Order Gerhard's Commentary on Romans 1-6

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

Published: Gerhard's Commentary on Romans 1-6

More Sharing ServicesShare|Share on facebookShare on myspaceShare on googleShare on twitter

It has been almost two years since I began translating and posting excerpts here on Intrepid Lutherans from Johann Gerhard's much-quoted (and oft misquoted) commentary on Romans. The entire work has finally been translated and edited, and is now available from Amazon, published byRepristination Press.

Annotations on the First Six Chapters of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans

Amazon's summary:

Romans 1:16—For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (KJV)

“The ‘power of God’ is the divine and efficacious means which God uses to save men, (1) because in it the benefits obtained by the suffering and death of Christ are offered, among which are also life and eternal salvation; (2) because through the preaching of the Gospel, God works the faith in hearts through which they embrace the good things offered in the Gospel and apply them to themselves; (3) because through the Gospel faith is preserved and increased, so that we are thus ‘guarded for salvation by the power of God, through faith’ (1 Pet. 1:5); (4) because, in all adversities and temptations, it furnishes a life-giving consolation, so that we may be preserved to eternal life under the weight of the cross.”

Gerhard's Annotations were incomplete at the time of his death; his son, Johann Ernst Gerhard, published them several years after his death. However, the Annotations are of enduring value and significance to the Church because in these first six chapters, Gerhard gives a clear treatment of the doctrine of Justification, and a model of Lutheran exegesis. Modern students of Holy Scripture will benefit from Gerhard's scholarship.

Honestly, the book is full of memorable quotations. In this one Gerhard summarizes the main theme that runs through the entire Epistle to the Romans:

“[Romans 1:17] explains the principal proposition of the entire Epistle, as a favorable opportunity presents itself at the end of the introduction. This principal proposition is that there is no other way to be justified before God except by faith in Christ, whom the Gospel sets before us, as confirmed by the prophetic testimony.”

"Suet Yourself", Mrs I Said. Mesh Bags Impounded for Crafts

St. Francis of Springdale

My big worry for the winter was getting suet to the birds at a reasonable cost. The meat market sold me five pounds, but I needed mesh bags or another system to offer them to the birds.

I searched the Net and found mesh bags, which I ordered. The package was alarmingly small for 10 bags. Nevertheless, I decided to put them on the desk so I would fill them soon. Big mistake.

Mrs. I found the bags and said, "I need these for crafts." She carried them off, reminding me of Little Precious taking Sackett's bone away, carrying it in triumph as Sacky stared in disbelief.

I ordered a second set, large ones, and got this ominous response when they arrived - "I can store my little mesh bags in one of those."

Next on the shopping list - metal baskets for the suet - heavy, ugly, ones with rough edges.

I am still studying the gardening for birds book. It is organized by plants - which ones favor birds for food, nesting, etc. Look up lobelia and other flowers for the birds attracted.

And it is also organized in another part by birds - which flowers, bushes, or trees they like for food, nesting, etc. So - look up blue birds for all their favorites.

Many plants are popular with as many as 40 species. Berry plants attract a wide array of birds. So do sunflowers and hawthorns.

I never thought of trees feeding birds with their seeds, but maples and sycamores have seeds that birds enjoy.

God has created a wide variety of foods for birds, with an enormous overlap in what they need or love. They like soft lining for their nests, so I leave out tufts of Sassy's fur when I comb her.

Once I saw a robin tugging at string on my pea vines. She wanted that string for her nest and would not give up. Some people create baskets of parts for birds - string, lint, and so forth for their nests.

Winter Bonus
Birds want water for bathing, suet, and sunflower seeds in the winter. The colder it is, the more they need water for bathing and preening. My birdbath warmer - don't laugh - was extremely popular in Midland. Once I had about 50 birds lined up by twos to get in. Two would hop in, take a quick bath, and get pushed out. The next two would jump in. I put several gallons of water in each day during the coldest spells.

In Phoenix I ran the waterfall so the recesses were always full of water for drinking and bathing. Birds loved the sound of rushing water, two. Ironically, so many people watered and over-watered that there was always a supply for the birds in one yard or another, and often on the street as the automatics sprinklers overflowed the yard.

The compost pile can be a feeder too. Compost will be warmer in the winter, and there will be some action near the outside and on top when the heap is more mature. Birds will perch on it and grab their food when they see the movement.

Toad houses, perhaps not this splendid,
will attract slug-eating toads.

One Thing Leads to Another
I like bananas and cannot bear to throw the peels away. Instead, I compost them under a layer of newspaper. One place is near the leaky faucet, where two shallow dishes catch water for the birds to use. I realized that was handy for toads, too, and they love slugs.

Slugs are annoying and ugly but they do most of their work underground. By saving puddles of water I am sheltering the predators who get  rid of slugs for me. I have them in the back yard and the front yard, both near the faucets.

Last Big Yard Effort
I found dirt on sale at Lowe's. Torn bags were selling at a deep discount. Sassy and I bought some mulch and mushroom compost.

By trimming the trees I opened up the view to our no-man's-land alley. Some blocks have grassy stretches. We have the back view of storage sheds. I am going to screen that view with butterfly bushes and giant sunflowers. The bushes go in soon, The bushes called Bonnie are known for their size, bigger than any other.

This Mike Dirr selection was named after his wife, Bonnie, and if you know Mike, you know that it must be one fine buddleia! This giant deer resistant butterfly bush reaches 10 feet tall and is covered in large grey-green leaves, then topped from June until frost with large 10" panicles of very fragrant, light blue-violet (RHS 94D) flowers. This is a new color in the world of butterfly bushes to add to large gardens. - See more at Plant Delights: 

I will have a lot more butterfly and hummingbird friendly plants in that area - bee balm, borage, lobelia, butterfly weed, plus berry plants.

On my large, dead tree I will grow trumpet vine, which is popular with hummingbirds.

Trumpet vine - so tempting for the long-beaked hummingbirds.

Take the Miller Analogies Test

Here is one test question: 0, 1, 2, 3...
What is the next number of female executives in Luther-Episcopaldom?

Robin Steinke will be installed as the first...female...president of Luther Seminary.
October 12th.
Liz Eaton will preach as the first female ELCA Presiding Bishop.

The Miller Analogies Test is used to measure IQ, so I imagine Lutherans have a very low IQ overall. They do not see the next step coming.

Here is one question. Fill in the next number - 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13

The answers are:
15
17
19
9

If you marked 17, you are right. These are prime numbers, not just odd numbers.

Each next number or step seems to take Lutherans by surprise. They adjust to the new normal and find themselves shocked again with the latest development.

I used to read The Lutheran magazine cover to cover, and my mother kept all of them in order. I was friends with two editors in a row, and they published my articles. When we cut the magazines up into albums to show what had been happening, before I left the LCA, my wife and I were both shocked. We read the individual articles, but putting them into categories revealed all the trends.

As Mrs. I said, "I kept hoping that it was better than that. It was worse."

Left unpublished was the extent of LCMS-WELS involvedment with the LCA/ALC/ELCA.

An atheist played the witch in Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Atheists play the role of synod leaders today.

Milwaukee Roman Catholics Try To Avoid Abuse Payouts - Who Was Their Archbishop?The Special Guest Speaker for Wisconsin Lutheran College

His boyfriend blackmailed him, so he embezzled church funds to pay off his stud muffin.
Who better to lecture at WLC?

Judge lays out path in Milwaukee church bankruptcy

Attorneys for Milwaukee archdiocese, abuse victims return to court after failed mediation

http://www.channel3000.com/news/milwaukee-archdiocese-returns-to-bankruptcy-court/28385506

MILWAUKEE -

A federal bankruptcy judge is laying out how the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's long-running bankruptcy case will proceed after mediation failed.

Related Content

• • Body found burned car in Janesville...
  • Next generation manure digester...
  • Police: Madison woman almost conned...
  • Wray leaves Urban League CEO position

  » View More

Bankruptcy Judge Susan Kelley met Friday with attorneys for the archdiocese, victims of clergy sexual abuse and others involved in the case.

She outlined a plan to address sticking points including insurance-related issues, the value of archdiocese bank accounts and which abuse victims have valid claims. She also ordered the archdiocese to provide financial statements for 15 parishes to attorneys representing abuse victims and other debtors.

All involved are due back in court Oct. 22.

Kelley is sidestepping the main sticking point in the case, a $55 million cemetery trust fund, while waiting for an appeals court to rule whether it can be used to compensate victims.

• Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Here is a file-swapper who makes Hochmuth look stingy.
He is in the Vatican prison, more or less.

Patterson Is the Problem - And WELS Rewarded Doebler for Apostasy

Changers get female assistants to do their work for them.

Doebler did the live bunnies for Easter too - following his Jedi master Patterson.
Don't laugh - he is a seminary professor now.
SP Mark Schroeder's  "confessional" leadership is...amazing.

http://shatteredpulpit.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-word-from-lillians-safe-pastor.html

1. 
   Joe KrohnOctober 3, 2014 at 11:59 AM

   If Patterson was one who contacted you, it would not surprise me. How pathetic. People like you are not the ones who hurt the church when they bring the evil wheeling and dealing to light. They are the ones hurting the church by continuing to enable the behaviors of those who are unfit for the ministry, which in essence makes them unfit for their 'calls'.
   
   In 2009, we approached the Circuit Pastor and Patterson about the way the then pastor at Christ the Rock (where Ski is now) was interpreting scripture and his emphasis on the emergent church model instead of the Holy Ghost for 'success' of the church. That pastor remained and recently got a call to the WELS Asian Seminary as a professor. Heaven help them!
   
   We left CTR and joined Holy Word where Patterson was since he assured us that the situation was being taken care of. (We weren't the only ones who left. Many of the core members of the mission also left.) Long story short, it wasn't long before we realized who the problem really was. Patterson. Worship and practice at Holy Word were becoming less and less Lutheran and more and more like American Evangelicalism. Even his teaching of Justification was off. And this is where a lot of these guys go off the tracks. They take the extreme view in regard to forgiveness that it skews into some kind of Antinomianism. (The Ski issue is a perfect example) We took issue with this and found ourselves kicked out. I admit that the stand I took made me sound like a synergistic freak a couple of french fries short of a happy meal, but that was the extreme I needed to try and counter the error. But the real travesty was the lying and smoke and mirrors presented to the congregation to discredit us. When we attended the voters meeting concerning the disposition of our membership, I wasn't allowed to speak; it wasn't the time for a theological discussion since they had offered it to me previously and I refused. (which I did) The fact was they offered a discussion concerning fellowship previously. But that wasn't the issue. What they refused previously was a discussion of Justification. So they lied to the congregation about us.
   
   I would encourage you to stay the course (with the help of others) to either force a change of heart in these individuals or get their calls terminated. Rest assured, they aren't all bad as you have discovered. There are solid ecclesiastical supervisors in the WELS as I know this from a recent experience. These fellas need to step up and rebuke their brothers.

---

AnonymousOctober 3, 2014 at 11:08 PM

"These fellas need to step up and rebuke their brothers."

Amen! Those fellas and especially the leaders of the synod who turn a blind eye. It seems that instead of reining in the culprits, they are promoted. How does that work?

The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God

ELCA Bishop Official Photo

One cannot defy "the laws of nature and of nature's God." That key phrase comes from the Declaration of Independence and many legal arguments and resources.

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. The Declaration of Independence

Police Department - Official Photo of the ex-bishop.

Lutherans use the term Natural Law, which means that God commands what is good for us. These concepts, with various names, mean that right and wrong are determined by God's Creation, not by man's design. That is the primary divide today, since so many use the court system to establish a new set of values opposed to Creation and the Declaration's key phrase.

Many times people argue around the perimeter issues when the basic one determines the outcome of all debates. Once Creation is surrendered, any set of humans can invent a new array of laws and punish the lawbreakers however they wish. There is no transcendent control.

Believe it or not, the LCA's Lutheran magazine backed this Natural Law concept around 1980, when a professor at the Philadelphia Seminary advocated the traditional position about homosexuality. In short, it was against nature. I was being interviewed there when a few people went up to him to express agreement with him. Today he would be strung up, not thanked, and dispatched with fury. But I imagine also that the same magazine, as an ELCA offering, would not print such heresy.

Robin taught at Philadelphia, after the profession I mentioned above,
and now she is president of Luther Seminary, the largest one of all.

I agree with those who predict the death of the established Lutherans sects, because they have all become a law unto themselves. The smoke and mirrors approach continues as they each continue to praise their brand above the others while working with ELCA. The only honest apostates are in ELCA. The rest are Me Too apostates. They agree with everything in ELCA, but they would do things a bit better.

If the lawsuits they have earned were settled in the next year or so, Missouri and WELS and the ELS would be smoldering ash-heaps, with their properties sold off at auction to pay the damages. Bethany - the Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie - would be a nursing home with splendid facilities. The Sausage Factory would be a museum on the corner of a ritzy housing development. The two Concordias would be Roman Catholic churches with classrooms abounding.

Because the leaders are a law unto themselves, they can break any law they choose. They can betray any confidence. They can scream Eighth Commandment!, knowing well that they are ones who undercut their own faithful clergy and laity.

I laughed when an ELCA bishop used the Eighth Commandment against Faith Lutheran Church in Moline, Illinois. He sounded just like Deputy Doug Engelbrecht, Paul Kelm, Frost Bivens, Paul McCain, and a host of others. In my archived Megatron I have a collection of Eighth Commandment letters from WELS.

Matthew 18 is also convenient. WELS has worn that down like Uncle Fritz' sofa on the front porch. One can seen the dents, cigarette burns, and beer stains all over it.

No one can breathe a word of criticism until he has made an appointment with the apostate, sat down with him, held his hand, and gently told him his sins. Anything short of that is a horrible sin, and punishment soon follows.

However, a group of clergy did that with Paul Kelm. Results - gar nichts. And his own group told him not to feature blatant false teachers at one of his conferences. Results - gar nichts.

Obviously, the Eighth Commandment and Matthew 18 are just excuses to identify those who dissent from false doctrine.

Roses in Low Light - Rain Brings Autumn Back. Vanity Fair in the Root Zone

Vanity Fair in Pilgrim's Progress, by Bunyan,
who was greatly influence by Luther's Galatians Commentary.

Yesterday morning, we were wondering if the storm would really arrive. The sky suddenly turned black and the outdoor lights went on. The roses were in full bloom and glowed in the low light, as they do when the sun is setting. The rain came down gently and cold weather returned.

I let Sassy decide whether she wants to walk or not. Sometimes I open the door and she quickly turns around after seeing a heavy rain. I was working on the computer, thinking it was still raining when I heard a high-pitched "Eeeh" from Sassy.

Mrs. I said, "She wants her morning walk." I took Sassy to the door, thinking it was still raining steadily - not her kind of weather. She knew the rain had stopped, so we went off for the walk. I was thinking about her maturity - no longer chasing cats - when I found her under a tree with the neighbor's cat mewing and looking down from a branch. "Leave kitty alone, Sassy."

Sassy supervises all our projects. When it is hot and sunny, she sits in the shade and watches. We had to dig 10 holes for the fall bulbs, so Sassy inspected each one. She wanted to guard them too. Now the rain has settled the soil and given the bulbs a start for spring. They will do quite a bit of growing underground and finish in the spring.

Daffodil bulbs are packed with energy for growth.

The catalogs sell the flower, not the ugly bulb.

All true bulbs are a combination of a flower with a food supply. That allows the flower to emerge finished without enjoying the energy of the sun. The plant has already done that in creating the bulb and renews the energy after the bloom cycle is done in the spring.

The best bulbs are large, because of the food supply, or even double and triple with daffodils. Bargain bulbs are small and mixed - the leftovers. I would rather grow a few of the same color.

In the back yard the spinach seeds have germinated. They will grow until the first light frost and then be covered.

My pet pumpkin in the compost is climbing out of the chicken-wire. When the frost stops its growth, the plant start decomposing over the winter. Two finished gourds will add to the compost surprises in the spring. They have formed their seeds. Some may sprout of the compost. Others may sprout where the compost is spread - in the corn patch.

Large Numbers
A lot of sales are based on large numbers. A mailing will interest 1 - 2% of the recipients. The same is true of cold calling. Gardening has much better results.

If someone tries a lot of plants and seed, the results will be pleasing, given a little care. Seed needs plenty of water after planting. I learned that long ago. When I plant something potted, like butterfly bush or roses, I water daily for a time and add Epsom Salt.

People think, "They have to form roots," which is largely true. More importantly, they need those delicate root hairs, where all the action takes place in growing the plant. The root hairs need to multiply undisturbed by human tramping around.

The root hairs establish a zone of soil commerce. A very thin layer of water covers each soil particle. That clings to the soil so tightly that it requires heating to get rid of it. In that zone around the roots, billions of creatures set up their Vanity Fair.

Therefore at this fair are all such merchandise sold: as houses, lands, trades, places, honours, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms; lusts, pleasures, and delights of all sorts – as bawds, wives, husbands, children, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, and what not. (Vanity Fair, described by by Bunyan in Pilgrim's Progress.)

We think, "Rain water brings moisture and usable nitrogen to the roots," but in truth that happens at the microscopic Vanity Fair. Roots shed cells and give up carbon to attract the merchants, each with something to give in exchange for what they want - bacteria, fungi, protozoa, springtails, sowbugs, nematodes, pillbugs, ants, and earthworms - to name a few. This group, numbering in the billions, does not come for the roots alone, but for the chance to barter, buy, and devour. Each creature is food for another, so the root zone is a suburban mall for soil commerce.





We plant all seeds, bulbs, trees, and bushes in the soil - but what do people know about the soil they use and abuse?

Likewise, many talk about the Word without knowing anything about it.

Nothing Has Changed - Nothing Will Change - The Big Lie

We studied Norse mythology in world literature. I remembered the stories from childhood and reading them again to LI.

One concerns Thor using his mighty hammer to no apparent effect. The reason was the enchantment cast, so he only imagined nothing happening. The giant put a hill between his face and the hammer, or he would have died from the hammer blow. Everyone was quaking in fear about the power of the hammer, but they fooled Thor for a time.

The Word of God is like that hammer. The scoffers want everyone to think that it does not matter, only the reputations of Holy Mother Sect. If Holy Mother Sect is hurt, that sin must be paid for, again, and again, and again. If souls are murdered and sheep are scattered, well - boys will be boys.

WELS would like everyone to think that nothing has changed with the latest revelations about clergy abuse of members. One pastor, who dislikes being named, sang the same tune - but I do not believe it. They are quaking that all the lawsuits they deserve will be filed in the next few months and years. They fear the loss of members. They worry about the long-term effects and the loss of their luxuries, trips, and assets.

Their turn is next. The Catholic Church has created many legal precedents for liquidating assets to pay off damages to victims and to benefit their lawyers. The same attorneys can address the problems of WELS, Missouri, and the ELS.

SP Schroeder and the Coven of Presidents should kneel down every day and pray that the statute of limitations in their state is very short for these crimes. They are not going to change, but the Word of God can shatter their little glass cathedrals of corruption and vice.

The denials are just a mask for their chattering teeth and knocking knees.

Infinite Beneficial Dependencies Gourds, Tomatoes, Spinach, Roses, Beans.

Pole beans contribute usable (fixed) nitrogen to the soil.
Fungus cuts a deal at the root level.

Fungi are often mentioned once...and forgotten, Scientists have just discovered that every plant tested so far has a beneficial fungus growing within it. Besides that, soil fungus is especially important in establishing exchanges of chemicals, with the plant roots governing how fungi respond.

The fungi build tunnels through the soil as they grow, connecting with the surface at times and also with other plants. That is why I enjoy the benefits of wood or paper mulch on the soil. I am providing a banquet for fungi, soil creatures, and the earthworms.

I am fascinated with the bacteria being able to pump food in through their cell walls while pumping waste out. Since the period at the end of this sentence has room for 500,000 bacteria, the microscopic engineering is impressive. But there are many more engineering spots in one bacterium to take care of other tasks, like reproduction.

Bacteria reproduce at an incredible rate, too. But other organisms (fungi) make sure bacteria do not take over the world.

Bees pollinate, as we all know, but so do hummingbirds as they dip their heads into tubular flowers. Instead of buying hummingbird feeders and sugar water, I have a butterfly bush to attract and feed them with plant-made nectar.

A collection of plants will provide constant blooms for birds, bees, and butterflies.

My chain-link fence garden is holding up pole beans, Malabar spinach, and gourds. That was wasted land, hard to mow, until I ran rows of seed along it. The natural mulch gathered from autumn leaves made the ground easy to till.

Application
The Christian Church was created by God, the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son. The unifying energy is the divine Word, which conveys Christ and His Gospel to the world.

This creates an infinite number of dependencies. Pastors and teachers disciple the next generation. Missionaries spread the Gospel to all nations. Missions of mercy spring up from the Gospel. Those who meet and marry through the Church find the blessings of forgiveness and teach this to their children, first through baptism, then through teaching the Word to them.

When the wolves and foxes guard the flocks, many souls are scattered, while others are murdered. Everything is according to God's design. When men are unfaithful to the Word to carry on their worship of Mammon, great damage is done.

WELS Will Do Everything Possible To Continue the Abuse

District President Kudu Don Patterson.
Yes, his email name was Kudu Don,
because he went to Africa to shoot Kudu deer.
No joke. I do not write satire - just the facts.

WELS is an abusive sect, as shown by recent events and past crimes - all covered up as much as possible.

SP Mark Schroeder, DP Don Patterson, and DP Engelbrecht cut a deal where they would violate their own rules for CRM status (notifying pastors, unanimous support from the district praesidium) and give Ski status for an instant call in Patterson's district.

Patterson contacted Lillian Armstrong - The Shattered Pulpit - and tried to silence her by claiming she sinned against Holy Mother WELS by telling the truth.

Whenever someone tells the truth about WELS, a hate-storm brews up to crush the facts and bury them under a pile of foul accusations. Various clergy and laity join in the fun and practice the arts of deception and abuse they learned from WELS hazing rituals, climaxing in GA - now called HB. Even the name change is a lie.

WELS still considers clergy adultery to be a minor fault, easily forgiven without repentance. Lillian's previous pastor had been removed before, so he was given a new call where he could offend again. That is where his alcoholism and promiscuity fell upon Lillian's family. The only problem is telling the truth about the people involved.

These criminals - the WELS leaders - need to be sued in court so the victims can receive just compensation for the negligence of the clergy supervisors.

DP Robert Mueller was very unhappy that he had to start filling out forms about his pastors not being sex criminals. The insurance companies were tired of paying out large sums to victims through the WELS and congregational policies.

Michigan Pastor Fred Adrian and WELS earned a $400,000 judgment for the victim of their incompetence and lying. Juries do not wink at a married vicar grooming and having an affair with a minor girl. Fred was quite chipper about the lawsuit. He wrote the congregation - "The insurance company is paying - and we are appealing the judgment." What a guy. No wonder John Seifert put him back in the pulpit after Fred resigned from the ministry.

The in-crowd in WELS - they are the drunken adulterers who hardly do a lick of work. They receive all kinds of money and protect from their fellow godfathers. The honest clergy have to do the real work. They are like the truffle-hunting pigs who find the elusive fungus in the forest, but remain on a leash and get kicked away for their work while the gourmands enjoy their labors.

The WELS Bethel Bible Series -
each graphic has meaning.

Lillian Armstrong's Pastor Speaks Out - Supports Her Story

Parlow, Jeske, Kelm, Patterson.
The same Church and Changer names keep coming up.

http://shatteredpulpit.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-word-from-lillians-safe-pastor.html

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

A Word from Lillian's Safe Pastor

Lillian is a real person. I first met her about a year ago when she worshiped with our congregation for a number of weeks. She always slipped quickly out of the narthex after church. I didn't have a chance to shake her hand. That was okay, I figured. She kept coming back to worship.

Eventually she contacted me via email. All I knew then was that she was a former WELS member who was trying to find her way spiritually. She wanted to please God, but I soon found out that she didn't know quite how to do it.

When finally we had a chance to meet face to face and have a discussion, Lillian began to slowly peel back the reasons why she and her family had left a local WELS congregation. But after a number of times together, and the more she began to trust me, Lillian poured out from her soul a story too vile to make up. It was a story of betrayal by a veteran pastor. It was a story of how this pastor had taken advantage of his position of authority to groom a hurting woman to feed his overwhelming need for sex. And all the while, as this woman starved for God's forgiveness, the pastor kept telling her that her only way to find relief from stress and trouble was in his arms.

Throughout the many times Lillian and I met those first months, I was taken aback each time she was amazed that I answered her questions and counseled her by taking hold of the Bible on my desk and reading directly to her from God's Word. "That's what I always wanted him to do," she would say referring to the pastor who had abused her. "But all he ever did was tell me that only he, and not God, could relieve my stress. And he did it his way."

What I'm now about to tell you may answer the questions of those who haven't read all of Lillian's posts on this blog, or those who even now doubt the veracity of her story. When Lillian seemed stable in her relationship with me as a pastor, I encouraged her to speak with the district president of our WELS district. She agreed to do so, and because she trusted me as much as she did, she even allowed a second member of district leadership to be present.

There were several reasons why I wanted her to speak with these men. First, they needed to know that such a thing had happened in their midst over the course of a decade and a half. Secondly, I wanted them to know who the abusive man was, so they could assure Lillian that he would never again receive CRM status in our synod. You see, this man had resigned from the ministry a number of years ago.  I did indeed know the offender, though not very well. He is still in our area and attending a WELS church served by a man who has been a friend of his since their college days. I'm not sure what if anything he's told his pastor/friend about his "secret life."

Lillian began to write Shattered Pulpit as a way for her to express her feelings. She was surprised by how many people became interested in "her little blog." It's become a source of empowerment for her as she receives correspondence from a number of WELS pastors and laypeople. She's touched when other victims of abuse reach out to her. And because of the caring woman she truly is, she wants to help each and every one of them.

That's what has led to Lillian asking "Jane" to share her story on Shattered Pulpit. After corresponding with Jane over a number of weeks, it became apparent to Lillian that Jane hadn't the same opportunity as she to "tell her side of the story." Doing so, Lillian thought, might also help Jane heal from her wounds and empower her to rise above her situation. And maybe--just maybe--people all over the WELS would understand the injustice that had taken place so publicly, yet so silently, during the course of the past year.

Lillian's empowerment is becoming a burden to her. She wants to be a leader, but is realizing that leadership brings with it many responsibilities and even difficulties. Lillian wants to help each and every victim who writes her, but then she realizes that each victim's story drags her back into the muck and mire of her own troubling past. And she still  has not recovered fully from her past troubles.

Lillian wishes to help district and synodical leaders fully understand what victims of clergy sexual abuse need, as well as help them know just how many women have been abused and need help. Yet, Lillian is now all too well aware that some synod leaders don't see her as helpful. And despite the fact that she is no longer a WELS member, she still has extended family members who are quite involved in the WELS. That's why she fears emails from leaders that seem less that supportive.

So, where does this leave Lillian now?

Well, she's physically, emotionally, and spiritually tired. She's trying to be so much to so many that she really wants to close up the Shattered Pulpit blog altogether. Yet, deep down, I know that she does want to continue her fight to overcome her own abuse and help others do the same. All the while, "this little blog of hers" could very well be a turning point in how we in the WELS view, discuss, and correct clergy sexual abuse among us.

Lillian has accepted my offer to take some of the burden off of her for now by helping her administer Shattered Pulpit. I hope you understand if she is slow to respond to some of your correspondences. If she doesn't post for some time, please know that she hasn't given up. She simply needs some time to regroup and recharge.

As her safe pastor I do all I can to encourage her in the study of God's Word. Still, I know that undue pressure will only lead her further from me and her God. So, I support her in her recovery and pray for her best. I'm sure you do the same.

A Universe in Compost - The Numbers Game

The ideal compost pile layers high carbon (leaves)
and high nitrogen (grass, weeds, and greens),
but tossing all the garden trash in will also do the job over time.

Compost is a whole universe of diverse soil food web organisms. Never mind the huge numbers in good, fertile garden soil: the numbers of organisms per teaspoon in compost, especially the microbial populations, are simply too large to fully comprehend: 

• Up to a billion bacteria, 
• 400 to 900 feet (150 to 300 meters) of fungal hyphae, 
• 10,000 to 50,000 protozoa, and
• 30 to 300 nematodes . 

In addition to extremely high microbial numbers, compost contains all manner of microarthropods [springtails] and sometimes worms. It teems with life.

Lewis, Wayne; Lowenfels,(2010-09-10). Teaming with Microbes: The Organic Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web, Revised Edition (Kindle Locations 1862-1866). Timber Press. Kindle Edition.

Earthworms are the visible reminder of the microscopic activity of the soil.

Most soil life is microscopic, so people count earthworms to measure its health. Compost begins with bacterial action heating up the pile and ends with earthworms worming their way into the pile and mixing it thorough, leaving egg capsules to inoculate every place where the compost is distributed.

The Creating Word determined at the beginning of time that a collection of organic matter would attract and feed a large array of soil creatures, building and renewing the foundation of all life on land. What happens naturally can be magnified with a little planning.

As I retire the summer garden, vines and cuttings will be added to the compost for spring. Leaves will be mulch-mowed into the front yard and raked up in the back yard. The back yard leaves will be good for some mulching and also for including in the compost.

Teaming with Microbes argues that compost adds billions of microbes and miles of fungi to the soil. Earthworms concentrate the positive values in the soil, while adding calcium, but fungi delivers nitrogen directly to the roots. Fungi use carbon from the plant to grow and extend its network (hyphae). Bacteria, protozoa, and nematodes hang around the roots to feed and to give up what the plants need.

The microbes work together tirelessly and vastly improve the soil when the principles of Creation are respected.



The Numbers Game
The last few decades of Lutherdom have been a clownish farce where all the wrong things are done and the results are ignored. Rototilling for success - Their Mission Vision Statement - embrace it or be gone, varmints.

The ELS-LCMS-ELCA-WELS division of Thrivent is in a death spiral. The leaders want the numbers from the congregation. What are theirs? They have decimated Lutheran worship and disparaged the Means of Grace every way they can.

They only need to teach faithfulness to the efficacious Word, but no - they stomp those who trust in what they despise. No one should wonder that the clergy abuse of members continues to increase faster than the speed of the cover-ups. The DPs abuse the pastors and congregations, so why shouldn't their pals abuse the members?

It is like the chemical gardener saying, "My roses won't bloom. I need more chemical salts."

The numbers game in the Word is simply and clearly taught in Matthew 13 - Mark 4. Sow the seed, which is the Word, and production will follow.

My chain-link fence is all green because I planted seed along its 50 foot stretch. Gourds have taken the high ground. Along the top, the vine grows perfectly with its leaves outstretched and blossoms every few inches. Did I ask this? plan this? order this? envision this? No I simply planted and watered, but God gave the growth.

Our little congregation simply broadcasts the Word on the Net - blogging, Facebook, Ustream, Lulu, Amazon, etc. Results follow from the faithful teaching of the Word.

The Lincoln rose grows where it is planted.
The Lutheran synods plant weeds, and say, "Look at the growth there!
Follow the example of Apostasie, our new mission at a bankrupt bar."