A Visit With President Joe Biden in the Oval Office at the White House

Brad Miller: 00:00:03

A visit where the President Biden, in the White House on episode number 53 have to be encouraged with Bishop Julius C tremble. Bishop treble shares the opportunity that he and his family had to visit with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office at the White House. You are welcome to be encouraged with Bishop Julius C. Tremble. Bishop treble is on a mission to encourage you with the love of Jesus Christ, so you can rise to your highest potential. On to be encouraged. Bishop treble speaks to a discouraged world with a good word on the pandemic, racism, the environment, human sexuality and the state of the church with a focus on centering your life on the love of Jesus Christ. Has there ever been a more needed time for an encouraging word to our world? This is your time to rise to your greatest potential and to be encouraged with Bishop Julius C. Tremble. Hello, good people welcome to to be encouraged. This is the podcast where a bishop Julius C trouble from the Indiana area of The United Methodist Church offers an encouraging word to an often discouraged world. I'm your co host, Reverend Dr. Brad Miller, Episode 53 is all about the conversation the visit, that the bishop Tribble was able to have recently in the White House in the Oval Office with President Joe Biden and Bishop trebles family, it was a great opportunity. And he shares in depth with me and with you about what it was like how he got the invitation in the first place, to go to the White House, and what it was like to be there going through the protocols and the security and so on, to enter the Oval Office, how President Biden made an instant connection with with Bishop trebles, granddaughter, four and a half year old granddaughter, and the special warm moments that were shared, and an important conversation that bishop tremble and President Biden had about a issue that was pertinent to you and me, in our local church, and in our communities. That's very important. We go on to talk more in depth about the relationship between church and state about servant leadership, some great conversation we have here that's going to be relevant to you. Bishop trouble, how to use this unique opportunity, and he takes you behind the scenes, and what it would be like to have a visit at the White House to visit with the President. fascinating conversation. When we come back on the other side of the conversation, I'll offer us some some takeaway points and talk about some upcoming guests we're gonna have on to be encouraged. Right now let's get into our conversation with with Bishop Julius see trouble about his visit to the White House with President Joe Biden. And talking to Mitch McConnell today about our wonderful and unique experience that he had, not long ago, where he and First Lady were sent a Granberry, triple were able to have a opportunity to visit the White House and to meet and to have a conversation with President Joe Biden. So we're gonna talk about that here today. Bishop, welcome to the podcast, and what a wonderful opportunity that you had.

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:03:54

Thank you, Dr. Brandy, it's was a wonderful opportunity to go to Washington, DC and to the White House. And to do that in the month of February. But that's also a wonderful time to just say a word of encouragement to our listeners, during this season of Lent, as we draw even closer to the holy day of Easter. And we just pray that people will experience the risen Christ, not only as a day and a time of worship, but also as a season of hope, and renewal. With so many things going on in the world. People need to know that God loves them and that God has defeated both evil and death and that life, life is the is the final victory. So we give thanks to Jesus Christ, and we just asked blessings upon those who, who received this podcast

Brad Miller: 00:04:48

say season of hope and renewal. We're recording this just a few days for free for Palm Sunday and, and really there's a there's nothing better than Easter, right? There's nothing better than Holy Week. It's the reason why, why we exist. And that's thank you for sharing that good word there.

Brad Miller: 00:05:06

But you had a unique experience here at Bishop, you're able to go to the White House, you and First Lady and, and tell us I'm just really interested in curious how this came about in the first place. How did you end up with an invitation? Just kind of walk us through? Look at what happened here?

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:05:21

Yeah, well, it's it's amazing the things over the course of 40 years, you and I've been in ministry about the same amount of time, Brett. But over the course of 40 years, the doors that have been open, and, and opportunities and experiences that I've had, and my family's had as well. Our oldest son Cameron, was formally employed as a staff person in the Biden administration, in the area of digital communications. And he had previously worked with the Biden campaign for president and then was hired in a position regarding, you know, digital communications and media, communications as well. And so he left the White House for private for a private company, consulting firm. And as part of the policy there, they if former staff people had an opportunity to come take a picture in the Oval Office, and they could invite their family members to take a picture and have a brief meeting, I say, brief emphasize brief meeting with with the President. And so we got a call. About a week or so before we were to come is in February. And he said, Hey, Mom and Dad, are you able to come and take a picture with the President? And yeah, I say let me think about it. My wife said, I'm going I don't know what

Brad Miller: 00:07:02

that should have been like a split second decision there if if any instantaneous. My goodness, yeah. What it? What an opportunity. So it was yourself and first First Lady, and

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:07:12

yeah, but it was also our daughter, Candace and her her husband, Herman and our granddaughter, Korean. So the only person, our youngest son who lives in California could not make that quick turn around. And you know, that would have been a pretty expensive endeavor. With a short notice. He wasn't able to join us, but most of our family and it was, it was truly, truly a highlight. In fact, if we let Korean was the first one to walk in, and I think, you know, this is the grand dead. You know, if you got to if you got a little grandchild, this is beautiful. There's a little granddaughter us or your grandchildren, you know that that's the first thing the President saw was was a little four and a half year old girl coming in to say hello to the Miss, Mr. President. So it was wonderful to take the photo actually be in the Oval Office, which is pretty, pretty impressive. It was on one end of the office, they were photography, it was an official photographer. Okay. And there were several several other people with cameras and cell phones, taking pictures and there was a lot of people, former staff persons, I think staff and former staff person, okay, who had who had come so we had a slotted time, and it was pretty extensive. You don't just walk up to the White House and go into the White House.

Brad Miller: 00:08:32

Well, I am curious about it. First of all, first of all, how cool I just got to say how incredibly cool experience you had. But I'd like to hear a few details about you said you just don't walk up or did you do what kind of uh, I don't know, security protocols whatever it what is it what happened there

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:08:49

was pretty expensive, extensive. I'm not I don't want to boast anything hopefully I'm not sure I can indeed but you don't you have to have an appointment. There's an exterior entrance, I mean, your your blocks away actually from the, from the from the White House that you have to go to and you know, a gate and secret service begins checking you make sure you want to listen to actually have a formal visit in the White House, someone escorts you to to go through, go through security on to two different places before you actually enter into the into the grounds if you will. And we had to walk a little bit to actually it was a little chilly. On that day. As a matter of fact, it was a little chilly. And, and then we had to wait, of course, we had to wait and we also had to do COVID testing. So all of that has to happen you know you don't just walk in, you have to have a COVID test and you have to be on a list of former visitors and and you have to be cleared by the Secret Service in order to in order to get in and so we went through all of that for on a call, because our son had worked there. We met a number of people that knew him and had worked with him in the in the White House and some he had, he'd worked on Capitol Hill for many, many years. And so he knew a lot of people that we, we so we were we were, you know, you know how, at some point you become somebody's Dad, it's not.

Brad Miller: 00:10:22

So So So Cameron had he knew President Biden through previously, is that correct?

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:10:29

Yeah. Yeah, I wouldn't say they were close buddies. But right. Yeah, but he was on he was on he was one of many staff people

Brad Miller: 00:10:37

worked at the web. What What were your first impressions? Let's just say, you said your granddaughter Korean walked in first. But you and First Lady and the rest are fabricated. What was your first impressions of going through the hallways or whatever you do? And the Oval Office?

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:10:52

Well, you know, it's beautiful, beautiful, you know, beautiful wood. And at one point we were in I want to think I can't think of the name I think it was the Roosevelt Room waiting to come to the into the White House of building across the street. A library room Beautiful, just beautiful. You know, stately looking building. And you're going past numerous security, and I'm numerous security spots, where, where they're where their secret service officers, some uniform and some not in uniform. And then to walk into the Oval Office was like a moment of like, wow, this is, you know, I'm saying seen pictures of this. I said, this is actually it's pretty big office. First of all, it's a pretty big office and they had it headed arranged. But the desk is that same desk. I think that's been there long before President Biden became president. But but it's a pretty impressive desk. And first person who got a chance to, to greet the President was Korean granddaughter, and he picked her up and sat her on the desk. Oh,

Brad Miller: 00:12:00

wow. How's How did that is cool.

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:12:02

So she'll, she'll be able to look back at that as an adult and say, Wow, here I was, you know, before I started kindergarten, I had a picture with a picture with the President. Yeah, play a picture. We weren't in there very long. But I would say less than five minutes, maybe five minutes. But I did get a chance to say a word or two to the President. Well,

Brad Miller: 00:12:21

that's what I was gonna ask you about? What kind of message did you have to share? And how did your actual conversation go? With President Biden?

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:12:29

Well, he greeted me, he greeted me as bishop, I guess I hit on a Piscopo, caller and shrine, my pin. So he greeted me as bishop and began to say, you know, he had been, he was familiar with the Methodist Church. And, and I think I thanked him for being present. And I said, you know, I've always prayed for presidents, and that you he was no different than, than previous presidents. I pray for the people who have been put over in this tremendous responsibility. I thanked him for his State of the Union address, which had just happened with it when it happened, you know, not long before we got there. And one of the things I recognize Brett was how much how much the president works, because we didn't get our picture taken. I want to say it might have been, like seven something in the evening or seven, something like that. And he had been working, you know, he had travel that day, someplace else flown back into DC, had been meeting with congressional leaders. So I said, they put in some, I thought I worked some long hours. And there were a lot of people behind us there was still waiting to come in and take a picture. So I'm thinking I said, I said, he's not gonna He's not gonna be going to bed for a while.

Brad Miller: 00:13:44

Well, that's great. He greeted you as bishop and you talked a bit about the Methodist Church. Were you able to have any further conversation? You said, You thanked him for and for his message and so on? And

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:13:54

I did. I said, I said this, and I said this, and I thought about this. I said, if I get a chance to speak to the President, I didn't know what the if we would even be able to speak Yeah, so but I did get a chance to I said, you know, we got to do something about banning assault weapons and doing something about reducing the number of deaths. And he just said, Bishop, I'm with you on that. I'm with you on that. And so I got that word in. And I just said, you know, I know it's not all on us. It's not all on us. It. We the church, we need to do our part as well. But I said, I said I said Mr. President, said we've got to do something. We're losing too many people to gun violence. And he said this job, I agree with you.

Brad Miller: 00:14:40

So was that the primarily what he had to share with you today, and you'll share it with you or your family? Well,

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:14:46

he just thanked us, thanked us for being there and said, you know, Welcome to the Welcome to the Oval Office and, and I think he was so he was enthralled. I'm saying this because I watched it with with Korean, who, just by her smell alone could you know, to light up a room? But that he shook everybody's hand and you look, you know, you know how someone could be personally present with you. I'm thinking, maybe they go through training for this at Sure. But But I mean, he had already taken quite a few pictures with previous families right before our before our time. But he looked at each pair, he shook everybody's hand. And Cameron spoke with him first, briefly, and introduce each one of us. This is my mom, this is my dad, Mr. Tremble. This is my sister. And he shook everybody's hand individually. And

Brad Miller: 00:15:42

did you feel a connection at that moment? And did you retrofit it feel like a personal connection is what I'm getting at here. Now,

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:15:48

I felt like I said, this is a, I felt a personal connection. And since this is a democracy, and I praise God for being an American, and saying, you know, I don't know if this can happen anywhere else. And I know this doesn't happen for everybody. But I thought I was thankful for the privilege thankful for the previous

Brad Miller: 00:16:11

Well, what an opportunity, what a thrill for you and your family. And I want to thank you for being there, kind of representing United Methodism. And the best of that to be in their presence. And I'd like to go with you now in this conversation to kind of sit to set the stage for, let's just say you're able to have a deeper discussion, either with President Biden or other national leaders about but but the state of the connection between bodies of faith and government, this is a point of tension and give and take, and a lot of a lot of concern among a lot of folks these days. And Topeka your thoughts about the state of things and what the conversation with President Biden or others might be about how we continue to live together as men and women of faith of various different stripes of that, of course, and then to our governments and how we can relate to one another.

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:17:10

Some of the things that the President current president has said, you know, I really pray that he can be successful that he talked about, you know, trying to try to increase the unity in the country, even talks about the soul of the nation, and some, you know, using euphemisms like that. And I, if I had an opportunity to be in a lengthier conversation, it really wouldn't be about what can we do, as people of faith, as people who've been elected to serve the public to really increase? I think it was John Adams and some of the others who, who helped who helped put together the Constitution itself, the common good, you know, what it really wrestled with? What does that mean for where he always, you know, Biden likes to talk about the working class background he comes from, but you know, there are millions of people who are just brand just trying to make it from day to day sake, they could care less about some of the political theatrics and some of the culture, cultural wars and and the way in which we othering people, they just, they're just trying to feed their families. They're trying to find affordable housing. They're trying to stay above water they're trying to survive, you know that somebody gets sick, and then they don't want to go bankrupt trying to pay to pay the medical bills. So I guess I am still hope feel that we can make things better for succeeding generations. And I think that has to do with how do we address the common good, we're good. The church is good at helping people to grieve, and to be with people when we're grieving. Walk with them in times of sickness and healing. But I really, really hope that we can really work on helping to leave some of the preventable suffering. There's so much I believe, preventable suffering, that takes place, for example, the issue of mental illness, which we'll be dealing with, and some more of our podcasts. But what can we do to make sure when people are hurting from an emotional you know, if you have a cut on your hand, people can see that you can banish that. But what if you have a cut in your heart or in your spirit, right people can't see that. So, you know, I would love to say that I live in a state where we spend a significant amount on on mental To help support, we have a long way to go in the state of Indiana and as other states do. But if I had an opportunity really to be in a more lengthier conversation, it really wouldn't be about what part can we all play and making life, the quality of life more, not only sustainable, but improved, measurably improved. For millions, millions of people,

Brad Miller: 00:20:30

I think a lot of people want to know that their children can go to school and be safe from people with guns, they want to know that they can live in a community with a railroad going through it, and to train not explode in their community and wipe out a big portion of it, or boy, or poison the water or poison, the water, any any number of things. And we want to think that we can live in a country where we can be supportive of other countries or being, you know, attacked by those who take them over. And I just think are some of the things that we many of us want at least and people like President Biden, you and I are leadership positions are subject to attack and ridicule, and, you know, lots of painful points. And what do you think we as clergy, you and I are clergy? And what do you think we as the church can do to be biblically helpful and supportive of our leaders? And what are the some things that maybe we can do in a tangible way? To understand the biblical of the proper Biblical perspective of this relationship?

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:21:33

heed the words of Micah of the prophet Micah says, you know, what does the Lord require of you? When we say what does God require of you? Oh, nation, oh, leader, oh, Prophet, Oh, Pastor, but to do justice to love mercy and walk humbly with God, what is it and then we have to determine justice is Cornel West and others said justice is love lived out in the public square. So what does that mean? You know, Martin Luther King, Jr. would say that people should not be dreaming about three meals a day, they should be actually experiencing, having access to three, three meals a day, people should not be dreaming about shelter, and safety and security, they should actually be able to experience that not as some kind of luxury, but as as kind of a minimal experience of, of life. And we know that everything is not the same across the globe. 1000s, if not millions of people on a daily basis, are fleeing their homes, because of safety because of famine, because of conflict. And we know that even right here in the places where we live, they are people who are desperately hoping for a better tomorrow than they are experiencing today. But we have a chance to share a gospel where Jesus says, I have come not only that you may have life, but have life, abundantly, have life and fulfillment have life with a sense of peace, as Jesus says, peace I give unto you. So I think that we have a message of hope that is rooted in a God who has been and continues to be faithful, and expects us to do our little part.

Brad Miller: 00:23:24

Yeah, that's our ECIR overall word of encouragement, encouragement, and anxious and difficult times which our country's goes through and to people the socio economic sectors go through and the racial divide violence and all that is all things we've talked about here on our podcast. And so that's some things that you would share and be about there. What do you think you've learned from this experience? Or maybe when the church can learn about the role in place of a leader like President Biden or the government, in our churches? You know, there's a lot of talk about this. But what do you think is the proper understanding of that, that role?

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:24:03

I think people are given a season to serve and to lead, and the best leaders are servant leaders. So I think the best presidents want to think now, if you ask them who the greatest president of all time would be, I might shock you and say, what the greatest president of all time, and he had only one term, and his name is president, Jimmy Carter, because I think he has given witness to what one's life might be committed to beyond just being the elected leader. But what does it mean to be a servant leader and to give one's life in that in that season? A season that has, you know, lasted for decades, in the case of President Jimmy Carter, so I think President Biden, he has a season I don't know if he's a one term or two term president. But it looks like he's trying to get certain things accomplished in his and his first term, and my prayer is that whatever he is seeking to do that would bring, again, increase the quality of life, address the things that that harm our children, and hold back our families, that God would find favor and bless him in that season of leadership likewise for me, that that if God would find favor in my season, to be a truly be an encourager, for people like Brad Miller, and for millions of others, if God so desire, that then then as as the song says, then my living will not be in vain.

Brad Miller: 00:25:42

Love to hear that. And you know, I'm just a believer that people who could serve with humility and heart and great vision and passion are the kind of leaders I want to follow. And that's one of the reasons I love to follow you and your teaching. And so things we talked about here and, and it was Easter season upon us, I just like to give you and the President Biden I have to say I've just personally a fan of his head of his heart and his humility, and his leadership as well as share that but I had to give you an opportunity bishop to share any words that you'd like to share with our legacy audiences we are in the Holy Week and holy season are already think about President Biden, anything you'd like to share here for a few moments, and then maybe the lift a prayer?

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:26:25

Yeah, I like to say, you know, I continue to pray for all of our elected officials. Locally, I think we ought to be praying for whether you're in a city or your mayor, if you're in a town, your, your counties, your county, your county supervisors, and so forth. And if you're a lay person, pray for your pastor. If you're a pastor, pray for your people. If you're a teacher, pray for your students. And if you're a student, pray for your teachers. So I think we ought to just, we ought to just continue to do that. Here's a quote that comes from my youngest son who's visiting us now that I think he posted recently. He said, the first act of peacemaking is to smile about the brand new we all love that we ought to retweet that one. The first act of peacemaking is to smile. I

Brad Miller: 00:27:13

think I ought to write a book What do you think?

Bishop Julius Trimble: 00:27:16

Write a book on that. Element, close friends with the prayer that I have written for the Lenten season that's being shared by the leaders of the United Methodist Church in Indiana. But I hope you will hear this prayer for everyone. As I close, loving God, you are great and awesome, worthy of being praised. Your living words remind us there's a time for everything. made this journey toward Easter be a journey of joy, the joy of knowing as we pray for others we are being prayed for, as we lavish kindness in an often cruel world. We taste and see the goodness of your grace, the joy of lids of limitations being lifted up and new vision of what candy there is nothing too hard for you, God. Surprise us. Help us to do the hard things. Grant us apart in a breakthrough season for the Indiana conference in accordance with your will grant us apart in a breakthrough season for our own lives in accordance with your will I have not seen nor yours have heard the miracles and open doors before us. Glory be to Jesus Christ. Amen.