ASHINGTON - Al Gore's pastor preached the value of preparation yesterday as the vice president and George W. Bush awaited a US Supreme Court hearing on the deadlocked presidential election.
''The Bible is clear: In virtually every time of life, there has to be a time of preparation,'' the Rev. Martha E. Phillips counseled her congregation, 24 hours before the high court's session.
With Gore and his wife, Tipper, and their daughter Kristin listening from the rear of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, Phillips said: ''Today, dear Lord, we also pray for our country in this time of turmoil.''
Neither Gore nor Bush offered any public insight into their own preparedness for the outcome of today's hearing, and both ignored questions shouted to them by reporters. It was unclear how closely they were conferring with lawyers writing briefs filed with court yesterday afternoon.
Bush returned from his Texas ranch to the state capital at midday, shaking hands and chatting with well-wishers outside the governor's mansion in Austin.
Later yesterday, Bush was hosting one in a series of holiday parties at the governor's mansion.
Likewise, Gore mingled with churchgoers in Arlington, Va., and then returned to his Washington residence, where he was greeted by two small but noisy groups of demonstrators, one urging him on, the other calling on him to end his fight.
On one side of the street, Bush supporters yelled: ''Get out of Cheney's house!'' and waved signs that said ''Concede Now.''
On the other, Gore supporters cheered wildly as he arrived and held signs that read, ''Count All the Votes'' and ''Stay and Fight.''
Bush running mate Dick Cheney arrived for work at the Bush camp's McLean, Va., transition office early yesterday afternoon and worked for several hours, aides said. He did not speak to reporters.
The turbulence in the disputed presidential race has had ''no effect whatsoever'' on transition work, said spokeswoman Juleanna Glover Weiss.
''Our mission has been to go ahead with the personnel and policy work to build a new administration,'' Weiss said.
