Classic Ichabod - How Two Abusive Cults Worked Together To Promote More Abuse. WELS, ELS, LCMS

Fuller-trained Jim Huebner came to Columbus at the instigation of Rich Krause-- who was earning his union DMin under the supervision of Larry Olson.  Huebner, like all the WELS officials, considered Floyd a victim of persecution.


Why did Doctrinal Pussycat Robert Mueller, VP Kuske, and the Michigan District pastors do nothing about Stolzenburg? The Columbus pastors almost had a cow when I suggested showing some friendship to Rev. Steve Archer, who was the legitimate called pastor at Emmanuel before Floyd got hired for a year to replace him. Floyd failed to tell his buddies on the Michigan District praesidium that he only had a provisional job for a year. It is ironic when liars are startled by lies from a brother wolf.

All this happened before the Bill Clinton scandals and the Roman Catholic Church priestly debacle. So, was I surprised about the cover-ups with either one? Not at all.

Step One
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg was forced to resign, for cause, from the LCMS ministerium and from his call at Salem in Florissant, Missouri. 1984.
Source: the District President who forced the resignation and preached for Floyd the next day. Other details were added by: Dr. J. A. O. Preus; Pastor Herman Otten; Floyd's assistant pastor; and a conservative LCMS pastor in Milwaukee.

Separation agreement, July 24, 1986. Floyd Luther Stolzenburg and Jane Dorothy Stolzenburg. Sole care, custody and control of the minor children given to Jane.

Lawsuit filed by Alvin E. Wendt, plaintiff, against Reverend Floyd Stolzenburg, 243 S. Stanwood Road, Bexley, Ohio, 43209; Salem Lutheran Church, 5180 Parker Road, Florissant, Missouri, 63033; The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, 1333 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, Misouri, 63122. FS left Salem Dec 15, 1984 "19. Stolzenburg continues to hold an improper influence over Plaintiff's wife through Stolzenburg's affirmative acts of writing letters, sending gifts, and making phone calls to Vicki Wendt." p. 3.
In the Circuit Court of the County of St. Louis, Missouri.

Step Two

Floyd was promoting the Church Growth Movement at St. Paul, German Village, Columbus.

"IT'S COLOSSAL! IT'S GIGANTIC! IT'S SPECTACULAR! A PERSONAL NOTE FROM
WM. J. BRITTON, RE: CHURCH GROWTH SEMINAR, FEB. 24-25, 1985. Registration is
347! We prayed for response - the Lord gave it to us!...Win Arn says, 'We are
not here to make you work harder, but only to help you work smarter.'"
CG Conference, attended by St. Paul, Columbus, members and pastor.

46 from St. Paul's attended the Win Arn Church Growth seminar, including Floyd Stolzenburg, George Skestos, Vicar Mike Nitz, etc. March and April, 1985.

Stolzenburg Taught Church Growth at St. Paul, German Village.

"WELCOME TO CHURCH GROWTH. Our study is designed to help all of us gain a new perspective of what God has always had in mind for His Church. Church Growth is not new." Floyd L. Stolzenburg, "What the Bible Says about CHURCH GROWTH," Taught at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Columbus, Ohio p. 1.

"We have discovered that the Early Church was an institution that unknowingly saw its world through Church Growth eyes. We have some benefits they did not have in that we can look back today and analyze their successes and failures."
Floyd L. Stolzenburg, "Church Growth - the Acts of the Apostles," Taught at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Columbus, Ohio. [GJ - Doctrinal question: When did the Word of God ever fail? Floyd failed this question at a meeting and WELS kept him as a pseudo-pastor in his pseudo-pastoral position.]

"As you read, pick out the principles of Church Growth in this "FOCUS ON A GREAT CHURCH" (Acts 11:19-30)...11:26 tells us this studies the Word 'in great numbers.' How can we improve our numbers?"
Floyd L. Stolzenburg, "Church Growth - the Acts of the Apostles," Taught at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Columbus, Ohio January, 1986.

District VP Paul Kuske
made sure Floyd was treated like a pastor
and endorsed him in a letter for the Emanuel position.
Kuske denied doing this, of course. Wink. Wink.

Step Three

Stolzenburg started looking for grants, because no church would hire him and no school system would let him work.

"He has served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Charles, Missouri and Senior Pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Florissant, Missouri...He is trained in the Bethel Bible Series, Church Growth program and Dialogue Evangelism. As a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Columbus, he now seeks a different form of Christian service, outside the pastoral office."
Floyd L. Stolzenburg, "The Homewood Church Enrichment Program."

"People Person: Have been recognized as a counselor and mediator. Brought harmony to what was once described as 'the most troubled Lutheran church in America. Personal: Born, December 6, 1941, Columbus. Married, three children. Spiritual gifts: Exhortation, teaching, administration and evangelism. Floyd Luther Stolzenburg 2904 Maryland Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43209-1157 614-235-5200.

Lutheran Parish Resources

"In the autumn of 1985 and the winter of 1985-1986, a truly momentous step was taken by the five Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) congregations in the metropolitan area of Columbus, Ohio. The five pastors and lay representatives of those churches organized and incorporated Lutheran Parish Resources, Inc., the first Church Growth institute in the WELS." David G. Peters, "Lutheran Parish Resources: Pilot Program in Church Growth," Mequon: Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, April 27, 1987 p. 1.

"Lutheran Parish Resources, Inc. (LPR) is dedicated to the concepts of the Church Growth movement only insofar as they agree with the Scriptures and as taught by the WELS--that is, Church Growth with Lutheran theology rather than Evangelical, and without the typical Church Growth emphasis on quantitative measurement of growth. Kent R. Hunter's definition of 'Church Growth' justifies the use of this term in describing LPR: 'Church Growth: That science which investigates the nature, function and health of Christian churches as they relate specifically to the effective implementation of God's commission to make disciples of all peoples (Matt. 28:19). Church Growth is simultaneously a theological conviction and an applied science,....' Foundations for Church Growth, p. 187.
David G. Peters, "Lutheran Parish Resources: Pilot Program in Church Growth," Mequon: Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, April 27, 1987 p. 1.

"CHURCH GROWTH. This program was basically the beginning of L.P.R. at St. Paul's. Certainly a church growth consciousness exists in all of the congregations which was not there four years ago. It is also evident that most of the congregations are not really willing to make church growth a major priority of their ministry. Some new people who visit our churches are turned off by the comments of church members. It would seem that many members will 'tolerate' growth if it does not upset the church's traditions."
Floyd Stolzenburg, Consultant's Annual Report, 1-12-89 Lutheran Parish Resources. [GJ - Kuske denied that LPR had anything to do with Church Growth. In Sheepshead, that is called mollering, but in WELS, it is called Muellering.]

"...Your share of Floyd's accommodations..." [Floyd Stolzenburg leading the Buckeye Circuit LWMS retreat]
Buckeye Circuit LWMS December 10, 1989.

"Most pastors and members do not seem willing to pay the price for growth and new life."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Consultant's Annual Report, 1-12-89 Lutheran Parish Resources

"The area L.W.M.S. annual retreat has been created and led by L.P.R. General successes in this area have been very positive."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Consultant's Annual Report, 1-12-89 Lutheran Parish Resources.

"There is a strong feeling of strength in tradition. Even non-doctrinal issues bring fear to the membership and an unwillingness on the part of staff to 'buck the system.' In a church that opposes other groups who trust in traditions, are we raising 'We've always done it that way' to the level of Scripture? Is it possible for our faith to be exciting and still be traditional?"
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Consultant's Annual Report, 1-12-89 Lutheran Parish Resources.

"In the doctrinal sense, the word 'fellowship' may have hindered some growth by the fear of new techniques and ministries. There seems to be an openness to new programs but also a fear that such new ideas may destroy some facets of the doctrine of church fellowship. Will that inevitably happen?"
Floyd Stolzenburg, Consultant's Annual Report, 1-12-89 Lutheran Parish Resources.

A photo for Pilgrim is not available, since Floyd's little playpen failed to attract anyone. Last known attendance - three (3).

Pilgrim Community Church

"A major part of LPR involvement currently centers around assistance with Beautiful Savior's establishment of a new experimental mission on the west side. Named 'Pilgrim Community Church' by the committee from Grove City, the new congregation will maintain solid Lutheran doctrine without an up front emphasis on the Lutheran name. All materials identify sponsorship by Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church." [note: in very, very small print] On the same page, artwork for the area Reformation service at St. Paul's: "STANDING WHERE LUTHER STOOD"
LPR UPDATE October, 1989.

"L.P.R. is due to play a major role in the West Side Mission." [Pilgrim Community Church]
Floyd Stolzenburg, Consultant's Annual Report, 1-12-89 Lutheran Parish Resources

"Initial services will be less formal than our traditional worship services. LPR Director Roger Zehms has been requested by Beautiful Savior to serve as pastor of the new mission with Floyd Stolzenburg serving as evangelist and music consultant. Please include this new approach project in your prayers."
LPR UPDATE October, 1989. [GJ - I prayed all the time about Pilgrim, and my prayers were answered when three (3) people showed up for worship there.]

"Mr. Floyd Stolzenburg will serve under Rev Zehms providing such services as are appropriate for a person who is not 'CRM.' As a layperson Mr. Stolzenburg can under appropriate supervision do anything that a layman in your congregation can. -- We also reject any inference that Pastor Zehms will not be able to stand up to pressure from Mr. Stolzenburg, or from the donor who provides the funds for LPR. -- We also question the procedure in which the reason for Mr. Stolzenburg's resignation has been broadcast, even though the issues had been addressed by LPR." [GJ - Not true. People were told Floyd had a Scriptural divorce, that the divorce was the fault of his first wife.]
Pastor Paul Kuske Letter to the Ohio Conference Pilgrim Community Church, sponsored from Grove City by Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church Fall Conference, Gibsonia, 1989

"The administrative committee has applied to Lutheran Parish Resources for the services of Rev Roger Zehms. This application is the equivalent of a (limited) call. The committee has also applied for the services of Mr. Floyd Stolzenburg to act in a supportive role in the mission. Both of these applications have been approved."
Pastor Paul Kuske Letter to the Ohio Conference Pilgrim Community Church, sponsored from Grove City by Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church Fall Conference, Gibsonia, 1989

“I think it was the last letter I wrote you in which I said 'It would be a disaster if you left the ministerium of the synod.' I retract the entire letter. I have owed you great debts in the past. I consider them all discharged by the times I have protected you from the consequences of your own bad decisions. I'm not going to run interference anymore. Suffer your own consequences hereafter. Speaking of consequences, I have never heard, or heard of, one of our brethren getting a public reprimand in writing such as the one Kuske gave. I wonder who Kuske was talking about." [The reference is to Kuske's remarks supporting Floyd Stolzenburg and Pilgrim Community Church.]
Pastor Roger Kovaciny, Letter to Gregory Jackson, October 17, 1989.

"Are pastor's (sic) bound by the 8th Commandment? LPR knew about Floyd's background from the beginning. What right did Pastor Jackson have to assume that we were being duped? What right did Pastor Jackson have to investigate, without even asking people at LPR about their knowledge? What right did Pastor Jackson have spreading this investigative information to the young pastors of the Ohio Conference? What right did he have to spread it to the DMB?"

[GJ - I was not told the truth about Floyd being removed from the LCMS ministerium, neither by Paul Kuske, who led the call meeting at Shepherd of Peace, nor by Wally Oelhafen, who discussed the call with me. The mission counselor and others were told that Floyd had a Scriptural divorce. Pastors are supposed to protect their congregations from wolves, but the truth makes enemies, as Walther has said in Law and Gospel.]
Paul Kuske, Letter to Michigan District Mission Board, April 21, 1990 p. 8.

They wanted a Mason-lovin' pastor.

Kuske and Schumann Helped Floyd Get Himself Another Church

"I would also convey to you that I will continue to commune lodge members as long as I feel assured that they know and believe that their salvation is by faith." "Please feel free to contact Pastors Kuske or Schumann or come and hear for yourself."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg Letter to Emmanuel, 9-20-91, Lutheran Parish Resources letterhead "Serving the congregations of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod"

"The church has not wavered from its theology: The Bible is the inerrant word of God, and everything in it is to be taken literally. Stolzenburg's theology is uncompromising. 'What is written in the Bible stands.'" [GJ - hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!]
Sylvia Brooks, South Side Lutheran Church Goes Its Own Way, Columbus Dispatch, August, 9, 1998 p. 2C.

"Consultant, Lutheran Parish Resources, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, 1985-1991, as a consultant for this program, I worked with the training of pastors and lay people for effective ministry in leadership skills, Sunday School organization and teaching, youth ministry, outreach, stewardship and care ministry. I continue to work with supervision of some of these programs. Senior Pastor, Salem Lutheran Church and School, Florissant, Missouri, 1976-1985. (nothing said about being removed from the ministry) Pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church and School, St. Charles, Missouri, 1968-1976. Floyd Luther Stolzenburg 2904 Maryland Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43209-1157 614-235-5200.

Should I with scoffers join
Her altars to abuse?
No! Better far my tongue were dumb,
My hand its skill should lose.

ELS Happy To Be in Fellowship with Stolzenburg

"Pastor Kovaciny, obviously excited about the possibilities, has agreed that the new church would be named Emmanuel Lutheran and would have a picture of the 'mother church' prominently displayed in the new building." Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Columbus, Ohio #899 for August, 1999 1500 South Third Street Columbus, Ohio 43207 $50,000 to be raised

"In the midst of all the positive, exciting things Pastor Kovaciny had to say about the mission work being done in the Ukraine, he constantly mentioned the most pressing problem, a lack of space...As he spoke to us about the many needs, he mentioned the possibility of building achurch of the approximate square footage of our sanctuary (though not nearly as elaborate) for $50,000...Pastor Kovaciny, obviously excited about the possibility, has agreed that the new church would be named Emmanuel Lutheran and would have a picture of the 'mother church' prominently displayed in the new building."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, "From the Mission Committee, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Kremnetz, Ukraine, Emmanuel Lutheran Church #899, August, 1999 1500 South Third Street, Columbus, Ohio 43207-1000

"About Missions" c. Thoughts of Faith through the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, d. St. Sophia Lutheran Seminary-Ukraine
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio August, 1996

"Pastor Kovaciny, in an effort to respond to our request, sent a copy of the third quarter treasurer's report of the Ukrainian congregation, signed by the treasurer and written in his own hand. We thought you might enjoy seeing it! You should be aware that our budget offering goes to pay for Pastor Kovaciny's salary and expenses through 'Thoughts of Faith,' the radio ministry which has been bringing the Gospel to the Ukraine for many years...." Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio January, 1995.

"EMMANUEL SAVES BIBLE SCHOOL! A SPECIAL MESSAGE was just received from Pastor Kovaciny to let us know that Emmanuel's Mission offerings have rescued their Bible School this summer!...[Pastor Kovaciny] writes to tell us about it. 'As we looked forward to an even more successful program this coming summer, we were told by our sponsoring organization that our Bible School budget had been cut by $8,000. It seems that some people in charge believe that we have been too successful and they need to put their funds toward programs in other areas which are lagging behind.' (Pastor Kovaciny)"
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio June 1998.

"From the Mission Committee...Good News from the Ukraine Reproduced at the bottom of this page is the masthead from the Ukrainian Lutheran, which has now been published by our mission in Ukraine for two years and grows in circulation with each issue." Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio November 1996

"All designated funds for Thoughts of Faith are spent on the program for which they are designated by the donor. Funds not designated by the donor are used to pay for administrative expenses. Thoughts of Faith would like to thank our congregation for our support towards this important work in spreading the gospel throughout the world." Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio November, 1995 Recording secretary, Christine E. Scheiderer; treasurer, Charlotte Proctor. Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio November, 1995.

"...the Ukraine project of Thoughts of Faith (Pastor Kovaciny)" Use of mission funds. Charlotte Proctor, treasurer Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio November, 1995 "I

"Since the salary of Pastor Kovaciny and their basic expenses are paid through the 'Thoughts of Faith' ministry, we will continue to include the overall work in our regular budget." Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio October, 1994 Roger Kovaciny's letter about seed distribution Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio October, 1995

The rotten fruit of UOJ smells everywhere.

Quartet performing "Lean On O, King Eternal" at Sunday Services on February 26th, 2012.


GJ - I copied that from the current websty - today. Lean on? 2012?

Thunderstorm Breaks While the Roses Are Being Watered

Soaker hoses leak methodically but are most efficient at
the faucet and any joints.

I was skeptical about rain coming today, because the radar showed nothing coming over from Oklahoma or up from Texas and the Gulf. I decided to plant some more seeds in the hot, humid, sunny morning.

I planted hollyhocks against the house in the sunny garden, where sunflowers and tomatoes, cucumbers, and pumpkins were growing.

We started the future corn patch last night, so I had a row to fill in the backyard. I added to the digging of our helper and planted a row of mammoth aka striped aka Russian sunflowers.

Real spinach, Malabar spinach, radish, and lettuce seeds will soon arrive. Radish germinates, pops up, and grows fast. Some use radish as markers when they plant other crops, doubtless to quell planter's panic when the gardener thinks, "Nothing will come up. All is lost."

Lettuce can be sown, it is so easy to grow. Loosen some soil with a rake and fling the seed. "A sower went out to sow..."

The sun was bright, and I felt no cool breeze suggesting an upcoming storm. Coming inside, I saw sunlight dimming in the house as the sky darkened. Soon a loud thunderstorm broke so hard that turning off the water on the front gardens seemed unwise.

The thunderstorm was impressive, bringing hail in another part of the area. The sky was very dark as the rain beat down on the roof.

Outside I could watch the rose garden in the heavy rain, with water already pooling the the backyard. It was pooling in the well drained front yard too, because the hose had been on for some time.

Mulch holds the soil in place during a powerful thunderstorm, and keeps soil from dispersing in the wind when the weather is dry.

Once the plants germinate I can sprinkle cypress mulch in the rows to suppress weed growth from then on.

Some weeds will still grow through mulch. Ruth Stout, the mulch pioneer, said, "Pull the weeds and place them on top, as mulch to keep the rest of the weeds from growing." Doubtless she saw that as making the punishment fit the crime.

Baby radishes say, "Your name is not Agent Orange.
You can grow green things."

Radish Fun
Radishes come in many varieties and shapes, all tasting about the same to me. I have grown the odd ones, only to have people say, "What is that?"

Like carrots, we eat the roots of the plant. We can let radishes bold  and form their seed pods. The pods are radishy in flavor but taste milder.

Radish seed pods will fool most people.
"I can eat that? Really?"

Some seed catalogs offer fun plants to grow, such as giant beets originally raised for cattle. The mangel-wurzel can weigh about 50 pounds, and some people like to eat the improved variety. I grew some for rabbits and they declined the honor.

Mangel wurzel - not catching on in the States.

I like Atlantic Giant pumpkins because even the small ones are large and homely. The leaves are more like umbrellas. Our helper is worried about some weeds in the sunny garden. The pumpkins will shade them out as soon as they get their growth.

The robin was working in a driving rain today,
enjoying no competition for the worms.

The Presentation of the Augsburg Confession - June 25th. Norma Boeckler's Illustrated Augsburg Confession

Purchase Norma Boeckler's illustrated Augsburg Confession here.

The Augsburg Confession was presented on June 25, 1530. Like all faithful confessions, every effort was made to silence the confessors and keep the words from being heard.

From Wiki:
"The emperor had ordered the confession to be presented to him at the next session, 24 June; but when the Protestant princes asked that it be read in public, their petition was refused, and efforts were made to prevent the public reading of the document altogether. The Protestant princes, however, declared that they would not part with the confession until its reading should be allowed. The 25th was then fixed for the day of its presentation. In order to exclude the people, the little chapel of the episcopal palace was appointed in place of the spacious city hall, where the meetings of the diet were held. The two Saxon chancellors Christian Beyer and Gregor Bruck the former with the plain German copy, the other in traditional Latin language, stepped into the middle of the assembly, and against the wish of the emperor. The reading of the German version of the text by Christian Beyer lasted two hours and was so distinct that every word could be heard outside." 

I used Norma Boeckler's Trinity symbol for this graphic.

Like it or not, the Augsburg Confession is the standard for all Lutherans. The American Lutherans merely pay lip service to it while teaching against justification by faith. The very small ELDONA group is the only organization among Lutherans to endorse justification by faith alone while rejecting the Pietistic rationalism of Universal Objective Justification (forgiveness and salvation without faith).

Recently, SpenerQuest posted a hissy fit warning everyone to avoid ELDONA because of its teaching of justification by faith. The state of Lutheran apostasy is a vast collection of ironic humor.

Most of us at Augustana College did not know how the school got its named. Some really thought it was a blend of August and Anna. The pastor who confirmed me told me it was not necessary to read. "Just say you agree with it."

Nor did anyone then or now realize the struggle behind the naming of the school and synod. They were consciously rejecting the Church Growthism of the 19th century, which was revivalism - entertainment evangelism at its best. 

Those  who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. And the rest of us are condemned to watch those who have not learned from history - repeating the same old mistakes.

Every Lutheran has an obligation to read the original document, which Norma Boeckler has illustrated so well. I have posted my old graphics, because they are easily available to me from the blog. 

Luther and the Book of Concord editors called themselves "theologians of the Augsburg Confession."

Lutherans today like to argue over every scrap of history, but they do not read their own classic douments - the Confessions, Luther's sermons, Chemnitz, and Gerhard.

Lex orendi, lex credendi. How we worship - that is what we really believe. From ELCA on up, the Lutherans promote the revivalism of the past, using amateur entertainment to draw people. Lutherans stopped singing Lutheran hymns because they are no longer Lutheran. In fact, they hardly sing hymns at all. They listen to the butchers of music howling about themselves, playing tinny and noisy instruments that belong in a street band or madhouse.

My Lutheran Hymnal can be ordered here.

Rose Grafts and the Engrafted Word

Standard Rose with two grafts - Fragrant Cloud.

KJV James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls.

Good News James 1:21 So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you.

Although WELS has blessed every translation (especially the NNIV) this comparison shows how the Gospel can be distorted to become Law. "Receive" which is parallel to "believe" becomes "accept," which is used in "making a decision for Christ."

1. Get rid of.
2. Submit.
3. Accept.

Grafting is one of those on-going wonders of Creation, where two similar plants can be fused together, to obtain the characteristics of both.  

The typical hybrid tea rose has one graft, called the bud union.

The wild rose is used for the roots, because it is hardier than the hybrid tea's foundation. The showy part is grafted so everyone gets the strength of the wild rose and the beauty of hybrid tea.

A standard rose (sometimes called a tree rose) has two grafts. Someone decided they could grow roses for their long canes. The cane is grafted onto the wild rose base, and the hybrid tea is grafted onto the standard.

Pascali as a standard rose.
These cost $50, compared to $30 for a hybrid tea.

Grafting explains why this passage from James is such a beautiful expression of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit grafts the Gospel promises onto our wild base, and the fruits of the Spirit shows themselves, even though the base remains coarse.

Sometimes the hybrid tea part will freeze and die, leaving only the wild rose to grow. If you see a large plant with plenty of small and unattractive blooms, it is likely a rose that has gone wild, as they say. 

Apostates are similar. They give up faith in God's Word but want to show off their vast but unattractive fruits. They praise one another to help convince the population that they are as grand as ever - but they have killed the tender graft. They can only ape believers. No wonder they praise one another while stealing sermons and clawing money into their bottomless pockets.

 The Tricolor standard rose is ideal for the indecisive.

The engrafted Word teaches the efficacy of the Gospel in one, short phrase.

Receive with meekness is another phrase filled with meaning. Receiving is often used in the New Testament as another way to express believing.

John 1:12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believedin his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

Meekness is a quality of Christ. When the Gospel is grafted onto us, we also receive His meekness. And we should look to His meekness as something to emulate.

Matthew 11:9 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Although the focus of James is living the Gospel, that does not mean the Gospel is absent in this short but vivid epistle. 

James 1:21 has become a classic in the Christian Faith, often quoted. 

In meekness, believe the Gospel, which the Spirit grafted onto your heart.

Queen Elizabeth rose.

Cypress Mulch Day - And the Mower Goes Wheels Up

Our helper's children came over and played with Sassy,
who loved the petting and ball tossing.
She wanted to play catch after they left, too.

Our helper came over with his small children to mow and mulch. The electric mower made some sad sounds and crossed over the rainbow bridge.

We switched over to mulching the new garden, the future corn patch. Sassy got petted by two children she knows well and grinned the whole time. When the kids got restless, I got the squeaky ball, and she played catch with them from then on.

I am opening up new garden areas by laying down newspapers and covering them with wood mulch. We only dig where needed for new plants or seeds. When the seedlings come up, more mulch can be used. I used to do that with extra lawn clippings, long ago in Midland. I asked for lawn clippings and autumn leaves wherever I could, and often picked them up from the street. LI said about my pick-ups, as he hid in the backseat, "Why couldn't I have a normal dad?"

But he ate the sweet corn and everything else.

I was always impressed at the volume of organic matter swallowed up by the soil creatures. No matter what I put in the yard, and kept in the yard, I always needed more. Pet rabbits contributed with their wire cages over children's swimming pools. Instead of water in the rigid pools, we had soil and earthworms. The soil and worms provided the sanitation, and the worms grew faster than excuses at WELS headquarters.

As all gardeners know, rabbits have hot (high nitrogen) manure, and earthworms have no trouble using it, taming it, and converting it to casts and wormlings. I often had masses of earthworms in one ball as I hauled the bounty out to the garden and got fresh soil plus a few starter worms.

The water holding quality of humus was demonstrated today when I stuck my hand in the garage rain gutter overhead. I had no living maple treelets, but I had handfuls of maple seeds and leaves trying to compost. By holding onto water, they became effective corks in the gutter, finally oozing down to the bottom as I shook it, knocked it, and poured water down.

Hydrangeas are another flower I do not grow.

That is why humus rich soil does well when rain is sparse. The humus holds it between particles and keeps the cycle of life moving along. Humus and mulch mean my plants do not easily get the droops on a hot, dry day.

The scientists think in terms of N-P-K, but the soil is far more complex than three chemicals.

Forty bags of mulch have cost only $80, and they will become composted soil in time, as earthworms and soil creatures break down the woody residue and digest it, mixing it with the heavy clay in our yard.

I think of the mulch as compost on the spot, forcing the dying lawn to compost as well. The soil will be much richer in the spring, when the serious gardening begins. Worked soil is far more productive, because a large volume of plant material grows in it, digs roots down, and returns as compost when all the crop trash is re-used.

Tomorrow Is the Anniversary of the Augsburg Confession - Confessio Augustana

The Augsburg Confession Paperback

by Dr. Gregory L. Jackson (Author), Norma A. Boeckler (Author)

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* Includes 10 unique, original illustrations by Norma Boeckler. Many people misunderstand confessions of faith, as if confessions were in opposition to the Scriptures. The Bible is the revealed Word of God, inerrant and infallible, while a confession is man’s witness about God’s revelation. Therefore, the Scriptures are God’s unique message to man – irreplaceable. For that reason, The Holy Bible judges all books. Nevertheless, confessions are valuable and instructive. They are man’s testimony about the meaning of God’s Word. They are concise and precise. When there are conflicts about the meaning of the Scriptures, confessions help people compare areas of agreement and disagreement. Paul commended this activity when he wrote, “For there must be also heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” 1 Corinthians 11:19 KJV. Luther compared this to identifying the wormy flour and separating it from the good flour. Bakers know that wormy flour must be removed immediately from the tons of flour around it, before everything is corrupted and ruined with bugs.

Neighborly Competition in Gardening

We had our own gourmet cook when we went to Moline.
Our motel was next door to his bistro.

When I first began pruning the maple tree, my neighbors laughed as they pointed at me. They were saying to each other, "Now we have to keep up."

Our trees were drooping with low branches and nothing had been done in landscaping. Luther only wanted to garden in retirement. He was called back to preach and gave us his tremendous Sermons on John's Gospel. Seminaries of all persuasions should drop their silly courses and use that - or the Lenker set - to replace their curricula.

When I asked my neighbor for more newspapers, he asked, "More roses?" I said, "Not yet." This is for the vegetable and corn patches in the backyard.

All I have to do is a new project and my neighbors are outside adding to theirs. It is great fun. We do little favors, back and forth, and talk about the way things should be. He warned me about rototilling into the utilities, even when flagged, and that convinced me to mulch on top of the lawn.

At dawn I went outside and looked at all the plants growing, front and back yard. Then I sat down at our front porch eyrie to look over the roses - with raindrops still clinging to them, .Now I have people imagining an old porch six feet above the lawn. This is about three inches above. Did you want me to say - "from the sparrow's nest..."?

The living Seed and the engrafted Word
Seed is the perfect metaphor for God's Word. Since God created all things through Christ, Who is the Creating Word, that is no coincidence.

Seed is alive, just as the Word is alive with the Holy Spirit. Seed can be stored a long time and still germinate from moisture. Inside many seeds is a tiny starter plant and food to get it going. When put in moist soil, the seed knows exactly how to send out tiny roots for stability, food, and water, leaves for photosynthesis.

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Mark 4:2ff. And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

Gruss an Aachen Rose - Greetings to Aachen, Germany - The First Floribunda - Aromatic, Hardy, Shade Tolerant

Gruss an Aachen is my solution to the shade under the maple tree. Some of you wonder, "But what about planting where maple tree roots are so shallow?

Maple trees hog the water supply with their tough surface roots, but I can create some depth of soil on the perimeter by purchasing some and using circular, ceramic fencing. The surface will be covered by periwinkle, a favorite for shade and for holding soil in place.

Although this seems a stretch, I did some more reading about this rose, which I have grown before. Gruss an Aachen is unusually tough, flowers well in semi-shade, and is also disease resistant. David Austin considered GaA good enough to sell with his modestly-named David Austin Roses (TM).

Isn't that like saying, "I like this Michelangelo so much that I have decided to sell it with my Greg Jackson paintings?"?

Aachen is quite the city - the most western in Germany, where many German kings have been crowned. It also has the hottest of the hot springs, so the wealthy still love going there for the cure.

When It Rains, I Plant
The rain came down in torrents for a long time yesterday. When it let up, I went outside to plant a few miniature sunflowers, for contrast in the rose garden. Mrs. Ichabod half-heard my plans, but reacted strongly when it was done. She imagined one of my sunflower forests, which are pretty neat by themselves. I used one to conceal the play equipment for kids, so the youngest one enjoyed "hiding" from us and popping out of the tree-like stalks.

When not in bloom, this plant is just 12 to 15 inches high!

The big Sunflower you can grow in a small pot! There are many dwarf Sunflowers out there these days, but none quite like Sunny Smile. Plant it in a 4- or 6-inch pot and it will grow a neat 12- to 15-inch-high plant with a single giant bloom fully 5 inches across! Or put it in the garden, where it remains just a bit over a foot high but branches beautifully, giving you 4 to 5 big blooms! Versatile, beautiful, and so easy to grow, it belongs in every sunny garden and flowerpot!

Mammoth - or striped - Russian sunflowers can be nine feet tall. 

I found out that I ordered pole beans instead of bush beans. I can plant the pole beans along the chain link fence.

Hollyhock seeds will be planted soon.

When I picked up the mulch, I saw a large swath of Queen Ann's Lace growing together on the other side of the road, leaving Lowe's. I hit the brakes and ran over to harvest a few.

Each flower seems to have a spot of dried blood on it - or an insect. The flowers cleverly planned this, to attract more insects. That is what evolution teaches us.

They are a great plant for bees and butterflies, so I left the seed-heads in the grassy alley between homes on our block. Some people groom the area, which is only six feet across. Others let various weeds or vines grow there.

From a Bunker Deep in WELS-land.

THE3111 01	Congregational Assimilation and Retention	Olson, Lawrence O	Searcy	Fusion: Turning First Time Guests into Fully Engaged Members of Your Church	0830745319	Regal Books		Price not yet determined.
THE3111 01	Congregational Assimilation and Retention	Olson, Lawrence O	David J. Valleskey	We believe, therefore we speak: the theology and practice of evangelism	9780810005396

Note  - this is all Olson does in a semester, plus supervising internships. Parents are paying big tuition bills or borrowing it - to keep WELS faculty from working too hard.

He is teaching an online class about doctrine this summer - extra pay. He doesn't do anything, since all the lectures for online are already recorded by Lyle Lange.

A pastor said, "Olson is harmless - everyone knows he's a heretic."

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"There is a HUGE shortage of pastors coming in the near future, and the CoP is trying to cull under-performing churches. One way to do this is vacancies. At the same time, this also eliminated under-performing pastors, of which the DPs believe there are way too many. All this was very evident at the district convention. I think at least a dozen congregations in this district are marked for closing.

The mission (sic) strategy of the WELS is to eliminate poor parishes and what they see as lousy pastors, while siphoning members over to new starts in posh area served by Golden Boy ministers. Very worldly, cut-throat, business-like, and not very Christian or Lutheran."