This past Sunday I was moved by Bob Hoover’s statement during our sharing time that his passion is ‘trying to be like Jesus.’ You should know that Bob is almost 80 years old, and has in the past 12 months overcome the death of his spouse of more than 60 years, Moe, as well as helped his daughter Debby overcome the death of her husband, Ray Lynn, at his own hand. Bob has also faced some very serious medical difficulties and I was in the ICU this Spring with him when I was afraid he might not make it. He has a condition known as neuropathy, which causes him to be unable to feel anything from his ankles on down. So, if anyone has reason to be down, Bob does. Yet his statement in the face of all those difficulties is, ‘my passion is trying to be like Jesus.’
A little back history: Bob served as the minister at Park Row from 1967-1970. During that time he was the president of the Arlington Ministerial Alliance and an open advocate for the unity movement between the Christian Churches and the Churches of Christ that would finally take place at ACU almost 40 years later. During his time at Park Row he was summoned to Oak Cliff by other ministers of the Acappella movement and threatened if he would not stop preaching the heresy that our instrumental brethren might indeed also be included in the heavenly host one day. (If you didn’t grow up Church of Christ, the weight of that may not mean so much to you!)
In the last 20 years Bob has faithfully served Moe during her 20+ operations, as well as serving as the minister for the Antelope United Methodist Church, a faithful group of 15 or so folks that I had the pleasure to meet at Moe’s funeral. He has driven out to Antelope every other week, performed weddings, funerals and successfully dodged the Methodist hierarchy which has consistently tried to get him to be ordained, take classes in Methodist doctrine and wear a robe.
He has lived a consistent, faithful, passionate life for the Lord. As he told me recently when his doctor suggested some risky treatment that might cause his quality of life to go down, ‘Doc, I don’t know how much time I have left!’ The irony of all this is when Bob moderated my last meeting at Park Row, an elder asked him if he had actually penned the impassioned speech he made at the beginning himself.
As if.
As if Hoover would EVER speak words written or influenced by someone else. I have learned more about how to be a man of God, minister of God and faithful husband from Hoover than all the elders I have ever worked for combined.
Anne Lamott speaks of her friend, Pammy, who was battling the cancer that would ultimately claim her life in her book Bird by Bird. Lamott called the doctor, hoping for some good news on the distressing development of the disease. Instead the doctor told Lamott, “watch Pammy carefully right now, because she’s teaching you how to live.”
I don’t know how long Bob, or for that matter, I have left on this earth. I do know that through the eight years of our friendship, Bob has consistently taught me how to live. When he stood up to go and make a speech on my behalf at the congregational meeting, I truly felt that one of the giants of faith was standing beside me.
I have been very blessed to have some folks like Bob and Betty who share their collective knowledge and love with me. But they are also the first to call me on something that they feel I need to change. That’s called accountability and submission, words Jesus and Paul talked about a LOT!
So, thanks to Bob, Betty and all of you who consistently lead me toward the Lord and His will for my life. You are part of my ‘hall of faith’, like those listed in Hebrews 11!
