April, 2006 pastorob's blog

Saturday, April 29, 2006

I haven't had the chance to write or upload anything since I've been back. However, I wanted to note that I did speak with H. B. London briefly. He chose a section fro a table of contents to circle and initial for me.

I also mentioned Jebby's musical, Brothers, because Focus on the Family has done some radio dramatizations in the past. Although he said they're not doing much of that, he gave me the name of a contact for those.

Thursday night I was pleased to see Glenn show up for music practice. I asked him to play Bass and put Joe on the piano again. Our worship team worked on a couple songs then discussed our philosophy of ministry before praying.

Beverly and I went on visitation yesterday. Richard stopped in before leaving town to show us how he had raised up a pew and adjusted an arm rail to make church attendance a bit easier for those with physical challenges.

I am calling the Epicenter from the mountains to offer this entry today. Yesterday afternoon and last night involved hours of prayerful introspection.

Then I played bass for the evening service and heard H.B. London speak again. He told familiar stories about his past experiences in the local church and in family relationships. He is due to speak again this morning and tonight. I hope to have a chance to have him circle a couple page numbers from a book he wrote.

Last night H.B. London spoke to us. I've heard many of his tapes on Focus on the Family. I enjoyed hearing him speak. As I walked past him afterwards, he tapped my shoulder and said "hi."

I went out for a long walk this morning around Hume Lake. I enjoyed the sunlight and prayer. So fun playing bass again. This morning I will attend a Leadership Conference. This afternoon, I will meet with our Healthy Church consultants.

On Saturday, April 22, 2006, I helped my friend Greg Brayton get on myspace.com. I'm happy with how the initial site looks. If you would like to see Greg's myspace site, click below on the horse picture and you'll see Greg is listed on my myspace profile as one of my friends. Click on his link and check his site out.

Today, I've left for Hume Lake Camp for a few days. Here are some of the songs I'm listening to along the way... (hear here)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Friday, April 21, 2006

Beverly and I went out on visitation this morning. We visited Jimmy and Herman. Jimmy's gonna take me up in his plane soon.

Joe is leaving for southern California to do a concert at Fort Pendleton this weekend, so Glenn Parker will play piano in the A Street Band this Sunday.

Tonight, my second son, Jerry, is playing at the Boardwalk:

9426 Greenback Lane, Orangevale, CA 95662
Cost: $10

I don't know what time it is where you are right now, but if it is still Friday before 7 pm, I'd love to see someone my age there.

      My cell number is (209) 323-0727

I wrote a Blind-friendly entry for myspace this morning entitled as PastorDad:

         view here

If you haven't been here in a couple days, I'd like you to scroll down and see yesterday's entry.

I've been holding off on sharing a link I told Joe about. Since he went to the site and read this human interest story, he seems to have gone back daily to see the guy's progress. He is trying to trade a paperclip for a house:

click here: one red paperclip

My early ministry-buddy, Dave Hendrix, wrote me a sweet letter yesterday. He also has four kids, lives in Colorado, and says he misses me and loves me. That's cool.

Also cool is that Dave's wife, Cindi, has a cousin, Bobby, who married Keith Green's daughter, Rachel. She was the baby still growing in Melody's womb on the day when Keith, Josiah, and Bethany died in the plane wreck. Bobby and Rachel live in in the same area. Cindi reports that they are both songwriters and are pursuing music.

I think that the story of Rachel is one I'm gonna watch. If you're not familiar with Keith's enduring ministry, you can visit his posthumous myspace site. Click on his photo below:

Keith Green

Thursday, April 20, 2006

I just got off the phone with a 15 year old boy who will experience his first funeral for a Grandma. Kevin knows my daughter, Mary, from when they were in 7th and 8th grade. He also knows of my son, Daniel, as a wrestler. Later I had a really tender dialogue with Kevin's mom, Lisa. She's just 35 and has to face life without her precious mother.

A couple days ago, I was contacted by a local funeral home and asked if I could officiate at this important memorial service. So, again I will step into the holy of holies and serve as the man-of-God. Clothed with scriptural hope, I will tell a story about Jesus and then extemporaneously connect His story with the other stories being written in that very room at that crucial hour.

This responsibility is heartfelt. I hunger to make the most of the opportunity. The precious souls who will gather in that funeral home need to hear from Jesus. The Lord's calling on my life has much to do with facing death and helping others to do the same.

I haven't been publishing much here lately because of computer issues, however, I have written some interesting emails so the good folks down at google (and my friends at Homeland Security) can learn more about my LifeMessage: A Theology of Integrity.

Through myspace, my first girlfriend, Teri, contacted me. We had gone together on-and-off from 7th to 12th grade. Actually, she had been placed on my heart a couple times since I first heard about the Johnny Cash movie: Walk the Line. She reminds me of the character played by Reese Witherspoon, so there had been some memory association stuff taking place with that Johnny Cash music. I write about this stuff hoping for redemptive closure to similarly fragmented chapters among all our intertwined lives.

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

TimeTravel is risky business.

After giving my life to God's service in 1982, I had prayed for Teri and eventually had the opportunity to ask her for forgiveness. True Confession: I was a teenage sinner...and sin always hurts people. I knew full well that I had hurt her. She did accept my apology and treated me cordially.

I haven't seen or heard from Teri since our 15 year class reunion...and 16 years have elapsed since then.

Probably the most important benefit I have received from her few letters back and forth is this comment:

"I'm glad to see that you're still married.
I sure hope you treat her right!"

I replied that I treat Cathy better than I've treated any other woman...but, uh, that doesn't seem to be a good enough answer at this point.

Seriously, I often think that I'm the best husband my girl could ask for...(but I'm a man and sometimes that other gender seems to think that 'men are clueless')!

Beverly would call it a stinger: The comment keeps haunting me with holy ghost promptings to consider and reconsider the state of all personal relationships.

You see, although my marriage involves a firm commitment of long-term faithfulness to Cathy, my decision to treat her rightly is moment-by-moment.

HolyGhostMoment just in:

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Paul reminds us that the mystery of marriage is all about our relationship with Jesus as His Bride. He is the perfect husband and He had the best interest of our collective selves at the very center of His Mission.

So, I'll have to just keep on keepin' on. This entry may have to be deleted or edited for the very reason there's a conflict. We don't always know how best to give ourselves up for each other's best interest.

Here's some safer public journal terrain:

Yesterday, I heard from my old buddy, Greg Brayton .

Wanna experience a blind musician's first attempt at a new webdesign?

click here: www.gbrayton.com

Greg is one of my favorite people in this generation. I'll probably be checking his site daily! He would love to hear from you. His computer will do the talking for you. I've been around when it talks at a rate so rapid that my untrained ears cannot discern what he hears and his facial expression affirms.

Late morning BibleStudy stirred me up yesterday. We re-enacted the story of Goliath from Gath taunting the army of the Living God in Hugh and Eula's livingroom.

1. David followed his Dad's simple directive
    to deliver the goods.

2. Although Israel was fearful and dismayed
    by Goliath's daily challenge, I noted that
    the Philistines hadn't moved forward for a
    month either.

3. I noted that David had found a
    replacement for himself before he went on
    the journey.

4. During David's consideration of the reward
    being offered for the man who will face
    Goliath, his older brother, Eliab, falsely
    accuses him of neglect and motive.

5. David resisted the King's negative
    assessment with his own memories of
    having taken the bear and the lion by the
    hair. It hadn't been with the slingshot.
    Those scenes were dangerously close-up.

    David assumed that God would deliver
    him from Goliath just as he had done
    twice before. Hugh added:

           "Two down, one to go."

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Crisis in the Patterson Household last night: Softcom dropped our wireless signal around 10 pm. Every computer in the house was rendered offline.

The Teenagers were saddened; Dad was nearly finished anyway but he knew this meant Cathy (sitting on the other couch working an excel spreadsheet) wouldn't be able to read the letter he had just sent her.

We each took our turns at troubleshooting the situation. Having exhausted all seen options (and having spent the day), we all went to bed upon Dad's final yell:

"Everybody, get to bed ...!..."

The condition remained the same at 'wake-up' (and there is no techie at Softcom until 9:00 am), so I have come down to the little church house on the corner to check my lines.

11 a.m. Bible Study with Hugh and Eula. Don't forget about Evening gatherings tonight. There are three lively home groups meeting these days. Call me if you're interested: (209) 323-0727

Next, I plan to add a few more songs to my Camp Collection below. Good Day, Sunshine.

myspace and social networking (a video chuckle)

Playin' Bass at Camp Next Week (hear here)

More Songs for Camp (hear here)

...and even more Camp Songs (audio here)

Mystery. We are to fix our eyes on that which is unseen and eternal. As I have meditated upon that directive, I have experienced the power of hope time and again. Yesterday, I was reminded of the unseen battle and unseen Enemy of God's Kingdom.

Someone had put a bigger pull down screen on the wall in the Fellowship Hall. I was so pleased to see it there. Then my eyes followed the field of what would be projected light to the unseen: an empty space which had formerly been the niche for our ceiling-mounted projector.

Most likely, a minion from the thief's camp had broken in and stolen that small treasure.

Line 1: speculation and vain imagination

Line 2: scriptural truths

   Line 3: songs (unseen and unsung)

Line 2: spiritual proofs

Line 1: souls unaccounted (POW/MIA)

awat (on-the-inside). I have left room for you between-the-lines. Meditation toward a guarded mind gives me a heart for the real battle ahead.

Tomorrow is Wednesday. Easter at the Epicenter had its dark side. So?

The Glorious Power of the Father of fathers was exerted in Christ when He raised Jesus from the dead.

Huge is the pulling-down of materialistic possession and selfish obsession:

    ...onward, Tuesday soldier.

OK enough artsy contemplation, let's get back to reality now:

    Paper or plastic?

Monday, April 17, 2006

For the past year, I've been working a big puzzle in my family tree? When parents die early, the stories don't get passed on. Remember, my mama died when I was five. Her grandma died early too. I found a internet connection that took me to England and the Foxe's Book of Martyrs for an interesting fitting-of-pieces.

My father's father died when Dad was eight. It happened one day during the depression. Dad apparently lost all memory of Uncle John, Uncle Joe, Uncle William, Aunt Mary. There are no photos of the Irish Patriarch in that corner of the puzzle. What happened?

On the Internet I can see the places where they settled after their move from New York state to Michigan (not that far from where Eva is living today).

Whatever happened to the Patterson and Ellsworth plats of Woodstock Township? Do I have any cousins out there from the Patterson/Jagger marriage?

Click here for a Monday night slideshow

Well, I didn't get back in an hour to write anything so I suppose all that I had to say on Thursday could be lost forever.

We had a Noon Good Friday Service with several other local pastors sharing. I played piano and led congregational singing (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Oh Sacred Head Now Wounded, and Were You There?).

Last night I helped a little with the Spanish Service. Today is a Filipino Service at 1:00. So, I'm keeping busy. I've been rundown lately so I slept in this morning. I asked Joe to go to the prayer meeting (for me). He met up with Dave Striefel there and had breakfast.

Mid-week we encouraged one another to 'be filled' with the Spirit. I seek a fresh filling of the Spirit of Christ in my life today. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, and I wanna be full of joy so I've got something good to share with others.

I hope that each one of you will be in attendance at a church service tomorrow. Pray that God will speak to you and those around you. Let us all connect to the Body of Christ and see what God wants to do with us.

Thursday, April 12, 2006

Cathy and I went away late Tuesday night. Lots to say...but I'll have to come back in an hour to write it:

Today is my sister's birthday. Nancy is one of my primary connections to a sense of family origins since she has been nearby from my earliest memories. She also shares my interest in studying our collective family history. She will be one of the first people I will call after the National Geographic Society returns the findings of my DNA sample.

Yesterday, I was reading articles in a recent copy of The Week (March 31, 2006):

"You may never have committed a crime, said former New York City prosecutor Harlan Levy in The New York Times, but cops and prosecutors still want you DNA on file."

The story spoke of policymakers "who want to extend DNA databases beyond criminals--to you and me." Required DNA samples could someday be collected from U.S. citizens at birth. I wasn't able to locate the exact article in the link above but the gist was that we ought to consider the danger of leaving a hair or a bit of blood somewhere--and then being called up as a suspect in a crime years later. I'm sure that all these and other 21st Century issues are being thoroughly explored by artists, writers (and evil totalitarian mastersminds) yet unknown to me.

What danger lurks in the future by being so traceable? I don't know for myself but hopefully I will always have the third verse of "Amazing Grace" committed to long-term memory.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come.
'tis Grace hath brought me safe thus far,
and Grace will lead me home.

Somewhere and sometime yesterday, I remembered that both of my Grandmothers have passed on. For a brief moment, I felt the sting of death and separation. With that sense of real loss, I'm happy to think that my sister is still among the earth-bound and a simple phone call away. I'll try to call her today.

The Ten Commandments will be on ABC again tonight. Unlike so many other presentations of the Story, this one seems to go beyond the parting of the Sea of Reeds. In fact, the people of Israel were halfway across when Part One ended last night.

Joe and I watched it as we both busied ourselves compiling the required papers for his International Missions Practicum. There are five papers due and I am keeping my promise to help him write and submit these papers for submission. It is a PASS/FAIL class (and only 3 credits).

The voluminous work to document and interpret the experience will far surpass what is required for academic credit but should be useful for other purposes in the years ahead.

In order to have immediate access to these records, we are publishing the drafts of these papers on e-blogger before the hardcopy version is sent via U.S. mail to California Baptist University:

International Missions Practicum
Liberia: January 11 - March 30, 2006
California Baptist University
Student Missionary: Joseph Patterson

Monday, April 10, 2006

While hunting for a friend out-at-sea, I happened upon my own blogspot. Since Joe and I have been transcribing a previously unpublished, spiral-bound account of his recent trip to Liberia, I decided to upload the first installment (January 11-31) click here at that other blogspot. By the way, I did locate my friend out-at-sea.

Who said it first?

"Feet with ears to hear see
what the Spirit is saying to the hands."

Nevertheless, my spamfilter tried to keep out an important contact from South Africa:

Ed and Nancy Giddens, our contacts in Tanzania are currently in South Africa for medical care: Click here

As for me and my eyes, we're gonna watch a remake of The Ten Commandments on ABC at 9:00 pm. I haven't seen any other work by Director Robert Dornhelm. He seems to have most experience in TV mini-series. This particular work has been produced by Hallmark. I usually enjoy Hallmark Presentations.

Saturday, April 8, 2006

Yesterday some interesting mail came in but I can't tell you about it. So, why bring it up?

Well, it all has to do with the value of having invested in the Internet--specifically a website. For this reason, I really would like some of my friends to take the time to read this article in Newsweek, so that you will be informed as web-based witnesses:

Click for Newsweek on Privacy

We just had prayer meeting. Now Joe and I are headed home. We uploaded his final devotional interactions from Day 71-77:

Letters from Joe: CLICK HERE and scroll down.

Friday, April 7, 2006

Click for Newsweek on Privacy

Yesterday was my day off. I guess I'm so tired because I walked and walked several miles yesterday.

First, Joe and I walked with Jebby. We discussed the Internet and Brothers. Then, we met with Amanda Harlan, walked and worked did an initial read-through of a Children's musical that had been purchased for an upcoming local church production.

Later, Joe and I walked and began reading aloud his journals of the 80 Days in Liberia. He has to summarize aspects of his trip and address certain academic requirements in order to receive the class credit from California Baptist University.

Last night, I had Jerry fill in for drums as we practiced new songs with the Worship Team. Joe, Mike, Jerry, Fred, Jim, Ruth, Greg and Cathy worked with me to assimilate three new songs. We were at the church house from 6:00-8:30.

I find myself yawning this morning during devotions. I'm gonna take a nap before meeting with Beverly to make our visits.

Thursday, April 7, 2006

On Tuesday evening, Cathy and I visited a couple in our town who have been visiting our church on Sundays. Joy and Gary live near us. Joy's mother, Joyce, is also a member of their household. They are a sweet family and we were treated very kindly. We had invited them to the midweek fellowship, but yesterday they called to cancel.

So, last night I asked the gathering to pray and to keep an eye open for them. We hope that they will come to feel even more welcome among us. Joy said that they probably will never get a computer so that is an important reminder that we live in two eras simultaneously.

Yesterday, I read a major article in Newsweek about the User-Generated Websites (which some have been calling web 2.0). As I was reading the article, I felt good about raising teenagers during this 21st Century. I've managed to stay plugged in to the culture within which they are growing up. The process has helped Cathy and me run this web 2.0 track as well.

Click here for Newsweek:
The New Wisdom of the Web

After hanging out with Joy, Gary, and Joyce, I picked up Joe and we went to the sanctuary to teach Scott (and Joshua) the fine art of Audio-Visual operations in a Worship Service. Scott and son are servants to the outreach ministry of La Luz de Cristo. They hope to move from meeting in the evenings in our Fellowship Hall to the 1 PM slot in our sanctuary.

Last night, we carried on from 7:00 to 9:50 at Glenn and Renee's. Mike Harlan is teaching, the people are interacting, the momentum is building.

Today, we are sending out a hard-copy letter inviting our members to pray over invitational opportunities for Easter Sunday (April 16th).

At 11:00 a.m., I will again ring the doorbell of a household in Galt.

The lady is in the early stages of Alzheimer's and her man is doing his best at living out the major commitment they made to each other so many years ago.

We will sing some familiar songs and then Miss Parlee will guide a discussion around a passage from the Bible.

At noon, I will head over to St. Luke's Episcopal Church for the Lenten Soup and Service. Today, Jerry Ryle, the local Catholic priest, will be the featured preacher for this series of prequel storytimes as other believers in Jesus look toward certain calendared dates:

Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter

This small gathering of people are praying that God will open our eyes and ears to His eternal truth. I am in need. This is where I find water for my thirsty soul.

This morning at Club 163, we read Judges Chapter 9. It was unfamiliar to all of us.

The passage reveals what happens on the political scene after Gideon died. Seventy of his sons are killed by their brother, Abimelech. Then, his youngest brother, Jotham, climbs to the top of Mount Gerizim
and shouts:

"Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves.

They said to the olive tree,

               'Be our king.'

"But the olive tree answered,

'Should I give up my oil,
by which both gods and men are honored,
   to hold sway over the trees?'

"Next, the trees said to the fig tree,

           'Come and be our king.'

"But the fig tree replied,

'Should I give up my fruit, so good and
    sweet, to hold sway over the trees?'

"But the vine answered,

'Should I give up my wine,
which cheers both gods and men,
to hold sway over the trees?'

"The thornbush said to the trees,

'If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade;
but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!'

Our next Bible Reading was from Luke Chapter 2. Cathy pointed out that all of us were very familiar with this passage.

Familiar? Yes.

Apprehended? Not yet...

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them,

"Do not be afraid.
       I bring you good news of great joy
       that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christthe Lord.

This will be a sign to you:

    You will find a baby wrapped in cloths
                      and lying in a manger."

What happens next? The events of both stories have relevance to each one of us. The simplest of decisions made today have a ripple effect.

What happens next? One foot in front of the other, I'm planning to step out of this (here) boat and walk (on) with Jesus.

The first Tuesday of each month involves a default setting in my calendar:

I will try to be at Royal Oaks before 10 AM
From there, I will drive to Stockton to have lunch with gathered pastors from our association. Pastor Hendon is planning to meet me there. We intend to invite other pastors from our association to run the race with us.

Today, Mike Harlan is gonna meet me at Royal Oaks. We have four people in their nineties and one 100 year old who usually are in attendance. Mike will hang out with me the rest of the day.

On Sunday morning I scheduled a visitation for us with Gary and Joy--when we get back from Stockton. I enjoy the opportunity to invest some listening-time with the people who currently choose to gather with us on Sundays. This should be an interesting visit.

Joe went job-hunting yesterday and turned in applications at area banks. If he is free this morning, I'll invite him to come hang with Mike and me. I won't always have this opportunity to hang with him.

ripples from my past™ . . . .

right here on our stage,

a certain Sunday evening in '65

...Oh, we've lost the transmission? Well, maybe it will come back later. Anyway, Ed knew it was important to have something for everyone. Do you need a better connection? See you at Royal Oaks...

Just in from Pakistan:

Monday, April 3, 2006

A drizzly morning at the Epicenter. I'm happy to report that Miss Parlee was at the door of Club 163 right on time (6:00 AM). Joe, Cathy, Alex and I joined her for a reading from Open Windows and a short devotional about David's method of seeking God for inner strength (in an instance when he was faced with discouragement). Then we read in Judges about Gideon's initial calling from the Lord.

I like small groups because there is the opportunity to hear from everybody. I told Miss Parlee that I had taken Joe to go see Madea's Family Reunion at the theatre.

Review: Why I go to certain movies (view more)

This opened a discussion about the history of Black Culture in America.

Later, I recounted a wonderful moment I had experienced in worship yesterday morning. It was during the second service. I had just been in Al Warren's Sunday School class and noticed that Elias and Barbara Tavarez (from Las Luz de Cristo) had followed up Sunday School by attendance at the second worship service. They were sitting near the front where I could see them well.

Barbara was smiling as she sang the songs. It didn't seem to matter whether or not she knew all of the songs--she was simply following the leader.

Ohh...and the songs were so good. True. So, I kept leading, from one song into the next, and Barbara kept smiling, nodding, and singing with us. The encouragement of seeing another worshiper just helped me to break through and worship the Living Lord. It was so refreshing to me. It didn't seem like anyone was in a hurry to move any faster...

The repetition of these words set to a familiar chord progression stirred up new hope within me:

How great is our God (sing with me);
How great is our God (and all will see);
How great, How great is our God.

Melanie was at the Powerpoint; Rollin at the Soundboard. The women were harmonizing, DrummerBoy and Bass right in sync. Guitars (young and old) strumming and riffing. Just back from Liberia was Joe playing a support role at the piano behind me. I heard it!

Joe ran his fingers down the keys from the highest register in a perfectly-timed glissando before the tonic chord.

Yeah...that's the winning team--every member participating, everything running smoothly.

After the services, Jim Parkinson and I drove to Sacramento to rehearse the musical Brothers. We are so impressed with the gifting that God has entrusted to Jebby. This musical is addressing some important issues in American History (and in the contemporary church). Jebby has been working on the musical for several years.

Joe heard my practice CD and mentioned that it reminded him of his paper route days (back when Jebby first started writing some of the songs).

I was contacted by Kathe--a woman who graduated from High School with me in 1975. She had signed up for myspace and, from a search of our alma mater, found me. Although we didn't really know each other as teens, we now are in contact.

So much happens in my life on Sundays. This brief entry will help fire-off other memories if I should ever review this journal. I hope that, in these days, God will use me to help reveal His Gift to every single soul in my sphere of influence.

Sunday, April 2, 2006

Just stopping in-between morning services to provide this link I fashioned in the early morning hours:

From the Owner's Manual (view more)

Another myspace persona, Veda, has just posted an article that Al Warren sent our way. Any parent, pastor, teacher (or other concerned adult) ought to click below and read it:

The Facts About MySpace (view more)

Besides the secretive schemes of pedophiles is the overt work of Planned Parenthood on myspace. It is so important that our army of cyber-grandmas become more and more proactive reaching this next generation (wherever they choose to hang out).

I'll try to write more tomorrow. See ya'll in church or somewhere, somehow, when we least expect it....