Remembering Bob Cook
By: St James Parish
Tags: Episcopalian, Church, Holy Ground, God, Bob Cook

In Thanksgiving for the Life and Legacy of The Rev. Robert Daniell Cook (1933–2014)

When people ask me “What is your favorite hymn?” the answer rolls off my tongue rather quickly. “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God” is my enthusiastic response. From the time I was a small child this hymn has filled my heart and my imagination with gratitude and anticipation. As I have grown in my faith I am now in a better place to articulate these feelings.

The gratitude I feel is a reflection of the first stanza of Lesbia Scott’s 1929 hymn which proclaims “I sing a song of the saints of God patient, brave and true. Who toiled and fought and lived and died for the Lord they loved and knew.” As a spiritual discipline I spend time each day thinking of, and thanking God for the men and women throughout the generations whose faithfulness and love and sacrifice make it possible for our generation to live into Christ and the Christian community we inherited and are blessed to share.

The anticipation is derived from the third stanza which says; “They lived not only in ages past, there are hundreds of thousands still. The world is bright with the joyous saints, who love to do Jesus’ will. You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea. In church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea. For the saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too.” The reality that God’s saints are alive and involved in doing God’s work in various places makes each day exciting and a joyful mystery to behold! With each new saintly encounter, we are privileged to see a little more of the divine in our midst.

On September 6, 2014, the Episcopal and Wilmington communities gathered in our sacred sanctuary to celebrate, remember and give thanks for the life and legacy of St. James 26th Rector, The Rev. Robert Daniell Cook. Bob served God’s people faithfully as a priest for more than fifty years. Forty-two of these years were spent in Wilmington and Burgaw. There has not been a day since arriving at St. James in 1999 that I have not given thanks for the incredible gifts of love, humor, inquisitiveness, compassion, friendship and empathy that Bob freely gave to parishioners, neighbors, the homeless, the AA community and me. In many ways it is impossible to share all the stories of Bob’s love and kindness. Yet, his legacy is alive and visible in the lives of so many people who witnessed and received these gifts. Bob’s selfless work for Habitat for Humanity after his retirement from St. James in 1992 and his spiritual mentoring of many in the AA community, for decades, says much about Bob’s faith and priorities. I think Lesbia Scott was describing Bob when she wrote; “I sing a song of the saints of God, patient, brave and true.”

Along with the gratitude, I anticipated my monthly breakfast or lunches with Bob with joy. For fifteen years, we spent purposeful time together about once a month. After each gathering I can away with some new spiritual nugget, some new baseball insight, and a funny story or two. Even when I was having a tough time, Bob would make me laugh, and would share his abundant wisdom! I remember fondly the breakfast where I announced to Bob that the vestry wanted to make him Rector Emeritus. Bob’s response was classic. He looked me straight in the eyes and asked, “How much does it pay?”

At Bob’s memorial service we sang this wonderful hymn “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God.” This was a fitting tribute to one of our Lord’s bright and joyous saints! As a husband, father, grandfather, friend, priest, and mentor Bob Cook exemplified the best of God’s presence and love in the world. For this and so much more I say “Thank you, Bob” and as Lesbia Scott’s hymn ends, “For the saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too!”

The Rev. Ron Abrams serves as Rector of St. James. He and his wife are native Long Islanders, have two sons, a daughter-in-law, and two dogs. Before answering the call to St. James, Ron was Rector of Holy Trinity in Fayetteville, NC; Rector of St. Ann’s in Bridgehampton, NY; and Assistant at St. Mark’s, Westhampton Beach, NY. Ron is also an avid Yankees fan and historian.