From: Barb Kavouras Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2002 11:52 AM To: Confessional Lutherans in Missionary Boldness Subject: CLIMB: Chaplain Field Report March 18 2002 Barb K Cleveland kavouras@ameritech.net Chaplain's Field Report Cleveland Ohio March 18, 2002 Dear Friends, It's been some time since you've heard from me. Even though (thank God) nothing earth shattering has happened (at least on our soil) my pace of chaplain work is steady. There's always someone to see, someone to talk with and I thought a short report just to keep in touch would be good. Let me tell you of several incidents in the last few week or so. On Friday March the 8th I went to a use of deadly force scene which took place in Cleveland's Second District. A housing authority policeman (CMHA) was driving his zone car in a not-so-good neighborhood and as he looked to his left, he saw a man running down the street shooting a gun at another man. He says one of the most vivid things he remembers is the smoke coming out of the end of the gun! This "tunnel vision" is not unusual in high stress police situations, it also occurs with auditory and kinesthetic stimuli as well. Whenever a law enforcement officer faces these terrible scenarios there are a number of stressors he faces. First will he survive? We ask our police officers to keep us safe by dealing with the most dangerous people in society for us and this they do on a regular basis - after all the police are never called unless someone is very much outside the bounds of legal and civilized behavior. The peril is real and great. Next there is the trauma of taking a human life (though this particular suspect did survive). Because of the traditionally high value we place on human life it's always a distressing experience to end one even when justified, especially by pumping .45 caliber bullets into a person. When these things happen all the macho, locker room banter vanishes leaving only fear, astonishment and a flood of other emotions. In addition there's the investigation to follow in which the officer is subjected to laborious reconstructions of the event, and often over-scrutinized by the public, the press and sometimes by his own department for political reasons. A ripple effect is also created among the officer's children, spouse, parents and friends - this is never an easy thing for anyone. Then there is the courage that it takes to go back to work after such an incident; and the fear of possible future retribution. What can aid a person at a time like this? The same thing which comforts us in all our distress, the Word of God, gently delivered by the Christian pastor. There are other things a chaplain does. His presence alone provides a certain modicum of comfort. He listens. If he is experienced and knowledgeable in these matters, he reassures the officer that his reactions are completely within the bounds of normal for such a situation. But the bottom line, that which delivers the peace which surpasses normal human understanding is the mighty Word of God, delivered through direct reading, prayers, benedictions, sound literature and the like. All these things were done, and God-willing shall continue for some time, always with the knowledge that God's Word successfully accomplishes the purposes for which He sends it, and that our work in the Lord is never in vain. Saving faith is planted or watered whenever the Word is rightly preached. This past Saturday there was quite a different event. Our FBI division has a community outreach program in which agents, along with basketball greats such as the Harlem Kings hold youth clinics in high crime neighborhoods. We held one just before Christmas and now, two weeks before Easter. The SAC (special agent in charge - that S-A-C, never "sack") asked me on both occasions to begin the event with an invocation. In December I began with the Trinitarian invocation, read the Christmas story from Luke 2:1-20 and had a short prayer/sermon on those words, we closed with the Lord's Prayer. It still amazes me that even in this late day of lost Christian knowledge that so many people still know that prayer by memory. This time I did the same, only using 1 Corinthians 15:1-3 in recognition of our upcoming Good Friday and Easter celebration. Both times the Gospel was solidly if briefly proclaimed and the Holy Spirit was busy doing His divine work in men's hearts. On St. Patrick's day the opportunity again presented itself to do the work Christ has given us to do. I was asked to open the annual fire memorial in which our Department remembers Cleveland's firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice to save others. This year's memorial and parade were special for every fire department across the land and that for two reasons. First in memory of our brothers, 343 of them, in New York who died on September 11, 2001. Secondly because war has broken out on our own soil for the first time in living memory, and every fireman might well be called upon tomorrow to do the same. And you can all rest assured that to a man they will do it. I began by talking to them about these things just mentioned. I then let them know that in both Shanksville Pennsylvania and New York City the second most frequent question I was asked was "what good will come out of all this?". I told them that the Lord asked Ezekiel a similar (rhetorical) question 2600 years ago about another "valley of dry bones". "Son of man, can these bones live"? Take a moment to read that "vision" (37:1-13) and try to see it through the eyes of those recovering the dead in Shanksville, the Pentagon or New York City. You could have heard a pin drop in that memorial mall in downtown Cleveland as those words rang out for all to hear. I then explained to them that in the name of Christ whom St. Patrick preached and in the strong name of the Trinity of whom St. Patrick sang, we have life and hope; the forgiveness of sins and the promise of a non-ending eternal glory in heaven. Again we closed with that prayer which God will never deny and marched with our heads held high through 25 city blocks of cheering crowds. God bless America. I had planned to write this report last night but it's a good thing I didn't because tonight there were two more significant events. First I had the joy of taking communion to one of my former sheep who still considers me her personal pastor/chaplain. This mid-seventies, life-long Lutheran has cancer and will be going in for surgery later this week. She called me up last week desiring to receive the Lord's Supper. While this call was no different than the ones which every pastor has made hundreds of times, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you all of the power of sound liturgy. This woman began by telling me that she hoped for the best, but was prepared to accept whatever God would send her. Though this was her confession I knew that inside she was afraid. I told her it's both natural and all right to be afraid of dying, even for a Christian. There's the fear of the unknown, the fear of pain, the sorrow of leaving the ones you love and the inadvertent grief your death causes them. And there is the fear of God and of judgment which is natural to any sinner. Once all this was made patent it was time for many Gospel assurances, the singing of hymn verses, the Service of communion for the sick, reception of the body and blood of Christ for the remission, not of cancer but of sins, for prayers and the final benediction. These things worked like magic for this woman who had repeated them and believed them all her life - what power we have at our fingertips if we'd only use it. But most impressive was her praying of the confessional prayer "Oh Almighty God, merciful Father, I a poor miserable sinner confess unto thee all my sins and iniquities." Though she now attends a church which features "contemporary worship" and LW (both of which are lamentably weak in many points) she never missed a beat. Though I couldn't read her mind I'll bet my communion kit that she mentally repeated the absolution as perfectly as she believed it, "Upon this your confession I by virtue of my office as a called and ordained servant of the Word announce the *grace* of God unto you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you *all your sins* in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." After taking my leave I headed to Cleveland's Westside to spend the evening with the troops at Engine 33 and Rescue Squad 2 on West 117th Street and Linnett Avenues. In six hours we had dinner, much fire house camaraderie a couple of false alarms and one medical run. Since most people have never ridden in emergency apparatus let me just remind you of the risks these God-given servants face just by coming to work each day. Forget about running into burning buildings for a moment. Just think about riding at break neck speeds, through city streets, in very large and very heavy apparatus that regularly go through intersections and red lights. It's not for the faint of heart. One wrong move by a careless driver and great havoc could ensue. Besides the enormous weight and size of a pumper, it's boom, it's outriggers, it's equipment, it's personnel, Engine 33 carries 500 gallons (nearly 5000 pounds) of water. The above mentioned medical run yielded a good result. As I relate the story keep in mind that I *don't* believe that God works in mysterious ways. I believe that He works in very open and normal ways, using the gifts He's given us to care for our bodies and the means of grace to care for our souls. After assessing the situation and providing on scene care, our Squad transported a 44 year old male suffering from seizures to the hospital. However by 22:15 hours all the area ER's were already full for the evening and we were presented with just two choices, neither of which was very close. Not eager to go way out of our way the officer in charge called some area ER's in hopes of persuading them to take us - but no luck. So off we went to St. John's Westshore, three suburbs away. Why did we have to go there? As the paramedics were delivering the patient and doing the paperwork I heard a woman from one of the examining rooms say the word "chaplain". I turned and as our eyes met I told her that yes I was the chaplain, and asked how she knew. I thought that I might have met her somewhere in the past and not remembered her face. But I had momentarily forgotten that I was wearing my turnout coat which has the word "chaplain" clearly stenciled on the back. In the room with her was an older man on oxygen and both seemed quite forlorn. I asked if they needed a chaplain and the wife began to tell me that her husband goes to mass every morning but would probably miss tomorrow and she was hoping he could receive communion. I told them that I'd like to help them but that I was a Lutheran chaplain. The wife said that while that might be the case, she and her husband could use all the blessing they could get. So in a very short encounter, probably less than 60 seconds, I laid my hand on the man's head, gave him the apostolic benediction and assured him that God's Son was crucified and resurrected for him; and that in his baptism he became a child of God, and received the forgiveness of all his sins and release from all his guilt in God's sight. I further substantiated for him that because of this Gospel that God would tenderly care for him all through his life and take him to heaven for all eternity when it was over - and that these things were most certainly true. The look of comfort and relief on their faces is hard to describe! Unless I'm very far off the mark this briefest of visits, brought about by one man's seizure and several filled ER's, gave them something they very much needed at that moment - an anchor of true Hope, Christ Jesus our Hope. Now don't get all enthusiastic on me, but that was my evening, and I thank you all for your prayers, your very kind words of encouragement and also the donations you've made to my work. It looks as if I'll be returning to Staten Island at the end of April along with (LCMS) Chaplain Richard Turner of the FBI's Houston Division. Pastor Turner arranged for his local P.D. to do a Texas barbecue for the Staten Island investigators and sometime during those few days we will do a formal Service "in the valley of dry bones" in which Christ the life of all the living will be preached and proclaimed from the ancient vision of Ezekiel the prophet. Thank you for reading, Rev. Dean Kavouras, Chaplain Cleveland Safety Forces FBI Cleveland Division chap7953@ameritech.net "Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." 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