James Howard Parnell was born September 28, 1954 in Tyler to Joe Esther and Ruth Chance Parnell. Jim died on October 6, 2012 at 58 years of age. He was married to Lynn Hamilton Parnell for thirty-six years. He is survived by his four older brothers – Pete Parnell and wife Ann, Joe Parnell, David Parnell and wife Shirley, Dennis Parnell and wife Dawn. His in-laws Sam and Mary Hamilton; brothers-in-law, John Hamilton and wife Cindy as well as Dan Hamilton and wife Stacy and many nieces and nephews and extended family members. Jim was a 1973 graduate of John Tyler High School and employed by Hamilton Supply for twenty-seven years. He was a member of Green Acres Baptist Church; an active choir member and soloist. Jim sang in the Tyler Civic Chorale. He volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and earned a 7th degree black belt in Ish N Roo karate. He was an avid motorcyclist and enjoyed travelling throughout the country often with his good friend, Charlie Bronaugh.

As Jim and Lynn’s Sunday School teacher for over 25 years, I was asked to say a few words.

The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 3:10-12:

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

Twenty years ago, Jim came over to the house with Lynn and we listened to a CD we had been given.  It was a recording of an unknown homeless man at London’s Waterloo station singing one phrase over and over:  “Jesus’ blood never failed me yet – never failed me yet.  This one thing I know that he loves me so.  Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.”  His heavily accented and untrained voice was ruined, raspy and barely able to hold the note but the unadorned power of his obvious belief in what he was singing was mesmerizing.  Something in its simplicity held us both as we sat there listening.  The producer of the piece eventually added an orchestra and wove in major and minor keys and the end result was an extraordinary tapestry of a tramp’s testimony accompanied by a classical beauty.  However, there were no more lyrics added and that primitive refrain was repeated over and over again.  “Jesus’ blood never failed me yet – never failed me yet.  This one thing I know that he loves me so.  Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.”

Jim understood both the tramp and the tapestry.  I think it was that moment I had the glimpse into Jim’s character I have never forgotten. I believe Jim’s life was a constant simple refrain playing over and over again.  Sometimes it had orchestration and acclaim and at other times it was just his alone.  He lived life with a theme that never varied and that theme was goodness. Not perfection…but goodness.  Even though at times he was almost afraid of that goodness, he had it – and it had him.

Good – as it is used in Scripture – can mean a number of things.

First, good means the outward mark of an inward character.  There is no inconsistency between who I am and who I appear to be.  Scripture talks about the outer man wasting away while the inner man is incorruptible and unfading.  Paul says, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” Peter tells us the only real beauty is that of the hidden man who is, in the end, who we really are.  Jim was good and had that beauty of the incorruptible man.

Second, good means the ability to do something right in such a way that it not only attracts other people to it but ultimately points to God.  In Thessalonians Paul says, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”  Jim’s life not only won the respect of outsiders but whenever he was involved in something people wanted to be a part of it.  His goodness was magnetic.  Like Christ, Jim “took hold” of people.

Finally, good means fitted for and content with God’s purpose for you.  It means you are comfortable in your own skin and not fretting about whether you will be important or noticed or impress anyone. If anything, Jim was genuinely afraid that the prominence of his talent would distract people from the One who gave it. Jim was not a “do-gooder” flitting from one project to another but his life was “a long obedience in the same direction.”  He stuck with things and he stuck with people.  He was loyal because he was good.

Jim did not die so much as he diffused into the people around him. When salt dissolves it is absorbed and assimilated into the body.  It becomes a part of the blood and the bones – and the effects remain long after.  That is how I see Jim’s life.  His goodness and genuine integrity have become a part of this body we represent this morning.  Not just his voice, his wit and his care for people he loved but the refrain of his life will play over and over in our lives for as long as we live.  The best parts of Jim’s life have been absorbed into ours and will last for years to come.  Yes, the outer man wasted away but the inner man, the good man, the core of who he was goes on – not only in those who loved him but, praise God, for eternity.

Jim loved to ride and while he and Lynn often rode together there was one time when he rode his motorcycle by himself to California and back.  I want to close with the last entry in his journal:

“Final Day:  Left and was on the road by 4:30 a.m.  Cold but oh, so fresh.  Predawn light breakfast and coffee then east into one of the greatest sunrises I will ever see.  This was my last day on this trip.  I was happy as can be.  However, as great as it has been I was ready to be with Lynn.  Missed her a lot.  Home again.  I can’t wait to go again, but today – Home Again….and he signed it

James Howard Parnell