Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
323152803
label
National Prayer Breakfast 2/1/90 [OA 7564]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
323152803
contentType
document
title
National Prayer Breakfast 2/1/90 [OA 7564]
citationUrl
identifierLocal
13704-001
collections
Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Speech Backup Chronological Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
323152803
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
70f2ca58cdf4ebe2
ocrText
Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S; 1999-0311-F; 2018-0942-F
S
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Speech File Backup Files
Subseries:
Chron File, 1989-1993
OA/ID Number:
13704
Folder ID Number:
13704-001
Folder Title:
National Prayer Breakfast 2/1/90 [OA 7564]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
26
19
6
3
У 7
Public Papers of the Presidents
1
your armed forces rushed up; by
tims and all my compatriots I address
the simple, the goc
their utmost exertions, toiling day
myself to you and, in doing so, to the
a nice life."
and night on the inundated lands at
American people to express what can
Once in a while
the risk of their own lives under the
hardly be expressed in words: our
history. Let us stu
most unfavourable weather condi-
heart-felt thanks for everything you
tions, they saved victims and their
did when the sea-our faithful friend
ing of this Nation.
cattle and helped in plugging the in-
and eternal enemy-held our coun-
It is not merely
numerable breaches in the dykes.
try in its crushing grip.
War. All of the CO
All those who did their utmost to
I seize this opportunity to convey
to solve were as diff
help us have earned our deep-felt
to you, Mr. President, my sincere
to think, for examp
gratitude because they have proved
wishes both for the prosperity of the
in order that we m
that human solidarity does not stop
Republic and for your personal
at frontiers. On behalf of the vic-
well-being.
zens, not to be inde₁
JULIANA
there was no strug
make people under
8
Remarks at the Dedicatory Prayer Breakfast
you can understand
So when we cam
of the International Christian Leadership.
our forefathers had
February 5, 1953
was probably as grea
the Declaration the
Mr. Chairman, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:
opinion. They saic
This has been a wholly enjoyable occasion for me except for
and they went on to
the one second when I opened the little blue slip and found that
them to declare the
it said there would be an address by the President. I assure you,
realized that the go
both for your sakes and for mine, there will not be.
if this venture was t
There are a few thoughts, though, that crowd into my mind.
standing of this vent
With your permission I will attempt to utter them in a very in-
They went on to t
formal and homely way.
very basis of our go
First, there is a need we all have in these days and times for
dowed by their Creat
some help which comes from outside ourselves as we face the
When we came 1
multitude of problems that are part of this confusing situation.
intended to establish
I do not mean merely help for your leaders or the people in
tion and Constitution
Congress, in the Cabinet and others in authority, because these
system we had to sa
problems are part of all of us. They face each one of us because
their Creator."
we are a free country. Each of us realizes that he has responsi-
In one sentence W
bilities that are equal to his privileges and to his rights.
imbedded soundly in
So, as he approaches them at times, he says: "If we only had
sense. Today if we
36
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953
I 8
ts
compatriots I address
the simple, the good old days, how easy all this would be. What
nd, in doing so, to the
a nice life."
le to express what can
Once in a while it might be a good thing for us to turn back to
ressed in words: our
history. Let us study a little bit of what happened at the found-
ks for everything you
ea-our faithful friend
ing of this Nation.
It is not merely the events that led up to the Revolutionary
hemy-held our coun-
ng grip.
War. All of the confused problems that we were then called upon
opportunity to convey
to solve were as difficult as those we face now. Did you ever stop
President, my sincere
to think, for example, that the first year of that war was fought
r the prosperity of the
in order that we might establish our right to be free British citi-
1 for your personal
zens, not to be independent. From April 1775 until July 4, 1776,
JULIANA
there was no struggle for independence. It was a struggle to
make people understand that we were free British citizens. So
ayer Breakfast
you can understand the confusion of thought that was going on.
So when we came down to the Declaration of Independence,
rship.
our forefathers had difficulty in meeting their problems which
was probably as great for them as we feel our problems today. In
the Declaration they acknowledged the need to respect public
nd gentlemen:
opinion. They said, "When in the course of human events"-
n for me except for
and they went on to say a decent respect for mankind impelled
: slip and found that
them to declare the decisions which led to the separation. They
sident. I assure you,
realized that the good opinion of the whole world was necessary
t be.
if this venture was to succeed. At least they felt that an under-
crowd into my mind.
standing of this venture should be abroad in the world.
er them in a very in-
They went on to try to explain it. What did they say? The
very basis of our government is: "We hold that all men are en-
e days and times for
dowed by their Creator" with certain rights.
elves as we face the
When we came to that turning point in history, when we
S confusing situation.
intended to establish a government for free men and a Declara-
lers or the people in
tion and Constitution to make it last, in order to explain such a
thority, because these
system we had to say: "We hold that all men are endowed by
:ach one of us because
their Creator."
that he has responsi-
In one sentence we established that every free government is
to his rights.
imbedded soundly in a deeply-felt religious faith or it makes no
says: "If we only had
sense. Today if we recall those things and if, in that sense, we
37
I 8
Public Papers of the Presidents
can back off from our problems and depend upon a power greater
than ourselves, I believe that we begin to draw these problems into
focus.
As Benjamin Franklin said at one time during the course of the
stormy consultation at the Constitutional Convention, because he
sensed that the convention was on the point of breaking up:
"Gentlemen, I suggest that we have a word of prayer." And
strangely enough, after a bit of prayer the problems began to
smooth out and the convention moved to the great triumph that
we enjoy today-the writing of our Constitution.
Today I think that prayer is just simply a necessity, because
by prayer I believe we mean an effort to get in touch with the
Infinite. We know that even our prayers are imperfect. Even
our supplications are imperfect. Of course they are. We are
imperfect human beings. But if we can back off from those
problems and make the effort, then there is something that ties
us all together. We have begun in our grasp of that basis of
understanding, which is that all free government is firmly founded
in a deeply-felt religious faith.
As we sympathize with our great friends in Holland and Britain
today in this distressing disaster that has overtaken them, it is
good to know that the American soldiers, the American Navy,
the American airmen, are sharing those disasters and are moving
in as units and as individuals to help. I have had messages from
both of those countries expressing their great thanks to America
for the work they are doing. They, to my mind, are part of this
understanding that a government such as ours hopes to produce
people who are moved by sympathy, by all of those wonderful
qualities that are implicit in a deeply-felt religious faith. They
are living up to what we hope for our government, both as units
and as individuals.
I think my little message this morning is merely this: I have
the profound belief that if we remind ourselves once in a while
of this simple basic truth that our forefathers in 1776 understood
SO well, we can hold up our heads and be certain that we in our
38
dents
Dwight D. Eisenhower, I.953
9
upon a power greater
time are going to be able to preserve the essentials, to preserve
aw these problems into
as a free government and pass it on, in our turn, as sound, as
strong, as good as ever. That, it seems to me, is the prayer that
uring the course of the
all of us have today.
lonvention, because he
It has been very wonderful to meet you. Until I started over
oint of breaking up:
I had the picture, which Frank Carlson gave me last summer,
ord of prayer." And
of a small Congressional group of Congressmen and Senators who
he problems began to
met on a morning each week. I had an idea of coming over to
the great triumph that
see 20 or 25 or maybe 50 people. I had no idea that our host had
tution.
such a party as this. I do hope I may speak for all of you in
ly a necessity, because
thanking him for such a breakfast, the like of which I have not
get in touch with the
had in IO years. As long as you feed me grits and sausage, every-
: are imperfect. Even
thing will be all right.
rse they are. We are
Thank you.
a back off from those
NOTE: The President spoke at the
referred to U.S. Senator Frank Carl-
: is something that ties
Mayflower Hotel in Washington.
son of Kansas.
grasp of that basis of
His opening words "Mr. Chairman"
nment is firmly founded
9
Ч
Message to the Boy Scouts of America on
in Holland and Britain
S overtaken them, it is
Their 43d Anniversary. February 7, 1953
s, the American Navy,
[ Released February 7, 1953. Dated February 4, 1953 ]
lisasters and are moving
To the Boy Scouts of America:
have had messages from
;reat thanks to America
It is with great personal pleasure that I extend to you my
warmest congratulations on your Forty-third Anniversary and
y mind, are part of this
S ours hopes to produce
greet you on the occasion of Boy Scout Week 1953.
all of those wonderful
Your present crusade "Forward on Liberty's Team" is proving
to be most effective. Americans everywhere must be proud to
It religious faith. They
know that the Boy Scouts of America registered its three-millionth
overnment, both as units
active member during the past year. I understand that the
present membership has now reached a new high of 3,200,000
g is merely this: I have
urselves once in a while
Scouts, Explorers, and leaders, and that since I910 there have
been 20,200,000 American boys and men enrolled.
thers in 1776 understood
This birthday message is addressed to every Scout and leader
e certain that we in our
39
DRAFT Rev. Rev
the wife
Davis/Martin
Jan. 23, 1990
Title: Prayer
Draft: One
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
((Time)) Thursday,
VP
Inter
How Feb. 1, 1990
present
Thank you, Senator Grassley, Billy Graham housegenests ((others))
( (And we have several very special guests with us today who
have
traveled far to join us in a prayer for peace and
5.
party new
understanding. They are: Major Pierre Buyoya, President of
CHRISTIANI
Burundi President Marco Vincio Cerezo of Guatamala\
President Ershad 3 of Bangladesh and President Daniel T. Arap
El sal wador
Moi of Kenya. Let us give all of these distinguished visitors
human rights
a hearty welcome. \\\))
5
So we have here today, including myself, six heads of state,
twenty second heads of state, the representatives of 150 nations
3800
and many American citizens -- some four thousand people in all.
And of course, we are all thankful for the inspiring speech just
given by Secretary of State Baker.
( (Jim, I'm pleased that you've mastered the nuances of
foreign policy, and managed to avoid the mistake of a past
American diplomat, who called on the countries of the Middle East
to settle their differences "in an amicable Christian
manner. ) )
nace color creed
Today, we join together -- Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu and
students aroteas
Buddist -- not to celebrate those doctrines that divide us, but
the greater beliefs that unite us. We believe that we cannot
2
govern alone. We believe that if we talk to God, God listens.
And most of all, we believe that if our prayers are for peace,
then peace will be the answer to our prayers
((Of course, I understand that a few non-believers have
graciously accepted the invitation to this meeting. So I hope
you'll forgive me if I retell the old tale of the agnostic and
the bishop who were sharing a drink one evening at a social
occasion, when the agnostic's eyes fell on a beautiful globe of
the world that portrayed, in rich colors and vivid realism,
continents, rivers and oceans.
( ("Say, this is just what I've been looking for," exclaimed
the agnostic, "Who made it?"
( ("Why, nobody made it," said the bishop with feigned
innocence. "It just happened! ) )
Well, something that didn't just happen was the movement
back to religion. It was in the House and Senate during the
darkest days of the Second World War that Members of Congress
first turned to prayer. And when they did, they turned to the
most steadfast ally of all. For almost half a century, men and
women in the House and Senate -- members and staffers alike --
have regularly met to share a few quiet moments of prayer and
Bible reading. Tonight, I am proud to tell you that there is yet
another Bible study group in Washington, one that meets every
week in the White House. \\\
3
( (Of course, given the separation of church and state, I
can't say that I am pleased to officially sanction this group. 11
But I can at least give them my blessing. ))
Some say that this nation is more secular than religious.
True, the skyline of this very city is dominated by the Greek
temples of Washington's secular religion -- politics. But it is
also a skyline punctuated by the sharp spires of many churches,
the domes of synagogues and a few minarets. There is an irony
here -- when people are free to believe as they choose, their
hearts turn to God. So make no mistake about it. American is a
free nation. But America is also a religious nation.
And America is a giving nation. Recently, a close friend
sent to me a poem by ( (source) ) that goes:
"I sought my soul but
my soul I could not see
"I sought my God by my
God eluded me
"I sought my brother and
found all three."
Thousands of Americans are finding their soul, finding their
God, by finding their brother.
Thousand points of light.
4
And more and more, the nations of the world are turning to God.
Look to Eastern Europe
NCSU//
When I was a Congressman from Texas, there was a writer for
The Dallas Morning News by the name of Paul Crume ( (CROOM))
Paul has since passed away, but that newspaper still reprints on
its front page a column that he wrote for Christmas morning,
1967.
He wrote of angels, saying that if a man "has ever spent any
period in loneliness, when the senses are forced in upon
themselves, he has felt the wind from their beating wings and
been overwhelmed with the sudden realization of the endless and
gigantic dark that exists outside the little candle flame of
human knowledge." Man prays, not in the sense that he asks
something, but that he yields himself.
It was a beautiful column -- a prayer really -- and of it I
have only one thought to add. In the day to day rush of events,
we are tempted to ignore our better angels. But every now and
then, for no apparent reason,
7
V
inded of what is really important in life. Perhaps it's the
brush of an angel's wing. Perhaps it's the passing presence of a
lost loved one. Or perhaps it is the answer to our prayers that
can only be called grace.
Pre- B Prayer
Armstrong/Sen.
Open song
Open Prace
Rep Skeston
Response
Welcome
Enassley
R.
Rep. Pallerson
or Rd
Debbie Twice
Spec. Intro.
Dr Billy Grohan
SOLO
NT Rd
VP
Nann
R.
Prayer for Nat'l
Cren. Gran
leadas
message
852-907
BAKGO(15mm)
907 - 917
PORIS (10 minutes)
Group Song
Asharoft
5
Whatever it is, it is a reply.
4,000 people
150 nations
comments follow main address of Secretary Baker
Grassley
Billy Graham/George Beverly Shay/
Doug Coe -- Fellowship House, in Virginia - 522-0266.
Bangladesh -- President Alhaj Hussain Mohammed Ershad
arb SIL
Brkfst 730, 735
77 tables
in place by
Oberflow 800
3800 total
Events begin Wednesday
AF Academy Cheor
10 min before
Closed pless event
3 min after POTUS seated
cheor on stage
last minutes
Sep. of Church + state
12 Senators + 12 Congress me,
Md Table 8:00 A
Ardis
Johnson
Pres Essenhower 150 people
To: Mr. Doug Wead
FAX 456-6218
Fm: Doug Coe
FAX 247-3847
Re: Heads of State, etc.
National Prayer Breakfast
Dt: January 16, 1990
Cys: Including cover sheet
8
Attached is a copy of a briefing paper and the
list of internationals. There are two lists.
We will be adding a few more in the next couple
of days and it is probable that some of these
names will be changed as well.
This should give you the general picture.
BRIEFING
THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
FEBRUARY 1, 1990
The 1990 National Prayer Breakfast will be
attended by representatives from over 140 nations.
The honored guests are President and Mrs. Bush.
Others that will be involved will be the Vice-
President of the United States, leaders from all
branches of government, the diplomatic corps and
other national and international leaders.
Those responsible for this event are the mem-
bers of the U.S. Senate and the House of Repre-
sentatives involved in the weekly Leadership/Prayer
Breakfast groups in the Congress.
This event had its roots in the war years of
1942 when some of the leaders of the Senate began
to meet informally to talk and pray together. At
the National Prayer Breakfast in 1986, the President
spoke about these events and the relationships which
have developed from them. Part of his remarks were
as follows:
"In both the House and Senate groups some
informal rules evolved. The members would meet in
?
the spirit of peace and in the spirit of Christ
All members would be welcome, regardless of their
political or religious affiliation. Sincere seekers
as well as the deeply devoted, all on a common
journey to understand the place of faith in their
lives and to discover how to love God and one's
fellowman.
"They wouldn't publicize the meetings, nor would
they use them for any kind of political gain. The
meetings would be off-the-record. No one would
repeat what was said. And, above all, the members
could talk about any person problem on which they
needed guidance, any sadness for which they needed
prayers.
page 2
= In 1953, President Eisenhower attended the
first combined Prayer Breakfast. And presidents have
been coming here for help ever since.
"
I wish I could say more about it, but it's
working precisely because it is private. In some of
the most troubled parts of the world,, political figures
who are old enemies are meeting with each other in a
spirit of peace and brotherhood. And some who've been
involved in such meetings are here today."
It is important to recognize that what has developed
through the years is really a family of friends. This
idea grows on a people-to-people basis through a common
commitment to Christ and the things He taught -- building
relationships with God, with families and with each
other. Out of these friendships, a mutual concern and
care for one another has developed despite in many cases,
deep differences in thought and background. The spirit
of these relationships has become a force for good
involving people at all levels of our society through
a diversity of activities and groupings which is remark-
able.
A brief sketch of some of these include:
The United States
Small discussion and prayer groups are meeting through-
out every state in the nation, in business, industry,
government offices, prisons, universities, high schools
-- at all levels of society. This desire to meet with
others for fellowship and prayer seems to be most needed
for those who are in positions of leadership. The accep-
tance and support individuals receive in these groups is a
healing force in their lives. This in turn becomes a
springboard for action which addresses many needs in the
communities of our nation.
In 1959, the first Governor's Prayer Breakfast was
held. This year, similar prayer breakfasts, patterned
after the National Prayer Breakfast, will be held in most,
if not all, of the states and in both large and small
Acceptances by heads of state to the National Prayer Breakfast:
BANGLADESH
His Excellency
342-8372
Alhaj Hussain Mohammed ERSHAD
The President of Bangladesh
President's Secretariat
Muscim
Dhaka, Bangladesh
BURUNDI
Major Pierre BUYOYA
The President of Burundi and Mrs. Buyoya
Presidential Residence
Bujumbura
Burundi
Africa
* EL SALVADOR (not confirmed)
The Honorable Alfredo Cristiani
President of El Salvador and Mrs. Cristiani
San Salvador, El Salvador **
* GUATEMALA (not confirmed -- will know in four days)
Marco Vinicio A. Cerezo
The President of Guatemala
Palacio Nacional
Guatemala City, Guatemala**
KENYA
The Honorable Daniel T. Arap Moi
The President of Kenya and Mrs. Moi
Nairobi, Kenya
Africa
page 3
cities across the nation. The annual events are a demon-
stration that leaders in society recognize personally
the need for God's help in fulfilling their responsi-
bilities.
The Other Nations
In over one hundred countries men and women are
meeting in small gatherings to encourage one another in
their personal faith. People throughout the world are,
through the power of Jesus Christ, becoming a fellowship
that is helping to build true community in the family of
nations.
F.02
BRIEFING
THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
FEBRUARY 1, 1990
The 1990 National Prayer Breakfast will be
attended by representatives from over 140 nations.
The honored guests are President and Mrs. Bush.
Others that will be involved will be the Vice-
President of the United States, leaders from all
branches of government, the diplomatic corps and
other national and international leaders.
Those responsible for this event are the mem-
bers of the U.S. Senate and the House of Repre-
sentatives involved in the weekly Leadership/Prayer
Breakfast groups in the Congress.
This event had its roots in the war years of
1942 when some of the leaders of the Senate began
to meet informally to talk and pray together. At
the National Prayer Breakfast in 1986, the President
spoke about these events and the relationships which
have developed from them. Part of his remarks were
as follows:
"In both the House and Senate groups some
informal rules evolved. The members would meet in
the spirit of peace and in the spirit of Christ.
All members would be welcome, regardless of their
political or religious affiliation. Sincere seekers
as well as the deeply devoted, all on a common
journey to understand the place of faith in their
lives and to discover how to love God and one's
fellowman.
"They wouldn't publicize the meetings, nor would
they use them for any kind of political gain. The
meetings would be off-the-record. No one would
repeat what was said. And, above all, the members
could talk about any person problem on which they
needed guidance, any sadness for which they needed
prayers.
(R+D RHD CA Unio.
Duig figures
anation Argured ulding
LA Affairs Vile Hang agans S"
"jury News Brown
350g
5/ display full for 3
STORY 3
PUBLICATION DATE
12/25/88
NEWSPAPER
The Dallas Morning News
EDITION
HOME FINAL
SECTION
NEWS
PAGE
1a
STORY SIZE
10 INCHES
HEADLINE
REJOICE AND KNOW THAT ANGELS ARE NIGH
KEYWORD-HIT
This column, first published on
Christmas morning 1967, is considered one of the most appealing ever
written by the late Paul Crume, whose Big D appeared on the front page
of The Dallas Morning News.
A man wrote me not long ago and asked me what I thought of the
theory of angels. I immediately told him that I am highly in favor of
angels. As a matter of fact, I am scared to death of them.
Any adult human being with half sense, and some with more, knows
that there are angels. If he has ever spent any period in loneliness,
when the senses are forced in upon themselves, he has felt the wind
from their beating wings and been overwhelmed with the sudden
realization of the endless and gigantic dark that exists outside the
little candle flame of human knowledge. He has prayed, not in the sense
that he asked something, but that he yielded himself.
Angels live daily at our very elbows, and so do demons, and most
men at one time or another in their lives have yielded themselves to
both and have lived to rejoice and rue their impulses.
But the man who has once felt the beat of an angel's wings finds it
easy to rejoice at the universe and at his fellow man.
It does not happen to any man often, and too many of us dismiss it
when it happens. I remember a time in my final days in college when the
chinaberry trees were abloom and the air was sweet with spring blossoms
and I stood still on the street, suddenly struck with the feeling of
something that was an enormous promise and yet was no tangible promise
at all.
And there was another night in a small boat when the moon was full
and the distant headlands were dark but beautiful and we were lonely.
The pull of a nameless emotion was so strong that it filled the
atmosphere. The small boy within me cried. Psychiatrists will say that
the angel in all this was really within me, not outside, but it makes
no difference.
There are angels inside us and angels outside, and the one inside
is usually the quickest choked.
Francis Thompson said it better. He was a late 19th-century English
poet who would put the current crop of hippies to shame. He was on pot
all his life. His pad was always mean and was sometimes a park bench.
He was a mental case and tubercular besides. He carried a fishing creel
into which he dropped the poetry that was later to become immortal.
'The angels keep their ancient places, wrote Francis Thompson in
protest. "Turn but a stone, and start a wing.
He was lonely enough to be the constant associate of angels.
There is an angel close to you this day. Merry Christmas, and I
wish you well.
END OF STORY REACHED*
5/ display full for 7
STORY 7
PUBLICATION DATE
12/25/87
NEWSPAPER
The Dallas Morning News
EDITION
HOME FINAL
SECTION
NEWS
PAGE
1A
STORY SIZE
9 INCHES
HEADLINE
TO TOUCH AN ANGEL
CHARTS, GRAPHS, PHOTOS PHOTO: Paul Crume ; LOCATION: Crume, Paul.
KEYWORD-HIT
This column, first published on Christmas morning 1967, is considered
one of the most appealing ever written by the late Paul Crume, whose
column "Big D' appeared on the front page of The Dallas Morning News.
A man wrote me not long ago and asked me what I thought of the
theory of angels. I immediately told him that I am highly in favor of
angels. As a matter of fact, I am scared to death of them.
Any adult human being with half sense, and some with more, knows
that there are angels. If he has ever spent any period in loneliness,
when the senses are forced in upon themselves, he has felt the wind
from their beating wings and been over-
whelmed with the sudden realization of the endless and gigantic dark
that exists outside the little candle flame of human knowledge. He has
prayed, not in the sense that he asked something, but that he yielded
himself.
Angels live daily at our very elbows, and so do demons, and most
men at one time or another in their lives have yielded themselves to
both and have lived to rejoice and rue their impulses.
But the man who has once felt the beat of an angel's wing finds it
easy to rejoice at the universe and at his fellow man.
It does not happen to any man often, and too many of us dismiss it
when it happens. I remember a time in my final days in college when the
chinaberry trees were abloom and the air was sweet with spring blossoms
and I stood still on the street, suddenly struck with the feeling of
something that was an enormous promise and yet was no tangible promise
at all.
And there was another night in a small boat when the moon was full
and the distant headlands were dark but beautiful and we were lonely.
The pull of a nameless emotion was so strong that it filled the
atmosphere. The small boy within me cried. Psychiatrists will say that
the angel in all this was really within me, not outside, but it makes
no difference.
There are angels inside us and angels outside, and the one inside
is usually the quickest choked.
Francis Thompson said it better. He was a late 19th-century English
poet who would put the current crop of hippies to shame. He was on pot
all his life. His pad was always mean and was sometimes a park bench.
He was a mental case and tubercular besides. He carried a fishing creel
into which he dropped the poetry that was later to become immortal.
"The angels keep their ancient places, wrote Francis Thompson in
protest. "Turn but a stone, and start a wing.'
He was lonely enough to be the constant associate of angels.
There is an angel close to you this day. Merry Christmas, and I
wish you well.
END OF STORY REACHED
5/ display full for 1
STORY 1
PUBLICATION DATE
12/25/89
NEWSPAPER
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
EDITION
HOME FINAL
SECTION
NEWS
PAGE
1A
STORY SIZE
6 INCHES
HEADLINE
Merry Christmas and know that angels are nigh
CHARTS, GRAPHS, PHOTOS PHOTO(S): Paul Crume; PHOTO LOCATION: Crume, Paul.
BYLINE
Paul Crume
KEYWORD-HIT.
This column, first published on Christmas morning 1967, is
considered one of the most appealing ever written by the late Paul
Crume, whose Big D appeared on the front page of The Dallas Morning
News.
A man wrote me not long ago and asked me what I thought of the
theory of angels. I immediately told him that I am highly in favor of
angels. As a matter of fact, I-am scared to death of them.
Any adult human being with half sense, and some with more, knows
that there are angels. If he has ever spent any period in loneliness,
when the senses are forced in upon themselves, he has felt the wind
from their beating wings and been overwhelmed with the sudden
realization of the endless and gigantic dark that exists outside the
little candle flame of human knowledge. He has prayed, not in the sense
that he asked something, but that he yielded himself.
Angels live daily at our very elbows, and so do demons, and most
men at one time or another in their lives have yielded themselves to
both and have lived to rejoice and rue their impulses.
But the man who has once felt the beat of an angel's wing finds it
easy to rejoice at the universe and at his fellow man.
It does not happen to any man often, and too many of us dismiss it
when it happens. I remember a time in my final days in college when
the chinaberry trees were abloom and the air was sweet with spring
blossoms and I stood still on the street, suddenly struck with the
feeling of something that was an enormous promise and yet was no
tangible promise at all.
And there was another night in a small boat when the moon was full
and the distant headlands were dark but beautiful and we were lonely.
The pull of a nameless emotion was so strong that it filled the
atmosphere. The small boy within me cried. Psychiatrists will say that
the angel in all this was really within me, not outside, but it makes
no difference.
There are angels inside us and angels outside, and the one inside
is usually the quickest choked.
Francis Thompson said it better. He was a late 19th-century English
poet who would put the current crop of hippies to shame. He was on
pot all his life. His pad was always mean and was sometimes a park
bench. He was a mental case and tubercular besides. He carried a
fishing creel into which he dropped the poetry that was later to
become immortal. "The angels keep their ancient places, wrote
Francis Thompson in protest. "Turn but a stone, and start a wing.'
He was lonely enough to be the constant associate of angels.
There is an angel close to you this day. Merry Christmas, and I
wish you well.
END OF STORY REACHED*
I ational Prayer Breakfast
Washington Hilton
OFFICE OF PRESIDENTIAL ADVANCE
IN-TOWN EVENT CONTACT SHEET
Name
Office
Phone Number
Presidential Advance
456-7565
Presidential Advance Office Fax Number
456-2820
Lucy muc Kerman
W.H. advance
456-7565
CYNTHIA WaLTON
Wilt. aDVaNCE
456-7565
JOHN GIBBONS
WH ADV 0-377-5001, 4-256-1987
Daryl Bright
WH Comm Agency 395-4024
Terezh Hyatt
V.P. Advance
245-6343
Jeff Rogoff
VP Advance
456-7935
FRED SANCNEZ
PRESIDENTIAL WATCH
395-4299
CHRISTINA MARTIN
PRES. SPEECHWRITING
456-7750
BRUCE CAUGHMAN
WH MILITARY OFFICE
456-2150
ALLEN JONES
PRESIDENTIAL ADVANCE
749-3570
Tom McCally
WH. Advance
523-8576
Kathy
Public Liaison
456-7142
Doug WeAD
WH PUBLIC LIAISON
456 7142
BRUCE BOWEN
USSS/PPD OPERATIONS
395-6340
Jeffrey B. Wise
USSS Advance Bangladieish 634-5100
STEPHEN P. CARUSO
usss/UPD - LEAD ADV. FOR U.P. 375-6062
ToNg GERMANO
USSS/PPD-LEAD FOR PRESTANT 395-4011
Katherine Bootle
W.H. Advance
456-7565
Ben Moore
Us.Cap,to2 Police-Dia Prot, 224-7944
BERALD FRAN) N3B NATL PRAYER BREAK FAS! 52202-66
Katie Bywaters
Natl Prayer Breakfast 522-0266
RICK MACOUR
Ron LEAVORS
WASH Hilton
797-5900
Davis/Martin
Jan. 23, 1990
Title: Prayer
Draft: One
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
((Time)) Thursday, Feb. 1, 1990
Thank you, Senator Grassley, Billy Graham ( (others)).
( (And we have several very special guests who have traveled
far to join us today in a prayer for peace and understanding.
They are: Major Pierre Buyoya, President of Burundi\\; President
Marco Vincio Cerezo of Guatamala\ President Ershad of
Bangladesh\ and President Daniel T. Arap Moi of Kenya. Let
us give these distinguished visitors our heartiest welcome. III))
((I also understand that a few non-believers have graciously
accepted the invitation to this meeting. So I hope you'll
forgive me if I retell the old tale of the agnostic and the
bishop who were sharing a drink one evening at a social occasion,
when the agnostic's eyes fell on a beautiful globe of the world
that portrayed, in rich colors and vivid realism, continents,
rivers and oceans.
((The agnostic said: "This globe is just what I need for my
office. Who made it?"
( ("Why, nobody made this globe," said the bishop with
feigned innocence. "It just happened! ) )
Well, one thing that didn't just happen is the National
Prayer Breakfast. It is the result of years of quiet diplomacy
from ambassadors of faith like Doug Coe. 11 We have here today,
2
including myself, not only five heads of state, but twenty\\
second heads of state, the representatives of 150 nations and
many American citizens -- some four thousand people in all. And
of course, we are all thankful for the inspiring remarks of
Secretary of State Baker.
((And Jim, I must say I'm pleased that you've mastered the
nuances of foreign policy, and showed greater knowledge than a
past American diplomat, who called on the countries of the Middle
East to settle their differences "in an amicable Christian
manner. "))
Today, we join together, as the program says, "in the Spirit
of Christ." But we have with us today not just Christians, but
those of the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist faiths. So let
us put aside doctrine in favor of the greater spirit of belief
that unites us. We are united, because we believe that we
cannot govern alone. We are united, because we believe that if
we talk to God, God listens And most of all, we are united
because we believe that if our prayers are for peace, then peace
will be the answers to our prayers.
It was during the darkest days of the Second World War that
Members of Congress first turned to prayer. And for almost half
a century, men and women in the House and Senate -- members and
staffers alike -- have regularly met to share a few quiet moments
of prayer and Bible reading. And I am proud to tell you that
there is yet another Bible study group in Washington, one that
meets every week in the White House.
3
((Of course, given the separation of church and state, I
can't say that I officially sanction this group But at least
I can give them my blessing. ))
The separation of church and state in America is often
misunderstood to mean that the values that animate our politics
must be as secular as our institutions. This is not only wrong,
I believe it is impossible. For the values we treasure --
justice, mercy, charity -- come when we first consult Someone
greater than ourselves.
Still, some say that Washington is the center of a secular
religion called politics. And it is true that the skyline of
this city is dominated not by another cathedral of St. Peters, or
a Notre Dame or a Westminster, but by the temples of government.
But look again. Survey the city from the top of the Washington
monument, and you will see in every neighborhood, on virtually
every street, the sharp spire of a church, or the dome of a
synagogue, or the minaret of a mosque -- all reaching upward, for
the same one God.
I believe that this democracy of ours proves an ironic fact
about human nature -- when people are free to believe as they
choose, they seek a higher truth. And with the spread of
democracy around the world, I believe that the 1990s will be the
decade that the world turns back to God.
This nation certainly has. But a truly religious nation is
tolerant. We cherish dissent. We cherish our many faiths. We
even cherish the right to disbelief. So surely, there is enough
4
room in the American heart to cherish one more right -- to allow
children, who want to, to pray in school.
A truly religious nation is also a giving nation. And a
close friend of mine sent me a poem that eloquently embodies this
spirit of giving. It goes:
"I sought my soul but
my soul I could not see
"I sought my God, but my
God eluded me
"I sought my brother and
found all three. "
Thousands of Americans are finding their soul, finding their
God, by reaching out to their brothers and sisters in need.
You've heard me speak of the Thousand Points of Light. Across
America volunteers are working through their church, through
programs like ACTION and VISTA, or on their own, to help the
hungry, the homeless, to teach the unskilled, and to bring the
Word to those who cannot read it.
But nowhere is the return to religion more dramatic or more
profound than in Eastern Europe, where a long night of
persecution has at long last come to an end.
In Czechoslovakia, Father Vaclav Maly ((XXXX)) xpron. lost his
license to preach because he signed a petition for human rights.
Stripped of his vestments, he was forced to clean toilets in the
5
Prague subway, and to stoke a blazing furnace in a hotel. Now
Father Maly ( (XXXX)) is back in his vestment, back in his church,
and once again offers the Mass.
In that same city, the police for many years had chased down
young people whose only crime was to dare to sing Christmas
carols on the Charles River Bridge. This Christmas, a joyous
choir filled the Charles River Bridge with song.
Even in troubled Romania, as the report of gunfire from a
dying regime still echoed in the streets of Bucharest, the state
radio stations broadcast carols banned since 1947. Amid so much
violence, a rebirth of hope.
Years ago, a young Polish man described such a rebirth at a
time when it must have seemed impossible. He wrote of "a ray of
light" that "shines through the darkness of generations." That
young man is now Pope John Paul II. And in his native land of
Poland, his many peaceful divisions are triumphant. \\
In this country, where we are not challenged by religious
persecution, we draw our inspiration from more subtle
revelations. When I was a Congressman from Texas, there was a
writer for The Dallas Morning News by the name of Paul Crume
((CROOM)) He has long since passed away, but every year that
newspaper still reprints on its front page a column that he wrote
for Christmas morning, 1967.
Crume wrote of angels, saying that if a man "has ever spent
any period in loneliness, when the senses are forced in upon
themselves, he has felt the wind from their beating wings and
6
been overwhelmed
(by) the endless and gigantic dark that
exists outside the little candle flame of human knowledge." So
Man prays, not in the sense that he asks something, but that he
yields himself.
It was a beautiful column -- a prayer really -- and of it, I
have only one thought to add. In the day to day rush of events,
in the heat of the moment, we are tempted to ignore our better
angels. But every now and then, for no apparent reason, we are
led to the right path by the touch of an inexplicable serenity.
Perhaps, as Paul Crume wrote, it's the brush of an angel's
wing. Perhaps it's the passing presence of a loved one lost. Or
perhaps it is simply that answer to our prayers that can only be
called grace.
Whatever it is, it is a reply.
Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless every nation
represented here today.
#
#
#
JAN-23-1990 12:45 FROM
TO
94566218 P.01
Pages: 1B
To: Mark Davis, White House
FAX 456-6218
Fm: Doug Coe
FAX 247-3847
Dt: Jan. 22, 1990
Re: Heads of State and Dignitaries
National Prayer Breakfast
Per our telephone conversation, here are
1. Program as sent to the press
2. Copy of Senator Grassley's letterhead with
names of committee members for the NPB.
3. A briefing paper
4. List of Heads of State who are coming
5. List of other dignitaries (to be updated as
the situation changes) to be presented to
the President and Mrs. Bush.
6. Inside + outside invetation
JAN-23-1990 12:45 FROM
TO
94566218 P.02
Bill Cirbbun
485
Siggs Danie
224-8391
XEROX TELECOPIER 295 : 1- 8-90; 5:35 PM;
202 544 0113
JAN-08-1990 17:41 FROM NPB OFFICE
2022240473 : # 2
TO
SEN GRASSLEY P.02
NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
February 1st, 1990, 8:00 a.m.
PRE-BREAKFAST
PRAYER
THE HONORABLE BILL ARMSTRONG
U.S. Senator, Colorado
OPENING SONG
U.S. AIRFORCE ACADEMY CHOIR
Dr. Joseph Galema, Director
804 PRESIDING
The Honorable Charles E. Grassley
U.S. Senator, Iowa
807 CALL TO PRAYER
MRS. ARDYTH SHAPIRO
Cantor
BURNETT THOMPSON III
Accompanist
OPENING PRAYER
The Honorable Ike Skelton
8:15
U.S. Representative, Missouri
BREAKFAST
8:25
WELCOME
The Honorable Charles E. Grassley
8:28 MESSAGE FROM THE
U.S. HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
The Honorable Liz Patterson
U.S. Representative, South Carolina
8:31 OLD TESTAMENT READING
GENERAL ALFRED M. GRAY
Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps
8:34 8:3/SPECIAL INTRODUCTION
DR. BILLY GRAHAM
8:37 SOLO
MR. GEORGE BEVERLY SHEA
8:41 NEW TESTAMENT READING
VICE-PRESIDENT DAN QUAYLE
?
FROM THE
UNITED STATES SENATE
THE HONORABLE SAM NUNN
8:48 PRAYER FOR NATIONAL LEADERS
U.S. Senator, Georgia
DEBBYE TURNER
Miss America
8:51 MESSAGE
THE HONORABLE JAMES BAKER
9:06
Secretary of State
15
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Extended Page 2.1
GROUP SONG
THE HONORABLE JOHN ASHCROFT
Governor of Missouri
9.18
CLOSING PRAYER
Mr. Richard Capen
Editor, The Miami Herald
9:21
HALLELUIAH CHORUS
"THE MESSIAH"
U.S. AIRFORCE ACADEMY CHOIR
Audience, please remain in place until
The President and Mrs. Bush have departed
JAN-23-1990 12:46 FROM
TO
94566218
P.03
REPRESENTATIVES
NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST COMMITTEE:
LARRY CRAIG
SENATORS
BOB MCEWEN
SONNY MONTGOMERY
CHARLES E. GRASSLEY. CHAIRMAN
JOHN MYERS
WILLIAM L. ARMSTRONG
DAVID L. BOREN
United States Senate
LIZ PATTERSON
L. F. PAYNE
ROBERT c. BYRD
OWEN PICKETT
DAN COATS
RALPH REQULA
PETE DOMENICI
135 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
IKE SKELTON
DAVE DURENBERGER
WASHINGTON, DC 20510
CHARLES STENHOLM
ALBERT GORE, JR.
BOB STUMP
MARK HATFIELD
(202) 224-0479
BOB WHITTAKER
HOWELL HEFLIN
RICHARD LUGAR
$AM NUNN
PAUL SIMON
ALAN SIMPSON
Not Printed at Government Expense
JAN-23-1990 12:46 FROM
TO
94566218
P.04
1/10/70
BRIEFING
THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
FEBRUARY 1, 1990
The 1990 National Prayer Breakfast will be
attended by representatives from over 140 nations.
The honored guests are President and Mrs. Bush.
Others that will be involved will be the Vice-
President of the United States, leaders from all
branches of government, the diplomatic corps and
other national and international leaders.
Those responsible for this event are the mem-
bers of the U.S. Senate and the House of Repre-
sentatives involved in the weekly Leadership/Prayer
Breakfast groups in the Congress.
This event had its roots in the war years of
1942 when some of the leaders of the Senate began
to meet informally to talk and pray together. At
the National Prayer Breakfast in 1986, the President
spoke about these events and the relationships which
have developed from them. Part of his remarks were
as follows:
"In both the House and Senate groups some
informal rules evolved. The members would meet in
the spirit of peace and in the spirit of Christ
All members would be welcome, regardless of their
political or religious affiliation. Sincere seekers
as well as the deeply devoted, all on a common
journey to understand the place of faith in their
lives and to discover how to love God and one's
fellowman.
"They wouldn't publicize the meetings, nor would
they use them for any kind of political gain. The
meetings would be off-the-record. No one would
repeat what was said. And, above all, the members
could talk about any person problem on which they
needed guidance, any sadness for which they needed
prayers.
page 2
"
In 1953, President Eisenhower attended the
first combined Prayer Breakfast. And presidents have
been coming here for help ever since.
"
I wish I could say more about it, but it's
working precisely because it is private. In some of
the most troubled parts of the world,, political figures
who are old enemies are meeting with each other in a
spirit of peace and brotherhood. And some who've been
involved in such meetings are here today.'
It is important to recognize that what has developed
through the years is really a family of friends. This
idea grows on a people-to-people basis through a common
commitment to Christ and the things He taught -- building
relationships with God, with families and with each
other. Out of these friendships, a mutual concern and
care for one another has developed despite in many cases,
deep differences in thought and background. The spirit
of these relationships has become a force for good
involving people at all levels of our society through
a diversity of activities and groupings which is remark-
able.
A brief sketch of some of these include:
The United States
Small discussion and prayer groups are meeting through-
out every state in the nation, in business, industry,
government offices, prisons, universities, high schools
-- at all levels of society. This desire to meet with
others for fellowship and prayer seems to be most needed
for those who are in positions of leadership. The accep-
tance and support individuals receive in these groups is a
healing force in their lives. This in turn becomes a
springboard for action which addresses many needs in the
communities of our nation.
In 1959, the first Governor's Prayer Breakfast was
held. This year, similar prayer breakfasts, patterned
after the National Prayer Breakfast, will be held in most,
if not all, of the states and in both large and small
JAN-23-1990 12:47 FROM
P.05
94566618
01
JAN-23-1990 12:47 FROM
TO
94566218
P.06
page 3
cities across the nation. The annual events are a demon-
stration that leaders in society recognize personally
the need for God's help in fulfilling their responsi-
bilities.
The Other Nations
In over one hundred countries responsible men and
women are meeting in small leadership groups -- similar
to those in the Congress of the United States.
These groups are private, off-the-record and meet
for mutual encouragement in their private and public
capacities. One of the most interesting developments
has been, that as these leaders from all aspects of
society travel from country to country, they have
become closer and closer friends and this has fostered
a greater degree of trust and understanding which is
very heartening.
JAN-23-1990 12:47 FROM
TO
94566218
P.07
HEADS OF STATE
- Acceptances for the
National Prayer Breakfast 1990
(as of 1/23/90)
BANGLADESH
His Exc. Alhaj Hussain Mohammed Ershad
President of Bangladesh
President's Secretariat
Dhaka, Bangladesh
BURUNDI
Major Pierre Buyoyo
President of Burundi
Presidential Residence
Bujumbura, Burundi
EL SALVADOR
The Hon. Alfredo Cristiani
President of El Salvador
San Salvador, El Salvador
KENYA
The Hon. Daniel arap Moi
President of Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya
JAN-23-1990 12:48 FROM
TO
94566218
P.08
FOREIGN DIGNITARIES ATTENDING
THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
ANTIGUA
The Hon. Llewellyn E.F. Smith
P.O. Box 126
St. Johns
Antigua, The Caribbean
CHAD
The Hon. Dr. Facho Balam
Dep. Minister for Planning & Cooperation
B.P. Box 845
N'Djamina, Chad
CHILE
The Hon. Sergio Rapu
Governor of Easter Island
Correo Isla de Pascua
Easter Island, Chile
DENMARK, THE FAROE ISLANDS
His Exc. Jogvan Sundstein
Premier of the Faroe Islands
Torshavn, Faroe Islands, Denmark
DJIBOUTI
The Hon. Ismael Guedi
Cabinet Director
Republic of Djibouti
Presidential Palace
Djibouti, Djibouti
ENGLAND
Mr. Michael Grade
CEO, Channel 4 Television
69 Charlotte Street
London SlP 2AX England
JAN-23-1990 12:48 FROM
TO
94566218
P.09
FRANCE
The Hon. Michel Gillibert
Secretary of State for the Disabled & Handicapped
Paris, France
(Is in a wheelchair)
Professor Paul DeDeckker
Universite de Bordeaux 2
3 ter place de la Victoire
33076 Bordeaux, Cedex, France
GERMANY, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
Dr. Gregor Gysi
General Secretary
The Socialist Unity Party
DDR-1080 Berlin
German Democratic Republic
GERMANY, FEDERAL REPUBLIC
The Hon. Dr. Horst Waffenschmidt
Secretary of State
Weidenfeld 2
5200 Waldbrol
Federal Republic of Germany
GREECE
The Hon. Andreas Zaimis
Member of Parliament
(Former Foreign Minister)
GUATEMALA
Senor Locendiado Marco Antonio Villamar Contreras
Secretario General
2 do Nivel, Sala 12
Palacio Nacional
Guatemala City, Guatemala
(Sec. Gen. of SIECA, on of the most important men
in Central America)
JAN-23-1990 12:48 FROM
TO
94566218 P.10
HUNGARY
Dr. Josef Antall
Vorosvary ut. 7
1035 Budapest
Hungary
KOREA
The Hon. Jong-Chen Lee
Secretary General, DJP
6-22 Shin Kyo-Dong
Chong Ro-Ku
Seoul, Korea
MICRONESIA, FEDERAL STATES
The Hon. Hirosi H. Ismael
Vice Pres. of the Federal States of Micronesia
Office of the Vice President
Kolonia, Pohnpei
Federal States of Micronesia
PAKISTAN
The Hon. Wasim Sajjad
Chairman of the Senate
Islamabad, Pakistan
RUSSIA
Metropolitan Pitirim Konstantin Nechaeff
of Volokolansk and Furievsk
and interpreter
Moscow 119435, U.S.S.R.
SWEDEN
The Hon. Riksdagsman Lars Ernestam
Sveriges Riksdag
100 12 Stockholm, Sweden
SYRIA
Mr. Osmane Aidi
P.O. Box 2204
Damascus, Syria
JAN-23-1990 12:49 FROM
TO
94566218
P.11
UGANDA
His Exc. Sampson Kisseka
Prime Minister
Government of Uganda
Kampala, Uganda
WALLIS AND FUTUNA
The Hon. Soane Uhila
Secretaire Generale
B.P. 31, Mata Uta
Wallis & Futuna, S. Pacific Islands
1.23.90
Members of the United States Senate
JAN-23-1990 12:49 FROM
and the House of Representatives
request the pleasure of your company at the
38th Annual National Prayer Breakfast
with
The President of the United States
and Mrs. Bush
and other national leaders in the Executive, Judicial
and Legislative Branches
of our government
TO
Thursday, February 1, 1990
at sight sclock
Guests 4 to socied by 7:45 am
International Ballroom, Washington Hilton Hotal
Washington, DC. L.
R.S.V.P.
Adjourament
within den days
by 9:20 G.M.
94566218 P.12
P.13
94566218
lessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat
Historically the leadership of our Nation has turned
of the scornful.
to Almighty God for strength and guidance.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth
In this spirit, the United States Senate and the House
he meditate day and night.
of Representatives Breakfast Groups, which meet to
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
deepen friendships, to pray and counsel together, inau-
bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither;
gurated the National Prayer Breakfast to specifically
and whatsoever he doetb shall prosper.
seek the Lord's guidance and strength as well as to re-
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind
affirm our faith and to renew the dedication of our
TO
driveth away.
Nation and ourselves to God and His purposes.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor
sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
This event in the Nation's Capital seeks to encourage
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way
men and women throughout the United States and the
of the ungodly shall perish."
world to recognize their privileges and responsibilities
Psalm I
before God.
Mith the desire to deepen the spiritual life and moral
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness
in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to
fiber of the people through a leadership led by God,
there have been, in all fifty states, similar breakfasts
finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds; to care
for him who shall have born the battle, and for his widow and his
inaugurated by governors, mayors and other responsible
orphan-to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting
persons.
peace among ourselves, and with all nations."
As a natural outgrowth of such gatherings, many
Abraham Lincoln-Second Inaugural
people throughout the world are finding through the
Spirit of Jesus Christ a fellowship that is helping to
build true community in the family of nations.
Cod's plan is this: to make known his secret to his people,
this rich and glorious secret which he has for all peoples. And the
JAN-23-1990 12:49 FROM
secret is this: Christ is in you, which means that you will share
the glory of God."
Colossians 1:27
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
February 2, 1989
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
TO THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
The Washington Hilton
Washington, DC
9:18 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. My special thanks
to Bob Stump and Doug Coe, to our honored guests throughout this
country and from our foreign lands, and it is a pleasure for Barbara
and me to be here once again.
There is no greater peace than that which comes from
prayer and no greater fellowship than to join in prayer with others.
And coming to the prayer breakfast is, for us at least, like coming
home. The Lord works in mysterious ways. There is nothing
mysterious, however, about His priorities. I'm the one with the
laryngitis, and Sandy Patti is the one that lifted our spirits with
that magnificent voice -- clear as the finest crystal. We're
grateful to her. (Applause.) And the Lord works in very mysterious
ways, but I wonder why it is that under the protocol sense of things
I always have to follow my friend, Al Simpson. (Laughter.)
Let us all thank the Lord for having granted us this day,
making it possible for us to spend this time together. Billy Graham,
my dear friend, tells me that when he was a boy living on a farm in
North Carolina, one of his jobs was milking cows, and one day he was
sent out to milk one of their COWS named Brindle -- a COW he'd never
milked before -- and he was told that it was a gentle cow, that it
would be very cooperative. When he sat down on the stool to milk the
cow, she switched her tail, slapped him in the face, nearly put his
eye out -- a few minutes later kicked the bucket all the way across
the barn and then tried to kick him. And at that point he began to
wonder if the person who described this kind and gentle COW had ever
sat down next to her in the barn. (Laughter.) And I've thought of
that story in the light of my request for America to become a kinder
and gentler nation. It's one thing to request it and it's another
thing to see it actually happen. And maybe a lot of folks out there,
cynics, are thinking, well, if you people in Washington will stop
trying to milk us, we'll stop kicking. (Laughter and applause.)
But we're facing some serious opportunities and some
great opportunities in our country -- tough problems and great
opportunities -- and I believe that a wonderful resource in dealing
with them is prayer -- not just prayer for what we want, but prayer
for what is in the heart of God for us individually and as a nation.
And shouldn't we also remember, with all that we have to be grateful
for, to pause each day to offer a prayer of thanksgiving. All of us
should not attempt to fulfill the responsibilities we now have
without prayer and a strong faith in God.
Abraham Lincoln said, and I quote, "I've been driven many
times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I have nowhere
else to go." Surely he was not the first president, certainly not
the last to realize that.
It's not just presidents. I heard about a little boy
whose elderly grandmother came to live with them for the winter, and
the first day the little boy played hard inside the house and he
wanted to turn the heat down, but Grandmother insisted on keeping it
MORE
AN-16-1990 14:48 FROM
TO
94566218
P.03
page 2
11
In 1953, President Eisenhower attended the
first combined Prayer Breakfast. And presidents have
been coming here for help ever since.
"
I wish I could say more about it, but it's
working precisely because it is private. In some of
the most troubled parts of the world,, political figures
who are old enemies are meeting with each other in a
spirit of peace and brotherhood. And some who've been
involved in such meetings are here today."
It is important to recognize that what has developed
through the years is really a family of friends. This
idea grows on a people-to-people basis through a common
commitment to Christ and the things He taught -- building
relationships with God, with families and with each
other. Out of these friendships, a mutual concern and
care for one another has developed despite in many cases,
deep differences in thought and background. The spirit
of these relationships has become a force for good
involving people at all levels of our society through
a diversity of activities and groupings which is remark-
able.
A brief sketch of some of these include:
The United States
Small discussion and prayer groups are meeting through-
out every state in the nation, in business, industry,
government offices, prisons, universities, high schools
-- at all levels of society. This desire to meet with
others for fellowship and prayer seems to be most needed
for those who are in positions of leadership. The accep-
tance and support individuals receive in these groups is a
healing force in their lives. This in turn becomes a
springboard for action which addresses many needs in the
communities of our nation.
In 1959, the first Governor's Prayer Breakfast was
held. This year, similar prayer breakfasts, patterned
after the National Prayer Breakfast, will be held in most,
if not all, of the states and in both large and small
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
January 31, 1990
INFORMATION
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
Through:
CHRISS WINSTON
From:
MARK W. DAVIS MD
Subject:
Prayer Breakfast
I. Summary:
You will address four thousand people at the National Prayer
Breakfast at the Washington Hilton at 8 a.m., February 1.
Your remarks are about seven minutes long, and are on cards.
II. Discussion:
Your brief remarks will follow a speech -- on religious faith --
by Secretary Baker. This event is a little unusual in that it is
an event held in the "spirit of Christ," but many of the
attendees are of other faiths. The audience is about as diverse
as they can be -- from students, to Members of Congress, to the
heads of state of Bangladesh (Alhaj Hussain Mohammed Ershad),
Burundi (Major Pierre Buyoyo), El Salvador (President Alfredo
Cristiani) and Kenya (President Daniel arap Moi).
Davis/Martin
Jan. 23, 1990
Title: Prayer
Draft: Four
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, 1990
Thank you
...
Vice President and Mrs. Quayle, Senator
Grassley, Dr. and Mrs. Graham. Secretary Baker, that was an
inspiring testament of faith.
((And we have several very special guests who have traveled
far to join us today in a prayer for peace and understanding.
President [Daniel T.] Arap Moi [Moy] \\; President Ershad [Air-
SHAHD] II; Major [Pierre] Buyoyo [Boo-YOYA] \\; President
[Alfredo] Cristiani\\; Prime Minister Kisekka [Kih-SEH-kah]. I
offer each of you a hearty welcome.
((You know, as a grandfather, I can't help but relate to you
the tale of the little boy who told his grandaddy: "I guess I'll
go outside and play baseball with God."
(("How do you play baseball with God?" the grandfather
asked.
(("Oh, it's not hard at all," the boy explained. "I just
throw the ball up and God throws it back down to me. ") 111
((It's often said in my business that a candidate or a
proposal hasn't got a prayer. Well, I'm pleased to be with an
audience about whom that will never be said.) )\\\
This breakfast is the result of years of quiet diplomacy
from ambassadors of faith like Doug Coe and Bob Stump. It was
Sen. Grassley
Cong. Tory Hall
2
during the darkest days of World War Two that Members of Congress
first organized a prayer group. And for almost a half a century,
men and women in the House and Senate -Members and staffers
alike -- have regularly met to share a few quiet moments of
prayer and Bible reading.
Today, we join together, through prayer in asking the
Almighty to guide us in His hands. We have with us today not
just Christians, but those of the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and
Buddhist faiths. All of us join together in putting aside
doctrine in favor of the greater spirit of belief that unites
us. We are united, because we believe that we cannot govern
alone. We are united, because we believe that if we talk to
God, God listens. And most of all, we are united because we
believe in the power of prayer -- And that if our prayers are for
peace, and we devote our hearts to that goal, then peace will be
the answer to our prayers.
The values that spring from our faith certainly tell us a
lot about this country. Consider that for more than two
centuries Americans have endorsed -- properly so -- the
separation of church and state. But we have also shown how both
religion and government can strengthen a society. After all, our
founding document begins with these words: All men "are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. "
Some say that Washington is the center of a secular religion
called politics. And it is true that the first thing you notice
about the skyline of this city is not another cathedral of St.
3
Peters, or a Notre Dame or a Westminster, but the temples of
government. But look again. Survey the city from the top of the
Washington monument, and you will see the Gothic grandeur of the
National Cathedral. And in every neighborhood, on virtually
every street, the spires of a church, or the dome of a synagogue,
or the minaret of a mosque -- all reaching upward, for the same
God.
Americans are a religious people. But a truly religious
nation is tolerant. We cherish dissent. We cherish our many
faiths. We even cherish the right to disbelieve. So surely,
there is enough room in the American heart to cherish one more
right -- to allow children, who want to, to pray in school.
A truly religious nation is also a giving nation. And a
close friend of mine sent me a poem that eloquently embodies this
spirit of giving. It goes:
"I sought my soul but
my soul I could not see
"I sought my God, but my
God eluded me
"I sought my brother and
found all three. "
Thousands of Americans are finding their soul, finding their
God, by reaching out to their brothers and sisters in need.
You've heard me speak of a Thousand Points of Light. Across the
4
country, Americans are working through their places of worship,
through community programs, or on their own, to help the hungry,
the homeless, to teach the unskilled, and to bring the words of
men, and the Word of God, to those who cannot read.
So I believe that this democracy of ours is once again
proving, as it has throughout our history, that when people are
free they use that freedom to serve the greater good and a higher
truth. As freedom blossoms in Eastern Europe and around the
world, I am convinced that the 1990s will be the decade of
rebirth -- a rebirth of faith and of hope.
That is my speech. And that is my prayer. Thank you, God
bless you and may God bless every nation represented here today.
#
#
#
Pres. Dancel arap moi
christina's
Pres. Ershad
Copy
major Purre Buyoyo
Davis/Martin
Jan. 23, 1990
Pres. Alfredo Cristiani
Title: Prayer
Draft: Three
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, 1990
Thank you, Senator Grassley, Dr. and Mrs. Graham, Reverend
and Mrs. Bagby. Secretary Baker, that was an inspiring testament
of faith.
( (And we have several very special guests who have traveled
far to join us today in a prayer for peace and understanding.
Major [Pierre] Buyoya II; President [Alfredo] Christiani \\;
President Ershad \\; and President [Daniel T.] Arap Moi 11. I
offer each of you a hearty welcome. \\\))
((I also understand that a few non-believers have graciously
accepted the invitation to this meeting. So I hope you'll
forgive me if I retell the old tale of the agnostic and the
bishop who were deep in conversation one evening at a social
occasion, when the agnostic's eyes fell on a beautiful globe of
the world that portrayed, in rich colors and vivid realism,
continents, rivers and oceans.
( (The agnostic said: "This globe is just what I need for my
office. Who made it?"
( ("Why, nobody made this globe, " said the bishop with
feigned innocence. "It just happened! "\\\))
Well, one thing that didn't just happen is the National
Prayer Breakfast. It is the result of years of quiet diplomacy
2
from ambassadors of faith like Doug Coe and Bob Stump
It was
during the darkest days of World War Two that Members of Congress
first organized a prayer group. And for almost a half a century,
men and women in the House and Senate -- Members and staffers
alike -- have regularly met to share a few quiet moments of
prayer and Bible reading. And I am proud to tell you that there
is yet another Bible study group in Washington, one that meets
every week in the White House.
every
Today, we join together, as the program says, "in the Spirit
of Christ. " But we have with us today not just Christians, but
those of the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist faiths. So let
us put aside doctrine in favor of the greater spirit of belief
that unites us. We are united, because we believe that we
cannot govern alone. We are united, because we believe that if
we talk to God, God listens. And most of all, we are united
because we believe that if our prayers are for peace, then peace
will be the answers to our prayers.
There is a misconception that the separation of church and
state in America means that the values that animate our politics
must be as secular as our institutions.
Still, others say that Washington is the center of a secular
religion called politics. And it is true that the skyline of
this city is dominated not by another cathedral of St. Peters, or
a Notre Dame or a Westminster, but by the temples of government.
But look again Survey the city from the top of the Washington
monument, and you will see in every neighborhood, on virtually
3
every street, the sharp spire of a church, or the dome of a
synagogue, or the minaret of a mosque -- all reaching upward, for
the same one God.
Americans are a religious people. But a truly religious
nation is tolerant. We cherish dissent. We cherish our many
faiths. We even cherish the right to disbelief. So surely,
there is enough room in the American heart to cherish one more
right -- to allow children, who want to, to pray in school.
A truly religious nation is also a giving nation. And a
close friend of mine sent me a poem that eloquently embodies this
spirit of giving. It goes:
"I sought my soul but
my soul I could not see
Berry VP Busvid sh
"I sought my God, but my
God eluded me
"I sought my brother and
note
found all three. "
or
Thousands of Americans are finding their soul, finding their
God, by reaching out to their brothers and sisters in need.
You've heard me speak of the Thousand Points of Light. Across
America volunteers are working through their church, through
programs like ACTION and VISTA, or on their own, to help the
hungry, the homeless, to teach the unskilled, and to bring the
Word to those who cannot read it.
4
So I believe that this democracy of ours proves an ironic
fact about human nature -- when people are free to believe as
they choose, they serve a higher truth. And with the spread of
democracy around the world, I believe that the 1990s will be the
decade that the world turns back to God.
That is my speech. And that is my prayer. Thank you, God
bless you and may God every nation represented here today.
bless
#
#
#
JAN-29-1990 12:41 FROM
TO
94566218
P.01
To: Mr. Mark Davis
FAX 456-6218
Fm: Doug Coe
FAX 247-3847
Dt: January 29, 1990
Re: Changes in the National Prayer Breakfast
Dignitaries in Cabinet Room
Here is the latest update on the persons who will
be in the Cabinet Room:
1. You will note that we have an additional person
from Fiji, The Hon. Inoke Kubuabola.
2. A cancellation for E. Germany - Mr. Gregor Gysi
and interpreter are not coming.
3. A return of the Hon. Andreas Zaimis to Greece.
He has changed his mind and is now coming and he
is the highest ranking person from Greece.
4. A change in Korea. Mr. Cha Ho Kim is the highest
ranking person from his country.
5. The addition of the Hon. Khatchik Babaikian who
is in the Parliament from Lebanon.
6. Cancellation of the Pakistan representative, The
Hon. Wasim Sajjad. His brother died in London just
as Mr. Sajjad was in preparation for his departure
here to the States.
These are all the changes as of 12:00 noon today!
JAN-29-1990 12:41 FROM
TO
94566218
P.02
HEADS OF STATE
- Acceptances for the
National Prayer Breakfast 1990
(as of 1/29/90)
BANGLADESH
Air - SHAHD
His Exc. Alhaj Hussain Mohammed Ershad
2
President of Bangladesh
President's Secretariat
Dhaka, Bangladesh
BURUNDI
Hoo-YOYA doo
Major Pierre Buyoyo
3
President of Burundi
Presidential Residence
Date 2299
Bujumbura, Burundi
EL SALVADOR
The Hon. Alfredo Cristiani
4
President of El Salvador
San Salvador, E1 Salvador
KENYA
The Hon. Daniel arap Moi
President of Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya
Prime kisekka
Moy
kay
Uganda
JAN-29-1990 12:42 FROM
TO
94566218
P.03
FOREIGN DIGNITARIES ATTENDING
THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
ANTIGUA
The Hon. Llewellyn E.F. Smith
P.O. Box 126
St. Johns
Antigua, The Caribbean
CHAD
The Hon. Dr. Facho Balam
Dep. Minister for Planning & Cooperation
B.P. Box 845
N'Djamina, Chad
CHILE
The Hon. Sergio Rapu
Governor of Easter Island
Correo Isla de Pascua
Easter Island, Chile
DENMARK, THE FAROE ISLANDS
His Exc. Jogvan Sundstein
Premier of the Faroe Islands
Torshavn, Faroe Islands, Denmark
DJIBOUTI
The Hon. Ismael Guedi
Cabinet Director
Republic of Djibouti
Presidential Palace
Djibouti, Djibouti
ENGLAND
Mr. Michael Grade
CEO, Channel 4 Television
69 Charlotte Street
London S1P 2AX England
JAN-29-1990 12:42 FROM
TO
94566218
P.04
FIJI
The Hon. Inoke Kubuabola
Minister of Information
Suva, Fiji
FRANCE
The Hon. Michel Gillibert
Secretary of State for the Disabled & Handicapped
Paris, France
(Is in a wheelchair)
Professor Paul DeDeckker
Universite de Bordeaux 2
3 ter place de la Victoire
33076 Bordeaux, Cedex, France
GERMANY, FEDERAL REPUBLIC
The Hon. Dr. Horst Waffenschmidt
Secretary of State
Weidenfeld 2
5200 Waldbrol
Federal Republic of Germany
GREECE
The Hon. Andreas Zaimis
Member of Parliament
Athens, Greece
GUATEMALA
Senor Locendiado Marco Antonio Villamar Contreras
Secretario General
2 do Nivel, Sala 12
Palacio Nacional
Guatemala City, Guatemala
JAN-29-1990 12:42 FROM
TO
94566218
P.05
HUNGARY
Dr. Josef Antall
Vorosvary ut. 7
1035 Budapest
Hungary
Interpreter: Geza Jeczerzinsky
KOREA
The Hon. Cha HO Kim
Former member of Parliament
17-302. Hyundai Mansion
Seoul, Korea
LEBANON
The Hon. Mr. Khatchik Babaikian
Member of Parliament
Beirut, Lebanon
MICRONESIA, FEDERAL STATES
The Hon. Hirosi H. Ismael
Vice Pres. of the Federal States of Micronesia
Office of the Vice President
Kolonia, Pohnpei
Federal States of Micronesia
SWEDEN
The Hon. Riksdagsman Lars Ernestam
Sveriges Riksdag
100 12 Stockholm, Sweden
SYRIA
Mr. Osmane Aidi
P.O. Box 2204
Damascus, Syria
UGANDA
His Exc. Sampson Kisseka
Prime Minister
Government of Uganda
Kampala, Uganda
JAN-29-1990 12:43 FROM
TO
94566218
P.06
WALLIS AND FUTUNA
The Hon. Soane Uhila
Secretaire Generale
B.P. 31, Mata Uta
Wallis & Futuna, S. Pacific Islands
1.29.90
Security Clearances
Mr. Douglas E. Coe, with the Presidents
SSN: 541-24-2486
dob: 10/20/28, Oregon
The Hon. Douglas Holladay, Cabinet Room
SSN: 213-46-1545
dob: 1/31/47, Washington, D.C.
Marjorie Roberts, Cabinet Room
SSN - 032-01-0127
dob: 2/25/18; Woodland, Maine
Jerry Franz, Cabinet Room
SSN - 470-30-8991
dob: 11/3/32, Minneapolis, MN
Mr. Richard Malouf, Cabinet Room
SSN: 526-76-0151
dob: 1/5/48, Los Angeles, CA
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
12/7/89
Dave,
CAMP DAVID
11 save for
The President asked that
Dear Vice President Bush,
Preyer
I share the attached with
you -- for the "Prayer
You were asking about the
Bfst
Breakf st next year".
Chaplain's quote at the end of
the sermon. It was:
CB
"I sought my soul but
Patty Presock
my soul I could not see,
I sought my God but my
God eluded me,
I sought my brother and
found all three. "
Anonymous
Very respectfully,
Mike MhiBug Berry
Jim --
fyi -- and please pass to
David Demarest.
thanks,
Cluim
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Date: 12/7/89
TO:
DAVE DEMAREST
FROM:
JAMES W. CICCONI
Assistant to the President and
Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Information
X
XX Action
Let's Discuss
DOUG GAMBLE
424. 36th Place
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Jan. 30/90
(213) 546-6409
TO : KRISTEN GEAR
SAN FRANCISCO (Mark Davis)
IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK IN SAN FRANCISCO UNDER MORE PLEASANT CIRCUMSTANCES.
I HOPE THE ONLY EARTHSHAKING EVENT TODAY WILL BE MY SPEECH.
(No problem with a line like this. The Governor has been doing jokes about the
earthquake, mild ones, since last November.)
I CALLED UP GOVERNOR DEUKMEJIAN AND SAID "HOW ABOUT IF I STOP BY SACRAMENTO
AND SPEND SOME TIME WITH CALIFORNIA'S MOST POWERFUL POLITICIAN?" AND THE
GOVERNOR SAID "I'M NOT SURE WILLIE BROWN WILL HAVE TIME TO SEE YOU."
(Assembly Speaker Brown is from San Francisco. The Governor often jokes about
how much influence he has.)
I KNOW IT'S SAN FRANCISCO THAT'S CONSIDERED EARTHQUAKE TERRITORY, BUT YOU SHOOK
UP DENVER PRETTY GOOD.
IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT ONE STATE MAKES A REQUEST INVOLVING ANOTHER, BUT SOME DENVER
BRONCO FANS ASKED ME TO DECLARE THE NEW ORLEANS SUPERDOME A DISASTER AREA.
SOMEONE ASKED A 49 FAN WHAT HE THOUGHT THE TURNING POINT IN THE SUPER BOWL GAME WAS.
HE SAID "THE NATIONAL ANTHEM."