July, 2006 Return to: pastorob's current journal
Today is my day off. Jebby is out of town so I will take my weekly VisionWalk™ with Cathy. We're up late 6:30 so we've gotta get going. This will be brief.
Last night the girls offering was $95.02 and the boys gave $135.14 (of course I had my Lemonade Stand in operation and several girls had come for a glass).
We're raising money to try to help
Pastor Wesley continue long-delayed
work on the foundation of a school
behind the sanctuary and medical clinic
in Sinkor District of
Monrovia, Liberia.
Below is a reply from
Pastor Shamas
Pervaiz in Pakistan. I have expressed in
interest in helping him provide for a
Bible School he is starting in August.
He has saved enough money for rent for
one month.
I really want to help this young Baptist
bishop because he has over twenty young
pastors looking to him for leadership
and training. Pastor Shamas (in his
thirties) is looking to me for help.
Well, I'm looking for 'a little help
from my friends.'
Brother Pastor Rob,
Greetings to you in Almighty Lord
Thanks for mail and thanks for informission about Brother Jim and Sister Doris.We here Pray for them Regular.
You know If God will send me help then I will give them Bibles with Note books and Pens with Refreshment.
Brother alot of persons desire to learn about BIble in Bible Class.
Brother If God will send me help then I will think what I give them refreshment.
I am in Pray and I know God will open door.
Brother Do you have idea what I give them refreshment? If you have Idea then please guide me, my Brother.
God Bless you with all His Blessings.
Your Brother in Lord,
Pastor Shamas
Wednesday, July 26,
2006
There was a full-page story about our
VBS in the local paper this morning. Here is the
Internet Version:
CLICK HERE
The hardcopy had several photographs. Jennifer
transcribed it for us and included scans of the
photos:
CLICK HERE
Every year we have a Vacation Bible
School Offering. We're again having a friendly
competition between the boys and the girls to
see which gender will raise the most offering.
After the fun of competition, we will
combine our offerings and surprise Pastor
Wesley. We would like to move along his desire
for a school behind the sanctuary and medical
clinic. Years ago, he was helped by a group to
lay the foundation but the project has not had
funding to continue.
In the meantime, there has been numerous
projects brought to completion. It is time for
this school in the Sinkor District of Monrovia,
Liberia. It should also house a small radio
production studio and serve for pastors'
training seminars as well. I can't adequately
articulate Pastor Wesley's desire but our modest
offering will serve to encourage him. I'm going
from memory here. I'll clarify the details later
today.
Night 1
Boys: $30.06
Girls: $90.00-plus
Night 2
Boys: $90.00
Girls: $89.00
Today, I have committed myself to run an
ICE-COLD LEMONADE
stand (out in front of the Epicenter).
CLICK HERE to
see the cool picture of where I'll be standing.
Whatever funds I raise will be given to the Boys
Offering tonight.
Temperatures are supposed to reach
104 degrees
in this area later today. I will continue to
hope and pray that somehow we get some Summer
Snow here in this hot, dry valley. I'm up at
3:20 a.m. and it is a comfortable 76 degrees.
...but I'd better get back to bed. I have a full
day ahead.
...well, then again this note just came in from my buddy Greg Brayton in Michigan. By the way, Greg has a liver biopsy scheduled for Monday.
Got a new tune up there on the web page, what do you think about it? What changes would you make? It's pretty darned country, I'm thinking about just doing another version. I don't know.
http://www.gbrayton.com
OK, so I went to Greg's site and found his new country song: http://www.gbrayton.com/whatsnew.mp3
Since Greg is blind, I copied my entries from July and sent them in a more blind-friendly letter. I noticed that earlier in the month I had posted this song. Greg sings a duet with me on it.
|
Notes: wrote the chorus in early nineties. Greg Brayton gave
me the melodic bridge then I wrote those words.
|
06:23 |
Now, I've gotta get back to bed.
Tuesday, July 25,
2006
Last night was Day One of the Arctic Edge at the
Epicenter. My VBS persona is the Iceman.
I bought a bag of ice at 10:00 a.m. and walked
across A Street to the preschool.
Vera, the
Director, had accepted our invitation to give a
preview tour of the Arctic Edge for her
students. I asked for volunteers to take turns
carrying my bag of ice--cradled like a baby
in their arms. That certainly cools one down.
Here in California the high temperatures have
been between 105-109 degrees. The newscasters
have been asking households to set their
thermostats to 78 degrees to avoid disruptions
of service. We complied at home . . . but the
Arctic Edge still needed to be chilly so we
continued to run the air conditioners, played
water games--whatever we can do to stay cool. Someone installed a
water-mister in the shaded refreshment area. The
children sure appreciated that idea.
Shirlene
reported that she quickly counted over 120
children enrolled in VBS on our first night.
That is exciting news for me.
Jerry's
Youth Class had 21 students.
Mary's
cheerleading practice has been cancelled for the
work--due to the heat. So, she gets to come to
the Arctic Edge.
Yesterday, Mary helped her big brother prepare
for the fun stuff (which followed the focused group Bible
lesson about Elijah and the prophets of Baal).
I have not yet had the desired response
regarding my vision for Summer Snow. I wonder
who is reading this? Are you one who has the
ability to demonstrate this Vision of
God's immanence in worship?
"Delight yourself in
the Lord and He will give you the desire of your
heart." (more
Word here)
I woke up this morning at 4:16 and, getting
online to write this column, I saw a hyperlink
to an article by Dr. Ruth Peters about parents
who disagree regarding the discipline of their
children. I was very interested in reading more. I have noted through personal experience
(and in counseling others) that during the teen
years, this is a
troublesome hotspot in many marriages.
I have only scanned some of her articles (and I
don't know anything about her politics or faith)
but I do appreciate that this author provides
her articles about parenting online.
Here is a link to a page full of
interesting topics:
click here
for practical help with parenting
Here's July's
Newsweek
article about President
Bush and recent activity in the Middle East.
Below, Roger Byrd, our Healthy Church consultant ,
responds to a question raised by Monday's entry:
Rob,
Monday, July 24, 2006
This week completes ten years for us at one
place.
Before accepting God's Call to come here, I had
been encouraged by many men of God to 'stay put'
in one place and see what happens with the
ministry of longevity. One voice that I
particularly remember was Dr. Tom Wolfe.
He had just left the Church on Brady to become
the Missions Chair at GGBTS. Having spent twenty
years pastoring that church, he helped them
become a strong multi-cultural church. Even at
the close of his pastorate, he helped to
implement change by coaching them in the process
of selecting his successor.
[My thinking is sketchy here but I think that
they called Erwin McManus to be his
successor and that resulted in renaming the
church: Mosaic.
I've tried to verify this but can't seem to find
information about that published on the
internet.]
Dr. Wolfe urged his students to consider
staying in one place long enough to endure the
storms that would come and to accomplish there
what God wants done. He was bold and continually
stated,
"If you will stay in
one place for twenty years,
you can can accomplish anything
that God places upon your
heart."
I remember looking around the room and noting
that most of the other students were about 15
years younger than me. Still, I heard what he
was saying and tried to apply the rule to my own
life (though so much of it had already been
lived out).
Therefore, I have often desired to log some symbolic representation of the years that we have invested here. During various seasons I have had to multi-task as the primary techie-secretary while planning and practicing for Worship, preach the weekly message, conduct special events, walk with people through sicknesses, family funerals and the like. That has left boxes upon boxes of evidential documentation. I cannot sort through archives without becoming nostalgic and reliving some of the past. Thus, the boxes remain piled one upon the other.
So, maybe a different approach could help in the process of sorting through the boxes. Our entire family has been involved in VBS every year since coming to the Valley. Those who have chosen to get involved have also represented other chapters in this church's most recent decade. Therefore, I will fill in the blanks below and organize my ten-year history around the VBS theme and key Scripture verse.
The key person behind the success of each year's outreach has been the VBS Director. That woman has had the challenge of recruiting and empowering a great number of volunteers. Without fail, every single year of the last decade has activated great numbers of Christian workers for months of meetings and one powerful week of ministry. Again, these successes have been due to the fact that we had a visionary leader in place ready to work for a Cause greater than herself.
When we first arrived a young mom named Beth Bryant was the VBS Director. She used a quality off-brand VBS packet (with a Crazy Aviator). Her successor was Lauri Arwood. I don't recall all the names and still need some help.
Polly Kimball then became the long-running VBS Director. In most of church life, Polly has shared that she likes to stick with our denominational publications. I affirmed her in that decision so we have used Lifeway materials ever since. That decision has allowed us to network with other churches and to share resources. LaVerne Avila provided leadership after Polly's run. This year, Lupe Harrison is our Director.
In 2000, we presented The Fantastic Good News Ocean Odyssey. That was first time we met (via video) choreographer and composer, Jeff Slaughter. In addition to starting the tradition of having a child-led Worship Rally, we also began using a Video Projector for the song lyrics and the nightly video serial.
I can't remember all of them so I'm asking for help from the locals...when did we do what? I'm missing '96 and '97. They were both other brands.
(1996) Year 1 an Aviator took kids around the world
(1997) Year 2 a western theme
(1998) Year 3 SonLight Island
(1999) Year 4 King's Castle
(2000) Year 5 The Fantastic Good News
Ocean Odyssey: Diving into the
Depths of God's Faithfulness
(2001) Year 6 Truth Trackers
& the Secret of the Stone Tablets
(2002) Year 7 Amazon Outfitters: On Expedition
with the One True God
(2003) Year 8 The Great Kingdom Caper:
Cracking the Character Code
(2004) Year 9 Ocean Odyssey (again)
(instead of Rickshaw Rally)
(2005) Year 10 Ramblin' Road Trip
(with Randy Stonehill)
(2006) Year 11 The Arctic Edge
(where adventure meets Courage)
Here is an interesting discussion between VBS Directors around our country: click here
VBS decorations at the Epicenter always have much character and set the tone for everyone's attitude: upbeat and optimistic. I'll try to post some photos later today.
This year, Cathy is helping Robin McCall with 5th and 6th graders. Our son, Daniel, is the Videographer and Jerry has been asked to be the leader for the teens. Mary will come as possible around her cheerleading practices. Joe will have to miss out again because he's in the Philippines and Thailand with the New America Singers.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Ever since I came to this town to assume the
pastorate at this church, I've heard certain
voices express the desire to do something useful
with a field beyond our parking lot. So,
here is a Vision for taking action.
Mere talk doesn't accomplish much. I asked
Jennifer to take a few photos of a construction
site across from the local High School. Then I
transposed some of the heavy equipment to our
field. I suppose that we will put a
multi-purpose building here.
Yesterday morning after our weekly prayer
meeting, I worked on hanging styrofoam icicles
and making snowscape scenes on the outside of
our building. The sun was beating down; I worked
until 2:00 p.m. to the point of exhaustion. What
a privilege to have a swimming pool! After
cooling down, I watched a video called 'Second
Chance' featuring Michael W. Smith. Written and
directed by Steve Taylor, it had a strong
message for Christians to remain true to their
calling.
As Cathy and I rested, I laid on the couch and
watched that film, and wrote an important letter
to the church email list. It has been ten years
this week since Cathy and I moved our family to
this small town. In that time, God has
definitely spoken to me and given me direction
specific to this time and place. That letter was
sent as a first draft. I later noticed a typo
but it was a packed day. I then went back to the
church house and finished work on the exteriors
of both 'entrances' from A Street and Palin
Avenue.
I have some definite areas of desire upon my
heart in this season. "Delight yourself in the
Lord, and He will give you the desires of your
heart."
I need to get caught up on my viewing of
Stonegate's
Mission to Africa:
a videoblog .
Saturday, July 22, 2006
I stand corr
ected. We do have one baby in the
nursery these days. His name is Frankie and he
is 7.5 months old. I took a photo of Frankie and
some of his family at the nursery yesterday.
In fact all four generations of Frankie's
extended family is represented on Sunday
mornings.
They didn't come to VBS last year. Now, they are
fully on board and will be working with
the children who will be entering Kindergarten
this year.
I can't write much today because we
are redecorating our Worship Space and all the
classrooms for Vacation Bible School (which
starts Monday night: 6:00-8:30).
We've built a full-size igloo and there are big
icicles hanging from the eaves. This is gonna be
a great week of Outreach at the Epicenter.
Come and see us all at church tomorrow morning:
My sermon is entitled:
Hope for a Hurting World
8:30 or 11:00 a.m.
Friday, July 21, 2006
I woke up at 4:11 this morning. So, my email box
had letters pertaining to our work in Liberia.
Nothing I'm ready to write about yet but had to
spend an hour in research and replies.
This morning a group of us are driving south on
99 to Manteca to visit the last day of their
Vacation Bible School. They have presented
the Arctic Edge and we are probably going to
arrange for recycling some of their decorations
and props. I'm still looking for snow
although we've had temperatures of 105-109. Does
anyone have any connections for us to borrow one
of these?
click here
to see what I'm talking about.
Yeah, I wear several hats around the Epicenter.
Click on the photo if you'd like to read a
helpful article by John Maxwell.
We also plan to take some photos of Sequoia's
altar area since we are making plans to remodel
our own space. They have the same sanctuary
layout that we have at the Epicenter.
I have no idea why we haven't heard from our
firstborn in the Philippines. Joe, are
you there? Joe?
A couple weeks ago, I was organizing music in
the storage rooms behind our sanctuary and found
sheet music to "Until that Final Day." I
sat down at the piano and sang through it once.
Singing the song transported me
back to the last time I performed it (as a
Sunday morning special).
The Malloys had just left for Horizon and the
Arwood/Blackwell Oikos had not yet moved on.
Although there was some unseen conflict in the
church, we all seemed to have an appreciation of
Keith Green's ministry. The song had helped me
keep all the drama in perspective.
That song, again, popped up in my mind yesterday
while writing the blog and I decided to quote
its lyrics.
Later, I replied to a note from an old friend
from our early ministry days in Kalamazoo,
Michigan,
David
Hendrix. He wrote back and gave me the
latest on Cindi's cousin, Bobby, and
Bobby's wife, Rachel (Keith
Green's daughter). We wrote back and
forth about this young couple.
I'm thinking that I would like Bobby and Rachel to move here and help me
in northern California (just for this season in
their lives). Dave says he'll put the word in
for me saying that they just need to know where
the Lord wants them to go . . .
"Why, Preacher, you
haven't even met them yet."
So?
Is the desire of my heart any
less real (or any more presumptuous) than one's
vision of Summer Snow?
"I think not . . . (therefore, I try
again)."
-- R. Patterson, 2006
Well, I wanted to link to the Keith Green site
at myspace but it seems to be missing. What's up
with that?
Hey, remember how we discovered that Oprah
Winfrey has an exact match of DNA sample with
the Kpelle people in Liberia? That PBS special
prompted me to participate in a similar study.
Well, I was disappointed with the results of my
own DNA results from the joint venture with
National Geographic and PBS. If you would like
to see what my $95 fee and a swab sampling
actually produced, write me:
pastorob@gmail.com
Today, this AP story is being distributed to the
world's news agencies:
Scientists to explore the DNA code of
Neanderthals
So, why do a study of "40,000 year-old
Neanderthal samples" (some which are
contaminated and of which only 5% are actually
Neanderthal)?
Uh...well, in a telephone interview for the AP
article, Jonathan Rothberg apparently
stated that a recent
Chimpanzee Genome Project "led to
literally too many questions, there were 35
million differences between us and chimpanzees--
that's too much to figure out."
Too many differences, so Jonathan's company (454
Life Sciences Corp.) will study what they
believe is our 'closest relative to the modern
human'.
Read the article, write to me with your initial
response and we could have a lively discussion
of the issues raised. Don't worry, I won't
publish any of your views without your
permission.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
I'd like to have some snow at the
Epicenter for next weeks's VBS called the
Arctic Edge. I wonder if someone has a
snow-making machine we could borrow (even a wand
would be OK):
click here
to see what I'm talking about.
Temperatures may go over 100 degrees next week
but our VBS is at night. Well, any ideas . . .
anybody?
Here
is one vision for a quick remodel of our A
Street presentation. I wonder if casting a
vision will help us reel-in a full catch of
creativity?
update: 11:25
Jennifer found some stained glass windows for
us. So here's another vision. Let's keep on
reelin' in the years . . .
a panorama of interactivity:
I woke up at 4:40 and walked
throughout the house turning off lights (that's
right, I'm the Dad...). Then I decided to turn
on my laptop, sit in the front room and invest
some time alone before the Lord. I enjoy moments
like these--just hanging out with Abba. He loves
me and regularly invites me to fellowship with
Him. "What He has
done for me, he will do for you."
Last night, Daniel led our home group
through scriptures relating to this topic:
Listening to God.
The conversation related to my current
situation.
I've been waking up at odd times in recent
weeks. Those early hours have been spent reading
email and journaling for this column. This has
become a season of focused listening for the
Holy Spirit.
Near the end of Daniel's study, I suggested to
my peers that if awakened during sleeptime, one
should count it as an opportunity to share
quality time with God.
"One
sleepless night could change your life."
--Rob Patterson, 2006
I am reminded of a
Keith Green song that served me well
as a staple during night shifts at the group
homes. Here are the lyrics to that significant
song:
My flesh is tired of seeking God,
But on my knees I'll stay.
I want to be a pleasing child,
Until that final day.
My mind is full of many thoughts
That clutter and confuse.
But standing firm, I will prevail,
In faith that I'll be used.
chorus: Amen! I'm asking once again.
Won't you help me my friend, Lord Jesus.
Holy Lord Spirit, set us free,
From chains we cannot see,
Come, release us.
I wrestle not with flesh and blood,
My fight is with the one,
Who lost the keys of hell and death,
To God's most precious son.
One sleepless night of anguished prayer,
I triumphed over sin.
One battle in the Holy war,
God's promised me to win.
Last night, Glenn mentioned that a certain verse
had been a theme for Kids' Camp. We discussed
some aspects of this passage. I believe it is
appropriate to offer the same opportunity for
the Word to do His Work in you, so,
click and read
. . .
Well, did you read that passage? What do you
think?
Samuel's bedtime interaction with Eli is an
important story for growing Christians to know.
God entrusted a message to the boy who had been
sequentially prepared to listen to His Voice.
His message holds significant relevance for me.
As the father of three sons and a daughter, I
remain accountable to remember the tragedy of
Eli's life as a father. I desire better for my
children. The personal challenge of leading my
own family is stirred afresh as this passage
permeates my heart and soul:
I'll
click it
again
So, it is now 6:18 a.m. and I'm ready to start another day. When I first got online this morning, I read the following article. I thought it good to share the same opportunity to scan related articles about finances.
- 20 ways to save on a shoestring
- Beginner's Guide to Investment
- The world's best-kept retirement secret
- The oil world's new bullies
- Shrink student loans with public service
- Why so many grads 'fail to launch'
There is probably some useful
information in the articles above, so I'll
probably invest some more time soon and
speed-read through them.
However, a focus on the following counsel
from God's Word will definitely reap a bountiful
harvest for those who choose to listen:
An Even Better Way to Deal with Finances
- The importance of working smarter
- Believer's Guide to leaving an inheritance
- The Truth about too much sleep
- What husbands want their wives to know
- Listen up, Ladies
-
Any undone jobs around your house?!
Here it is again. I'm reeling in the years...
2006 is the time to get some stuff done around the house . . .
The House on A and Palin.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
VisionPainting murals at
church (view
more)
If you are visually-stimulated and desire to
send a mural idea to us, I will include it in a
future slideshow before we decide what to do
with the Epicenter's southwest canvas.
Cathy and I are supposed to meet Iona and
Richard at Denny's at 7:45 this morning. Stop by
and pull up a chair. There is also an Open Bible Study at 11:00 a.m.
at Hugh and Eula's place.
Tonight there's a Bible Study at the Greene's.
Our son, Daniel, is scheduled to lead the study.
Call me if you wanna talk: (209)
323-0727
Don't forget to check in on Stonegate's Mission
Trip:
click here
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Just in case
anybody is wondering . . . We have been inspired by the recent Healthy Church results to make our
humble church-house more visible from the
street.
During our first discussion, Steve Harrison
suggested that we not only light our sign--but
that we go a little--(how did he put it?)
. . . a little over-the-top?
Inquiring minds may wonder "What is REAL and
what is only imagined?" I would suggest that you
simply come and see for yourself . . . or read
my notes from Sunday's Message below.
I must cut this short because Art Dunahoo
is meeting me at the corner of
A and Palin at 7:30 am to put
up a sign. Oh, just come by and see it for
yourself...
Monday, July 17, 2006
I
woke with up that
window-open-at-night-headache and, after writing
a response to an email, still feel impeded by
the dull pain.
A cup of coffee would help, I think.
Before we read any further,
perhaps we ought to see the latest from our
Mission Friends in Sudan:
click here
That was sure interesting, wasn't it?
The boys are asked to lead at a Pastors'
Conference. A video of the event was posted. I
hope you have been empowered with
high-speed and are able to view the video.
Mike (the video guy) was moved to spontaneously
wash the pastors' feet
at the close of his message.
Imagine having the
freedom to be spontaneous in a church service.
Imagine...hmmm, maybe its time to re-phrase
another John Lennon song (psss...don't tell
Yoko).
Local Question: What to do? I have a personal need; maybe
you could help. A sister in our local church
wrote to me last night:
What to do? I wrote a long letter back to her...thinking out loud really. I am unable to publish my reply without some editing of paragraphs which address intimate, local-church issues. Still, I thought it might serve a good purpose to use this internet platform to simply say,
"Help..."
If you know of a gentle, yet vibrant, lover of souls (young and old), who plays his/her instrument skillfully and is able to lead others to Truly worship God in the Spirit, please write and tell me about this person:
pastorob@gmail.com
Money is not the main thing in my mind.
Whether it is doing something more wjith
Pastor Wesley in Liberia, participating in
our local Vacation Bible School, or making a
relational decision with members of my own
family, I have found this to be the best way
to order my steps . . .
1, 2, 3:
First:
"Lord, what is Your Vision?"
Second: "Lord, what's it gonna
cost?"
Before Step 3 happens, we may face a mountain in the way
. . .
So what? We don't tell God what to do.
The Word says we should petition him with
requests that are humbly submitted with a
surrender to His Best. Others may be
involved who will ultimately be blessed.
(all that kinda rhymes)
Third:
"Lord, thank you for letting us in on
what you were hoping to do through our freewill
obedience to the revelation you unveiled."
Last night Pastor Hendon preached a
mini-sermon (45 minutes). He was
well-received as he preached on four verses
which surrounded my key verse for
yesterday's sermon. I was amazed (as usual)
when he asked us to turn to 2 Timothy
2:1-4
"You then, my
son, be strong in the grace that is in
Christ Jesus. And the things you have
heard me say in the presence of many
witnesses entrust to reliable men who will
also be qualified to teach others.
Endure hardship with
us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No
one serving as a soldier gets involved in
civilian affairs—he wants to please his
commanding officer."
Like music issues above, preaching style is an issue with
which our local church is being tested.
But oh, I was happy last night! Those who were
gathered seemed to share my enjoyment of
sermon-involvement as Christian
discipleship. We helped the man of God
preach a powerful message. We allowed our
visitor to be himself and feed us God's Word
with all the spices he knows how to use in seasoning the meat
for our consideration.
The meat of God's Word
requires some chewing. In my humble
estimation, an effective sermon cannot be
fully digested upon the initial hearing. We
all ought to do some more chewing the next
day, and the next . . .
Pastor Wesley asked for us to provide
50-cent lunches for 500 pastors during the
upcoming 3-day
Conference in Liberia. 500 50-cent lunches would
cost $750.
Last night, at the close of our business
meeting, Robin McCall asked if we could
try to provide $1 lunches instead. Well, the
floodgates of freewill offerings started and
$500 was raised. We now have $650 for lunch for
500 pastors. WWJD What Will Jesus Do?
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Let's get
REAL . . .
We had a profound and mysterious
cross-cultural wedding yesterday. With other
events of the weekend,
I am still processing
for the message
God will give me in our morning services today:
Let's get
REAL about
our Relationships
Acts16:1
Paul came to
Derbe and then to Lystra, where a
disciple named Timothy
lived, whose
mother was a Jewess and a believer, but
whose father was a
Greek. The brothers
at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
Paul wanted to take
him along on the journey, so he
circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in
that area, for they all knew that his father was
a Greek.
As they traveled from town to town, they
delivered the decisions
reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem
for the people to obey. So
the churches
were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in
numbers.
1 Timothy 1:1-2 Paul, an
apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God
our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
To Timothy my true son
in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from
God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Let's get REAL
about our plan for
E mpowerment
1 Timothy 1: 18-20 Timothy, my
son, I give you
this instruction in keeping with
the prophecies once made about you , so that by
following them you may fight the good fight ,
holding on to faith and a good conscience.
Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked
their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and
Alexander,
whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught
not to blaspheme.
1 Timothy 2:1-6 I urge, then,
first of all , that
requests,
prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for everyone—for
kings and all those in authority, that we may
live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness
and holiness.
This is good,
and pleases God
our Savior,
who wants all men to be saved
and
to come
to a knowledge of the
truth.
For there is one God and one mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave
himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony
given in its proper time.
Let's get REAL
about
our A ttitude
(s)
1 Timothy 4:12 Don't
let anyone look down on you because you are
young , but set an example for the believers in
speech, in life, in love, in faith and in
purity.
1 timothy 5:1-2 Do not
rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as
if he were your father. Treat younger men as
brothers, older women as mothers, and younger
women as sisters , with absolute purity.
1 Timothy 5:17-18 The elders
who direct the affairs of the church well are
worthy of double honor, especially those whose
work is preaching and teaching. For the
Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it
is treading out the grain," and "The worker
deserves his wages."
5:19 Do not entertain an accusation
against an elder unless it is brought by two or
three witnesses.
5:20 Those who sin are to be
rebuked publicly, so that the others may take
warning.
21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ
Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these
instructions without partiality, and to do
nothing out of favoritism.
5:22 Do not be hasty in the
laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins
of others. Keep yourself pure.
. . . and about
our attitude toward money
1 Timothy 6:6-10 But
godliness with contentment is great gain. For we
brought nothing into the world, and we can take
nothing out of it. But if we have food and
clothing, we will be content with that.
People who want to get rich fall into temptation
and a trap and into many foolish and harmful
desires that plunge men into ruin and
destruction. For the love of money is a root of
all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money,
have wandered from the faith and pierced
themselves with many griefs.
6:12 Take hold of the eternal life
to which you
were called . . .
6:20 Timothy,
guard what has been entrusted
to your care.
Let's get REAL
about the need for
L
eadership
Christian Leadership is
Holy-Spirit Leadership.
THE MESSAGE: 2 Timothy 2:2
Spirit-Vision "that
comes from God",
Spirit-Vision
"that draws from history",
Spirit-Vision
"that meets people's needs",
Spirit-Vision
"that helps us gather resources".
(John Maxwell: Leadership 101)
YESTERDAY: (akousta:
my message)
"And the things that thou hast heard of me
among many witnesses, (other witnesses)
PAUL:
My preparation on you
TODAY: (pistis: faithful, trusted,
believing)
" . . . the same commit thou to
faithful
men..."
TIMOTHY: Your
presentation of me
TOMORROW: (ikanos: able
to teach: didasko)
"...who shall be able to teach others also."
OUR MINISTRY TOGETHER:
The preparation of faithful Disciple-makers
Friday, July 14, 2006
Y
es,
it is my birthday today. I started the morning
at about 5:15 thinking about Sunday's Sermon
which will be preached here at the Epicenter.
I was thinking about a church that Mike McCall
and I helped to launch in Stockton years ago. We
were asked to assemble a Worship Band to provide
music for two 'preview' services.
The new church had a motto:
"A church that gets it . . ."
When I first heard the slogan, I thought,
"Hmmm...that sound like Roger." I had enjoyed
watching Roger Williams since seeing him
serve in a leadership role at our State Youth
Conference. He later left his long tenure as
Youth Pastor at Sequoia Heights Baptist Church
to plant StartChurch. Now, Roger is a hospital
chaplain. Life in ministry does not usually
remain the same.
If you haven't heard Roger speak before, here is
a message he preached at the Epicenter in 2004.
This particular evening God had given Roger
specific instruction. He obeyed and I trust that
his obedience will make a difference in
somebody's life yet today.
Roger Williams 1
Roger Williams 2
Roger Williams
3
Roger Williams 4
It stirs my imagination to think that some
gathering of Christians somewhere in the Body of
Christ 'gets it'. The eye needs the ear and the
hand needs the eye. I have built my ministry
upon confessing my need for others to help me
experience God in his fullness. As well, I have
always rejoiced when I have learned that I have
been helpful to someone else know Him better.
My thesis statement for Sunday morning is this:
"FBC Galt needs to get
REAL about
Relationships,
Empowerment,
Attitude, and
Leadership
I desire us to be a gathering of Christians who
'get it...'
The acronym (REAL) came from John Maxwell's
book: Leadership 101. I have to seek wisdom from
the Lord for what I should pass on from my own
study of the Word.
Andy Deck wrote me today and mentioned that, on
birthdays he tends to evaluate whether or not he
is successful in the Lord's eyes. He encouraged
me. It is good to share encouraging words with
one another.
My attempts to disciple others centers on making
the Scripture more accessible to them and
practical as they face the circumstances of
their calling.
All Scripture is God-breathed and I want to
share that breath as much as possible. As I consider truths I
discover in the Bible, I grow in the excitement
of sharing a sermon.
Weekly, I have the profound privilege of
preaching a meaty message in the midst of
members of our local church. I
come to the pulpit expectantly
and fully expect
that others who gather
expectantly will
REALLY get it and will get
REAL.
This birthday gift from God will help me to
seize the day of hope. I look upwards and,
seeing a certain cluster of stars, I remember a
special morning in Indonesia over a decade ago.
God had called me into a fruitful relationship
with Him and with my neighbors. So, I wanna be
REAL and I wanna stay REAL.
Todd Rundgren once asked,
"Will the real God please stand up?"
Like Da
vid,
John, and Paul before me, I desire to make the
real God known among the nations.
On a lighter note, my girls think I need a
makeover. At age 49, my hair is getting much
grayer and I've been putting on weight for the
last couple years. Of course, now that I'm
eating God's Way, weight shouldn't be an
issue. However, I just don't know what to do
about my hair. Any
ideas?
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Joe wrote a note Roger Williams and cc'd me:
3:00 a.m.
Yesterday
afternoon, Cathy
and I drove to Stockton to visit
Pastor Hendon.
We were pleased to have an opportunity to speak
with him in an informal setting. Momentum is
growing for his trip to Monrovia, Liberia. I
told him that we had just sent nearly 1,500
flyers via Federal Express (for the National
Leadership Conference). They should arrive on
July 18th, so that will give
Pastor Wesley
one month to promote this event.
Last night, David Sayre
taught at our home Bible Study. He guided us
through a discussion about the day that Jesus
sat down at Jacob's Well with the Samaritan
woman (the
Word). He wove her story into his own
testimony (with scenes from 30 years ago...and
from last week). His testimony made me hungry to
be a witness--even during an otherwise busy day.
Well, I need to head back to bed for some more
sleep (I woke up at 2 am and now its 3:15).
After Club 163 (which is supposed to
start at 6:00), Jebby
and I are meeting for our weekly
VisionWalk™
and plan to stop by the Lutheran Church.
Mary Sanders
has agreed to give us a guided tour through
their church's hymnbook. She will share her
insights about past and contemporary
compositions for liturgical worship in the
Lutheran experience.
Before my head hits the pillow, I'm gonna click
here and see what's been happening with our
Mission Friends in Sudan:
www.stonegatemission.blogspot
...later in the day:
After Club 163,
I returned to the link above and watched the new
videos. We are pleased to see the production
quality of these mission reports being sent back
by the three-man team. If you haven't been there
yet, go to the link above and watch the latest
video clip: Andy Deck
shares some background on one of the members:
The narrator is Mike Elkins. You can see
him briefly in the middle of the video [July 9]
teaching a small adult Sunday School class. He
has short red hair and is wearing light-colored
slacks.
Mike is an electrician by training and
went into full-time missions about 2.5 years
ago. He has been serving with YWAM in Australia
until about two weeks ago. He has completed his
commitment with them and would like to apply
much of what he has learned and taught through
our missions work at Stonegate.
Mike developed his video shooting and editing
skills while serving with YWAM. He is an
awesome young man (35y) and has been single for
a number of years.
Click here
to see Mike's Gifting in Action
Upon seeing today's videoblog (President of
Southern Sudan Stops By), I immediately thought
of issues raised by the resident editor of
Leadership Journal, Abram Book. In his article
Giants in the Land, Mr. Book quotes
political science advisor, Dr. Alan Wolfe:
" . . . I
worry about someone who is very well-intentioned
but finds himself involved in conflicts that
really pre-date our involvement there."
This reference is to tribal animosities,
governmental entropy, and Muslim strongholds in
various troubled African states. I learned from
the article that Bruce Wilkinson (Prayer
of Jabez and The DreamGiver) apparently "failed"
in his African initiative and pulled out
from "an ambitious ministry project in Swaziland
last year."
The Stonegate team and Abram Book's article
will both become important factors in our
preparation for Pastor Hendon's upcoming mission
endeavor to Liberia.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Today, the Summer Issue of Leadership
Journal is supposed to be released. If
anyone has a copy, see if there's a story by
Abram Book that mentions our work in Liberia. My
free trial subscription hasn't been started yet
but it should be coming.
click here
for the online version of this magazine.
Mr. Book's article will be published online
eventually.
Today, at 11:00 am (Pacific Time) we
have a Bible Study near the Epicenter and
another tonight at 7:00. Call
me on my cellphone if you would like directions
to either event or if you just want to say
"Hey..."
(209) 323-0727
Remember the guy
with the red
pa
perclip who had
a networking idea
for the Internet? He offered to trade it for
another item and continue trading until he had a
house.
Well, today, his dream becomes a reality:
click here
Hmm...
I wo
nder
if the purchaser(s) of the
the Liberia Stone
would be willing to place it
upon the open market once again?
Pastor Wesley still doesn't have a
car and the foundation for a multi-purpose
building was laid many years ago. Oh, for the
faith of a mustard seed...
Faith? Get this.
Rodney
Edwards is planning to be in Liberia during
Pastor Hendon's Mission Trip.
He is planning to get involved in this
outreach in cooperation with the National
Pastors' Fellowship Conference.
Service to Servants is already promoting it
on their new
website. On their homepage, they have mentioned
the Delta Valley Association and they are also displaying the
other poster that Jennifer designed.
Thanks to Loren for printing 1,500
flyers. We are sending
them out today for pre-conference
promotion in the countryside villages of Liberia.
Pastor Hendon received his passport
yesterday and has an appointment for his Yellow
Fever Vaccination this morning. Lord willing, I
will help him get his Visa application sent off
today. This will be Pastor Hendon's first
overseas trip. The humble preacher who pastors a
small inner-city church in Stockton is walking
through the door that the Lord has opened before
him. In remembrance of my deceased brother's
birthday and Pastor Hendon's Vaccination, this
very paragraph has been predestined to link to
this song long,
long ago:
click
here
Tuesday, July
11, 2006
Cathy and I were the only ones who showed up for
Club 163
this morning. We were blessed by reading the
Word. She read aloud lessons and verses which
are fundamental to the teaching currently being
shared at the Epicenter
on Tuesday Evenings: Losing Weight God's Way.
As Cathy read and asked me questions, I did my
best at the male version of multi-tasking
(complete with 'huh?'). Still, with Cathy's
understanding that I was working on something
important, I continued to tweak the appendix to
this entry below.
Fortunately, I was able to integrate some of the
very verses we discuseed to
salt the offering I had written earlier
(between 4:30 and 5:00 AM).
Yesterday afternoon, I observed the 2006 Worship
Rally Team for our VBS outreach to children.
Angelina, Alexis, Carly,
Alexandra, Rachel, Samantha, and
Katey were actively practicing Jeff
Slaughter's choreography for the Arctic Edge.
Christene
and Amanda
were adult leaders. Other adults who watched
rehearsal included
Jill, Joyce, Lupe, and even Papa Glenn.
Daniel S.
ran the Sound and DVD.
While the kids rehearsed, Christene and I
strategized about working smarter and more
effectively in city-wide, year-round outreach to
children within our sphere of influence.
Last night, I rented
Madea Goes to Jail. There's a
highly-charged redemptive scene in that stage
play. Check it out sometime. Tyler Perry is a
man of integrity. He could easily be
misunderstood by those who aren't willing to
listen (and learn) from him. He has a powerful
vehicle for reaching his audience with a broad,
yet finely-focused gospel message.
This morning at 9:00, I'll meet with a couple
seasoned-saints to discuss Thursday morning's
inreach: Women of Grace. They want me to see the
materials they are planning to use: Women of the
Bible.
So, who's ready for Show and Tell?
"now, that's what I'm talkin' about . .
."
Yesterday, Stonegate Andy sent us
a link to a
short-term
mission video-blog.
First, I played the
YouTube Video for
Cathy,
then for Ruth
(and Jennifer).
Finally, I made Jim sit down and
watch the whole thing. Jim pointed to the big
guy and asked,
"Is that Andy?"
"No,
Andy's still in Texas. I think that's Bryce."
*Even
Ed
Sullivan had captions and let us
learn their names (first was Paul, then Ringo,
then George, then John...with "Sorry girls, He's
married.").
So, I wrote to Andy and asked him "Who is who in
order of appearance."
I can't really tell you yet...however, I do know some names
(David, Bryce, and Mike).
He also sent me this cool photograph of the
church they planted in Uganda two years ago).
Andy had traveled there for that previous trip
and had preached at the Dedication Service of
this building.
This video clip shows last Sunday's return
visit with Bryce doing the preaching. The
Team is supposed to be in Sudan today...
Following is today's addendum to Show
and Tell. Class, this is not required reading.
However, some questions on a pop quiz
later today might be more fully answered if you
were to read on...
In the early seventies, when I became a
teenager,
I used to 'require' certain elders to ...
"sit down
and listen . . .
. . . to just one side of
this album!"
I was continually being exposed to a
variety of music because my Dad ran a jukebox
chain, my brother was in a band, and all my
friends had stereos and were collecting albums.
I was listening to a variety of published
players and writers who all had been shaped by
the musical experimentation of the sixties. Of
course, they were taking the state-of-the-art up
a notch, out a ways, and sometimes much more
focused on a theme.
The Who had given me a taste for thematic
rock operatics. Tommy was a great
compilation of catchy songs:
"See me, feel me, touch me, heal me."
That album had prepared me to patiently
appreciate Jesus Christ Superstar (and
indirectly the storyline captured on vinyl).
Tarkus may have started a new chapter for
me--pop music without lyrics. My big brother
(the archetypical hero) came home from basic
training in Texas and played a new 8 track tape
for his younger siblings as we drove around
Coldwater, Michigan. The unmistakable sound of
the Hammond B-3 put us in remembrance of
Dick's high school band, The Black Rose.
However, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer were
much more advanced in their expertise on their
instruments.
That album had helped me broaden my tastes.
Since the Beatles had broken up, I didn't care
to listen to pop radio anymore. Many of my
junior high peers had adopted a diet of AM Radio
fare that I didn't hold as very important (like
the time and space between Malachi and John the
Baptist). This was an immature view of the
popular culture, I know, but nonetheless, that
is my history.
I learned of underground, lesser-known works of several rock artists (who
had really fused those R & B roots with jazz). I
had heard a red White Trash 8 track
tape play over-and-over during the night at a
rock festival in Indiana. I thoroughly enjoyed
that album and, digging deeper, I discovered
Edgar Winter's first album, Entrance.
I wore out the grooves in that particular piece
of vinyl. Edgar had fused so many styles
and yet was sharing something totally original
with the few who would take the time to really
listen (and learn).
So, I began to scat to the beat of a different
drummer. Steve Myers shared the
Mahavishnu Orchestra. We went to a concert
and saw the original five-piece band (John
McLaughlin was amazing on his double-neck SG).
Steve, being a drummer, was most interested in
the ambidextrous artistry of Billy Cobham.
That one night was my introduction to an entire
subculture of master craftsmen--playing their
instruments skillfully.
They all played
skillfully 'before the Lord' (even if they were not
yet playing skillfully
in the Lord).
Here's
the Word (for me) on that.
"So, what does this
observation have to do with
serving as a pastor of a healthy church?"
I would answer that question with a question.
Why did they wear wristbands asking
WWJD?
What Would Jesus Do?
Huh?!
What exactly is the theology in that? Is Jesus
is away on a trip somewhere . . .
We sang it in church Sunday:
"Age to age He stands,
and Time is in His
Hands,
Beginning and the End,
Beginning and the End."
What would
...?
or What is
...?
and What did
...?
What's
Jesus
Gonna
Do?
That, dear reader, is sanctified rock/jazz
fusion. Check out these guys from stonegate,
man...
sit down and listen...
look at the liner notes...
learn who the players are...
David (first time on an overseas mission
trip)
Mike (video editor; was in YYAM before
this trip)
Bryce (that's what I'm talkin' about...)
Andy has 'turned me on' to
this Mission Team from Midland, Texas.
"C'mon, Bill,
inhale..."
"Inhale deeply of the pneuma, man..."
If you don't know "what
I'm talkin' about",
just ask me ... or
click (and breathe) above...
If you think you would like a
backstage pass to Stonegate's mission notes,
just write me. I know this guy named Andy, he'll
let us in...
pastorob@gmail.com
I enjoy taking the scenic view and stopping at
the rest areas along these 21st Century Roman Roads.
Well, its time for Club 163
g2g
update: near-final
Posters to send to Liberia ASAP:
PDF 1
and
PDF 2
(click either one)
Monday, July
10, 2006
How great is our God.
How healthy is our church.
What a day yesterday was for the Kingdom of God
in Galt, California!
I've been up since 4:30 am.
checking email. I tried to arouse my sweet wife
with the prospect of an early morning walk.
I whispered, "Honey, in Indonesia, they get up
at this time and get outside while it is yet
dark...in the cool of the morning...before it
gets so hot...Do you wanna go for a walk...go
get some coffee?"
She whispered back, "Give me three more
minutes..."
Well, that was twenty minutes ago.
So, I've checked email and see some great things
happening (right now) in Uganda. An entourage
from the
Stonegate Fellowship (that cool
church in Midland, Texas) has arrived in Uganda.
Here's a note with a link to an ongoing report
from Andy Deck (stateside):
Friends,
It is with great joy that I pass along an update. I just got off the phone with Bryce, Mike, David, and Pastor Tony. They are traveling back to Entebbe from Mbale and had stopped at a Chinese restaurant. Of course….I’m in Africa and it’s time for lunch…Hey, how about Chinese?
I got a quick update regarding their stay in
eastern Uganda. They had an incredible time at
Musese. Rather than me passing everything along
second-hand, how would you like to see for
yourself? They were successful in uploading
some text and video on the blog.
Here’s the
link:
www.stonegatemission.blogspot.com
So,
now you can check back periodically to see how
they are doing. The videos require a high-speed
internet connection, but the quality is very
good. We are uncertain about their ability to
connect and upload as they move to Sudan. Check
the site frequently and I will send along
updates from phone calls or other news items.
It is Monday evening now and they should be back to the hotel in Entebbe. They are scheduled to fly to Yei, Sudan early Tuesday morning. Please pray for their travel (always an adventure), for their continued health, and for God’s hand of protection and direction. These guys are awesome.
In Him,
Andy Deck
I will now try (again) to awaken the sleeping beauty and go
for that walk...but first, I wanna show you
something.
Pastor Hendon came to hear Pastor Mac
preach last night. We had a photo-op for a
poster we're about to produce to send to
Pastor Wesley in Liberia. The National
Pastors' Fellowship Conference is planning a
three-day leadership seminar with Pastor Hendon
as the keynote speaker.
So, we have one month to
get the word out to 500 pastors in the
various counties of Liberia. Pastor Wesley
(President of the NPFC) has continually carried
this burden for untrained church leaders. He
desires to be used of God
. . . to 'sharpen the
man of God'.
Hopefully,
Liberia's pastors and church
leaders will receive the news about this
particular Leadership Conference.
Here's a prototype of a poster we are planning
to send by Federal Express.
(click to enlarge
the poster)
Final Posters:
PDF 1
and
PDF 2
(click either one)
Saturday, July
8, 2006
In a few days Joe's Mission Team will be
leaving Hong Kong for the Philippines. Here is a
short note I received from him yesterday:
Glory to
God...God is adding to our numbers daily those
who are being saved. I sent my wallet to the
laundry and it came home without lacking
anything.
More later,
Joe
I am grateful for the opportunity to
attend our men's prayer meeting this morning.
When we got to the Epicenter, Jim and I
discovered that somebody (probably some 'kids')
left a broken down office chair and a bike (with
a flat tire) in the parking lot. That's the
inner-city setting of our epicenter.
Jim has been working with some of the guys on a
fence line to offer more security during the
days of our upcoming VBS. However, he suggested
that we leave the pedestrian gate open when
we're not trying to protect a group of children.
That's the right idea there.
Eli prayed over the services we will share
tomorrow morning. In the two English speaking
services, I will preach a message which will
interact with 1 Timothy chapter four:
click here
for that Word of God.
Mike Harlan just prayed with me over the phone.
He's about to study the Word for himself with
the intention of calling me tonight to share
some of his findings with me.
Friday, July
7, 2006 We have just concluded our meeting
regarding the revival and/or pastoral
conference. We think the spiritual
benefits of a of a revival will mainly
only come to our church but if have a
non-denominational, bible-believing
pastoral conference, the spiritual
benefits that pastors will receive will
go a long way in affecting their
respective congregations of the pastors
that will attend the conference.
Gotta run off to the Rotary Breakfast (7:00
am) but wanted to journal this change of plans.:
Pastor Wesley wrote after an important meeting:
Please find out if this will be too
heavy a load for him to carry. Let him
share his thoughts. Another thing, we
will expect 400 - 500 pastors in
attendance.
Will it be possible to provide lunch for
them (from your end) during the
conference? (Please see Jesus' approach
in Mt. 14:15-21). I think US $0.50 per
person per day will be OK for lunch.
Thank you very much and I look forward
to hearing your thoughts on this.
Pastor Wesley
Hmmm....three hours
sessions?
Too heavy a load for Pastor Hendon?
....too long perhaps?
Not from our experience...Oh, I'm guessing that
Pastor Hendon is gonna start getting excited
about this!
Thursday, July
6, 2006
Pastor Wesley wrote and later called
about our plans for an evangelistic outreach in
Liberia during Pastor Hendon's trip (August
15-31):
We want to get the community people involved in this revival. In the publicity aspect, we would like for you to help in this manner: Please print for us 1,000 copies of flyers: 500 pieces (8.5 x 11) and 500 (5x8).
Pastor Wesley
Pastor Wesley is proposing a three-night series of meetings in Monrovia at the Greater
Love Bible Baptist Church (August 18, 19, and
20). I will be happy to
produce some eye-catching promotional materials.
In our bi-weekly preparatory meetings with
Pastor Hendon, we have regularly acknowledged
the peculiar burden of 92,674
ex-combatants in Liberia. A great majority of
these young adults were only children when the
warlords began the insidious work of the Enemy
by commandeering their tender lives and stealing
their childhood. I'm still researching the
situation of those who lives fell prey to the
Thief who comes to steal, kill, and to destroy.
Click here for a pdf map regarding the
resettlement of ex-combatants in Liberia. This
particular issue reminds me of Andy Deck's
revelation about the purposeful inclusion of
'Samaritans' in the Great Commission. (scroll
down to July 2 for Andy's Insight).
My hope is that the precious soul of one who has
been secretly carrying a heavy weight of guilt
and shame will be drawn within saving-range of the Good News during Pastor
Hendon's time in Liberia.
I have often acknowledged that I am event-oriented.
I enjoy the thought of preparing for exciting
short-term ministry events which have the
potential of far-reaching results in people's
lives. I am so happy that we are sending Pastor
Hendon to Liberia!
Here is a picture of three
of our
Mission
Team Leaders who faced the fear factor and
served as camp counselors over the holiday
weekend.
(left to right)
Christene worked with the teen girls,
Rodger was the advisor for teen boys,
and
Glenn oversaw the elementary school boys.
CLICK HERE for a
photo slideshow of our camp discipleship event
at Jenness Park. Another Team Leader, Amanda
is featured on the slideshow.
There is a bright future for all three
seasoned saints: Christene will have her
hands full this month choreographing our
children's Worship Rally Team for our upcoming
VBS (The Arctic Edge).
Glenn announced at last night's Bible Study
that he has been wondering about full-time
ministry. He leads our Sunday School Rally every
week and is definitely gifted for the ministry.
He and his wife, Renee, open their home every
Wednesday night for fellowship. That time has
been a continual source of joy for this writer.
We were there until 11:00 pm last night!
...and Rodger Parker? Well, you can hear
this hometown drummer singing his personal
anthem right here:
Old Dogs, New Tricks (Remember, they
used to let Ringo sing once in awhile too).
In my waking moments, I considered
several weighty issues being faced by others in
my sphere-of-influence. I wasn't worrying for my
friends and family; I was just 'thinking' about
life's continual changing circumstances. Then, I
fell back asleep and had a terrible dream. I was
driving a carload of young people; we were
approaching a youth rally.
On the left side was a crowd of teens and
children smiling, waving, and calling out for us
with expectation and joy.
Up ahead on the right was also a group waving,
smiling. It was a beautiful country scene. We
pulled over to the shoulder of the right side,
driving over some brush, as we slowly approached
the group. What great fun we were going to have
at this event!
The dream ended with the discovery that a child
had been hiding in the brush. Our car had
actually run over the child. Upon that
realization, I rushed to the child and lifted
him in my arms. I did not know if he was still
alive. It seems as though he was lifeless. I
prayed and cried out to the Lord God...
Then I woke up. Although, my lifelong
tendency has been to release a sigh of relief
after a bad dream, the after-effect is different
this morning.
This dream points to
the seriousness with which
I personally must
approach this
upcoming generation.
Not enough time for a segue:
Jebby is due to arrive for a
VisionWalk on my side of the
tracks.
New York's highest court rejected
arguments from gay and lesbian plaintiffs that
their inability to get marriage licenses
violated their constitutional rights. (more)
Wednesday, July 5, 2006
Joe just phoned from Hong Kong (6:30 am). In
concise and assertive phrases, he told me
that his Mission Team has been singing in two
primary settings:
1) Outdoor performances and 2) Christian
Schools.
He informed me that these particular schools
have had many unchurched kids in attendance. Joe
said that they have been sharing a full, gospel
message complete with 'altar calls'. I wasn't
able to talk a long time because he wanted to
extend Birthday greetings to Mary and Jerry.
I'm sure that he'd love to receive emails from anyone:
joep19@gmail.com
Yesterday, after Royal Oaks, I took
Jerry and Daniel with me to visit Tommy Rackley.
Tommy shared some insights about his experiences
as a wayward
youth being raised by his godly grandmother. I sensed the power of the Holy Spirit in
his testimony. I noted that my boys were
listening; they were hearing his heart. On the
way home, we all affirmed that it is good for a
Christian to testify--good for the hearer and
for the witness. Most of us
really desire to practice what we preach. That
desire is stirred up afresh during a testimony
and should impact the choices which follow.
Checking stats for the fourth of July, I learned
that there had been some visits to an experiment I
had conducted back when Joe was
in Liberia. Rockmyspace had just started
offering their free slideshows for myspace
users. I placed four different sets of moving
pictures aside this song about practicing that
which has been modeled for us.
click here for
whatever with moving pictures. I have no
idea what it would look/sound like at dialup
speed...(remember one must click twice on most
audio bars).
Singingfish.com
is a website where you can locate quick video
and audio searches. I was pleased to find about
450 audio and video files by searching for 'Liberia'.
click here
for an audio file I just
found on PBS:
Liberia--America's Stepchild
(this is an interesting interview
with filmmaker Nancee Oku Bright about
the origins of Liberia and the American
Colonization Society). Although I have not yet
had the privilege to view this PBS special
(2002), here is a pdf file of the film's
transcript:
click here
I will probably spend some time reading the
transcript in hopes of empowering Pastor Hendon
for his upcoming trip to Liberia.
I was also happy to see that the 'web-spiders'
of
singing fish
(click) have found some my of my songs.
I discovered this site while tracing the paths
people have taken to get to the Epicenter.
I'll turn 49 this month--nearing the halfway
mark. Golly, I'm almost middle-aged. A couple
days ago, my Dad asked me if I have been writing
any songs. I told him that I've been leading
worship at our church, I haven't written any new
songs.
The last batch of songs I wrote happened while I
was in Liberia in 2004. So, as I've reflected
upon my Dad's inquiry, I've decided that I ought
to finish up a certain melodic idea I recorded
years ago by adding the appropriate lyrics. I
rediscovered this idea, Speak Up, in that
search on singingfish. Joe had digitized it from
one of the old cassette work tapes in my
archives. I turned thirty at that inner-city
ministry (Alpha and Omega) during the days when
I pushed the record button for this aural
memory. Hmm...this idea is probably 17-18 years
old.
If you choose to listen to it, prepare yourself
to hear my definition of artistic fodder. The
primary melodic idea has been isolated and
preserved but it is rough; yeah, very
rough. My younger voice meanders toward the
right note while these very fingers were falling
into place on that old livingroom piano seeking
the next chord in the progression. Those were
'the olden days' before the Internet had become
a vehicle for my spiritual formation.
|
|
SOURCE: 907 Rose Court
Unfinished fragment
|
This is one song that I'd like to advance to
completion before the Lord takes me home.
As I listen to the idea being explored, I can
hear the moment of decision to lyrically earmark
this as a song centered upon
this passage of God's
Word:
"Speak up for those
who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute."
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy."
Without this particular stimuli, I wouldn't be
able to finish the song with a sense of
integrity. Near the end of this clip is a high
Bb which marking a melodic moment begging for the
opportunity to have the right words attached (to
be perfected, recorded, and
published).
Although, the spontaneous searching for some
lyrics didn't produce much more than the title,
completion could now happen rather easily.
During the years which has elapsed since, I have
experienced much of what I think I was grasping
toward in that 907 Rose Court livingroom moment:
|
|
Notes: begun at 409 Rose Ct.
to finish: Proverbs 31:8-9 |
02:14 |
In Blackaby's Chapel Address below, he
states that all of his five children have
earned doctorates. He is pleased but had
never told them that this was his
expectation. He had admonished his children
to offer their very best to the Lord. The
academic path might lead to the doctorate as
the best.
Most of you know that I had worked toward a
specific doctoral degree from 2000-2006. I
have chosen to rest from the personal
anxieties involved with the institutional
limitations with which I struggled.
note to self:
My 'very best' doesn't necessarily involve
the timely attainment of that particular
academic degree. There are some other goals
that I need to accomplish before I am at
peace about the doctoral publication which
will sit on my g-g-g granddaughter's shelf.
When I first enrolled at the Seminary for
the Doctor of Ministry, I had wanted to use
it as a vehicle to produce a worthy creative
publication. I probably should have counted
the cost by interviewing others who had gone
through that very program before I had
invested so much effort. I was warned early
on that the scope of the program was not
really conducive to my vision. I was
overly-optimistic that somehow the square
hole and round peg could synergize. Maybe it
will happen after Cathy and I have nudged
our children out of the nest.
Blackaby's
fatherly advice causes me to desire the same
for each of my own children.
--endnote
So, yesterday I visited our oldest church
member who was confined to her bed at Royal
Oaks. Mrs. Connor looked at me while I sang
the first verse of an old hymn. Near the end
of the chorus, she began to mouth the words
and then sang the entire last two verses
with me. In my opinion, that is an example
of 'the best' this old guy has to offer
people. Had I not been called to pastor a
local church, I may have enjoyed serving the
Lord as a music therapist.
Scripture songs are always a great blessing
to write. I like knowing that I can help
people hide God's Word in their hearts with
a song:
|
|
Notes: wrote the chorus in early nineties. Greg Brayton gave
me the melodic bridge then I wrote those words.
|
06:23 |
The writing of a passionate, thematic spiritual song seems to only come when there has been an unresolved conflict in my mind and heart. I could discover plenty of fodder for unsung lyrics just from what I've chosen to write, read, and watch since that last 'finished' song. The song above was based on James 1:12 and is primarily a Scripture Song. This song below is more of an identification with Christ as one suffers for righteousness' sake. It serves a different purpose for me:
|
|
Notes: started the chorus
in '84 finished verses in '91
|
05:37 |
This is one reason I write online. I am
gathering materials with which to build
during my 'retirement' (when and wherever
that will be).
At times someone writes to interact with me.
Since this entry is so long, I would enjoy
your input. I'm sure that your thought would
add 'that something-special' (like Lennon's
spark added to a McCartney tune).
Andy's note from July 2 (scroll down) is a
good example of how much I value friendly
interaction.
So, keep those cards and letters coming
in....
Tuesday, July 4, 2006
My Dad called me yesterday
simply to bless me. He said, "I love you"
at least three times. Dad will be 77 on his
birthday this week.
Here's the Word I woke up thinking about
this morning:
He will judge between many peoples
and
will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Every man will sit under his own vine
and under his own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the LORD Almighty has spoken.
All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods;
we will walk in the name of the LORD
our God for ever and ever. (Micah
4:3-5)
As I write I am reminded by the
verse above that I have had the unusual
privilege of resting in relative peace under the
Vine (my Dad provided for us) and under my own
roof all the days of my life. This has been my birthright:
American
Citizenship
(July, 1957 to the present day).
This morning started for me over an hour ago.
I'm still sitting upright in my nest (a term
passed down from my Dad) with the wireless
laptop in my lap.
Last night, Cathy and I fell asleep
listening to the soothing voice of Henry
Blackaby on this same laptop. The sounds
were from
these links that I found last night at
singingfish. I fell asleep before it was over
but plan to try to give it another try later
tonight:
"Preaching Points: Henry Blackaby"
(59:21)
I realize that not everybody agrees that Henry
prophesies in part but I testify that his
mild-mannered message has blazed within my heart
since I first heard his voice in 1990. A
singingfish search doesn't give the seeker
much background information but it did state
that Henry's messages were uploaded by Union
University. I found the same three audio files
here.
WARNING: If my
streaming approach to living out this one life
I've been given is annoying to you, you may not
want to read any further. Instead,
click here and listen to Henry
Blackaby's Chapel Address at Union University on
October 8, 2004. In his gentle voice, he begins
by sharing
about his experience with God, and his
preparation to meet President Bill Clinton
face-to-face. He speaks of his own personal
history and offers advice for that college-age
generation:
Go ahead,
click here and listen for 38:05 minutes.
If you go any further, remember I have already
issued the GLOBAL
WARNING...
This morning, I came across a website written by
an Episcopal pastor in America who seems to have
a different worldview than me. From one of his
articles I can see that he doesn't have much
respect for James Dobson, so that tipped me off
to proceed carefully. Not that I've ever met Dr.
Dobson but I have been immensely blessed by his
cousin, H. B. London (and I figure that they
wear the same basic political ideas).
So, I'm sitting here wondering if I should offer
you readers a link to this guy. I only found him
because I was quickly googling for a citation of the
Micah verse (that prophecy which reminds me of
drinking lemonade under a shade tree during the
humid, July days of my Michigan childhood).
Should I offer you a link? It seems that I
mentally categorize people I run into (on the
web and face-to-face). Don't hold me to this but
it seems like I'm usually trying to assess new
acquaintances along lines like these:
Very Similar, Similar, Different, Much Different
Very Friendly, Kinda Friendly, Disinterested,
Antagonistic, Passively Aggressive
There are certainly other continuums with which
I do my assessments but this is probably another
episode of TMI (too much information).
Should I offer you a link?
Just yesterday, I wrote a portly email wherein I
offered some apologetic for this particular
column. I mentioned that I choose to avoid the
political stuff. Why?
I guess because I want to make some
friends--friends enough to have some dialogue.
So, this link I'm providing isn't intended to
make a
political statement.
It is simply the fruit of my July 4th
fig tree research.
Here's the Episcopalian who seems to be much
so much smarter than I am. Pastor Jim says that
he sits down under his fig tree every third week
and scratches out four pages of notes in an
attempt to be a prophetic witness on behalf of
the truth. I wonder what it would be like to
hear Pastor Jim's opinion of Dr. Blackaby's
Chapel Address.
For some reason, I'm
reminded of my response to Eva when she shared a
link about Lion Gate's upcoming
John Lennon movie:
Of course, I won't like Michael Moore and others claiming that Lennon is their spokesperson...
As Cicero was to
Augustine,
Lennon was to
me.
I have a couple personal encounters with 'episcopalian'
settings for those readers who are ...
"very similar and very friendly",
"very similar and kinda friendly" ,
"different yet friendly,
....and even "much different but friendly..."
The "unfriendly" need not apply to hear my
personal remembrances set around the property,
grounds, and personalities of the Episcopal
church in my hometown.
However, I'd probably enjoy a discussion about
Lennon even with the hostile.
Hey, if you're fortunate enough to find some
shade today, enjoy the fourth of July.
Finally, if you're within time/space driving
distance of 10:00 am/95632,
come out to Royal Oaks
for Song, Scripture, and Story (144
F STREET GALT, CA 95632)
Monday, July 3, 2006
I really enjoyed having the chance to share two different services with God's people yesterday morning. A man my age surrendered his life to Jesus at the first service. His name is Randy. I also had the great privilege of introducing him to a small group Bible Study as a first step of discipleship.
After the second service I enjoyed meeting a 12 year old named Geneva. She needed to be honest so she told me flat out,
"I don't like church....at all."
We had a very pleasant conversation built around that opening. I told her that I didn't like church either when I was a teenager. I have high hopes for a sweet relationship ahead of us. Her mother told me that the whole family will be coming to church regularly.
We attended La Luz de Cristo at 1:30 p.m. and sat in the English-speaking section. I really enjoy the music portion provided by Crossroads Iglesia Christiana (via large screen). From my 12-weeks of Spanish in the 7th grade, I have always been able to sing along phonetically at Spanish services. It even helped to sing along in Indonesia (95) and Estonia (00 and 03).
Although I couldn't discern what was
being presented during the televised
testimony, Barbara and Eli
interpreted. An American named Jeff
had moved to Chile for several years
and then took a team of Latinos to Iraq.
Apparently they experienced cultural
similarities between the Latinos and
Iraqis and were quite successful in
sharing the Gospel. Several Iraqis gave
their lives to Jesus. Jeff expressed an
upcoming plan to take 100 Latinos to
that region of the world on an
evangelistic mission.
About Royal
Oaks: Even though tomorrow is
the 4th of July, we are going ahead with
plans to minister in Song, Scripture,
and Story tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.
Loren is an 82 year old man who has attended our second service for several months. He specifically asked if we would be having the service at Royal Oaks because he wants to attend with his cousin. When asked, this young octogenarian would tell you:
"I like church...very much."
That reminds me, however, of Pastor Hendon's message last night. He mentioned that the Great Commission isn't fulfilled by simply getting people to come to church.
Have your read my entry
about how Jerry needs a band?
click here
Well, today is
Jerry's birthday. He shares
it with his sister,
Mary.
Throughout the years I have always
tried to take each of the kids out for a
one-on-one outing in association with
their birthday.
I still remember clearly the day that
little 4 year old,
Jeremiah, and I went to
McDonald's for breakfast on his
birthday. When we got back to Alpha and
Omega Ministries, Cathy had already
started going into labor for Mary's
birth. What an interesting birthday
present for the little guy. He has had a
little sister ever since. Jerry
turned 19
today and Mary
is now 15.
Sunday, July 2, 2006
230 years ago (today) the
Continental Congress
voted to sever its ties with Great Britain.
The very next day, John
Adams wrote to his wife
Abigail:
It is the will of heaven
that the two countries should be sundered
forever. It may be the will of heaven that
America shall suffer calamities still more
wasting and distresses yet more dreadful.
If this be the case, it will have this good
effect, at least:
it will inspire us with many virtues which we
have not, and correct many errors, follies and
vices, which threaten to disturb, dishonor and
destroy us ...
The furnace of affliction produces refinements
in states, as well
as individuals.
In ninety minutes, I will step up to the
platform and begin to call God's gathered people
to worship Him freely. These words, among many
others, will be declared:
It is for freedom that
Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, then,
and do not let yourselves be burdened again
by a yoke of
slavery.
Galatians 5:1
This morning I was reminded of a certain day
that I stepped up to the plate on the school
playground.
I took the bat in my hand and, as the ball was
thrown my way, I heard some of the kids yell,
"Swing!"
It was a trap. Those kids were from the other
side...
My friend,
R. B. McCartney, is away on a preaching
assignment today. He is filling the pulpit at
Herald Baptist Church. This afternoon,
Francisco Camarena will deliver a message via
large screen for those gathered at Le Luz de
Cristo. Tonight, Ken Hendon will come to preach
for those of us gathered to listen.
Regardless of any opposition
to God's Word going forth publicly (at any of
America's preaching points) may that very Word
"inspire us
with many virtues which we have not"
and
"correct many
errors, follies and vices,
which threaten to disturb, dishonor and
destroy us."
An excerpt from Andy:
Dear Rob:
In past correspondence
you have talked about your concern over a
perceived over-emphasis on the international
component of FBC Galt’s Missions ministry.
I like the model you have
shared and I believe your application to FBC
Galt should help alleviate some
of those concerns over balance.
This model reminded me of something the Lord showed me a couple of years ago as we prepared to take a team of 27 to Uganda for a church-planting mission.
The
model that your friends at Sequoia have
developed follows the traditional picture
associated with the Acts 1:7,8 passage –
basically,
a set of four concentric circles. We have
long been taught this interpretation and it
fits nicely with our geo-political
boundaries – Local, State, National,
International.
(click on photo to expand your view)
My “revelation”
was in a careful consideration of
“Samaria” and exactly what God was truly
saying when He specifically included that
command in this passage. God repeatedly used
the despised Samaritan to poke at the
seemingly well-intentioned, legalistic,
religious
leaders of the day. I believe God
wants us to specifically reach out to the
person(s) that we would absolutely put at
the very bottom of our list.
I think every church’s and every community’s
“Samaritans” may be very different and may
NOT fall along the convenient boundaries of
states or nations.
It takes courage to continue this line of
reasoning and deal with the conclusions you
may reach. Well, (imagine a southern drawl)
…. Christ-following ain’t for sissies.
--Andy
Saturday, July 1, 2006
I have had some really sweet
interactions with a few teenagers on myspace in
recent days. One concern I've carried was
resolved a few minutes ago when a particular
young lady replied to a pastoral letter I sent
to her. She hadn't checked her email for a
couple days and I was hoping she would respond
favorably to my intervention. She did.
I think I wrote a couple days ago that I'm just
trying to treat others the way I'd like to be
treated. Parents of teenagers need to know that
there are others who are looking out for their
kids, loving them unconditionally, while helping
to hold them accountable for their words and
actions.
Jerry needs more than a band but I've been
getting some responses from this entry I
published a couple days ago:
(click
here for more) about Jerry, our
eighteen-year old son. He is Crew Chief at a
local sandwich shop and is seriously considering
attending Community College this fall.
I usually don't wait until past noon to publish
an entry but.... I took a post-prayer nap this
morning.
Actually, after morning prayer with Eli and
David, I crawled back into the nest for a little
more sleep. We had a 3 a.m. wake-up call to
assist in the lives of two young men. So, then I
only slept from 4:30 until 5:50.
Our prayer meeting focused upon David's desire
to see another brother's hope for a
multi-purpose room come to pass. That idea
captured Eli's attention because he has just
recently joined our church and wants to hear
anything that involves VISION for the future of
our little piece of land and physical
structures.
Eli was also asking all about our associational
involvement with forty area churches and our
relative connection to 2,000 California
churches. For thirty years, Eli was a member of
a much-larger local church in the next town
south of here. He had also served on an
Executive Board for their denomination's
northern churches. Thus, his interest in how our
cooperative program is supposed to work.
He continued to ask, ask, ask...questions.
Eventually, David and I shared our mutual burden
for Pastor Wesley's work in Liberia. When Joe
was in Liberia for 80 days, David had attempted
to motivate his co-workers to give to this
deserving Cause. However, he didn't see any
tangible results of his efforts. I fully
understand his disappointment because so often
my attempts at leadership seem futile in the
short-term.
Then, the Holy Spirit brings to my remembrance
some passage of Scripture and I again have an
opportunity to rightly align my thoughts with
His thoughts.
click here for the trustworthy Word of
God
(and scroll down for some cool, Hebrew words...)
In the sanctuary, Eli's eye fell upon the free
DVD produced by
Liberian Ministries. As I began to speak
of Jim's burden to involve all forty of our
association's churches through weekly prayer,
David was energized.
He hadn't yet heard about how this webpage
had helped connect us with Liberian Ministries
and the free DVD that they distribute.
Well,
I couldn't help it....
I had to praise God for the hope of sending this
Ultrasound Machine and two microscopes on
their 40 foot container within the month!
Click
here to see a picture of this unit
crated and ready to ship with Service to
Servants.
Also, I had to praise God for the fact that
Pastor Hendon's ticket has been purchased. I had
to praise the Lord again for the fact that
Pastor
Hendon is
scheduled to preach in our sanctuary
tomorrow night (in preparation for his mission
trip to Liberia: August 15-30). Please come and
support our humble vision to further involve
this African-American leader in our burden for
Liberia.
It was 6:30 a.m. and we still hadn't
begun to intercede for others in prayer. So, we
began. We prayed for the next hour. Then,
I came home and caught up on my sleep.
Ohhhh....a couple bad things happened yesterday:
1. While I
was at the Fireworks Booth, I got a call from
one of our local co-laborers, Mike. Mike
had just finished with a meeting of Law
Enforcement officers. He and his wife had
discovered that they are victims of Identity
Fraud. Their bank account had been
cleaned out completely. The money in that
account had been earmarked to pay Uncle Sam his
due.
On that cellphone, walking the beat, carrying
the fireworks box to 'hawk' to passersby, I
prayed aloud with my brother about the Thief's
agenda. The gift of Faith was stirred up within
me and I interceded for my brother.
Mike was feeling such Loss and Disappointment.
I have a good feeling, though, that
Romans 8:28 is gonna become another
'felt gift' that meets this family's
'felt need.'
Click here
for that trustworthy Gift of God
(and scroll down for some cool, Greek words...)
2. Mary,
Cathy, and
I drove to Manteca yesterday
afternoon. I had heard a suspicious sound begin
under the hood and checked it a couple times. It
seemed to be related to the Air Conditioning but
the belt was still in good shape and I couldn't
spot anything obviously wrong.
Well, the Air Conditioning Compressor of this
2002 Ford Taurus apparently seized up and
'snapped' the long belt which is interconnected
to a few other vital functions....and we
immediately became unmoveable.
Hmmmm....what to do next? We pulled into a Midas
Muffler Shop. Curious coincidence. The customers
who were leaving with a Midas invoice for $1400
was driving a Ford Taurus which had just
suffered the exact problem.
OK, Homeland Security...
I know you're watching...what meaneth all this?
So, I happen to have the best roadside
assistance program that Allstate insurance has
to offer. Therefore, they sent a Tow Truck with
an extended cab and Cathy, Mary, and I rode back
to the Epicenter with a most-interesting,
tattooed gentleman named John (Hayes Auto
in Tracy).
John was quite the conversationalist. He has a
seven year old boy and a 16 year old daughter.
No, we didn't have a 'spiritual
conversation'...but now that today's
note-in-a-bottle has been thrust into this
CyberSea, we'll see if there's any character
development toward
the Big Picture.
May God bless us all during the hours
ahead.
CLICK ABOVE for a closer look,
Click Again to release
Years ago, I experienced a season of praying
this prayer daily. I was taught that I could
personalize each phrase and make direct
application
to the situations that we were facing
that very day.
Sometimes those prayers are all-important
to what will be revealed next.
If you would like the embed code for this
PrayerCube,
email me:
pastorob@gmail.com