religion on his sleeve, but he was a man of great faith.”

During his presidency, George H. W. Bush mentioned prayer in 220 proclamations, speeches, and remarks. His first act as president was to pray. In his 1989 presidential inaugural address he prayed,

“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 a name. There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people. Help us remember, Lord. Amen.”

One of the prayers President Bush chose for his funeral service uplifted the Great Creator with these words:

Thou only art immortal, the Creator and Maker of mankind; and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and unto earth shall we return. For so Thou didst ordain when Thou created me, saying, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” All we go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

President George Herbert Walker Bush serves as a sterling example of great Christian faith and godly conduct. May we all strive to follow in his footsteps of faith.

Questions to Ponder

1. President Bush left extensive evidence of his Christian faith. What evidence exists of your beliefs?
2. Will your passing provoke discussions of heaven and its reality as President Bush’s passing did?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

Rebus answer: Vice-President Bush.
[vise press+ah+tent bush]
(Bush served as vice-president under President Reagan 1981-1989.)
(Click Rebus puzzles for links to blog articles with a Rebus puzzle.)

Soli Deo Gloria.

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©William T. Pelletier, Ph.D.
“contending earnestly for the faith”
“destroying speculations against the knowledge of God”
“for the defense of the gospel”
(Jude 1:3; 2 Cor 10:5; Phil 1:16)
Wednesday December 12, 2018 A.D.

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

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