James - Week 8 w/Eric Rowell

can you guys good okay okay very good very good

again my name is eric rowell and i want to thank

the house for giving me the opportunity to speak

with you today i believe i've been a member of

the house for more than 10 years but i can never

quite remember how long my youngest jude is 20

years old and he's six foot three and He was

baptized outside of Rock Island High School in

that blue tub over there when he was about somewhere

around here. But it's been a while that I've

been here, and I've loved my time here. As we

continue our series on the book of James, which

comes after Acts and before Galatians, we set

our focus today on patience, which is a noun

that means having the capacity to accept or tolerate

delay, trouble, suffering or suffering without

getting angry or upset if you have your bibles

with you or use of your phones there are also

bibles on the tables please find james chapter

James 5:7–11

5 verses 7 through 11 and when we read from the

bible here at the house we like to stand in his

honor so please do so if you are willing and

able patience and suffering Be patient, then,

brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming.

See how the farmer waits for the land to yield

its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the

autumn and spring rains. You, too, be patient

and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is

near. Don't grumble against one another, brothers

and sisters, or you will be judged. The judge

is standing at the door. Brothers and sisters,

as an example of patience in the face of suffering,

take the prophets who spoke in the name of the

Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those

who have persevered. You have heard of Job's

perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally

brought about. The Lord is full of compassion

and mercy. Let us pray. Dear Lord, thank you

for this glorious Sunday to gather on your behalf

and share our interpretations of your wisdom

and love. Let us walk away with a grander understanding

of your commitment to our spirit and well -being.

In your name we pray. Amen. You may be seated.

For the most part, patience is something I believe

we all have a general grasp of. Though I can

imagine that we all can imagine those moments

in our lives when we're not very patient. Sometimes

the roadways are the best examples of this. When

we see cars speeding past us or when we ourselves

are speeding past others. Or sometimes it is

in the face of the microwave. when you are staring

at the machine and you are waiting for your food

to come out of that machine and you stop it at

the 27 second mark because you are certain it

is done. And then you realize it's not and you

have to put it back in there. Most times when

we think of impatience, we think of benign moments

throughout our lives like the microwave or Christmas

time. I distinctly remember one Christmas when

I was about six, seven years old. My cousin and

I snuck downstairs. Everyone was still asleep.

And we went to investigate what we had underneath

the tree. I found one with my name on it. And

I'm sorry, young people, do not do this. I tore

a corner of the box to reveal what was inside.

And I cannot remember what was inside, but I

was excited that I was getting that. I then turned

the box around and... pushed it to the wall,

and when I woke up that morning, it was the first

present that I opened, and I tore it from the

piece that I had torn to make sure I would not

be caught by the P -O -P -P, the Present Opening

Policy Police, who were certainly looking for

Snoopy kids at Christmas time. I don't believe

James, chapter 5, verses 7 through 11, speaks

James 5:7–11

to remind us of those benign moments. but truly

the moments in our lives that are trying, those

that possibly we will suffer in, and possibly

for long periods of time. Some of those moments

involve our children as perhaps their emotional

state is fragmented or their behaviors are wayward.

Sometimes our work is challenging as it may drain

us mentally and physically. Sometimes it's a

health issue within ourselves or someone we love,

an ailment that is not easily remedied. and can

be debilitating. And sometimes, suffering can

come from a tragic loss. I am very pleased with

my life in this current state. There are many

struggles the members of the Rowell household

have endured over the years. To this day, there

is still anguish that arises from time to time,

often unexpectedly. But we have persevered, and

we feel the benefits of patience that bring about

the blessings of peace and comfort. But how does

one have patience or acquire patience when it

is initially happening, when it appears that

the mountain has fallen upon us, when it appears

that both God and the universe have decided to

punish us for some unknown reason? Catastrophe,

misfortune, heartbreak forever loom over our

lives, seemingly waiting for the right moment

to send us into a tailspin, to dash our dreams,

and to confound our intellect. Both science and

Greek philosophy speak of the four natural elements

of the universe being fire, the sun, air, earth,

and water. For the sake of this discussion, perhaps

there are four elements of patience. And for

me, those would be hope, understanding, love,

and support. Hope would be the emotion that says

we will get through it. That someday we will

feel less pain. Someday we will no longer cry.

and someday we will be happy again. Understanding

is created when one pays attention to the world.

Tragedy abounds everywhere, as does joy. And

to understand the fragility of life along with

its trials, one is able to better handle sufferings

when we do not feel we are alone in our anguish.

Love. Love comes when we still love the lives

we have, despite what it is that we have endured

or what we have lost. Whatever has befallen us

will not last, nor will it be the last. We need

to continue to rejoice in the existence that

is ours, for in life we have opportunity. And

lastly, support. It is quite difficult to accomplish

anything in this world without the support of

others. Family, friends, neighbors, co -workers,

churches, strangers, all can provide. encouragement

to handle the difficulties, the sufferings, because

there is relief in community. There is renewal

in relationship. Hope, understanding, love, and

support. I am a collector of things. This is

my Luke Skywalker Red 5 battle helmet from the

first movie, A New Hope, that I got a couple

of years ago that I wear often. I will not put

it on because it will interfere with the headset

here. But any young people want to come up when

this is over, you want to put it on, you can.

I have many things that are Star Wars items.

You can ask my wife what they are. I got action

figures. I got miniature ships. I got drinking

glasses. I got Legos. I got all kinds of stuff.

I actually also have, to the grace of my wife,

I have Obi -Wan's lightsaber. It lights up. It

makes sounds. I can change the colors. It is

outstanding. If I would have brought it today,

I would not have gotten through this, and none

of you would have either. Collecting started

for me when I was about 10 years old. And it

started also with items that are in this box.

This box is filled with baseball cards. Though

I played basketball in high school and in college,

my first love was baseball. I grew up on the

south side of Chicago, and when I was about seven

years old, I walked into the room of my uncle,

and he was watching baseball. I had never seen

it before. And I said, what's this? And he said,

baseball. I went, okay. I actually remember the

moment, what was on the screen, and who was on

the screen. It was the Chicago White Sox. Their

second baseman, his name was Tony Bernazard,

and I believe they were playing the Toronto Blue

Jays. This is me at six or seven years old. I

love the game so much that to this day, since

then, I have gone to a game at least once every

year with maybe a few exceptions, maybe four

or five years. And yes, I know the White Sox

are pretty much the worst team in baseball right

now. But in 2005, they won the World Series,

so I'm good for the rest of my life. There's

a card in this box that I want to talk about.

And for those of you who might be watching, if

we can get a picture to come up on the screen,

this card is of this person. Is there anyone

here that can tell me who this is? Who's the

first baseman? Bill Buckner. Who said Bill Buckner?

Good job there, sir. His name is Bill Buckner.

In the fall of 1986, I was 15 years old, and

because I love the sport of baseball, I watched

the 1986 World Series by myself between the New

York Mets and the Boston Red Sox. The Mets hadn't

won the series in 17 years, and the Red Sox hadn't

won it since they traded away Babe Ruth to the

Yankees 68 years prior in 1918. Many sports fans...

knew the woes of the Red Sox, so much of the

sporting world in 1986 was rooting for them.

Personally, I didn't have a dog in a fight, and

I was simply a lover of the game just watching

it. In the best -of -seven series, the Red Sox

were up three games to two. With one more win,

they would gain the World Series and end the

curse of the great Bambino, Babe Ruth. In game

six, which was in New York, in the bottom of

the tenth inning, the Red Sox were up five runs

to three, and there were two outs. with nobody

on base and the red sox were poised for the victory

in their dugout players and coaches were showing

emotion of excitement in the locker room their

cubbies were covered in plastic the world series

trophy was rolled in the owner of the red sox

was brought into the locker room and a sort of

a stand was was erected so that when the players

would come in, the sports reporters would be

able to report on what had just happened in the

locker room. Everything was set up. Well, if

you don't know this story, the Mets rallied,

and they scored three runs in the bottom of the

ninth, bottom of the tenth, rather, on three

hits, a wild pitch, and an error. The plastic,

the champagne, and the trophy. were removed so

fast that by the time the Red Sox got into the

dugout, they had no idea what had taken place

inside. The Mets would win the game, the next

game, game seven, which was two days later, and

they would win another World Series after the

first one in 1969, and the Red Sox would go another

17 years without winning another World Series.

For those of you who know that series, you know,

what has been shown over and over again for nearly

40 years and it has been that error and that

era was committed by bill buckner i've seen it

so many times i don't know if my visions are

my own or of the replays each of us has made

and will make a regrettable error something that

perhaps haunts us for the rest of our lives but

i don't know if any of us will make that error

in front of approximately 50 million people.

Post that World Series, the life and times of

Bill Buckner, who played 22 years of professional

baseball and made a ton of money, were fraught

with regret, yes, but mostly with fear and anger.

For much of the remainder of his life, not only

was the error shown repeatedly on television

whenever the subject of the World Series came

up, he and his family were harassed by fans and

the media. everywhere he went. It got so bad

for him that after years of suffering, he moved

out of the state of Massachusetts following his

retirement and moved to Boise, Idaho and vowed

never to return to Boston where the harassment

was the worst. It took Bill's faith in God and

an extreme amount of patience made up of hope,

understanding, love, and support. for him to

get through a very difficult 20 years of persecution.

What also helped was the Red Sox finally winning

the World Series in 2004 and again in 2007. After

numerous requests, the Red Sox, after that first

World Series, asked Bill Buckner to come and

return to Boston, and he finally relented. On

opening day of the 2008 season, Bill Buckner,

to the surprise of all fans in attendance and

all those who watched on television, walked out

to the mound to throw out the ceremonial first

pitch in front of a standing ovation that lasted

for two full minutes and brought tears of forgiveness

and peace to his eyes. After retiring from the

game, Bill Buckner successfully invested in real

estate in Idaho and also had stints as a minor

league manager. Bill Buckner died in 2019 due

to a long illness surrounded by family and friends

and ceremoniously by the Red Sox. and general

sports fans who had come to appreciate his life.

He was survived by his wife and three children.

Those who knew him best said Bill died in peace,

knowing of God's love. Through patience, again

made up of hope, understanding, love, and support,

Bill Buckner was able to let go of the pain and

regret that haunted him. There is another card

in this box. I want to show you guys. If we can

bring this person's picture up. Does anyone recognize

him? I didn't think anybody would. This person's

name is Donnie Moore. Many sports fans remember

Bill Buckner's era and the subsequent torment

he went through. But most people who watched

at that time don't remember Donnie Moore's significance

in the fall of 1986. Before playing against the

Mets, the Red Sox had to play against the California

Angels in a best -of -seven game series with

the winner being the representative of the American

League in the World Series. The Angels were up

three games to one, needing one more out, needing

one more victory to advance to the World Series

for the first time in franchise history. The

Angels do not have a tragic history like the

Red Sox. They don't have the time of being great.

winning several World Series in the early 1900s,

then having years of being dormant, and then

becoming great again. The Angels simply hadn't

been anything. They had been in existence for

about 17 seasons, and they were owned by Gene

Autry, the once -famous actor and singer of old

Westerns. In Game 5, the Angels were home, and

they were up 5 -4 in the top of the ninth inning,

with two outs and a runner on first base. Donnie

Moore was the closer of the team and an all -star

the year before. He was brought in to shut the

door on the Red Sox and put the Angels into the

final series, the most important series any Angels

player, employee, or fan would ever experience.

With two strikes, Donnie Moore threw a forkball.

It was to a player named Dave Henderson, a backup

outfielder. And Dave Henderson hit that forkball

over the left field wall for a home run and to

go up by one. The Angels would tie the game in

the bottom of the ninth and send the game into

extra innings. In the 11th inning, with Moore

still on the mound, he would allow the bases

to get loaded. And with one out, that same backup

outfielder came up to the plate, hit a deep fly

ball. It was caught, but the runner from third

scored. So now the Red Sox are up 7 -6. The Angels

come up in the bottom half of the 11th inning,

and they do not score. So they lose that game.

Remember, they were up three games to one, so

now they're up three games to two. They lost

the next two games by blowouts. The Red Sox will

win those games and go on to the World Series.

I didn't do research to find a story that would

contrast that of Bill Buckner's. I knew this

story. I actually watched Game 5 in 1986. I was

there in front of the television when Donnie

Moore threw that home run. and I have never forgotten

it. It is perhaps the first time I ever felt

true empathy for a public figure. I remember

watching Donnie Moore walk around the mound as

the batter went around the bases, and in that

moment, he was the saddest person I had ever

seen. Three years later, Donnie Moore was dead

by his own hands. James Chapter 5. verses 7 through

James 5 · chapter mention

11, again speaks about having patience and the

virtue of persevering through suffering. Donnie

Moore regretted giving up that home run, and

he shouldered much of the blame for the Angels

not going to the World Series by the Angels faithful.

But there is a question. What is the difference

between Donnie Moore and Bill Buckner, particularly

in the realm of patience? Why is it, perhaps,

that Donnie Moore did not endure like Bill Buckner?

Why did Donnie Moore not receive the moment in

the sun years later with an ovation and tears?

I do not know much about Donnie Moore's life

as very little has been written about a man who

played 13 years of professional baseball with

none of his statistics being worthy of notation.

But I can imagine he may have been, in the most

difficult time of his life, devoid of patience.

Which again is having the capacity to accept

or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without

getting upset or getting angry. Maybe Donnie

did not have the hope that brighter days were

ahead, that he would survive his fall and be

redeemed in some way by those who knew of his

mistake. Maybe Donnie Moore did not understand

that so many others before and after him have

failed before the eyes of many and lived to tell

the tale of redemption and grace, like Buckner,

which happened only two weeks later. There are

also people like Jackie Smith. Jackie Smith was

a tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. And in 1976,

I believe, he dropped a touchdown in the Super

Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Or there's

Chris Weber of the University of Michigan, who

called a timeout late in the game when his team

did not have any timeouts. And the University

of Michigan lost that game. Maybe Donnie did

not have as much love for himself as he needed.

Maybe there was too much self -loathing and anger

and a lack of appreciation for the life he had

and the man he already was. And maybe Donnie

believed he did not have enough support around

him, people he trusted that not only told him

he was going to be okay, but that would walk

with him every step of the way until he was okay.

People that would not condemn him for something

so simple as throwing a pitch near home plate

and contributing, not causing, but contributing

to the loss of an important game. I do not know

the reasons that Donnie Moore is no longer with

us, for only he and God knows what caused his

decisions in his final moments. What I do know

is this, fragile is the mind that is without

patience. I will ask another question to this

room, but I will not ask you to raise your hands

with an answer. Who here without raising your

hands knows someone that has committed suicide?

I imagine some hands would raise if you do. And

I imagine some of those hands while raised would

tremble because the person that was lost was

someone that was dear to you. Just be patient

is something we say to one another all the time.

And most of us are patient. But for some of us

who are missing either hope understanding, love,

or support, or in our minds, all four, patience

is hard to come by. For those of us who are going

through a difficult experience at this moment,

or will go through difficulty in the future,

please find patience. As God has said, be patient

and stand firm, because the Lord is coming. The

Lord's coming is near, and we count as blessed

those who have persevered. Remember that this

thing, whatever it is, shall pass. and joy is

forever on the horizon. Remember to understand

that you are not alone. The others share in your

grief, and they too have survived. Remember to

love yourself where you are worthy. Not only

does God love you, but so do his people. And

lastly, seek comfort in those who will support

you and those who will care for you, whether

they be family, friend, or stranger. For those

of you who may be struggling in some aspect of

your life, and for those of you who know someone

who may be struggling in some aspect of their

lives, go to them and offer patience, filled

with hope, understanding, love, and support.

Be diligent in your desire to see them through,

for we are called to be good neighbors. As said

in 1 Peter 3, verse 8, all of you be like -minded,

1 Peter 3:8

be sympathetic. Love one another. Be compassionate

and humble. Donnie Moore was born in Lubbock,

Texas. He played for five major league teams

and was drafted at the age of 19 in the first

round by the Chicago Cubs. Bill Buckner also

played for the Chicago Cubs. He played a one

-off star game in 1985, and like Bill Buckner,

At the time of his death, he was married with

three children. Let us pray. Dear God, weak are

our legs and doubtful are our hearts when the

trials of life overcome us. Please help us stand

and remember to be patient when no other actions

remain. Whether we rise or succumb, keep our

souls in your everlasting warmth. For in you,

We are forever whole. In your heavenly name we

pray. Amen. Thank you for allowing me to speak

and share with you a few of my passions and insights.

Following service today, go in peace with the

knowledge that both God and life are most precious

to behold.