Delegates view trailer for new WELS movie

2015/08/04/in Together

“Only one woman had the unique privilege to call Jesus her son,” notes Rev. Mike Hintz, director of WELS Commission on Evangelism. “WELS’ newest outreach movie, My Son, My Savior, portrays Mary experiencing the miracle of Jesus’ coming and then humbly growing in her understanding that her son is also her Savior.”

Synod convention delegates had the opportunity to view a trailer for My Son, My Savior. The movie, which was filmed in late May and early June, is scheduled to be released in October so that it can be used for outreach during Advent.

Dr. Daniel Ebeling, a teacher delegate representing the Southeastern Wisconsin District, says, “I’m particularly excited about the outreach opportunities My Son, My Savior can provide. I’m looking forward to seeing the other resources that are being prepared to help us utilize the movie.”

Some Nother Fund-Raising Campaign

One layman said there was a new fund-raising campaign announced, so WELS can do more.

The layman said, "They need more money to close more congregations and schools, and do it faster." 

I hastened to add that closing a church and keeping the equity is a choice racket. The members bear the burden of debt payments and interest that the sect collects. Then, when the land and buildings have gained in value, the sect liquidates and keeps the profits, which came from the disbanded members.

That is how Glende turned a successful church into nothing in Illinois.

An education at Martin Luther College will transform young men
into transvestites. Give more, give with your heart,
so they can buy better tutus.

WELS Is Worried about Grabbing More Money from Congregations Kicked Out or Hated out of the Abusive Sect. Following the ELCA, Presbies, and Episcocats down the Drain

 Money makes zah WELS go around,
zah WELS go around,
zah WELS go around.
Grab more loot or
we'll run aground,
we'll run aground,
Jah! we'll run aground!

Floor Committee 21: Ad Hoc Commission 2 Subject: Topic 11 -

Protection/recovery of synodical support provided to congregations that elect to close or to leave the synod. Reference: Book of Reports and Memorials, p. 194 Resolution No. 8 WHEREAS the Ad Hoc Commission 2 (AHC2) believes it is a matter of prudent stewardship for options to be explored regarding how and to what degree changes can be made to current practices and procedures so as to enhance the ability of and the likelihood that the synod can recover some portion of the support that it provides to congregations, which after receiving such support, then elect either to leave the synod or to close;

therefore be it Resolved,
that the synod in convention supports the recommendation that both the Board for Home Missions and the Church Extension Fund should examine their respective practices and procedures, and specifically the terms and conditions under which each organization provides subsidies, grants, loans, and/or other support to congregations to see if changes can be made to such so as to enhance the ability of the synod to recover some portion of the subsidies, grants, loans, and/or other support provided in the event that a congregation that has been the beneficiary of the subsidies, grants, loans, and/or other support elects to leave the synod or closes. 

Pastor Charles Vannieuwenhoven, chairman Teacher Kevin Ehlke, secretary ADOPTED

Who needs a resolution?
The Two Marks - Schroeder and Jeske - stole St. John and its endowment,
giving it to an ELCA pastor to bleed dry.
But they lost big time when John Seifert
kicked out Marc Schroeder and his parish in Columbus, Ohio.

Congregations Begin To Leave the Presbyterian Church USA - Following the Lead of ELCA and the Episcopalians - For the Same Reasons

The largest Presbyterian church in the Lehigh Valley has begun a process that could lead to a split from the most visible national denomination — a move initiated after a survey showed most of its congregants disagree with church positions, including those allowing same-sex marriage and the ordination of gay ministers.

The leadership of the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem voted on June 15 to enter the discernment process to leave Presbyterian Church (USA), or PC (USA), and seek affiliation with ECO: a Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians after spending years considering the move.

The 140-year-old church on Center Street in Bethlehem has 2,609 members and would be the largest congregation to leave the Lehigh Presbytery, the group of congregations covering seven counties in eastern Pennsylvania.

But it's certainly not the first to do so.

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010

New Moderator of PCUSA: Elder Cindy Bolbach

This is always important in getting a sense of the tenor, or the temperature, of the General Assembly of the PCUSA: Elder Cindy Bolbach is Moderator.

She has been supportive of LGBTQ concerns.

For some of us in the Church, this is great news. The GA body is set to continue the trend, the arc, of restoring justice to the Church body.

But the hard work--if this is a pro-LGBTQ assembly--comes to the Presbytery meetings, which will have to ratify any amendments to the Constitution of the Church.

The hard work is before us. I've seen this play, this movie, before.

Hard work.

As for me:
Back from the beach after days of reading and rest and therapy for one of our dogs, Toby, who had a mini-stroke in his hip last Sunday.

Pace!

LCMS SP Matt Harrison's Story from Christian News Top Post for the Week after Two Days. The Boring Blogs Say Nothing

Otten Accuses SP Matthew Harrison of Sexual Harass... Aug 2, 2015,	653
Dr. Lito Cruz Asked That Bethany Add a PayPal Acco... Jul 5, 2011,	325
WELS New Ulm Pastor Arrested on Prostitution Charg... Jul 17, 2015,	320
Burning Down the House - Strangely Lacking in Deta... Aug 2, 2015,	207
The Holy Spirit Teaches Man Better Than Books May 23, 2012,	204

1 Samuel 4:11 And the ark of God was taken ; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain . 

12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army,and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent , and with earth upon his head. 

13 And when he came , lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside * *watching : for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out . 

14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said , What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily , and told Eli. 

15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old;and his eyes were dim , that he could not see . 

16 And the man said unto Eli,I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And hesaid , What is there done, my son? 

17 And the messenger answered andsaid , Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas,are dead , and the ark of God is taken . 

18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake , and he died : for he was an old man,and heavy . And he had judged Israel forty years. 

19 And his daughter in law,Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered : and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken , and that her father in law and her husband were dead , she bowed herself and travailed ; for her pains came upon her. 

20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard * it. 

21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying , The glory has departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken , and because of her father in law and her husband. 

----

The boring blogs - LutherQuest, Steadfast Lutherans, and ALPB Online Forum - expending vast quantities of digital bits, are silent about the alleged Matt Harrison lawsuit.

A Missouri Synod pastor has reported that his members received the information by mail, so the story is out, whether true or not. The accusation should be resolved.

The LCMS began in scandal.

Missouri apologists say, "The kids wanted to go,
so Walther was justified."

Mrs. Ichabod Asks, "How do you plant a stump? And why?" Cursorial Spiders and Web-Spinning Spiders

I knew long ago that wood products were always good for the soil, long-term, but not if someone dumped a ton of fresh sawdust on the garden for mulch. That will soak up nitrogen for a time before releasing it into the soil again.

Somehow we got into a discussion where Mrs. I wanted to know about stumps being planted in the back yard. She knew I did that - but how and why? She laughed her head off while I was explaining in my serious - though wounded - gardening voice.

Cellulose (wood) is very complex in its chemical makeup, which is why fungi are designed by the Creator to break it down into chemical products useful at the plant's root level. As we all know, plain wooden boards left on the soil will rot. That is good for the soil but not always for the person who wanted to use the boards.

Also - earthworms love the environment created by logs left on the soil. Add toads and various insects, and a rustic fence or stumps in the ground are centers of influence for the natural world.

Bark holds a lot of insect life, semi-hidden as it goes through their life stages. However, bark is even tougher to break down. Fungi alone can do that.

"But why and how do you plant them?" More laughter.

The smiling saguaro cactus

I explained - the stump I wanted, on the curbside, had arms like a saguaro cactus, but if I rested it on the ground, it would fall over. I had to dig a hole and plant it, to make it stable.

"But it will rot." Exactly - but very slowly.

A concrete block fence will attract birds, who rest there, but it will not clean itself. Reaching over the fence means gathering a lot of bird dung by accident. A wooden fence is a condo for creatures and self cleaning. We conquered the weedy undergrowth problem by inserting flattened carboard boxes under the entire fence.

Once we realize how keeping organic matter will benefit the lawn and garden, we covet more of the same, even our neighbor's who blow grass into the street and bag up leaves to be hauled away. I know the landscaper's brother will have me helping to get rid of their leaves this fall, and I will gladly coat the cardboard underlayer with leaves.

Brett Meyer reported that piling leaves under one tree doubled its production. I learned that had more effect that simply building up the soil by feeding all soil life. Beneficial insects over-winter in piles of leaves left along, and beetles gather there in the summer for night-time attacks on pests. Rove beetles and assassin beetles love leaf litter and zones of quiet where they do not fear the rototiller and rake.

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. Luke 5:5 KJV

Cursory Spiders - Who Knew?
I always loved to see spiders at work in the garden. Their webs show up decorated with rainbow diamonds in the morning dew. As soon as I put new mulch down, they let down their nets - "At your Word" - much like the disciples, counting on their Master for a good catch.

But there are valuable webless spiders, called cursory spiders, who go on the hunt for pests. They are free to roam while looking for food.

Spiders are very valuable to the farm and garden. They prey on insects and other spiders by trapping them in a web or pouncing on them. The former are known as web builders and the latter as cursorial spiders (also sometimes called wandering or hunting spiders). Prey are consumed in both groups after liquefaction with digestive enzymes. After breeding, females spin silken egg cases, each housing hundreds of eggs, and position them on webs or attach them to their abdomens. Some species die immediately after egg laying while many others care for the young spiderlings by protecting them on the web or toting them around on their backs.

Web-spinning spiders detect their prey through vibration and visual signals. Cursorial spiders use the same cues to spot and stalk potential prey. Cursorial spiders are of particular importance to gardeners and farmers as they are highly mobile and can travel to find prey, though some groups—the crab spiders, for example—spend nearly all their lives waiting in a single flower for unfortunate pollinators to come by so they can nab them and have them for dinner. 

Numerous studies have proven again and again that spiders consume many herbivorous agricultural pests, including insect eggs, beetles, aphids, cutworms, fire ants, four-lined plant bugs, spider mites, squash bugs, budworms, caterpillars, and asparagus beetles. One study found that hunting spiders in some crops do at least a quarter of the total predation, much of it taking place at night. 

It’s also been revealed that many cursorial spiders aren’t exclusively carnivorous. They also feed on nectar, and those that do so on a regular basis grow faster, survive longer, and reproduce more. They can detect the odor of nectar and can even learn to follow cues to obtain it. Fields offering large quantities of nectar have higher populations of spiders and often greater overall predation.

Walliser, Jessica (2014-02-26). Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control (Kindle Locations 1344-1353). Timber Press. Kindle Edition. 

Until this summer I had no concept of armies of beetles and cursorial spiders roaming around to devour pests. I understood the result but not the environment needed. Composting and mulching - even in those ancient and innocent years - meant that I met the requirements for these good results. Now I am more confident in how God takes care of the pests for me.

In short, the modern concepts of gardening are antagonistic to the garden. Likewise, the modern church gimmicks are antagonistic to the Christian Faith, because both approaches lack faith in the Creator.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

How to Raise a Spider Army

Scientists at the USDA-ARS subtropical research station inWeslaco, TX are doing some really cool work developingspiders for biocontrol of ag pests.

They're working with cursorial spiders, which spend their nights running around on plants and their days in improvised silk bivouacs.

These spiders are voracious predators of bug eggs and larvae and can really knock out pests when they reach decent population levels. The scientists found that spiders seemed more deadly on cotton than on maize or soybeans (relative to other predators, such as ants) - and hypothesized that this may be due to the presence of extrafloral nectaries on cotton.

To make a fascinating story short, these spiders drink nectar from flowers and extrafloral nectaries to supplement their buggy diet! They also probably eat yeast (which grows naturally in leaking plant sap and nectar). The availability of these "non-prey foods" allow these spiders to mature faster, live longer and produce more spiderlings when their insect prey is limited. Furthermore, they can respond to the smell of nectar and can even learn to associate novel scents with a sugary reward!

They specifically mentioned that they found spiders associated with coriander, buckwheat and alyssum flowers, but they probably can drink nectar from all kinds of plants. Next, they're gonna try spraying crops with a sugary or yeasty scented spider chow to see if they can attract and maintain populations to help control pests. It's definitely a long shot, as any ecologically-based biocontrol strategy has all the complications and limitations inherent in ecology, but I'll be excited to see what happens.

In the meantime, it's an example of the type of interactions that you hope to take advantage of by planting a diverse, mixed garden surrounded by native plants.

 http://www.spiderzrule.com/commonspidersusa.htm

Helianthus - Double Whammy - Perennial Sunflower

Double Whammy Perennial Sunflower

I gladly volunteer to shop at our local Mom and Pop store, Walmart, which began a few miles away and has done well ever since.

My first stop is the gardening department to see which plants are being sold. They rapidly change the selection due to weather changing and plants conking out in the heat and sunshine.

I also get birdseed when I am running low. I enjoy having finch food in the main feeder, where all the small birds gather and feed during the day.

Lantana and butterfly

Last time I bought a very large hanging Lantana plant for $4 and no one knew what it was. Today I finally planted it in the Jackson Bird Spa area. That section has most of the butterfly and hummingbird plants -

• Butterfly Bush
• Bee Balm
• Lavender
• Chaste Tree
• Coreopsis
• Beautyberry
• Scarlet Runner Bean

Sassy waits in the driver's seat when I go inside,
but she stays home during the inferno season.

Sassy loves to ride along in the Ichaboat, but the weather is too hot, even while driving with AC on the meatlocker setting. She got her evening walk after my trip to the store. Everyone calls her by name and she wags her entire body going over to meet her friends.

I often invite Sassy outside while I work. Sometimes she stretches out on the concrete patio to show she is bored and ready to rest. Or - she sits by the door to go inside.

If I dig a hole, she looks carefully inside it. 

Neighboring dogs get her attention at times. Most of the border disputes have been settled. However, when she saw a young couple having a picnic in the next yard, Sassy tried to bark them away.

 New Bee Balm is being sold at Walmart now,
but I got them at bargain prices earlier,
because the collection was getting beat up in the sun.

Ideas for Gardening - Late in the Season

This is a good time for bargain hardware, such as half-price sales on birdbaths (or kiddie pools, much cheaper and larger), garden path stones, and other equipment. The stuff will all be good next year and well into this fall as well.

When seed packets get ultra-cheap (like a dime or two each), they are worth trying this year or next. They lose a lot of zip over the winter, but a dime's worth of beneficial insect plants will normally go far, since those common plants will often seed themselves - like dill.

I am planning for a heated birdbath this winter. If we have a rough winter, a bird bath warmer will bring in birds from all over. They need to bathe and preen their feathers, so frozen water and snow do not help.

When I did this in Midland, I had birds lining up in two columns to take their baths until pushed out by the ones behind them. I had to add gallons of water to the bath each day.

The special heaters turn off when dry and only heat the water past the freezing point.

Birdbath warmer, Duncraft.

The Boring Pro-Harrison Blogs Are Silent

As of noon, Central Daylight Time, no one has posted about the Matt Harrison lawsuit story.

I looked for something on SpenerQuest - only two posts about the Harrison house fire.

I looked for a defense on UnSteadfast Lutherans - just prayers for the SP's house fire.

In desperation, I looked up the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau's online forum - nothing was posted so far.

As noted before, although a few LCMS pastors are criticizing me for posting news, another one verified that the story was already out and being sent into congregations.

SP Harrison Story Already in Top Five for the Month

No Lutherans are in this group photo.
They teach justification without faith, UOJ.

Pastor Herman Otten has already posted a story about SP Matt Harrison settling a sexual harassment lawsuit for $1 million. Otten claims to have the documents and says that Matt the Heretic Impaler has not answered. The post is already in the Top Five for the last 30 days.

WELS New Ulm Pastor Arrested on Prostitution Charg...

Jul 17, 2015, 

2183

Dr. Lito Cruz Asked That Bethany Add a PayPal Acco...

Jul 5, 2011, 

918

Time To Plant a Stump and More Rudbeckia. Benefici...

Jul 17, 2015, 

512

The Holy Spirit Teaches Man Better Than Books

May 23, 2012, 

505

Otten Accuses SP Matthew Harrison of Sexual Harass...

Aug 2, 2015, 

271

The recent wrist slap of Matt Becker, energized by Harrison, may be a reason for the story being pushed to the front. In the past, blackmail-like threats have been used against leaders to make them back down. The Left does not forgive, does not forget.

Your beloved synodical leaders live on malicious gossip. I have seen them at work, lying through their teeth, slandering their fellow pastors. Nothing is too low for them, too deceptive to try, but they react in horror when the truth gets out - they point their crooked fingers and screech.

Let us look at one example. Darwin Schauer was a Missouri Synod sex offender who was coaxed into their lay ministry program to offend a second time as a lay pastor. Steadfast Lutherans posted about this crime and the facts involved with LCMS leaders facilitating the crime and covering up for it. Matt Harrison ordered his fan club (Steadfast UOJ Lutherans) to erase the evidence - and they did.


Now the story exists on this blog alone, with 22 tagged posts.

The Editor Who Erased the Sex Scandal Now Complains about LCMS Apostasy

Joshua could have stood up to Matt the Fat, 
but he caved, erased the Darwin Schauer thread, and got a promotion.
The bossman at No-Fast Lutherans calls JBFA teachers "morons."

No caption needed.

No-Fast Lutherans.

Me? Stand firm?

Otten Is Bitter!

I posted the Harrison story on Facebook, and several people began telling me to take the story down. I should have posted some eye bleach, like a picture of Walther, to calm them down. They have not accepted the truth about Stephan yet, and still venerate CFW, so facing the facts is not likely.

One said, "Otten is bitter," which is not much of a refutation. I have seen this approach so many times. The personal attack is supposed to erase the story, if lies do not. The result is people staying calm about clergy rape, murder, and abuse while the audience goes ballistic over reporting. The alternatives are clear.

A. The Story Is True. If the LCMS Synod President paid $1 million to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit, and various people knew this, then it should be reported to the synod.

B. The Story Is False. If there was no lawsuit, that can be proven easily enough with a well-crafted lawyerly letter. Harrison has not responded, Otten says. If Matt has, he can tweet the letter.

Illumine - WELS.
They have one symbol right.

Shouldn't We All Be Bitter?

If we look around at what the Boomers have done to destroy the Lutheran Church, shouldn't we all be bitter?

The "conservative" synods have conveniently forgotten their history of teaching justification by faith, so they now have wolf-shepherds present their precious UOJ dogma as the Chief Article of the Christian Religion - forgiveness without faith.

One result is the multiplication of New Age copycat missions (no money spared) that have little to do with Lutheran worship, Lutheran doctrine, Lutheran hymns, and Biblical sermons.

I blame Boomers because they have initiated these changes and retaliated against anyone who dares to question them.

My home church is so thoroughly ELCA that I will not even visit it, but when I became a Lutheran 50 years ago, the worship and sermons were traditional. I hated the superficial services at the Disciples of Christ congregation where my family went. When I joined WELS, I found they were aping the Disciples of Christ professor at Fuller Seminary and adopting the Disciples of Christ personality cult form of growth - which almost always failed.

Mark Schroeder - the high school principal with almost no parish experience - campaigned for synod president as a reformer - all lies. He curled up in the lap of the Jeske-Patterson Crime Family and signed his Non-Aggression Pact with the New NIV. He has quashed intelligent discussion. He told one postulant who visited him about the errors of UOJ - "Don't think about it too much." Now, now - it worked for Mark Schroeder and Jon Buchholz - it will work for you, too.

In WELS, murdering church workers are protected, child porn users are publicly absolved of all sin, and faithful pastors are excommunicated.

True, we do not know of any new murders under Schroeder, but his Jeske-Patterson Crime Family pals stole St. John Lutheran Church and its endowment - and everyone is silent. Yet there is an ex-WELS pastor there now - and he is ELCA now.

Alleged Lutherans teach against this - there is the scandal.