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Pastor Jeff has signed on to become a “Still Speaking Voice,” which means that he has voluntarily chosen to be an ambassador of the GOD IS STILL SPEAKING (GISS) outreach and identity project, and of the United Church of Christ at large. His goal is to have at least 10% of our average Sunday worship attendance (12-13 people) also become Still Speaking voices. Please sign up at http://www.ucc.org/god-is-still-speaking. It is easy, important, and (best of all) you get free stuff!
James, Jesus’ brother, wrote in the letter that bears his name: “You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19, NRSV). It is advice most of us can’t be reminded of enough. I know I need to hear it periodically!
This summer two important sports figures who had massive influence upon the worlds of college basketball and professional baseball, respectively, passed away. Early this summer, John Wooden, legendary UCLA basketball coach, died at the age of 99. Coach Wooden, whom I am proud to say, was a native Hoosier, coached the Bruins to a record 12 national titles, and was a mentor and life coach to hundreds of players over his career, including Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton. Many of his former players have stated that even more than basketball skills, they learned life lessons from Coach Wooden.
John Wooden was a man of strong character and principles, who was, at the same time, filled with wisdom and empathy for those around him. He was a soft-spoken man who viewed shouting and profanity as signs of weakness in both himself and others. Yet even without the bluster and wrath so often shown by many college basketball coaches these days, he was able to help good players become great, and make great ones into legends.
A few weeks ago another major figure in the world of sports passed away, George Steinbrenner, the son and heir of an Ohio shipbuilding family purchased the New York Yankees franchise in 1973 for around $10 million. By the time of his death, the Yankees value is purported to be in the neighborhood of $1.6 billion. Other than two league sanctioned banishments, the last of which ended in the early 1990s, Steinbrenner managed the day to day affairs of the Yankees until handing them over to one of his sons in 2005. Since the Steinbrenner family’s involvement the Yankees have won 11 American League East Division Titles ,10 American League Championships, and 7 World Series.
Yet for all the victories, there was the constant fighting with managers, notably Billy Martin, whom he hired and fired three times in the 1970s-80s; the conflicts with players (including Dave Winfield, whom he derogatorily dubbed “Mr. May” in ironic contrast to clutch playoff hitter Reggie Jackson’s nickname, “Mr. October”); and the specter of two suspensions (1974-1976, 1990-1993). Steinbrenner was remembered by friend and one-time enemies alike to be a profane, angry and abrasive boss and adversary. At best, Mr. Steinbrenner’s death had people in baseball responding with grudging respect, and an admission, that for better or worse, he had changed the game in his business management of the Yankees.
Quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger – habits John Wooden was known for, and which George Steinbrenner seldom (if ever) exhibited. One will be remembered as a great man who just happened to coach basketball. The other will only ever be known as a baseball owner who brought championships to his city at any cost. Which one would you rather have known? Which one would you rather have been?
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jeff
Rev. Jeff Johnston
Pastor
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