Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Jerry Patton: Everything Is Gray

Jerry Patton is the grandson of Oliver Smith (a preacher from the Oklahoma Followers of Christ). He and his wife of 27 years, Paula Renee, live in Arkansas. He is a software engineer by day and an Elder/Shepherd for his church. Patton has written two previous guest blogs: Oregon City Baptism and Who Can Baptize? Here, Patton recounts an unforgettable event from his time in the Oregon City FOC Church.


I am nine years old.  It is a typical gray day in Oregon City – a Saturday I think.  As your typical nine-year-old boy, I’m a bit oblivious to grown-up things.  I’m thinking about what I’m going to do after we get done with the church thing.


I’m holding my mother’s hand as we walk into the church building with my Aunt Syb and Uncle George.  We pass through the wood paneled foyer and into the auditorium.  Everything seems so gray – the carpet, the walls, the clothes, the faces – some with tears, some with red eyes, some with nothing.  We’re walking down the center aisle towards something.  There are some folks ahead of us.  They stop.  So do we.  They move on, out of the way and then there it is – a light pearl beige periwinkle casket.


Walter White.


I am absolutely horrified.  Terror.   I cannot breathe.  My blood runs cold.  Mother moves a little closer, but I’m frozen – I’m close enough.  I’ve never seen death – real death.  After what seemed too long, we go sit down.  We are sitting about 15 rows back and to the right of the casket near the far end of the pew.  Everything is gray.  The florescent lights make his eye- glasses glow.  I sit there and gather myself – glancing over at the two lenses glowing in the lights and then my eyes move smartly back.   After ten minutes or so my Uncle asks me if I need to go make another visit to the body.  Are you kidding?  I’m good.  I’ll make it right here.  I really don’t even care to be in the same room with that thing over there.


We go to the cemetery; Carus cemetery.  It is gray and gloomy and raining one of those typical not-about-to-stop-raining-buckets showers.  The pall-bearers unload the casket and take it to the grave and sit it before the family.  Someone says some words.  People are crying.  They sing a song.  I look over at my Uncle Dale and Uncle Ivan – they are struggling not to cry – and barely succeeding.  A man steps forward and stabs the metal grave marker into the ground.  I glance at the faces and listen to their grief.  I look at the casket and back to my uncles as they sing.  When it’s over, folks visit with one another and then leave.  We went and ate somewhere, but I don’t remember where it was.  I was still processing what I had just seen.


For the next – the rest of my life – I think about that day here and there and never forget:  something natural, something ghastly and how gray everything was.

22 comments:

  1. What color should everything have been? It sounds like it was a horrible day.

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  2. At 9 yr. old you remember the color of a casket of someone you never knew?you remember the red eyes the metal grave marker that they don't put into the ground until they bury the casket AFTER everyone leaves? WOW can you tell the future too?

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    1. Jerry did know Walter White. Walter baptized Jerry, and he sat in church listening to Walter preach for some time.

      A psychiatrist friend told me that when something traumatic happens, the event replays like a movie in the person's head - they remember smells, sights, details they wouldn't normally remember.

      Please be kind when responding to guest bloggers. Feel free to be snarky to me if you so desire.

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    2. No Anonymous, sorry I cannot tell the future.

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    3. Except that the "metal grave marker" is just that: A marker. It is only temporary, and is there until a more permanent stone memorial is delivered to the site a few days later.

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    4. Except that the "metal grave marker" is just that: A marker. It is only temporary, and is there until a more permanent stone memorial is delivered to the site a few days later.

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  3. You do realize that the ones commenting probably need more therapy than you've had. Smarminess, or snarkiyness is a defense mechanism for the weak minded. If their points were sharper, they would make a sensible comment. Anonymously pecking at someones viewpoint is cowardly and pathetic, but more importantly covering their own shortfalls, mentally, and spiritually.

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    1. Thanks legion! I'm grateful for all the love that comes my way!

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    2. I second that. Legion, I appreciate your thoughtful comments and questions. Thank you for reading and participating in the discussion.

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  4. I am a member of this church. I was born after Walter died. I appreciate reading this story and other information posted on this blog. I have wanted answers about our religion all my life but have never gotten many. Thank you for telling us younger generation Followers about our church. I have a question for Jerry - why were you baptized by WW if your grandfather was also a preacher?

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    1. Excellent question. First, in reference to my earlier blog post about my baptism by Walter, it was all about the reaction to Walter's dream and that the world was coming to an end and therefore the urgent need for baptisms to take place. My Grandpa Oliver didn't believe that, although my Mother and her brothers did and that's why things turned out the way they did. Secondly, Grandpa would not have baptised me even if I asked him because of my age being 7.5 years old - I don't believe he would have gone along with that - he would have had me wait until I was older.
      I realize that you, more than likely, wrestle with the way baptism has been treated and how that effects your relationship with God. If you ever want to talk about it, please let me know - I've talked with others before - sometimes things get so tangled, that simple things are not so simple. Thanks, Jerry

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    2. Jerry, would you be willing to post your email address on here so people can contact you privately?

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    3. No problem. My email is: changd1jrp@gmail.com.

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  5. No argument from me - gray it was.

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    1. This reply should have showed up above under the first comment. Sorry, don't know how that happened.

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    2. Jerry, I remember lots of things from when I was nine. Some of us are blessed with great long term memory.

      Keep up the informative posts. Don't let the "meanies" get to you.

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    3. Thank-you for your encouragement. It's a light that always a warms the heart!!

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  6. Hi Jerry, if you were baptized at age 7.5 by Walter I am wondering if you ever felt the need to be baptized again or not?, are you content with the decision you made at age 7.5?

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    1. It wasn't my idea to be baptized when I was that age. You can read more about it in my previous guest blog called, "Oregon City Baptism" where I explain what happened. I was in my 20's when I was baptized which WAS my idea.
      Thanks,
      Jerry

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  7. can you please tell us what church you were baptized into at the age of 20?

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    1. Very well said by Anonymous. Another way of saying it is that I was not baptized into a church, but was baptized into God’s Kingdom, His family. The very same Kingdom Christ proclaimed in his ministry. The very same Kingdom/Family, that anyone becomes part of when they confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and baptized. Through Christ, I have become a son and with that comes responsibility.

      It did take place at a church building but that isn't what made it what it was. It could have taken place in a river, lake, etc. The building where it took place was a Church of Christ in Enid, Oklahoma and it was my Dad that baptized me. As I stated earlier, I was in my 20’s when this took place and to be precise, I was 26 years old.

      Now, I have a question for you: What is the Gospel?

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  8. To anonymous
    I was not baptized into any church.
    I was baptized into Jesus Christ not one domination.
    The problem with some of the people at the FOC church that i have talked to,is that they and they alone Was baptized into that church,no one I ever talked to said they were baptized into Christ.
    Unfortunately everyone I talked to said that they was baptized into that church. Paul says.
    Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (Romans 6:3 KJV)
    1Cr 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
    Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
    Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
    Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
    So my question to you would be who rather than what church were you baptized into. Is that a fair question to ask? that is why they and they alone are the only one that are going to go to heaven in there minds.
    No one else can enter that church and no one on the planet has the athority to baptize in there minds. So they have secluded them self to all outsiders. But they have not thought this through all the way. Because what about there kids and there grand kids and great grand kids. No one was going to see the year 72
    Because there profit proclaimed the end of the world. But alas we did see 72 and time marches on. Then the gimmicks began "you kids we're born holy". And so on and so on. The lies built up like a deck of cards. And further a way from the truth they could not be. For GOD gave his only son for the whole world. Not just the chosen ones of the FOC. So very sad we need to pray for those out there that the evil spirit is bound up so there eyes can be opened to the love of Jesus Christ.

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