Friday, November 7, 2014

Hybrid Tea Roses versus Knockout Roses

Knockout roses bloom faster than anyone can imagine.


Knockout Roses are a popular variety of shrub roses. I see them all over this area, and most of them are neglected - the American approach to roses.

All roses need mulching and pruning. They do not need spraying and fertilizing. Total neglect means they are under-watered (with no mulch to hold water in the soil) and under-fed, with no organic material to rot into the soil. Since cutting new roses will make them bloom (John 15:1-10), letting them back in the sun means they will be increasingly unsightly, even after a good rain.

Hybrid tea roses are the second main group of roses, although there are many more. I joined the American Rose Society so I could keep up with the latest plants being offered. January is the time when gardeners get to plan and buy in advance, so I wanted to be ready.

Knockout roses bloom profusely and do not get blackspot, the fungus that attacks rose leaves and leaves the plant weak and ugly. The buds and blooms are smaller, but their profusion makes up for this. I have the original magenta Knockout rose, which is still producing roses in early November. The pink version is not so prolific but has kinder stems - fewer prickles. The white Knockouts did not really grow stronger until late in the season. They are five-petal roses with tiny buds, the hardest to cut for vases since the blooms do better on the bush than in an arrangement.

Hybrid tea roses have many advantages over shrub roses. Hybrid tea blooms are larger with various advantages in color and fragrance, though few roses have everything in abundance. Usually one key characteristic is slighted - aroma, immunity from disease, foliage, or frequency of blooms.

The Knockouts make me impatient for the hybrid tea roses to bloom. The hybrid tea buds form much more slowly and open at a glacial pace. The five sepals enclosing the bud have to be open for the bud to complete its blooming after being cut. That also seems to take forever after cutting Knockouts like crazy and having even more to share. Harvesting a bud too soon means a bud will be sitting in a vase, but no bloom will form.

My best bud story was this one. Our neighbors love roses - and who doesn't. Mrs. Right (who lives ot the right of us) loves to get them. She was coming home when I was pruning. I had a long-developing bud at the top of a rose bush, one that kept aiming at seven feet all summer. I cut one long-stemmed bud, knowing the sepals were fully open. I gave to her to take into the house. She was not impressed. I said, "Give it some time and you will have a beautiful bloom."

She told Mrs. I later, "I didn't think much of that rose, but it bloomed in the vase, just like your husband said it would." A bud like that will open up over a period of days and stay beautiful for many days more as it continues to open up. Hybrid team blooms are normally very large and showy. If the buds are especially large, the blooms will be extremely large.

I have two hybrid tea buds (rescued from the frost) slowly opening in the vase, next to some Knockouts we cut for the altar on Sunday. These have thin petals, so they look like colored tissue paper as they open.

The Double Delight rose, a hybrid tea, has the color and the fragrance.

Reader Enjoys Sassy, Gardening, and Theology Posts



Lena


Enjoyed the latest Sassy-Sue post on cues and signals. Our Lena is much the same, always 'reading' us, our voices or actions. She likes to be one step ahead of what we do, clearing the path for us and keeping us safe.

She got a bit confused by the time change last week. Woke up at 4am instead of 5 and wanted to go out. Disappeared for a bit, then showed up with a great big rabbit, killed and partially gutted for our pleasure.

Here she is above, with a recipe idea, and also a shot of her very gentle and kindly brother Jakob. As you can imagine, our home place is pretty secure from cats, skunks, racoons and all other assorted intruders.

Jakob

Thanks for the entertaining/informative posts, whether dogs or gardens or theology!

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Trust in God's Creation - The Marvels Began Without Us and Continue Without Us -
But We Can Do Our Little Part



Mrs. Ichabod went to Hobby Lobby, so I went over to a nearby serious hardware store, the ideal place for tools. I bought a rake and tried it out around the crepe myrtle bush in the front yard. The soil creatures under the bush have been busy using up anything I put there for mulch - mushroom compost, shredded cyprus, mulched grass, and clippings from the bush itself.

We have sun today and a steady breeze, but the wind does not blow away the maple leaves that I raked up under the bush. The leaves interlock and stay in place. They will insulate and shade the soil while stopping wind and water erosion. Soil creatures (earthworms, bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, and fungi) need food and water. Mulch provides the food and holds water.

I had a big box of newspapers, easy to lift. After 3-4 inches of rain soaked into the box, lifting became a major chore. The difference is water held by the spongy nature of newsprint. Leaves are no different. They are like torn pieces of newsprint, but more artistic and pleasant to see blowing around.

I added Tending My Garden to the list, because she follows organic gardening methods. She advocates organic amendments for the soil, which is the non-mystery of Creation gardening. God works out all the details at a microscopic level.

A fungus knows how to trap and kill a nematoday,
something most gardeners do not realize.


Fungus is one example. One fungus will attract a nematode (worm) with chemicals, then use several cells to spring a trap. Fungi do not have mouth parts, so they dissolve their way into an organism and absorb the chemical components for their own use and to swap with plant roots.

Another fungus attracts nematodes with a chemical and stuns it with another chemical. Next it dissolves the nematode, moving its wormy nutrition along its incredibly long (for a fungus) body.

This graphic is a good summary for those who have read the material,
but otherwise as useful as an auto mechanic's guide for new drivers.

I like reading the small print in gardening books, the elaborate explanations, which are simplified for the non-scientists, a small indication of the infinite number of complexities and relationships in God's Creation, all dependent on each other.



Winter Gardening and Blog Lists



I was adjusting the Lutheran blog list, but used the wrong button and erased it. I revised the list as Interesting Blogs and Websites, because those are the edifying ones I read. A few others are handy for gasps of dismay, feelings of revulsion, and head-shaking ("Lutheran" all), but there is no need to promote them.

I included Virtue Online for the latest in Episcopalian/Anglican news.

Church Mouse has always been a source of great material and insights. One of the posts I copied from him is an all-time favorite.

The same is true for our friend Dr. Lito Cruz, who has another all-time favorites copied from Extra Nos.

If a blog becomes inactive, I take it off until posts begin again.

The two lists (theology and gardening) will rise and fall with the tide, as new sticky posts get features. I have a backlog of books to promote.

Martin Luther College (WELS) Students - Loud and Proud Videos.
Why Do They Love Doing Girly Songs So Much?


CAF is the cafeteria - Concord is an undergraduate dorm at MLC.

Lyrics for "Shower" by Becky G.

Link to Becky G. singing her song on YouTube.

I don't know, it's just something about ya
Got me feeling like I can't be without ya
Anytime someone mention your name
I be feeling as if I'm around ya

Ain't no words to describe you baby
All I know is that you take me high
Can you tell that you drive me crazy?
Cause I can't get you out my mind

Thinkin of ya when I'm goin to bed
When I wake up think of ya again
You are my homie, lover and friend
Exactly why

You light me up inside
Like the 4th of July
Whenever your around
I always seem to smile

And people ask me how
Well your the reason why
I'm dancing in the mirror and singing in the shower
Ladade ladada ladada
Singing in the shower
Ladade ladada ladada
Singing in the shower

All I want, all I need is your lovin
Baby you make me hot like an oven
Since you came you know what I've discovered
Baby I don't need me another

No, no all I know (know)
Only you got me feelin so (so)
And you know that I have to have ya
And I don't plan to let you go

Thinkin of ya when I'm goin to bed
When I wake up think of ya again
You are my homie, lover and friend
Exactly why

You light me up inside
Like the 4th of July
Whenever your around
I always seem to smile
And people ask me how
Well your the reason why
I'm dancing in the mirror and singing in the shower
Ladade ladada ladada
Singing in the shower
Ladade ladada ladada
Singing in the shower

(Water)

They ain't no guarantee
But I'll take a chance on we
Baby let's take our time
(Singing in the shower)
And when the times get rough
There ain't no given up
Cause it just feels so right
(Singing in the shower)

Don't care what others say
If I got you I'm stray
You bring my heart to life yeah

You light me up inside
Like the 4th of July
Whenever your around
I always seem to smile

And people ask me how
Well your the reason why
I'm dancing in the mirror and singing in the shower
Ladade ladada ladada (hey)
Singing in the shower
Ladade ladada ladada
You got me singing in the shower
Ladade ladada ladada
Singing in the shower
Ladade ladada ladada


Read more: Becky G - Shower Lyrics | MetroLyrics 






Some other MLC videos are found at this link.

---

Greggy,

Your latest post only goes to show that MLC students are clever and funny.

Oh, love the whole "all organic gardening all the time" format.  What next, a series of articles about health food stores being better than the Wal-Mart vegetable department?

Pastor Joel Lillo, Fox Valley WELS

revlillo@gmail.com

***

GJ - Stealing music is so clever, as the lawless legalists of WELS often claim.

Several guys have written about homosexual assaults being routine and winked at, both at MLC and Mequon. Parents must wonder why their sons have to mince around to girly songs.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Sassy Cues and Signals



My friends enjoy Sassy posts. She woke me up early, so I decided to write about her signals and cues to us.

Yesterday was a banner day for her. Walking in the rain, she found three squirrels to chase and nearly caught one. She learned early from a dog pal that evasive maneuvers can be countered, so she baffled and startled one squirrel, which made for a long race.

Sassy looks at me when she wants permission to cross the road. Every so often she violates the rule and we have a talk. I hold her chin up and explain the importance of asking permission. She obeys hand signals and loves to run at me when I wiggle my index finger.

Our streets are so quiet most of the time that she is tempted to think the road is just another sidewalk.

Another day she saw a new person drive up at our neighbor's. She waited and looked up at me. I said, "Go ahead and cross." She ran across the street, missed the girl getting out of the car, but got a thorough double-ear massage from the girl's father. Sassy walked away grinning, and he said, "She got what she wanted."

Sassy has a lot of vocal cues. We were warned that she was a talker. More than that, she is a manager. She knows how to finesse us into doing her will.

For treats, she has various levels of cues.

  • Murmuring and muttering.
  • Rotating her tail slowly. This is reserved for treats.
  • If I miss that one, she rotates twice as fast, striking the bed.
  • For emergencies, she moves next to me to make the tail strike my arm as I am working. It is difficult to write with a tail methodically striking my arm.


Chris got some supper for herself, so Sassy posed as the starving puppy. That did not work for getting nibbles, so Sassy gave me gentle paw jabs to force some donations. That was so funny that I went along with it and urged some sharing.

Sassy and I have quite a few discussions. If Chris thinks we should go out for a walk, a conversation with Sassy usually erupts after a delay. Sassy begins to bark loudly and sounds irritated. It is the Bad Daddy speech. I cannot win at that stage. If I defend myself, she barks even more. Once I give in, the happy barks start, and they insure our exit outside. The noise is just too great.

If I stop to talk to a neighbor for too long, Sassy barks loudly for me to hurry up. "Do you have an appointment somewhere?" She barks, "Yes, hurry." If I answer that, she has another set of barks for me.

However, at certain locations she takes on the role of watch dog. She sits up straight and faces the neighborhood, looking around intently and listening for all the various noises. Sassy adjusts her position to make sure she has complete coverage, even when resting from walking and running.

All the kids call out her name, and Sassy goes running to them for some petting. The dogs who come out the front door have warned her away somewhat, but Sassy is the dominant dog. Once she has settled a dog's hash, she will not even acknowledge the animal.

Sassy has a strange way of doing this. She will approach the dog quietly and open up with barking at close range, or she will run full speed at a fence while barking. Both tactics almost cause canine heart attacks and furious counter-barking. After that, Sassy no longer sees or hears them.





WELS and ELS Have Confessional Meeting To Discuss the Latest Arrests

They did not provide an adequate photo of the group,
so I had to Photoshop it, to make it larger.


WELS/ELS got 24 people together for a meeting they chose to call "confessional." Yes, there is so much to confess, so much to hide.

Their original photo was too tiny to be used.
Ichabod effect?

The Little Sect on the Prairie got to send the same amount of men as their larger, more abusive sister sect - 12.

They are a treasure, marching lockstep against justification by faith, pouring funds into Pentecostal style entertainment venues, covering up scandals and crimes.


“The ELS/WELS Forum is a treasure. We are able to see how genuine Lutheran brothers are handling similar situations, and we gain a profound appreciation for the diverse fruits of the Spirit as he gives them to the church,” says Rev. Paul Prange, administrator for ministerial education and global cross-cultural outreach.

Cotton-Picking Arkansas Voters - 100% GOP for All Statewide Offices

Tom Cotton replaced Mark Pryor, who was a key
vote for ObamaCare.

Arkansas Governor -
2547 of 2654 precincts reporting (96%)
Last updated: 2014-11-05 01:51:52
Asa Hutchinson
465,072
55%
Mike Ross
348,102
42%
Frank Gilbert
16,059
2%
Joshua Drake
9,536
1%
Arkansas U.S. Senate -
2547 of 2654 precincts reporting (96%)
Last updated: 2014-11-05 01:51:52
Tom Cotton
473,297
57%
Mark Pryor
330,209
39%
Nathan LaFrance
16,975
2%
Mark Swaney
16,545
2%
U.S. House District 1 -
740 of 744 precincts reporting (99%)
Last updated: 2014-11-05 04:04:57
Rick Crawford
127,153
64%
Jackie McPherson
64,260
32%
Brian Willhite
8,705
4%
U.S. House District 2 -
391 of 391 precincts reporting (100%)
Last updated: 2014-11-05 00:37:48
French Hill
123,014
52%
Patrick Henry Hays
103,379
44%
Debbie Standiford
10,581
4%
U.S. House District 4 -
1023 of 1036 precincts reporting (99%)
Last updated: 2014-11-05 01:51:52
Bruce Westerman
109,140
54%
James Lee Witt
86,768
43%
Ken Hamilton
7,457
4%
Lieutenant Governor -
2547 of 2654 precincts reporting (96%)
Last updated: 2014-11-05 01:58:17
Tim Griffin
474,406
57%
John Burkhalter
319,564
39%
Christopher Olson
34,655
4%
Attorney General -
2547 of 2654 precincts reporting (96%)
Last updated: 2014-11-05 01:58:17
Leslie Rutledge
426,043
52%
Nate Steel
356,480
43%
Aaron Cash
42,451
5%
Secretary of State -
2547 of 2654 precincts reporting (96%)
Last updated: 2014-11-05 01:58:17
Mark Martin
500,567
61%
Susan Inman
289,270
35%
Jacob Holloway
35,640
4%
AR Treasurer -
2547 of 2654 precincts reporting (96%)
Last updated: 2014-11-05 01:58:17
Dennis Milligan
461,753
56%
Karen Garcia
305,064
37%
Chris Hayes
51,973

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Arkansas Voters Pick Cotton

Tom Cotton is a combat veteran,
unlike the President - who combats veterans.



Combat veteran Tom Cotton (R) is far ahead of Mark Pryor in the early voting. We heard Mark Pryor at the Walmart meeting some time ago. Last year, Tom Cotton spoke at Ecclesia College, with several dozen Duggars present. I met him and wished him well, "Even though you went to the wrong school."

Cotton grew up on a farm and went to Harvard Law. He was mentioned as the next Senator as soon as he was elected Congressman (first term). We were talking to Alice Walton and her friend from the U. of Arkansas when the subject came up.

If Cotton is elected, the entire delegation to DC will be Republican instead of Democrat. Arkansas has remained the most Democrat state of the South, and the new governor (Asa Hutchinson) may also be replacing a Democrat.

The future governor's wife was at a David Barton lecture sponsored by Ecclesia College recently. We are in a heavily populated and prosperous area of a rural state, so everyone is always coming through here. Thanks to Walmart Saturday Morning Meetings, the celebrities, entertainers, and newsmakers make regular stops and speak. My favorite was Hugh Jackman, because he stayed after to shake hands with the audience, after leading the audience in Christmas hymns.
LI and I walked over to shake hands with Jackman when he stayed after to shake hands with the audience at the Walmart Christmas meeting. He led the Walmart choir in Christmas hymns and wowed everyone with his voice, but even more with his warmth toward a little girl who came up to give him a drawing.

Hugh Jackman was a star of musicals before he was Wolverine,
so he starred in Les Miserables.

The Reformation - Every Sunday



Unlike the synod franchise units, the Church of the Augsburg Confession celebrates the Reformation year around.

Critics says, "But you are only one tiny congregation. You are nothing. No one reads your blog. You broadcast from a rented room."

Their talk is a thrilling reminder that they have not opened the Bible in recent decades. Otherwise they would remember that Jesus was born in a rented room, so that cannot be all bad.

Besides that, the Church of the Augsburg Confession is not limited to one congregation. Congregations belong, by their teaching and practice if they:

  • Teach justification by faith and reject Pietism's UOJ.
  • Treat the sacraments as the Visible Word.
  • Use the historic liturgy and scorn the Pentecostal jazz hams.
  • Choose Lutheran hymns predominately for the worship service.
  • Offer sermons rather than coaching talks.
  • Dress appropriately instead of wearing clothes fit for changing the crankcase oil.


If people either love or loathe the entertainment-style seeker services promoted by Jeske, Valleskey,
Tiefel, and Mark Schroeder, they should visit a local Pentecostal church. Really. I am not kidding. Everyone should visit a Pentecostal congregation every so often.

This is what they will find at the Pentecostal church, so they should either feel at home or suffer an attack of acid reflux:

  1. A gourmet coffee bar in the nave.
  2. ATMs for i-donations in the hallway - near the coffee bar.
  3. A stage instead of a chancel. A cheap shower curtain used as a backdrop. It may fall over.
  4. A pit band set up on the stage, because they are the main show - the Worship Team.
  5. No pulpit. Likely no cross.
  6. Enormous screens in the front and back of the auditorium.
  7. A minister wearing a suit, but perhaps a Hawaiian shirt and jeans.
  8. Women teaching and preaching.
  9. No baptismal area (probably hidden away).
  10. No altar or something so tiny no would would suspect it is one.


Homework done? Now you will see that the congregational model promoted and funded by the LCMS, WELS, ELS, and CLC (sic) is modern Pentecostal.




Sunday, November 2, 2014

Reformation and All Saints, 2014



The Festival of the Reformation, 2014 


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time


The Hymn # 261     Thine Honor Save Erhalt Uns Herr                  1.93
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 # 262 A Mighty Fortress                          1:86

Biblical Doctrine from the Reformation

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 # 347 I Lay My Sins                                                1.24

KJV Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

KJV Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.



Collect
O almighty, eternal God: We confess that we are poor sinners and cannot answer one of a thousand, when Thou contendest with us; but with all our hearts we thank Thee, that Thou hast taken all our guilt from us and laid it upon Thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and made Him to atone for it: We pray Thee graciously to sustain us in faith, and so to govern us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may live according to Thy will, in neighborly love, service, and helpfulness, and not give way to wrath or revenge, that we may not incur Thy wrath, but always find in Thee a gracious Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Everlasting Gospel

KJV Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Lutheran tradition holds that this selection from Revelation is about Martin Luther and the Reformation.

Without doubt, the Reformation was God's plan to renew Europe with the Gospel. In the past, an execution or two were enough to stifle any thoughts of reform in Medieval Europe. Huss is one example, and that worked well, 100 years before Luther. The Vatican even used Huss in a guilt-by-association questioning of Luther. The Reformer took the bait and agreed with Huss. That made Luther a criminal who identified with a past criminal burned at the stake.

Unlike the past, Luther had broad support. Some might point to the elector who shielded him from Rome. Or perhaps it was the newly invented (in the West) printing press, which spread Luther's writings cheaply. And yet another factor was the group of genius believers who contributed to the Reformation. 

Finally, the rise of Islam and its threatening position outside fo Vienna (1530s) meant the Lutherans were left alone to take root and never go away. Not even an army could stop the Reformation, because a Muslim army distracted the Roman Catholic opposition.

As anyone can see when examining the infinitelycomplexities of the ordinary garden, the extraordinary Reformation was not a series of accidents, but a confluence of forces unleashed by God to reshape Europe and give freedom to the world after a long period of oppression by the monarchy of Rome.

Reformation Doctrines
Trust in God's Word
The foundational Reformation doctrine is trust in God's Word, elevating it above all human institutions and man-made authorities, whether books or people. The Bible is seen as a unified truth, not a springboard for other philosophies when quoted selectively - and even deceptively.

For example, the Vatican pretended that the Genesis passage, the first Gospel, in Genesis 3:15 predicted that Mary's heel would crush Satan's head. They used that mistranslation (Latin) to promote Mary as the Immaculate Queen of Purgatory.

To make this doctrine widespread and well supported, the Reformers, Concordists, and post-Concordists (Gerhard) wrote extensively with great clarity and simplicity. It is not enough to declare something true of the Bible. The truth must also penetrate through institutions of learning, clergy, and lay leaders. 

For this to be so, people must allow God's Word to supplant all other "truths" in their minds. I know many clergy who consider themselves conservative opponents of all that is wrong today. However, they are willing to concede authority to the synod or concede authority to some favorite teachers, supplanting the Bible.

This is exactly the same as Dow Chemical doing their most dangerous work in an atmosphere of pure nitrogen. The gas replaces the normal mix of oxygen and other gasses to make fire and explosions impossible. When people accept the blanket of synodical nitrogen, they keep any new reformation from happening. The lit match goes out in synodical nitrogen. The Word is not allowed to do its work. So people would rather suffocate in the nitrogen of their synod than risk the cross that always accompanies teaching the Word of God.

Trust in the Efficacy of God's Word
Trust in the truth of God's Word means trusting in its power and effectiveness. Almost no one will mention this special Biblical word - efficacy - in their writings today. They have a fond attachment to God's Word, but they water that down to almost nothing by combining it with human tricks, schemes, and gimmicks.

The efficacy of God's Word means whatever happens from teaching and preaching the Word will be good. That means division, difficulties, and bearing the cross. But it also means declaring the Gospel of forgiveness, conversions, spiritual renewal, and everlasting life.

Faith versus Works
So many have their little cheering sessions for "faith" on Reformation Sunday, but they short-change the meaning of the Biblical teaching about faith.

There are two justifications. One is the true justification of the Bible, justification by faith, as old as Genesis 15, with Abraham as the example. Romans 4 and Galatians teach this clearly, and Jesus taught it always, especially emphasized in the Gospel of John, the doctrinal Gospel.

The other is justification without faith, which must be justification by works, in other words - justification by the Law (whether by Moses or man-made laws and tradition).

John 6 - Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent. 

The constant war against justification by faith, which takes many forms, is proof that it is one of the three main attacks against Christianity (against the humanity of Christ, against His divinity, against justification by faith - Luther).

Trust in the Word of God means trusting that Jesus has died for our sins and risen from the dead. He taught in John 16 that the Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin - because they do not believe on Me.

That is the other side of John 6. The work of God is to believe on Him Who sent the Savior. The foundational sin is not believing on the Savior - that is - having complete trust in His atonement.This faith in Him brings all the blessings of the Gospel, from the forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation to the fruits of the Spirit and joy in our lives.

It is so sad that people want to put on their Medieval chains again and deny justification by faith, because in opposing it they must lay claim to their works - they went to the right school, joined the right synod (or district, or circuit, or focus group), or had the right relatives.
Tis good God did not need that for the Reformation. His leaders went to the wrong schools, had the wrong relatives, and even took monastic vows while working for a Catholic university. However, God placed faith in their hearts through their study of the Word, since they knew by that time that something was horribly wrong.

The lay leaders did not back away but insisted on signing the Augsburg Confession and risking their lives and their regions, since a Catholic army was ready to attack at any moment.

Trust in the Invisible and Visible Word - The Means of Grace
I know a number of Evangelicals who trust in the Word, and others who trust in gimmicks. The latest thing is to rely on a "worship leader" a paid entertainer who pleases or displeases his audience each Sunday.

Sadly, Lutherans are clamoring to join this confused debacle of competing "worship teams," many of which travel around and charge big fees, though Koine at $3,000 is certainly a champion of non self-sacrifice.

The Lutheran Reformation taught the efficacy of the Word in preaching, teaching (invisible Word), and in the Sacraments (visible Word). 

The works salesmen get the message all wrong about the Parable of the Sower. They say, "We must reap in abundance or we are not doing a good job." Instead, the Bible teaches sowing in abundance (Mark 4, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9).

Believing Lutherans sow in abundance because the Word is a living seed that will always have an effect. One effect is opposition. Another is indifference. Because of indifference, we will have increasing persecution of the Gospel in America. 

The Word, whether invisible or visible, carries Christ to us and to our audience, whether in a worship service or in a conversation. Therefore, believers do not preach themselves but Christ and His mercy and forgiveness.

I have classes where students confess great and terrible sins of the past, so I am happy to tell them that Christ died for great and terrible sins, too. In fact, in each case the Gospel has reclaimed their wasted lives, before I have anything to say. I want to confirm that the Gospel is for all sin, and not just for petty sins, ones we think we can conquer. 

Proclaiming the Gospel is a teaching of grace and forgiveness. Grace does not oppose faith, as some imagine (bad training). Grace is God's nature, so He forgives if we believe on Him. When people quote Romans 4 for UOJ, I simply quote Romans 4 for the truth of God's Word. Read Romans 4:25! - by all means, but Romans 4:24 with it.

Romans 4