Chaplains Ministries

Advent and a New Administration
“God’s Perfect Timing”
Hugh H. Morgan

The Advent season is the beginning of the Church year. It is an excellent time to preach and teach about the prophecies concerning the birth of Jesus, His incarnation, and His coming again as King of kings, and Lord of lords.

One evening I was listening to Tom Brokaw and the evening news. They had already talked about Hanukkah, showed the lighting of a menorah in the White House, and explained the significance of what it means to the Jewish people. However, when he closed the newscast, Tom merely said, “Happy Holidays.” There was no mention of “Merry Christmas.”

We are not offended by the mention of Hanukkah or even the holy day of Ramadan celebrated by Muslims. Why should the mention of Christmas offend anyone? The First Amendment protects the free exercise of religion for every citizen in the United States. Why do we cower to the liberals in this country who show no respect for our belief in Jesus Christ and the age-old traditions we hold dear? I say that it is time that we boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ wherever we are.

In this pluralistic society we now live in, it is a big temptation for Americans who are Christians to leave out the Name of Jesus and His birthday celebration that we call Christmas. The most beautiful story in the world is that God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). It is the message that needs to be heard above the cacophony of voices in our world. Jesus did not remain a babe in a manger in Bethlehem, but grew into manhood. He was “ . . . anointed by the Holy Spirit and went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). Most importantly, He died on a cross for the sins of the world, was buried, rose again, and ascended back to the Father in heaven. Today, He is at the right hand of the Father. One day, according to Isaiah “the government shall be upon His shoulders” (Isaiah 9:6).

We have just come through this glorious season and I would like to recap some of the events that happened in November and December of 2000.

Thank God it is over! There were 36 days of uncertainty as the lawyers of Gore and Bush battled the outcome of the election in the courts of Florida, Atlanta, and the Nation's Capitol--even to the U. S. Supreme Court.

In all of this uncertainty that our nation has experienced, our God was in charge of it all from start to finish. The victory was not as sweet as we would have liked for Governor George Walker Bush, now our President-elect. However, God is always on time. He is punctual. He has perfect timing. He never misses a beat. He never miscalculates, not even by a fraction of a second.

I like what the Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 4:4, "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we may receive the adoption of sons."

President-elect George W. Bush (and his friends call him "W" or Dubya) on Thursday morning, December 14, 2000, sat alongside his wife Laura in the first pew of the Tarrytown United Methodist Church in Austin, TX at a special service of worship and music -- his first act as president-elect after his muted victory speech Wednesday evening. "The governor decided that he wanted to start his administration on a message of prayer and healing," said Karen Hughes, a senior Bush adviser and communications director.

The victory of Bush, 54, sends the second father-son combination to the White House in American history, following John and John Quincy Adams in the early 1800s.

President-elect George W. Bush said that revenge was never a factor for him after his father, former President George Bush, was defeated in his re-election bid in 1962 by Bill Clinton and running mate Al Gore.

Bush was reported to have said, "Politics if full of slights all the time. If you're the kind of person who takes the slights personally and always seeks revenge, you're going to be the most unsuccessful person in the political arena." I would say that this statement is true in the politics of the church as well. George Bush is a disciple of Jesus Christ, and I believe he will bring healing to our nation. He is a "uniter, not a divider."

In his speech to the nation on Wednesday night, 13 December, Mr. Bush said, "I was not elected to serve one party, but to serve one nation. The President of the United States is the President of every single American, of every race and every background."

He asked every American to pray for this great nation. He specifically asked for prayers for leaders from both parties. He thanked the American people for their prayers for him and his family; and, he asked for prayer for Vice President Gore and his family.

President-elect Bush said, "I have faith that with God's help we as a nation will move forward together, as one nation, indivisible. And together we will create an America that is open, so every citizen has access to the American dream.

"Two hundred years have only strengthened the steady character of America. And so as we begin the work of healing our nation, tonight I call upon that character. Respect for each other. Respect for our differences. Generosity of spirit. And a willingness to work hard and work together to solve any problem. "And we will have a military equal to every challenge, and superior to every adversary."

Now is the time to pray for President-elect George W. Bush, his wife, Laura, a former public school teacher and librarian, and their twin 18-year-old daughters, Jenna and Barbara, both college freshmen. In addition, we must pray for the health of Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, and their two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary.

On Wednesday night Bush reached out to Democrats in Congress to work with him on education, Social Security, Medicare, and tax relief -- issues Bush and Gore debated in the presidential campaign. "We have discussed our differences," he said. "Now is time to find common ground."

What strikes me most about George W. Bush is his honesty and humility. The Bible says that, “God resists the proud, but give grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).

We must not fail to pray for Al and Tipper Gore and their families, as well as Joseph and Hadassah Lieberman, Gore's running mate and his wife. The prayer that the Reverend Mr. Kirbyjon H. Caldwell, a Methodist minister from Houston, prayed at the special worship service in Austin, TX is a guide for us as we pray for our country and new President. He prayed that God would "fill this country with Your power, Your purpose and Your peace, and grant the president-elect with all the wisdom he might need for a moment like this.''

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