Planting the Three Sisters - And Planning Ahead

The Hortophile gardener's blog.
The start of the Three Sisters.

The Legend of the Three Sisters

One gardener's approach to the Three Sisters Garden

The Hortophile gardener's blog.
More growth of the Three Sisters.

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In Midland I planted the Three Sisters Garden behind the garage. First I had a very large hole dug for compost. We took a long time to fill it with leaves, grass, even a Christmas tree. Earthworms came from the rabbits' swimming pools (where we caught manure in soil  harboring earthworms). Some fat worms got this benediction from Little Ichabod, "You about to enter earthworm paradise."

We also added Rabbit-Gro, our patented combination of top soil, rabbit manure, and  hundreds of earthworms per scoop. No, it did not stink. The soil absorbed the manure and the worms sanitized the soil.

The first time warty gourds popped out of the compost, uninvited, and grew faster than Church Growth programs and bad rock bands. They climbed over to the garage chicken wire, where edible pod peas had grown. They raced to the bushes for support, and they grew among the corn. The price of warty gourds crashed that year as the supply over-reached the demand.

Not knowing the Three Sisters Legend, I heard about maxing the garden with pole beans, corn, and pumpkins. I planted the three together on the compost and filled the rows between with newspapers and grass clippings.

Our only weeds were purslane, which is an edible salad plant. The purslane was rampant in Midland and decided to grow up with the corn, very ambitious and opportunistic. I had the biggest, fattest, juiciest purslane in town.

The pole beans were difficult to harvest inside the Silver Queen corn plot, but it was fun to see them climb the corn. I used Atlantic Giant pumpkins, so we had giant leaves shading the rows. We had a few homely AG pumpkins.  My neighbor said, "Your pumpkins are invading my yard." I said, "Chop the vines when they get in your way." They were like the Anaconda horror film, the giant snake, only this one was green, stopped only with a hatchet - or frost.

The idea of pumpkins is to shade the ground and deter the pests. Nevertheless, one squirrel chewed off a pumpkin gourd and tried to drag it away, while it was quite young. People living near creeks or rivers in Midland had a big problem with masked bandits, raccoons, who robbed the corn patch at the moment of harvest.



Although pole beans will help fix the nitrogen in the soil, I doubt whether the pole beans make up for the draining of nitrogen by corn and pumpkins at the same time. However, if the remains are put back in the soil, the loss of nitrogen will not be great.

Our Three Sisters plot is now in practice mode, with sunflowers, spinach, lettuce, egg plant, and kale planted. In the fall the area will be expanded for the spring plot. The time to plant corn is when the soil is warm enough to sit on. Before that time, corn will rot in the soil. Corn loves heat, rich soil, plenty of water and sunshine.

Whether the method is called Three Sisters, organic, square foot, or French intensive gardening, this illustrates how the growing traits of each plant can be used to harmonize with the others. Because so much was happening underneath the surface, all the plants could burst with energy derived from compost and high nitrogen manure.

No pesticides were used, except to invite garden spiders to stay and feast on pests. When the dew covered the webs in the morning light, I could see the spiders were hard at work, stretching their lace across the rows of corn, predators fat with choice insects fattened on organic plants.

The only kind of sweet corn I care to eat
is from my garden.

The neighbor who feared my invasive pumpkin was very anxious to know when my sweet corn was ripe. The other neighbor who smirked at my gardening methods was just as curious. I even had a Dow Agriculture expert come at gawk at the height of my Silver Queen corn. I told him how large the ears were. "Oh, too bad, really tough, huh?" I said, "No, they are gigantic and flawless, soft and sweet."

Each cob was tossed into the yard, after we ate from it, for the squirrels and birds to harvest the rest. The garden's remains were all composted.

The Rules of Creation
Easy organic gardening is inexpensive, a neighborhood project where five families are gathering newspapers for additional expansions. The unused back area will make a great pumpkin garden and the rose garden is bound to grow next spring.

Nothing I do is really new. I have found most of them by reading the books and a few by violating the myths shared by people with very little experience in gardening.

These rules were established at Creation to govern and manage the earth for our benefit. When they are violated, such as with overcropping and stripping hills of vegetation, disaster strikes.

Church leaders think they can lie to everyone and cover up crimes - in the name of public relations. They would rather feed victims to abusers than admit to the abuse. The Church of Rome gets well deserved infamy for this, but equivalent crimes are easily mined from the Internet, or experienced firsthand among the Protestants who shake their heads about Rome.

For some Judgement Day comes when they die. Others may see the fruition of all their evil deeds and teaching. They will say, "Hills, fall on us."

UOJ Advocate Died - Klemet Preus

obituaries

Klemet I. Preus

Review of his Fire and the Staff UOJ book.

Preus, Klemet I. Pastor Died July 9, 2014 at North Memorial Hospice Center in Brooklyn Center, MN. Klemet was born June 13, 1950 in Minneapolis, MN, the son of Robert D. and Donna Mae (Rockman) Preus. Klemet was a joyful theologian his entire life. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia Senior College, Fort Wayne IN, in 1972, followed by Master of Divinity (MDIV) and Master of Sacred Theology (STM) degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN, in 1976 and 1979, respectively. In 1977, Klemet was ordained as a pastor in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and served congregations, in Ypsilanti, MI, Grand Forks, ND, Woodland, CA, Danville, CA and most recently, Glory of Christ Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN (1999-2014). Klemet served as President of Higher Things Inc. from 2001-2009. He also served in numerous boards and offices, most recently on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota South District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and the Board of Regents for Concordia University, Wisconsin. Pastor Preus authored two books. 'The Fire and the Staff' provides a Lutheran account of the purpose and value of worship in the daily life of Christians; Klemet contrasts the comfort and power of traditional Lutheran worship with contemporary trends. 'What They Need to Hear' is an intimate collection of letters written to Klemet's dying father-in-law, which shows the comfort of Christian truth by answering modern challenges in an honest and compelling way. Klemet also wrote many articles in Lutheran journals and magazines. He had become a popular speaker at conferences for pastors and laypeople alike. Audiences continually appreciated Klemet's ability to convey difficult concepts in clear and simple language with a trademark wit and humor. Klemet loved the Northwoods of Minnesota where he enjoyed a cabin on Gunflint Lake. He was an avid hiker, enjoyed cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing as well. He was an outstanding chef, whose delightful meals will be sorely missed by family and friends. Klemet is survived by his (second) wife, "the love of my life," Janet, his mother, Donna, his four children, Klemet, Rachel (Rob) Mattern, Katrina (Phil) Caron and Eve, nine brothers and sisters and 46 nieces and nephews. Above all, Pastor Klemet Preus took great joy in serving Christ's Church, where he richly and daily announced forgiveness and life, given by grace, through faith in Christ alone, and not because of ourselves. Confidence in the Lord Jesus poured from Klemet's heart and pen to the last. Visitation will take place at Glory of Christ Lutheran Church on Friday, July 11, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm and the funeral service will be conducted on Saturday, July 12 2014 at 11:00 am, at Glory of Christ, Lutheran Church, 4040 Hwy 101 N Plymouth, MN 55446 followed by the burial at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church - 9141 Cty Rd 101 N Corcoran, MN 55340. Memorials may be directed to the Luther Academy, 3460 N Brookfield Rd, Brookfield, WI 53045. David Lee Funeral Home Wayzata 952-473-5577 www.davidleefuneralhome.com

Published on July 11, 2014

Virtue Online - Women Bishops Post

YORK: BREAKING NEWS...Synod Votes in Favor of Women Bishops
The votes were as follows:
Bishops for 37 against 2 abstentions 1
Clergy for 162 against 25 abstentions 4
Laity for 152 against 45 abstentions 5
Women Bishops: Statement from Forward in Faith

Forward in Faith thanks its members who serve in the Catholic Group in General Synod for their faithful witness, and for the hard work that has secured the provision that enables us to look to the future with confidence.

We note that resolutions under the 1993 Measure and Act of Synod remain in force. We are preparing advice for parishes on replacing them after November with new resolutions under the House of Bishops’ Declaration.

We welcome the statement issued today by the Council of Bishops of The Society:

http://www.sswsh.com/fullposts.php?id=117

Church of England Approves Women Bishops

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/14/women-bishops-church-of-england-_n_5584266.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000051

The General Synod of the Church of England voted today that women can be consecrated as bishops, two years after a similar measure was controversially voted down.

The vote required passage by a two-thirds majority in the synod's three houses of bishops, clergy and laity. The House of Bishops approved of women bishops 37 to 2 with one abstention, the House of Clergy approved 162 to 25 with four abstentions, and the House of Laity approved 152 to 45 with five abstentions.

In an interview with BBC prior to the vote, Archbishop of Canterbury Rt. Rev. Justin Welby, who supported consecrating women bishops, said there's a "good chance of the first woman bishop being announced very early in 2015, possibly been chosen before that."

In 2012, a vote to approve allowing women bishops passed among bishops and clergy but failed by six votes among lay members.

Like the vote that year, more traditional Anglicans, including evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics, argued in front of the synod that having women as bishops would go against the teachings of Jesus. If Jesus intended women to be among the top church leaders, he would have had a woman among the Twelve Apostles, some of the traditionalists said.

A higher number of more conservative Anglicans were swayed to vote for women bishops this year, ending two decades of controversy over the role of women in leadership since the church started allowing women priests in 1994. Currently, about a third of clergy in the Church of England are women. Women can also be canons and archdeacons.

According to The Guardian, frontrunners to become the first woman bishop include Rev. Vivienne Faull, dean of York Minster; Rev. Jane Hedges, dean of Norwich cathedral; Rev. Rose Hudson-Wilkin, a chaplain for the House of Commons and Queen Elizabeth II; Rev. June Osborne, dean of Salisbury cathedral; Rev. Lucy Winkett, rector of St. James's Piccadilly and Rev. Rachel Treweek, archdeacon of Hackney.

The Church of England, which is the considered the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion, counts among it 80 million members in more than 160 countries. The church traces its history to Henry VIII, under whom the church split from Roman Catholics. All Anglicans share the same basic tenets of faith but views on gender, sexuality, worship style and other issues vary widely by region.

For example, the communion includes the two-million member Episcopal Church in the United States, one of the most liberal denominations in the country and as well as in the Anglican communion. Its current top leader, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, is a woman. Episcopalians also ordain gay priests, bless same-sex marriages and voted in 2012 to ordain transgender priests. In 2003, the church voted to elect its first gay bishop.

Anglican Communion members in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand also consecrate women bishops.

Brett Meyer Shoots Down Anonymous UOJ Fallacies

Polluted WELS Blog Comments:

 Anonymous said...

No, Mr. Meyer. You do not understand. 'Many' in scripture consistently refers to 'the many that are called'. When believers are spoken of, they are the few; the chosen.

Mr. Meyer, you are guilty of emasculating the atonement when you say Christ paid for something and then refuse the idea that His payment accomplished the cancelling of a debt. Yes, there is one justification as you say; the pardon declared for all men: IT IS FINISHED!!! which is apprehended by faith or lost by unbelief.

July 13, 2014 at 6:43 PM

 Brett Meyer said...

Anonymous,
Your statements are faithful to the doctrine of Objective Justification.

They are not founded in Scripture or the Lutheran Confessions.

You state, "You do not understand. 'Many' in scripture consistently refers to 'the many that are called'. When believers are spoken of, they are the few; the chosen."

Actually I do understand. Your confession of Objective Justification - the new gospel of the ELS, WELS, ELCA and LCMS - teaches that the whole world has been forgiven all sin, the whole world's debt canceled by Christ's atonement, the whole world declared justified and righteous. Therefore you teach that the whole world has been called by stretching the meaning of the word 'many' to match the meaning of the word 'all'. Except you fail to quote Romans which teaches that those God has called He has saved eternally (glorified).
Romans 8:30, "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Again, you clearly demonstrate why the doctrine of Objective Justification has been charged with teaching Universalism. The only way it doesn't is for the Lutheran Synods to separate salvation from the forgiveness of sins - and they have done so in the doctrine of UOJ. A wicked, convoluted and contradictory mess Objective Justification creates.

Anonymous states, "Mr. Meyer, you are guilty of emasculating the atonement when you say Christ paid for something and then refuse the idea that His payment accomplished the cancelling of a debt."

I refuse the idea...Yes, I do. Because it is only an idea and not the teaching of Scripture. Other WELS pastors have charged me with refusing to 'take the leap' much like your charge that I refuse the 'idea'. The Scripture and Confessional statements I've provided in this short discussion reject the idea and condemn the leap.

Anonymous states, "Yes, there is one justification as you say; the pardon declared for all men: IT IS FINISHED!!! which is apprehended by faith or lost by unbelief."

Lost by unbelief...? And since the unbelieving world has remained in unbelief from conception - at what glorious time were they ever declared pardoned?

Objective Justification is a false rationalistic gospel, contradictory to Scripture and the Christian Book of Concord. The Lutheran Synods are using it to lead men, women and children away from sole trust in Christ.

In Christ,
Brett Meyer

There is not one tenet of Objective Justification that does not contradict Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

July 13, 2014 at 10:42 PM

Notice how precisely Quenstedt disposes
the Huber UOJ argument of righteousness without faith.
Pietism took over the false Huber position,
and WELS/LCMS/ELS/ELCA reflect that together.
Walther's dream of unity has been accomplished!
Praise the Lord and pass the popcorn - it's time for church.

 Brett Meyer said...

Anonymous the Christian Book of Concord clearly states that only on account of the gracious gift of faith in Christ alone are men accounted righteous or acceptable to God - not on account of Christ's atonement alone while the unbelieving world continues in unbelief as the false gospel of Objective Justification contends.

Also, 71] "but we maintain this, that properly and truly, by faith itself, we are for Christ's sake accounted righteous, or are acceptable to God. And because "to be justified" means that out of unjust men just men are made, or born again, it means also that they are pronounced or accounted just. For Scripture speaks in both ways. [The term "to be justified" is used in two ways: to denote, being converted or regenerated; again, being accounted righteous. Accordingly we wish first to show this, that faith alone makes of an unjust, a just man, i.e., receives remission of sins".
http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_4_justification.php

In Christ,
Brett Meyer

July 14, 2014 at 7:03 AM

 Brett Meyer said...

Also, from the Christian Book of Concord:

9] Concerning the righteousness of faith before God we believe, teach, and confess unanimously, in accordance with the comprehensive summary of our faith and confession presented above, that poor sinful man is justified before God, that is, absolved and declared free and exempt from all his sins, and from the sentence of well-deserved condemnation, and adopted into sonship and heirship of eternal life, without any merit or worth of our own, also without any preceding, present, or any subsequent works, out of pure grace, because of the sole merit, complete obedience, bitter suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Christ alone, whose obedience is reckoned to us for righteousness. 10] These treasures are offered us by the Holy Ghost in the promise of the holy Gospel; and faith alone is the only means by which we lay hold upon, accept, and apply, and appropriate them to ourselves.
http://www.bookofconcord.org/sd-righteousness.php

Calov was always cited as teaching UOJ,
but the opposite is true.
I found this in Robert Preus' essay
and also in Justification and Rome.

Joel With No Surname - Has Principles!

This is from Joel Lillo, WELS Pastor, Fox Valley, Anything Goes District

Joel said...

I'm making it an iron clad commitment: I will not answer questions posted by anonymous posters. If you want a serious conversation about this, contact me by email with a real name.

July 14, 2014 at 5:11 AM

***

GJ - How about that anonymous comment you sent to me "by accident"? And now - if I click on "Joel" I learn nothing. That is demi-semi-anonymous.

If Gardeners Adopted Modern Church Management Tactics, We Would Only Have Dime Store Roses

"One does not simply plant roses."

One reader phoned last night and said later, "I have to get off the phone so you can post another article." He is interested in Lutheran topics, but he likes to read about Sassy and gardening.

He said this about discussing doctrine in public, "That is the old divide and conquer tactic. Those things should be discussed in public."

Paul wrote that there must be divisions and heresies, to prove what is good.

1 Corinthians 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

The context of Paul's statement is the abuse of Holy Communion in that congregation, which leads his passage on the Words of Institution. 

Controversies arose from the earliest days, as we can also see in 1 John, where the apostle addresses those who deny the divinity of Christ, a popular fad of the last century or so. 

Our managerial society is bogged down with church leaders who promote false doctrine, but have their telescopes and microscopes out for any sign of dissent from Holy Mother Synod.

If these tactics were adopted in gardening, what a mess would follow. 

"I think you are putting the tulip bulbs in upside-down!"

Answer - "God appointed me to this office. He would not let me make a mistake."

"Are you sure you want to plant something so invasive?"

Answer - "My father and grandfather planted these. Are you calling them incompetent?"

"Why are you buying from that catalog when their bulbs are junk? The other catalog has much better bulbs at the same price."

Answer - "All you ever do is cause trouble."

Some gardening practices are a matter of preference, but others are not. Those who want a solid wall of color are going to plant floribunda roses or the new easy-care roses like Knock-Out. They will not get roses that are easy to cut for vases, and the blooms will last only a short time.

However, hybrid tea blooms tantalize us by starting to bloom for a long time, slowly developing the bud, and rewarding us with spectacular flowers that last much longer than florabundas and have long stems for vases.

No one is going to get great roses from dime-store plants that lack the DNA for perfect blooms and the best colors. They are the failed hybrids that sell because someone has waxed them up, placed a cute namecard on them, and sold them cheap.

Thomas Paine wrote in the pamphlet that won the war for the Patriots -

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. 
Thomas, Paine, The Crisis

Since the fight for the truth is puny and half-hearted, we are surrounded by circus entertainment instead of the Means of Grace, coaching talks instead of sermons, popcorn and soda distributed instead of the Body and Blood of Christ offered.

Pope Francis Talks about the Ongoing Vatican Scandal

Pope Francis: 'About 2%' of Catholic clergy paedophiles

Pope Francis has been quoted as saying that reliable data indicates that "about 2%" of clergy in the Catholic Church are paedophiles.

The Pope said that abuse of children was like "leprosy" infecting the Church, according to the Italian La Repubblica newspaper.

He vowed to "confront it with the severity it demands".

But a Vatican spokesman said the quotes in the newspaper did not correspond to Pope Francis's exact words.

The BBC's David Willey in Rome says there is often a studied ambiguity in Pope Francis' off-the-cuff statements.

He wants to show a more compassionate attitude towards Church teaching than his predecessors, but this can sometimes cause consternation among his media advisers, our correspondent adds.

This is Hochmuth's current LinkedIn profile.

Analysis: David Willey, BBC News, Rome

When is a papal interview not an interview? Sunday's edition of La Repubblica devotes its first three pages to an account of a conversation between Pope Francis and editor Eugenio Scalfari, which took place last Thursday. Papal spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a sharp note that it was not an interview in the normal sense of the word, although he admitted it conveyed the "sense and the spirit" of the conversation.

Mr Scalfari does not use a digital recorder, and Father Lombardi said Pope Francis never checked the accuracy of the interview.

Until now, the Vatican has declined to quantify the extent of clerical sexual abuse scandals in the worldwide Church. Statistics are usually available only for countries in the developed world. In the developing world, information is usually only sketchy.

In the interview, Pope Francis was quoted as saying that the 2% estimate came from advisers. It would represent around 8,000 priests out of a global number of about 414,000.

While the incidence of paedophilia as a psychiatric disorder in the general population is not accurately known, some estimates have put it at less than five percent.

"Among the 2% who are paedophiles are priests, bishops and cardinals. Others, more numerous, know but keep quiet. They punish without giving the reason," Pope Francis was quoted as saying.

"I find this state of affairs intolerable," he went on.

Above the interview La Repubblica ran the headline: "Pope says: Like Jesus, I shall use a stick against paedophile priests."

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi denied that Pope Francis had said that there were cardinals who were paedophiles.

Last year Pope Francis strengthened the Vatican's laws against child abuse and earlier this month begged forgiveness from the victims of sexual abuse by priests, at his first meeting with victims since his election.

Many survivors of abuse by priests are angry at what they see as the Vatican's failure to punish senior officials who have been accused of covering up scandals.

Asked in the same La Repubblica interview about the celibacy rule for priests, Pope Francis recalled that it was adopted 900 years after the death of Jesus Christ and pointed out that the Eastern Catholic Church allows its priests to marry.

"The problem certainly exists but it is not on a large scale. It will need time but the solutions are there and I will find them."

Father Lombardi also denied that these were the Pope's exact words.

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http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Blogs/Steve-Lowe/COLUMN-Exposing-abusers-must-give-victims-new-hope-20140713091500.htm

COLUMN: Exposing abusers must give victims new hope

Written by STEVE LOWE

AT long last there could be hope for those historically abused at a former Catholic boys home.

The Government, under pressure itself, is setting up an inquiry into historic abuse.

And the current Pope has also promised to listen and act on allegations of abuse by Catholic priests. St Francis Home, in Shefford, took boys from across the county and wider, where, instead of being cared for, they were systematically abused, both physically and sexually.

While we have been reporting this for more than a decade, so far no arm of the Establishment has taken any action.

They told us of a paedophile ring, which we reported and the Establishment ignored. They told us that at some homes, not necessarily St Francis, boys were ‘hired out’ to paedophiles, some of whom were high ranking and famous, which we reported and the Establishment ignored.

This newspaper also demonstrated that Savile visited the home. Two did take legal action and won out of court settlements. And many of them are currently taking out a class action against the Catholic Church. The police are also investigating claims of abuse, for the third time, but it does not look hopeful.

The Catholic Church has never really commented, other than it cannot comment.

I did once doorstep one of the abusers, Father John Ryan, who also would not comment. He has since died. This newspaper and me personally have been called scum for raising these matters and refusing to let the abuse of hundreds of boys fade away.

Still some of these men, now in their middle age, still suffer the agonies and ‘traumatic emotional turmoil’, to quote one of them.

And many of them, as grown men are embarrassed and ashamed of what was done to them. Historically the Catholic Church, the police, the former Bedfordshire County Council and the political establishment has either ignored these claims, or brushed them under the carpet after a cursory glance.

Now is the time for the church, the police, the politicians to recognise the true horror of St Francis Boys Home, Shefford.

The exposure of the prolific crimes of Savile and the conviction of celebrities such as Gary Glitter, Stuart Hall and Rolf Harris has given abused children the confidence to speak out at long last reassured that they have a voice that will be heard and respected. The walls of protection that were built around abusers within the Establishment are being dismantled and we need to ensure that they are never rebuilt. So the Shefford boys along with other abused children can hold their heads high and in their case, the least that the church can do is pay appropriate damages and say sorry.

24/06/14 Steve LoweSteve Lowe

Read more: http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/Blogs/Steve-Lowe/COLUMN-Exposing-abusers-must-give-victims-new-hope-20140713091500.htm#ixzz37T26q6sY

Largest Bird Feeder in Northwest Arkansas. The Wormhaven Bird Spa

Norma Boeckler painted this robin, the blue bird, and the cardinals.

Rather than buy high-priced bird food from the specialty stores, I grow food for the birds, provide shelter for their families, and multiply the places where they can drink, bathe, and preen.

Whether we leave by the back door or front, birds on the ground take flight and land nearby, waiting for their next chance. Our birds population has grown with the gardens in the front and back, the acreage devoted to mulch and earthworms.

We improved the rose garden by putting a layer of newspaper and mulch on the grassy weeds that wormed their way through. The garden in the back was enlarged with newspaper and mulch too. The result in both places is the scattering of newsprint and mulch. I am not sure if it is more for nesting material or food - or both.

A used nest fell to the ground. It was solid with mud and strawy building material, with a garnish of gold foil. I can imagine other birds saying, "Why can't we have gold on our nest, like Bill and Rosemary's?" I left the gold in the grass to be used again.

Newsprint would be handy for nesting materials, but the soil life under the newspaper would be delicious for supper. I water on the dry days, so decomposition increases and the soil population zooms.

No wonder bird watchers buy mealy worms or raise them at home for their blue birds. Blue birds are delicate, small, and great insect eaters. They love suet in the winter.

Cardinals love sunflower seeds and pair off in the warm months. In the winter the males are not competing for a mate, so they will all eat together at the feeder. The males are stunning in their red splendor, and the females are equally attractive in their more modest feathers.

Grossbeak

Grossbeaks are well named. Their powerful beaks mean they are experts at cracking nuts and hard seeds.

I missed the conference where they decided who would eat seeds, who would dive for fish, and who would specialize in insects. Even more complicated in God's Creation is their division of the food in each plot of land. They do not like competition, so one yard will have a single pair of cardinals, a single pair of robins, etc.

Except some decided to work as flocks, so entire flocks of starlings, sparrows, and cedar waxwings will land together, eat together, and  fly off together. That takes a lot of planning.

Sparrow

Mao drove off the sparrows - or at least his slaves did - and famine followed. Birds are the best helpers in the garden.

Starling

Starlings are beautiful, intelligent, and ferocious in eating insects and weed seeds. Why do people despise them? They are common - and they are pigs at the feeder. But we could never invent such a creature for doing good in our gardens. They are the only bird I have seen strolling through the garden to eliminate insects. They think they are just eating, but they are balancing nature.

Black-capped chickadee.

Chickadees are called the acrobats of the yard. They are exceptionally friendly to those who feed them. A cardinal cracks sunflower seeds in his powerful beak, but a chickadee holds the seed with his feet and hammers it open with his pointed beak.

Who decided to divide those tasks?

The Bird Spa
We go to a dental spa, where the dentist has changed the dental experience to make it more relaxing for the patients. They give us massages, bake fresh cookies, and treat us patients to the best care. Patients flock to them from all over, and come back to remain under their care.

People laugh at my concept of a spa for birds, but my yard is especially popular with them because of the attention I pay to their needs.

For the dry summer I am giving the birds a host of stations for their water needs. Every watering station has one to five shallow bird baths positioned to catch the fresh water from the normal watering chores. When the new dishes arrive, I will have about 12 pans catching water naturally, one from the AC condensate drain, the rest from soaker hoses.

If you look on Amazon, a bird bath starts at $30 and increases rapidly in price, because it is called a bird bath. However, a shallow dish costs $1 to $5 because of its humble name. They look almost the same and hold water in the same way. Birds want the safety of shallow water and enjoy fresh water. They do not care what the dishes cost.

I will probably get a birdbath heater for the winter, because birds need melted water all winter long. In Midland the birds lined up for my heated birdbath, two by two, and took turns splashing in that water. Everyone who got to see the line for the public bath enjoyed the sight.

Mulch and compost will also help feed them naturally during the winter, with an ample supply of creatures still at work. I will part with money for seed and suet, but the yard will provide most of the food, a wide variety of shelter, and clean water.

This beautiful birdbath can be re-created with a little bit of creativity.

Joel Lillo's Non-Apology and Non-Retraction

 WELS Pastor Joel Lillo said... on Polluted WELS

First of all, I'd like to apologize for my attempts at humor in previous posts. Yes, I think that Greg Jackson is reprehensible in his attempts to smear the character of people with whom he disagrees and I think that Brett Meyer is completely misguided in his support of Mr. Jackson, but my comments were a bit crude and I do apologize for them. I do not, however, apologize for my opinions of them.

As to Todd Friel and why he didn't go on to seminary... I thought I would comment because he was a member of my graduating classes at MLPS ('81) and NWC ('85). When we graduated, I don't think I was aware that he wasn't going on to Sem with us. While I can't speak for him with absolute certainty, I don't think that fear of GA was the biggest reason. His subsequent comments about not "being saved" back then indicate that he, at least, had some mixed feelings about God at the time. Personally, I think that's the biggest reason that he didn't go on.

Incidentally, Todd has a very intelligent broadcast. He takes a very serious look at the world of Evangelical Christianity and also combines it with some pretty entertaining humor. I've been listening for quite some time and I'm suitably impressed with the things God has done through his ministry. Give the show a listen on wretchedradio.com. You just might end up enjoying it more than humorless confessional Lutherans have a right to.

July 13, 2014 at 6:25 PM

***

GJ - Joel is a true ecumenist. He loves every denomination except his own.

The Fourth Sunday after Trinity, 2014. Holy Communion, The Visible Word of Grace

The Fourth Sunday after Trinity, 2014 


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Time


The Hymn # 452 The Son of God 1:10
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual 
The Gospel 
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #531 Come Ye Disconsolate 1:15

Holy Communion - The Visible Word of Grace

The Communion Hymn # 308 Invited Lord 1:63
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 413 I Walk in Danger 1:67

KJV Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

KJV Luke 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. 39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. 41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

Fourth Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father, who art merciful, and through Christ didst promise us, that Thou wilt neither judge nor condemn us, but graciously forgive us all our sins, and abundantly provide for all our wants of body and soul: We pray Thee, that by Thy Holy Spirit Thou wilt establish in our hearts a confident faith in Thy mercy, and teach us also to be merciful to our neighbor, that we may not judge or condemn others, but willingly forgive all men, and, Judging only ourselves, lead blessed lives in Thy fear, through Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Holy Communion - The Visible Word of Grace

When two things are neglected - the Word and justification by faith - the value of Holy Communion is lost and forgotten.

The foundation is essential - everything happens in the Christian Church through the Word and the Holy Spirit, since both work together at all times and never apart from each other.

Congregations have meetings, socials, and trips to theme parks, but these are not the work of the Holy Spirit. A meeting about doctrine would be, but those are few, because people are afraid of an open show of disunity, though they are not afraid of the consequences of hiding it.

One LCA "evangelism specialist" told ministers that the way to grow was baseball tournaments. "We got all our new members that way." Imagine if Jesus had thought of that.

Because people have forgotten the foundation of the Word, they look for outward success (their own measurements) and crave something that will satisfy that success. If someone is hearing the Gospel - just one person - that is success. The Biblical references to this are realistic. If a pastor can remain a believer, that alone is a success. Many have shipwrecked themselves due to a variety of temptations, from the carnal to the spiritual.

The purpose of the Word is singular - to create and sustain faith in Jesus the Savior.  The entire Bible is centered on this one theme. The Scriptures are an extended sermon about Jesus. As the Apostle John said - so they might believe in Him and by believing have forgiveness and salvation.

One of the best distinctions created about the Word and Sacraments is this - The invisible Word is taught and preached. The Visible Word is proclaimed in the Sacraments of Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, and Absolution.

Someone summarized LCMS sermons (perhaps unfairly) as a long condemnation about something, ending in "but Jesus died for your sins." In fact, everyone is much more eloquent in condemnation than they are in living and teach the Gospel of forgiveness. We can see the historical results, in entire denominations rooted in the condemnation of something and an extended Law effort to remind everyone about that crucial event and what they must do about it - forget faith in Christ.

The dying Church of the Lutheran Confession cannot get over WELS being slow about breaking with the LCMS. The clergy still talk about it as if it happened yesterday. Yet they also love, love, love Fuller Seminary doctrine and tactics - so why make a distinction today? Bad habits die hard, if they ever do at all.

Pietism itself is proof of the disasters awaiting those who neglect the Word and Holy Communion. All American Lutheran denominations were founded in the era of Pietism, so Halle and Spener were untouchables in that era.  Pietism emphasized works over faith and therefore offered Holy Communion rarely. In many places in America, Lutheran churches offered Holy Communion only three times a year. When the frequency went up  to 12, Lutherans in Canada left during the communion hymn - in droves. They still communed only three times a year.

Matthew 26:26-28

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

1 Corinthians Chapter 11

²⁴ And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

²⁵ After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me.

²⁶ For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

²⁷ Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink [this] cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

The Words of Institution that we use are a harmony of the Gospels and 1 Corinthians.

One issue is the body and blood of Christ. Given the creative and miraculous power of the Word, we know that God does not distinguish between His Word and His will.

When Jesus ordered the storm to be still, the storm immediately stopped. The Word is dominant over the created order because Jesus is the Lord of Creation.

When Jesus gave commands about the lack of wine, water became the finest wine.

All of His miracles took place through the Word and Holy Spirit.

Making the bread and wine to be merely symbolic is really a subtle evasion about the efficacy of the Word. There are many rationalistic statements made to justify this evasion, but they all fall flat.

Jesus definitely spoke the universal language of the time, Koine Greek. Unlike America, people spoke several languages, their own tribal language, like Latin or Aramaic, and the world language given to us by Alexander the Great - Greek. His Greek general held onto the Holy Land before the Romans grew in power and moved in. Everyone respected Greek culture and the Greek language. It united the civilized world, as Latin did later.

So Jesus did say, "This is My Body. This is My Bood." The verb "is" does exist in Greek and in the New Testament. There is no Aramaic NT from that time. It was written in the universal language. Many people rely on the text of the Bible until they want another text, as they do with the mysterious and never-seen Aramaic New Testament.

How is this possible? The miraculous is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit, and unbelievers simply cannot see or grasp this. Unfortunately, some become unbelievers step by step, rejecting one thing and then another in the Bible.

The miracles of Jesus, which many would never think of denying, support the Real Presence in Holy Communion. Jesus multiplied the loaves in the miraculous feedings. His divine nature was never limited by His human nature, so He appeared before the disciples in the locked room and passed through hostile crowds that wanted to kill Him.

Thus the Body and Blood of Christ can be both symbolic and real in the Lord's Supper because Jesus' Word consecrates the elements.

This must be very important, because Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper before He died for the sins of the world. And the Church practiced communion as a regular part of their services.

Denial of the Real Presence (via Calvin and the Mennonites) made communion less frequent, less important.

The Why of Holy Communion

This is easily answered by the text.

Matthew 26:28 

For this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Holy Communion is justification by faith in its purest form:

It is only for believers. Those who do not believe in Christ or understand His Word cannot grasp what the Lord's Supper is. 

• It recognizes and highlights the atoning death of Christ, which was prophesied in Isaiah 53 and many other places. The Blood of Christ is the fulfillment of all the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament and the end of them. The one sacrifice of Christ unified all the predictions made in the past, all of them from the Holy Spirit.
• It conveys the complete forgiveness of sin promised by God. So Holy Communion is an Instrument of God's grace. As Luther said - do not tell me about God's grace and tear down the bridge to it. This visible bridge to God's grace is always available to us and yet it is neglected by many because they see it as less important, or as only symbolic, or as too Catholic.
• It is individual. As Luther observed, a sermon can fly right over the heads of people. They are distracted. It is not easy to concentrate on one topic for a period of time. But Holy Communion has us receive the visible Gospel. We have the Body and Blood of Christ in our hands, in our mouths, so we hear those Words of Distribution and cannot mistake them. 
• It is the energy of the Christian life. Forgiveness received and appreciated is the energy of the Gospel affecting all our words and deeds. Everything has been accomplished, by grace, for our forgiveness and salvation. We receive this Gospel in faith as the utmost Good News and this is transformed into patience, generosity, forgiveness, love, and sharing of the Word.