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Tuesday, 25 September 2007

The Continuing Saga of My Foot

Some of you asked how my foot was doing. Thanks for that. Let me give you the latest. Just to recap, I had what was diagnosed as stress fractures in both feet. I was in a vile engine of sorcery (to steal from C.S. Lewis) known as an "immobilization boot" for 2 weeks with each foot. The right foot healed nicely. The left foot never did. It got worse. So last week my doctor scheduled me for an MRI. The MRI showed something called "bone marrow edema" (Google it if your are really interested).

To make a long story short, I have to keep all the weight off my left foot for 3 weeks to 2 months. So I am in a non-weight bearing cast that goes to my knee. And I have crutches. This is a major pain (yes, I know I am whining). I have tried stairs and so far, I have found no way to get up stairs with crutches. I am sure I will figure it out. And somewhere in there, I am going to have to find a way to shower or bath.

Monday, 17 September 2007

A Funny Thing Happened at Church

At our more traditional service, we give people the option of receiving the Lord's Supper (a.k.a. Holy Communion) by common cup (one big chalice that everyone shares) or individual cups (little shot glasses). This means we need 3 people at each area to administer communion.

Sunday morning the people came up to help with the Lord's Supper and I noticed we were one short. I told the head elder I would handle both the common cup and individual cups on my side. My 10 year old son Ben was the candle-lighter that day so he was already in the front of the church. I told him to hold the common cup and follow behind me and I would take it from him when someone needed it. So I start serving the first group and two people wanted the common cup. They were near the end of the row, so my idea was to finish the row, then get the common cup from Ben and commune those two last. I look up and there he is communing the two people and saying "Take and drink, the blood of Christ shed for you."

So another first--we had a ten year old doing something in church that was supposed to be done only be elders or trained lay ministers. But no one has complained yet.

I just hope they don't ask him to become an elder.

Thursday, 13 September 2007

You are the Weakest Link. Goodbye!

You are the weakest link! Goodbye!
(a preview of Sunday's sermon--with thanks to Leonard Sweet)
Remember that TV show from a few years ago? A group of strangers areasked mind-numbingly stupid questions at a rapid-fire rate, needing toanswer enough correctly in a row to climb their way up the cash-prizeladder. Wrong answers break the progression up this chain, costingeveryone the potential big jackpot. Only one person leaves with themoney. Everyone knows from the start: it's all or nothing.

The contestants then vote-out the their fellow competitor who seems to be holding up the cash accumulation progression with the greatestregularity. These doomed individuals are dubbed the weakest link. Theyare summarily dismissed by a snide and snooty inquisitor named AnneRobinson, who dismisses them with the cutting cutaway: "It's the votethat counts. You are the weakest link. Good-bye!"

In 1 Timothy 1:12-17, Paul seems more than willing to admit that he is the weakest link, the worst sinner, the most guilty among all people. He confesses to being a "...blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence..."He did all that to show that grace worked--in God's grace he found forgiveness, transformation, strength and an appointment to service--even though he was the weakest link.

For Paul, it wasn't "You are the weakest link. Goodbye!" It was "You are the weakest link. Hello!" Hello divine mercy. Hello Christ's gift of grace. Hello a new beginning in service and love.And so it is for you and me. Into our weakness God comes with grace and power--to forgive us, transform us, and send us as His servants.

In what areas are you weak?
How can God use that weakness?
Who around you would you like to vote off?
How can God bless you through that person?

Tuesday, 28 August 2007

Minnesota State Fair

Have you ever heard Garrison Keillor speak about "Minnesota Nice?" This ain't it. The Minnesota State Fair is the one thing we get arrogant about. It is the biggest in area, has the most exhibits, the most food booths and the highest attendance of any state fair in the U.S. It gives us the opportunity to say things like, "Don't tell us about your South Dakota St. Fair or your Iowa Sate Fair or your St. Louis VP Days or anything else. It only shows that you have never been to the Minnesota State Fair or you would know how much your own little state fair sucks." It helps us overcome the inferiority complex put upon us from being the home of the Minnesota Vikings, the Minnesota Twins, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jesse Ventura, Hubert Humphrey, and former governor Arne Carlson's ex-wife Barbara.So anyway, we went to the state fair. Here is some photographic proof of how great it is. First of all they have HUGE kids--kids that are bigger than locomotives:And they have good looking people--people whose faces you would see in magazines(you can click on these pictures and they get bigger. That is part of the magic of the Minnesota Sate Fair):And if you aren't convinced yet, her are some pictures from the sky ride just to show you how much better our state fair is than yours:Now to all of you who live in places like Iowa, Michigan, South Dakota, Missouri, etc, I am sorry for ruining your state fair experience by showing how sucky your state fair is. You could always come to Minnesota. We will treat you well. We are, after all, Minnesota Nice.

Wednesday, 08 August 2007

I got the Boot

About two days before we left for the Unicycle competition in Michigan, I started having some severe pain and swelling in my left foot. Two days later, it started in my right foot. As usual, I didn't go to the doctor. I could elevate it or put ice on it that would help. But as soon as I started walking again, it started hurting again. It continued to get worse, to the point where I could barely walk and almost couldn't do stairs at all.I finally went to a foot specialist today at the local sports medicine clinic. He said at some point I had acquired a small stress fracture in the metatarsals on each foot. When the fractured bone chips broke off, it began hurting me more. He said there is no telling when the actual fracture happened, but it could be caused by landing hard on both feet a number of times--as in falling off a unicycle.So now I am in a special boot that immobilizes one foot. After 2 weeks he will take that one off and put one on the other foot for 2 weeks. That one will be on the right foot and I am told that I cannot legally drive for those 2 weeks.This will also coincide with the Minnesota State Fair--which means that my wife, kids and possibly mother will be pushing me.