This is urgent ~Updated~

Last night Kirk fell and cracked his head open. He lost a lot of blood and went into shock. We had to call an ambulance and they took him to the hospital. This was about 4 in the morning. Ken followed after him and I stayed home (for some reason I thought I should stay home "incase somebody calls" - obviously I wasn't thinking clearly). Anyways, Ken called about 6 am to tell me that Kirky had a bed and was sleeping they were waiting for a doctor to see him. That's all I know at this point. We would sure appreciate prayers for him. I'll post more when I know more.

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Kirk is back from the hospital now and he'll be ok. This is what happened:

He got up around 3 am to go the bathroom and while he was using the toilet he got lightheaded and fainted. On his way down he bashed his shoulder and head against the corner of the door jamb and cracked his head open, probably when he hit the floor. He remembers coming to briefly and then blacking out. Hope, thankfully heard him go down (she didn't know what the noise was, but it woke her up) and when she didn't hear him come out of the bathroom after about 5 minutes she got concerned and went to check on him. She found him passed out on the floor and bleeding and came and woke us up. Ken got to him first and his first thought was we better get him to the hospital.

Somewhere around this time Kirk came to and I noticed that he had started shivering and I thought it could possibly be shock, so we got blankets on him and I put him in the recovery position incase he lost consciousness again. (I have NEVER been so thankful for having first aid training.) Then we decided maybe we better call an ambulance so Ken called 911. We live just down the street from a fire hall so the firemen got here first and then the paramedics and then the police! And of course having all these emergency people around just made me more nervous. All the commotion woke Brent up and I could see that he was upset, and I couldn't get anywhere near Kirk with all the people around him so I went and sat with Brent and I quietly prayed.

Anyways, they checked Kirk out for possible neck injuries but he seemed ok, so they took him out to the ambulance and to the hospital. Ken went after him and I stayed home. They got him all checked out - ran a bunch of tests to see if they could find an underlying reason why he fainted in the first place, but they didn't find anything. It was most likely a sudden drop in blood pressure from going to the bathroom. He had to have 7 stitches in his head and they patched up the big gash on his shoulder and sent him home. He has to take it easy for a few days and we have to wake him up every 3 hours to check for cognitive impairment, which I guess is pretty standard OP after a head injury.

So I am staying home today to keep an eye on him. He's sleeping right now and I have to get him up in about an hour to check him.

All thanks to God who answers prayers!

My arm hurts

I don't want to sound like a whiner, but my arm hurts. It has been hurting for about 2 weeks now. This happens from time to time, but I haven't had a flare up like this in almost 2 years. What is causing the pain is a mystery. All the tests that my doctor has sent me for come up negative and because it comes and goes it makes it extra hard to diagnose.

Anyways, after two weeks the pain starts to wear on me. I'm grumpy half the time and weepy the other half. The pain interferes with my ability to sleep well, which doesn't help matters. I'm just plain worn out!

So I'm probably not going to be blogging until my arm is better - I shouldn't be doing this much.

Anybody who's inclined to pray about this, I would be grateful.

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My comforter, my all in all

Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless Babe

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

'Til on the cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For ev'ry sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ in I live

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then, bursting forth in glorious day

Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me

For I am His and He us mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is power of Christ in me

From life's first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

'Til He returns or calls me home

Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand

Written by Stuart Townsend and Keith Getty.

Question from a reader

I guess if one calls her blog "Ask a Lutheran" then one should expect to be asked questions from time to time. *smile* Most of the time the questions are from Sara, (lol) but yesterday I received a question by email from Mick in Afghanistan. It's a really good question and I'd like to share it with you:

Hello.... Greetings from Afghanistan! Lovely people....dreadful place. I found you on the Web. I'm a British Royal Marine "stationed" here - actually we move around a lot - with a question about the nature of the Trinity. I've noticed that many Muslims think that the Christian concept of the Trinity is polytheistic in nature. Three separate Gods in one as it were. And, frankly, I've always been a bit mystified about it myself...three Persons but One God...the nature of that Divine relationship, etc. I asked a Catholic priest (a nice if humourless fellow) and he said that it was simple: there is only one divine nature. Ummm, yes, I understand, I think....but then...well, it's getting all mixed up in me empty head. If you can shed any light on the matter it would be appreciated. Thanks!

Mick

I checked the FAQ section on the LCMS website (a great resource by the way) where a similar question had been posed. The response was as follows:

A. In response, let me first emphasize that we human beings, with our limited power of reason (which is also corrupted by sin), cannot understand or fathom the mystery of the divine Trinity. What we know about God He has revealed to us, which we must accept on faith. One of our official Lutheran confessional documents succinctly summarizes the doctrine of the Trinity as follows: There is one divine essence, which is called and which is truly God, and...there are three persons in the one divine essence, equal in power and alike eternal: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. All three are one divine essence, eternal, without division, without end, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, one creator and preserver of all things visible and invisible." (Augsburg Confession I, 1-3)

All human analogies break down at some point, but the Trinity is often compared to water, an "essence" that is liquid, solid, and gas at the same time. But again, illustrations of this kind cannot probe the mystery of God. He can only be believed in, not fully understood.

Mick, my own response would be similar: God Himself has revealed to us who He is and what He is like through His Word which has been faithfully recorded in the Holy Bible. Throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God speaks of Himself as being God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, but He is also very clear that He is One (Deut. 6:4). To a Muslim, for whom obedience to Allah is very important, I would emphasize that in obedience to God and the Word he has given us, we accept and confess that He is Three in One, though in this life we do not fully understand how this can be so.

I hope that's helpful to you Mick. Beth, you live among Muslims - want to chime in here? Anybody else have any thoughts?

Couldn't we pray?

~ For Beth's sil who is getting the results of a bone marrow test today. http://twolittlevikings.blogspot.com/2008/02/prayer-request.html

~ For Kari Murphy who is having serious health difficulties.

~ For Sharon's mom with kidney problems. http://sharonsroses.blogspot.com/2008/02/god-is.html

~ For Denise with ongoing diabetes related health concerns.
http://shortybearsplace.blogspot.com/

~ For my dear friends Jenny and Galen who are expecting their second child.

~ For my coworker Craig and his wife Ingrid who are also expecting their second child.

~ For Hope who had to be hospitalized last week for flu related dehydration.

So many health concerns. Such a gracious God who hears our cries.

Great White North

And now we dig

It's hard to say exactly how much snow we got yesterday. We had to shovel 3 times yesterday and again this morning. I'm guessing 40 - 50 cm or so (30 cm is about a foot, to give you an idea. I can't say Beth didn't warn me...she did tell me she was sending it my way, *wink*

First we got dumped on overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, a very heavy, wet snow that turned to ice when it got compacted. The roads were terrible. Throughout the day, though, we had a bit of a lull until about 4 o'clock. Then it started snowing again, hard. By 5 pm I could hardly see out my kitchen window and I figured I wouldn't be going to church. My husband went to the church straight from work because he had to set up for communion. I told him I'd play it by ear, but I really didn't think I was going to make it.

Then at about 5 minutes to 7 I noticed that the snow had stopped falling. Brent had finished up blowing out the driveway (for the second time) not to long before, so I was able to quick throw on my coat, hop in the car and get over to the church for the 7:15 pm Ash Wednesday service.

In all, about a dozen hardy souls showed up! Even our organist was unable to make it. So we all sat together in the first couple of pews and sang the hymns unaccompanied. All of us were able to take communion together in a single table. It was so quiet, and peaceful. Because there were so few of us, the service was over very quickly.

My husband had to stay after the service for a lay ministers meeting and I could have just went home, but Hildegard was waiting for her husband too (he's also a lay minister) so I stuck around to keep her company. We had a lovely time chatting and encouraging each other. But when it was time to leave, we discovered that the falling snow had returned - and how!

We drove home carefully and when we got there we discovered we had to (you guessed it) blow out the driveway again. We finished and pulled my van into the driveway, but Ken got his truck stuck in a drift on the road. Ken and the boys shovelled out while I tried to drive out of the drift. By the time we freed it and got her in the driveway, it was after midnight. That, folks, is waaaay past my regular bedtime.

As we were getting our coats and boots off, Brent wondered why we don't go live with Debbie in North Carolina. (I wonder the same thing myself.) And by the way, has anybody heard from Debbie?? I emailed her a couple of weeks ago but I haven't heard back from her. I will have to give her a call and see how she's doing. You know, in North Carolina where they seldom get snow. But I digress.

I'll see if I can get some pictures that'll give you an idea of the amount of snow we got. 'Cause it was alot, even by Canadian winter standards!

This Lententide

Remember last year when I tried fasting for Lent and failed miserably? Well, I'm trying again this year.

Although I didn't have enough self-discipline to fast successfully last year, I still think that there is value in preparing for Easter through prayer, penitence and self-denial. This year, however, instead of trying to fast from all food (which only had the result of making me notice how freakin hungry I was!), I am putting more of an emphasis on refraining from indulgences (rich foods, frivilous purchases, excess TV watching/Internet surfing and the like). Essentially, I want more time to pray and read my Bible and reflect.

Sad to say, but in my human sinfulness, focussing on the things of God requires that I make an extra effort. It does not come naturally for me. If I find myself with, say, a spare half an hour with nothing to do I do NOT automatically think to myself, "Oh, I'll go spend some time in the Word or praying to God". Nope. I'm more likely to think, "Gotta go check my email!" I have to work at it.

You know in the Garden after the Fall, when God asked Adam and Eve who told them they were naked? No one told them, of course. They simply hadn't noticed before. I have this theory that the reason they hadn't noticed was because up until that point all of their attention had been focussed on God. In the Fall, they stopped looking at God and started looking at themselves...and that's when they noticed their nakedness.

That's what I'm hoping - in some small way - to reverse this Lenten season. To stop looking at myself all the time and look at Christ instead. To not notice that I'm naked and see only the One who clothes me.

God's blessings to you all this Ash Wednesday as be begin our journey to the Cross!

You won't believe what just happened...

I am at work right now and we just got a visit from some Jehovah's Witnesses!

I sit right at the front of the office and you can't get into the office with out me seeing you. So they stopped and asked if they could leave some "reading material" for our break time. I politely declined, saying that I have examined and rejected their teachings as being unbiblical and they quickly left.

I wish I had had more time and an opportunity to speak the true gospel to them! If you have a minute, will you please pray that the Lord would direct these lost souls to people and places where they will hear the gospel in truth and purity? Thanks!

Lutheran Liturgy 101

Sometimes I hear people complain that the ancient liturgy is "dry and lifeless" and "no longer relevant". I personally love the liturgy and I think that complaints like these stem from a lack of knowledge about what the liturgy is and what the liturgy does.

If you are not used to worshipping with a liturgy, you might find your first experience with it to be strange and even confusing. Why does the Pastor wear robes? Why is he holding his hands up like that? Why is everybody standing up and sitting down? Believe it or not, in the liturgy every word, every gesture, even pauses, have significance and a purpose. If you understand the significance and purpose of the elements it can enhance your understanding of what is going on in the worship service. When you understand the biblical and historical roots of the liturgy, you realize that far from being "irrelevant" it is in fact a timeless reflection of the spiritual order between God and man.

I would like to take some time to tell you about the liturgy. There is no way I can tell you everything about it in one post - I will have to split it up over several. I hope that you find it interesting and edifying!

What is the liturgy?
In its broadest sense, the liturgy is a proscribed order of service. It provides the structure of the service - when the hymns are sung, when (and which) Scriptures are read, when the Pastor should speak and when the congregation should respond and so on. In some ways, traversing the liturgy is like being on a journey: we begin in a posture of supplication in the Service of Preparation, our faith is nurtured in the Service of the Word, and our worship culminates in bodily communion with our Lord in the Service of the Sacrament. The liturgy underscores our purpose in gathering ourselves together: teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer (Acts 2:42).

The historical roots of the liturgy
The liturgy is patterned after the services that God commanded to the Isrealites going all the way back to the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. These worship forms had a set pattern and were retained by the New Testament church.

The early church retained the Jewish understanding of the purpose of worship as well. For a Jewish person, there was but one purpose to Temple worship: to receive forgiveness through the sacrifices of the priests on behalf of the people. It was not about bringing his praise and worship to the Lord (although he could rightfully do so once forgiven) - it was about coming in supplication to the Lord and receiving his mercy. You will notice that liturgical churches place an emphasis on what God did (and continues to do) for us in worship rather than what we do for him.

The physical layout of the church
You'll notice that in our church there is a single aisle going up the center of the nave (the main body of the church, ie. the seating area) that meets with an aisle (called the transept) that transverses the front of the church creating a cross. Positioned at the center of the cross is the Baptismal font. This is no accident - it reflects the centrality of Baptism within Lutheran sacramental theology. The placement reminds me of this Scripture from Paul's letter to the Romans: "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

You'll also notice that there is a railing around the chancel (the front part of the church where most of the service is conducted) that separates it from the nave. In the middle of the railing there is a gap and the gap represents the curtain that was torn in the Temple, signifying that the barrier between us and God has been torn down. Anytime the Pastor or a celebrant enters the sanctuary, they do so through the gap, indicating that because of the Son we now have unfettered access to the Father.

That's all I can think of for now about the history etc. of the liturgy. Next up: The Service of Preparation!