God works in mysterious ways

I really don't know what category to put this in.  And this is via Steel Turman, so sorry for all of you who have seen this already.  Over there, I mean.  Or anywhere, for that matter.

Via the great AP Teletype Oracle, we find that:

WACO, Texas (AP) - A pastor performing a baptism was electrocuted inside his church Sunday morning after grabbing a microphone while partially submerged, a church employee said.

The Rev. Kyle Lake, 33, was standing in water up to his shoulder in a baptismal at University Baptist Church when he was electrocuted, said Jamie Dudley, a church business administrator and wife of another pastor there.

For those of you who don't know for sure, yes, "electrocuted" means killed by electrical means.  It's kind of awful—I don't know what to say.

The woman Lake was baptizing was not injured, Dudley said.

... "He was grabbing the microphone so everyone could hear," Dudley said. "It's the only way you can be loud enough."

... Lake, who had a wife and three children, had been at the church for nine years, the last seven as pastor, Dudley said.

This is terrible, and I find I can't make a "joke" or humorous aside that wouldn't be in terrible taste.  After all, a guy died here.

As a former electrical professional, it strikes me as extremely foolish to grab a microphone like he did without first having established that the system was properly grounded—and even then, if he was going to use a mic while standing in water, he should have used a wireless mic, not something connected to line power.  But he may not have known that, and his ignorance meant his death.  Death by ordinary household 120VAC while doing God's work.

This is all so very ironic.  Somehow this reminds me of the Old Testament, but I'm not sure exactly where...

Comments

[Rob]

Small world. The pastor in question is a friend of a friend of mine. I always thought that mic signals were +-4.5v AC at milliamp current? Maybe they had a big ground loop going at the board and he grounded it for them? Dunno. My buddy in the Navy told me once a ground-rat managed to kill himself with a 9v battery. Wanted to know what the impedance of a person was so he stabbed both his thumbs with the probes from his multi tester. The 9v in the impedance tester running across his heart was sufficent to stop it. I've done that before but never sub-dermal.

[Obi-Wan]

Small world. The pastor in question is a friend of a friend of mine.

Golly. My condolences.

I always thought that mic signals were +-4.5v AC at milliamp current? Maybe they had a big ground loop going at the board and he grounded it for them?

What we call a "ground loop," for lack of a better term, is pretty close to what happened. Mic signals are in the 1 mV range with only µA of current. That's not what got him, obviously. The "ground" wiring of the system was not at true ground potential, but was probably close to 120V above ground (yes, this was due to a fault in the equipment and should have been fixed). The pastor, being in the water, was at true ground potential. The voltage was impressed on the mic cord shield and therefore on the case of the mic, and—took the path to ground that unfortunately was provided by a human body.

My buddy in the Navy told me once a ground-rat managed to kill himself with a 9v battery.

You served in the Navy? Good on you, dude. About the ground-rat—well, ever heard of the Darwin awards? Sounds like he might be a potential winner.

[rob]

Sorry, misplaced modifier... my buddy, who was in the navy... I wasn't. I went to college straight out of high school and while there had an accident and lost my spleen. After that I would not have passed they physical to join any service. bummer. My dad and my younger brother were both Marines. (they'd tell me are Marines, you are never an ex-Marine)

[Obi-Wan]

I realize this might come out sounding cheesy or forced or something, but when you get a chance, thank them for me for their service. Particularly for being Marines. ;o)

[rob]

Will do. I had a nephew here recently go to a recruitment fair at his highschool. He ended up joining the Marines. Later he told his dad it was the worst mistake he'd ever made. Grueling wasn't even close to describing his ordeal. His dad asked why did he join? He said at the fair the line for the Air Force and Navy were out the door. Line for the Army was packed too. There wasn't anyone in the line for the Marines so he went to that table. Bonk! Hello, McFly!
I had the genuine pleasure of sharing an office at IBM with an ex-Marine(Viet-Nam era). His two buddies would come over and hang out all the time. One was and ex-Navy SEAL and one was 82nd Airborne. Man, you've never heard a group of guys ribbin' eachother like that!!

Army: "Army's tougher"
Marine: "weenies. Marines are real men"
Navy: "Marines are just a department of the Navy"
Marine: "Yeah, the MEN's department!"
Army: "HuAh!"
There I am in the middle of all that trying to program...

[Bible timeline can be used in 3 ways]

Jesus had no problem referring to God as Father - specifically. Several times referring to Him as Abba (Daddy). When people want to refer to verses in scripture which describe God as a mother hen or a woman in labor you are really misinterpreting the point. Those phrases are similes. The definition of a simile is a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds - usually using ‘like’ or ‘as’. Every single one of those verses that were referenced earlier begins with the word as. That is a simile. It is a comparison to the original - not the real thing. Jesus repeatedly referred to God as Father. Why do we want to change that image? I understand people have had horrible experiences with earthly fathers, but come on - what better image then to compare that God our heavenly Father is NOTHING like that! Someone very close to me was raised by an abusive, apathetic, non-loving earthly father. In fact, the person will only refer to him as his B.F. - biological father. I don’t have time to tell you the things he suffered because and from this man. But he has NO problem whatsoever in seeing God as his Father. God is the Father he never had. He is the complete opposite of his B.F. It brings him comfort to know that God the Father is all of the things his earthy father was not. And now that he is a father himself, he strives to be like God the Father and not his BF. Though he admits his BF was a great teacher because he taught him that he did not want to be like him. I do not think that is a valid argument or excuse for people refusing to address God in the masculine form. It’s an excuse. Period.