Howlers from the World of Roses

John Paul II

White roses were famous for lacking fragrance. That makes sense. If the quest is to make the rose as white as possible, the perfume is going to be secondary. One catalog said, "The only fragrance is in the imagination of the gardener."

However, John Paul II is said to be especially fragrant - and a perfect white rose.

Some have complained that Peace is no longer as yellow as it used to be - "from over-propagation." That seems to ignore the way roses are multiplied. They do not have babies. Instead, the stems are rooted in water and turned into new Peace roses. They all came from one perfect Rose developed in Germany before WWII.

One wise gardener pointed out that Peace was developed and grown in an era when manure was the fertilizer used for roses. The chemical fertilizers do have the ability to give roses what they need.

A rose gardener complained that her organic friends were getting much better roses than she did with all the proper "rose fertilizers." In other words, she had no concept of soil biology and the delivery of nutrition and water to rose roots. Therefore, her roses were fading during the summer, in spite of repeated applications of bagged, dry, inorganic chemical fertilizer.

One rose website even suggested adding extra fertilizer for a bush that was more demanding of food. Nevertheless, many rose gardens are smarter than that.

During our first year of rose gardening here, we added no fertilizer at all and had constant blooms, including the KnockOut roses, which constantly bloom. Underneath the roses, between the upper part and the roots, was a layer of newspapers covered by wooden mulch (Jackson Mulch). The roses were surrounded by lawn and topsoil that rotted under the mulch layer, feeding the creatures that live in the top 12 inches. We only added a lot of red wigglers from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm.

Hard work - buy about 2,000. Place them on top of the soil. They know what to do. They dig themselves in at once and begin to feed and multiply.

I did put a little sprinkling of Epsom Salts on the rosebed when it rained - very little.

The keys are:

• Organic matter that the fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and earthworms use to feed the roots.
• Regular watering when needed.
• Regular pruning - which means cutting roses for yourself and friends.

Infallible Episcopalians - Like the Infallible WELS - Cannot Admit to a Leader's DUI

Episcopal Bishop Hides behind Miter, Gated Community and AttorneyOther bishops in auto accidents have been open about their incidents
By Mary Ann Mueller
VOL Special Correspondent
www.virtueonline.org
Jan. 4, 2015

Bishop Heather Cook (Maryland suffragan) is not the only Episcopal bishop, or Catholic for that matter, to be involved in a fatal automobile accident or accused of drunk driving. Recently, however, she is the only bishop who has hidden behind her miter, withdrawn into a gated community, or been protected by her diocese, an attorney and even the investigating police department, thereby shielding her from not only media scrutiny but also from facing the legal consequences of her actions.

On June 3, 2007, Bishop James Kelsey (X Northern Michigan) was killed in a three-car crash while returning from an episcopal visit to the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in St. Ignace, Michigan. The Michigan State Police theorized that following a rain storm, the Episcopal bishop lost control of his SUV and broadsided another vehicle killing himself and the other driver, Michael Wiita. Following the initial accident, a third vehicle rear-ended one of the damaged cars; that driver was not killed.

The same day that Bishop Kelsey was involved in the fatal accident the police were forthcoming providing accident information and the incident was duly reported by the Episcopal News Service. Then, responding to reports of Bishop Kelsey's death, Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori commented, "The Episcopal Church has today lost one of its bright lights."



As of Jan. 2, 2015, six days after Bishop Cook's Sunday hit & run accident which left bicyclist Thomas Palermo dead, the Episcopal News Service had yet to publish a story. Top ENS stories include the posting of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Christmas Sermon; a story about Canon Paul-Gordon Chandler's desire to foster better understanding between East and West through his film "Ports of Call;" the fact that Christmas celebrations were cancelled in Peshawar following the school attack and Bishop Andrew Dietsche's (XVI New York) reaction to the killings of two New York City police officers following the death of Eric Garner. However, there is not one word about Bishop Heather Cook's newest legal difficulties and traffic problems, nor has the Presiding Bishop weighed in on the matter.
Catholic bishops also have had their traffic problems. In August 2012, then Roman Catholic Bishop of Oakland, who at the time was also the Archbishop-designate of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone got snagged in a DUI stop. After dinner with his elderly mother, he was stopped near San Diego State University for drunk driving. He failed the field sobriety test and was arrested on the spot, booked into jail, and posted a $2,500 to get out.

Following Archbishop Cordileone's brush with the law, he quickly held a news conference and publically admitted his failure. He did not hide behind his miter nor allow an attorney to speak for him; he took responsibility for his actions. Since he was involved in a traffic violation which did not end in an accident or vehicular death, he did not resign his episcopal office.

"I will repay my debt to society, and I ask forgiveness from my family and my friends and co-workers at the Diocese of Oakland and the Archdiocese of San Francisco," the archbishop said. "I pray that God, in His inscrutable wisdom, will bring some good out of this."

In October 2004, Archbishop Cordileone, following a plea bargain, pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving and, as a result, was sentenced to three years' probation, ordered to pay a $1,120 fine, and was also required to attend a panel discussion sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

Nearly a decade earlier, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Phoenix, Thomas O'Brien, was involved in a fatal hit & run accident. Reports show that on Saturday, June 14, 2003, the Arizona bishop was involved in a pedestrian accident where Jim Reed was killed. Witnesses, who saw the bishop flee the scene, turned his license plate number into police who tracked the bishop to his rectory. He was arrested two days later and booked with a felony charge. He was then released on $45,000 bond. However, before his arraignment took place Bishop O'Brien resigned his diocese.
Then in February 2004, the resigned Catholic Bishop of Phoenix was found guilty in a jury trial of a felony charge of hit & run. He was eventually sentenced to four years' probation and 1,000 hours of community service for his crime. He could have faced 45 months prison time for his offense.

Now almost a week after Bishop Cook left the scene of a fatal accident, she has yet to be arrested or booked while headlines are made around the world depicting her as a "female bishop" while she is described as "Number Two in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland." There is still not a word posted by the Episcopal News Service and the police are stonewalling, claiming that the incident is "under investigation." The national secular and religious media are scrambling for information and have uncovered an earlier 2010 drunk driving incident which involved Bishop Cook which, at the same time, also involved the alleged possession of marijuana.

Again, The Episcopal Church is being humiliated by the actions of an Episcopal bishop.

It is time for Bishop Heather Cook to take legal responsibility for her traffic mishap and subsequent actions. She should turn herself in and allow herself to be arrested and booked and post bail, which is needed to jumpstart the legal process. As a penance, following the lead of Catholic Bishop O'Brien, she needs to resign her bishopric and allow the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland to move forward without her legal entanglements.

She may be of the "fairer sex", but that should not shield her from admitting to and assuming her responsibility in the death of another human being. The "female bishop" needs to do what is right, not only in the eyes of God, but also in the eyes of the law. There are spiritual and legal ramifications which need to fully be played out. As an Episcopal bishop, she is not above traffic laws and her miter should not shield her from wrong doing, but energize her to do the right thing and make amends not only to God but to the wider community.

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline

***

Or - Ichabod.

GJ - Which WELS District President had a DUI and simply transferred to another district?

Which WELS missionary, famous for being a drunk, drove his car up a utility pole and became a missionary thanks to Marvin Schwan money?

Which Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary professor was convicted of driving under the influence, used a powerful law firm, and had the evidence dropped and the conviction erased?

WELS is justly famous for its alcoholic pastors, an addiction begun at a WELS college and fueled by Mequon partying.

Mequon gatherings have to serve alcohol, or many leaders could not last through the festivities.

Bad teeth are better than a bad liver -
ask your local WELS pastor - better yet - the DP.

Sam Birner, Zak Stowe's Friend, Began His Transgender Change before Graduation from Martin Luther College, WELS

Sam is now Amber Noel Birner. 

Amber Noel Birner

January 1 at 11:00am · 

"I have had a boyfriend for the past year who has supported me every step of the way in this journey. And now, exactly 13 weeks ago, I began hormone replacement therapy so my body will produce less testosterone and run more on estrogen and progesterone." January 1, 2015 post.

WELS GLBTQ and Allies on Facebook

Sam Birner graduated from Martin Luther College in December of 2014.

Sam thanked Ichabod for the earlier post and copied it onto his Facebook page.

The Second Sunday after Christmas, 2015.

The Second Sunday after Christmas, 2015

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

The Hymn # 131           The Star Proclaims                4:89

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 # 305:1-5                   Soul Adorn Thyself                4:23

 Planned from Eternity for Us

The Hymn #305:6-9               Soul Adorn Thyself             

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 #657            Beautiful Savior                                       4:24      

Ephesians 1:3-16

King James Version (KJV)

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

⁴ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

⁷ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

⁸ Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

⁹ Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

¹⁰ That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

¹¹ In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

¹² That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

¹⁵ Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

¹⁶ Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

 

Matthew 2:13-23 (King James Version)

¹³ And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

¹⁴ When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

¹⁵ And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

¹⁶ Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

¹⁸ In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

¹⁹ But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

²⁰ Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.

²¹ And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

²² But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

²³ And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

SUNDAY AFTER NEW YEAR

O Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst suffer Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, to become a stranger and a sojourner in Egypt for our sakes, and didst lead Him safely home to His fatherland: Mercifully grant that we poor sinners, who are strangers and sojourners in this perilous world, may soon be called home to our true fatherland, the kingdom of heaven, where we shall live in eternal joy and glory; through the merits of Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Revealed in History

We can take one thing for granted in the Christian Faith - all this happened in history and through history. That sounds obvious, but it is a dramatic contrast to the rest of world religion.

Judaism is the exception, because Judaism is the first stage of Christianity. From the Promise of the Savior in Genesis 3:15, the Old Testament is full of promises and blessings based upon Jesus as the Son of God, Messiah, and Savior.

God determined to surround His message of His Son in historical facts. The rest of the world teaches something that must be believed in spite of the facts. For instance, magical numbers play a role, or the influence of where doorways are placed. If a a lot of nonsense is added together, it is a world religion that takes years to study.

People need money in the world to come, they say, so money is burned to provide it. No one wants to burn real money, so they burn play money. The person who hesitates is seen as breaking with tradition and the family.

The significant matters of the Christian Faith are revealed by the Holy Spirit and not proven with facts, but all these things take place in history.

The center is the birth of Christ in the Roman Empire. Before that, all the details were recorded in the Old Testament prophets and Psalms, studied and learned for centuries.

King David was a model for the Messiah, but the central message was lodged in Isaiah 53, so important that many Jewish people become believers because they see that Jesus is prophesied in those few verses.

The Star of Bethlehem.

The Star is so remarkable because the phenomenon in the sky fills people with wonder or with scorn. I grew up with people openly doubting such a thing existed, because it was an event that could be studied and rejected.

Kepler wrote about it, but he was dismissed as a "mystic," a term used in Germany for anyone who believed anything. Mystics have no credibility.

But modern man created machines for tracing back the movements of the stars and planets, using ancient observations as well. When they did, the Star emerged again.

I favor the conjunction of planets as the Star, but there are other candidates as well. For believers, the Star of Bethlehem makes them say, "Of course." And how wonderful it is that the celestial marvel brought Wise Men to Jesus, so they could take the Gospel message back to their pagan land.

The Star also brought terror to Herod, as God's judgment will to those who oppose Him. 

Joseph and Mary had trust in God, believing in His guidance in the midst of hostility and violence. They traveled where God led them, just as the Apostles did later.

Each person had a role to play, and with that role came hardship and self-denial. 

Purpose of the Gospel

When we sing the hymns of Gerhardt, or those that emulate him, there is a clear message of God's love wrapped in the midst of difficulties and doubts.

The hymns assume doubts or questions. God's own Son took on our flesh to bring His message to us. How surely God must love us. He cannot despise our humanity, because He took on our human nature.

In his hymns are a combination of the Nativity and the Atonement.

From Vernon Knepprath - Lutheran Layman

The Votum -
was the traditional ending of the Gospel sermon,
not a coaching session, not a fix-it talk.

From Vernon Knepprath:

I think I finally have a more complete understanding of UOJ and its effects.  Your posts helped me considerably with that understanding. I saw the changes going on under my nose.  I knew Lutheran theology (or so I thought) and pushed back as effectively as I could.  But I couldn't for the life of me understand why the changes were being driven with such vehemence.  It was a long process to reach an understanding, but now it seems very clear.

If everyone is forgiven, then the church can, no, it must be re-defined.  It seems the Lutheran leadership advocating these changes would have us believe that the Christian church is no longer for believers. The church must be changed to fit the desires of everyone, and the desires of unbelievers must clearly trump the desires of believers.   One must allow the worship of self to "hook" the unbelievers.  So the theory goes.  But who is really being "hooked"?  The liturgy no longer matters, because the liturgy was only important; it only had significance for believers.  The liturgy means nothing to unbelievers since they are not beneficiaries of the work of the Holy Spirit.  So toss the liturgy, and hopefully the toss carries it far enough to be sight unseen. 

This idea that man knows best is pervasive ... but it always has been.  The Lutheran church is repeating the history spelled out so clearly in Scripture that it chooses to ignore. Rejection of Truth is ALWAYS a matter of choice. This is the nature of sin, and the evil that comes with it. 

When we say the Apostles Creed, we are joining with the saints of all ages
in confessing the truth of the Scriptures.

Garden Seeds Arrived Yesterday - Is Anything More Remarkable?

The mammoth striped seeds of the sunflower
create geometric patterns in the giant disk they form at maturity,
God's own Spirograph.

The rain was coming down in a slow, cold drizzle yesterday - and the first batch of seed arrived. The fragrance of sunflower came through the package. One variety is supposed to grow to 15 feet, and I will have some special compost filled holes just for them. Overall, the sunflowers will be a screen against the back fence, but they also happen to be a favorite of ours and our neighbor to the right - Mrs. Wright.

Nothing is quite like a seed, because each one is alive and ready to grow with the help of a little moisture. A true bulb is actually a flower with its own energy bar tucked around it. But a seed is far less developed - a baby with just enough food to start on its own in the battlefield of the garden, where birds and mice attack, molds help or hurt, and the early rain may fail.

My first lesson in gardening was learning to provide steady moisture after planting. Germination is not enough. The plants need to become established. Planting in Jackson Mulch is the best way to allow a reserve of moisture nearby, protection against water and wind erosion, and a supply of nutrition for the soil. All the seed and plants will go in mulched beds, except for new roses in the lawn, where mulch will be applied around the newly planted bare root roses.

By Norma Boeckler

Some of you will get out your 10 horsepower rototiller this spring and osterize your soil until it looks like rye flour. Meanwhile, I will just move aside a line of Jackson Mulch (shredded wood on newspapers) and plant in soft soil teeming with creatures. The soil creatures are eager to deliver food and moisture to plant roots, the champion (fungus) delivering the most for carbon credits from the roots.

Watering extra for the new seedlings will assure them a great start, and strength against early attacks by insects and disease. Watering also keeps the mulch rot going, since the decomposition of mulch has the effect as building a compost pile. Why not do both?

Stretch your arms out and make a circle, like you are measuring a bishop's tummy. That is how large the mammoth sunflower disk will be at maturity. The same musky sweetness of the seed will be powerful in the plant and flower. No wonder it drives squirrels and bees mad with hunger.

The variation in cells from the seed to the full grown plant is nothing less than astonishing. They specialize in root formation, stems, leaves, flowers, and seed. I doubt whether many gardeners are atheists, because too many things develop from that tiny seed to think man is the measure of all things.

Multiply this factory by the millions - at work in your yard.

The Word - Living Seed

The Word - Living Seed
The clergy and the denominational leaders - even some laity - are the gardener who received this shipment from the Burpee Seed Company:

• Garden Planning Software - customize for your property
• 10 bags of NPK fertlizer 
• Peat pots - for seedlings - dissolves into the soil
• Collapsing garden hose - 100 feet
• 1 three-toothed hoe
• Books - You Are Already a Great Gardener and Every Day Is Saturday
• 5 cans of insecticide
• 1 bag of fungicide
• 6 bags of herbicide

And one very large invoice.

Didn't you order any seed? To plant?

"I am going to do that some day, but I need to get ready, to make sure my gardening efforts are a big success. They have studied successful gardeners at the Fooler Institute of Gardening - all them have these tools at the very least."

And they do not plant the seed, broadcast the seed, or even think about the seed as the Living Word.

Some sunflower seeds get eaten by birds, squirrels, and rodents. Some seed will be killed off by soil diseases. We do not know which ones will succumb to these threats. No seed is marked. But we buy seed to plant it since one seed can produce a plant 15 feet tall with hundreds of new seeds ready to eat and to plant.

Jesus knows something about gardening and the Gospel, since He is the Creating Word revealed in Genesis 1 and John 1. The Gospel Word is even more marvelous than that living seed, because it works through the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out God's will.

The Word is not marked any more than gardening seed is marked:

1. This one will be eaten by a squirrel. Forget it.
2. This one will sit in water too long and rot. Forget it.
3. This one will start out well but get smothered by weeds. Don't even plant it.
4. This one will produce hundreds of seeds - be sure to plant it.

If living seeds are so effective than a little order can turn a yard into flowers, food, and vines, how much more powerful and effective is the Word?

1. To condemn unbelief.
2. To convert blinded and hardened hearts.
3. To comfort the grieving.
4. To provide grace and forgiveness for believers?