It seems everyone is citing the Scriptures about whether it’s the right season, or not, to do something. Senator Bill Frist is no exception. In his now public statement about his decision not to try to compete for a run at the 2008 G.O.P. presidential nomination, the Tennessee politician and heart surgeon said:

Twelve years ago, I pledged to the people of Tennessee that I would serve two terms in the Senate to serve as a true citizen legislator and then return home. I said I’d come to the Senate with 20 years experience in healing, spend 12 years serving in Washington, then go right back to Tennessee to live where I grew up. Ive never deviated from that commitment. And I will do just that.

In the Bible, God tells us for everything there is a season, and for me, for now, this season of being an elected official has come to a close. I do not intend to run for president in 2008.

Well, at this stage for the ‘08 field, Mr. Frist hadn’t been a frontrunner, or even in the top tier. He had made some forays into critical states like Iowa, without much fanfare or bounce. Some of us viewed the departure of Mr. Frist’s longtime aide, Bob Stevenson, several months ago as a clear signal that any ‘08 hopes had evaporated.

And Mr. Frist still has to deal with the investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission over the sale of stock in his family’s company, HCA, when it was near a peak and before it fell. Mr. Frist has all along denied any wrongdoing.

From Nashville, here’s his full statement:

My dad in his later years wanted to impart some wisdom to his grandchildren and great grandchildren he would never meet. One thing he wrote that has stuck with me- in fact been a clarion call to me - was “there is so much good to do in the world and so many ways to do it.”

Politics is a noble occupation. Medicine is a noble profession. Service to others underlies both.

The people of Tennessee elected me twice to the U. S. Senate, and I was humbled and honored by their support and every day I did my best to serve them with integrity and common sense.

Twelve years ago, I pledged to the people of Tennessee that I would serve two terms in the Senate ­ to serve as a true citizen legislator ­ and then return home. I said I’d come to the Senate with 20 years experience in healing, spend 12 years serving in Washington, then go right back to Tennessee to live where I grew up. I’ve never deviated from that commitment. And I will do just that.

In the Bible, God tells us for everything there is a season, and for me, for now, this season of being an elected official has come to a close. I do not intend to run for president in 2008.

Karyn and I will take a sabbatical from public life. At this point a return to private life will allow me to return to my professional roots as a healer and to refocus my creative energies on innovative solutions to seemingly insurmountable challenges Americans face.

We have been blessed with the prayers and support of countless individuals around the country who have shared our vision of making America a better place. We thank you and pledge to represent these values in our daily lives and wherever our journey takes us next.

I especially thank Karyn, who has honored me with her love every step along the way. And to our sons- Harrison, Jonathan and Bryan and our extended family: your support and love has sustained me both in and out of politics.

That call from my father still rings true, so we will explore ways to continue to serve outside of politics. Politics for us was never an end — it was a means — a means to serve our country and humanity, to improve lives. And for that opportunity I am truly grateful.

Karyn and I will seek the best opportunity to serve. I may eventually return to what I’ve done for most of my adult life, heal through medicine and health.

In the short term, I will resume my regular medical mission trips as a doctor around the world to serve those in poverty, in famine, and in civil war. I will continue to be a strong voice to fix what is broken in our health care system and to address the issues of clean water and public health globally. We will stay actively engaged in policy issues affecting the lives of Americans.

The time for Karyn and me to leave Washington has arrived and we do so with tremendous respect for the institution of the Senate and for my colleagues, for our government, for our President, for the genius of the American people, and for the enduring principles of freedom and liberty upon which our country has prospered.”