Roses Budding and Blooming. Chrysler Imperial Planted. Sassy and I Watch the Robins Build a Nest

Chrysler Imperial is known for color, size,
fragrance, and shade tolerance -
but it is more of a Southern climate rose.

On Sunday we will have garden roses on the altar rather than store boughten ones. Here and there buds are showing their color as they start to open up. All the older roses are budding, so there are hundreds of blooms in production. Yesterday I went through the older roses and pruned dead wood again. One Veterans Honor needed a new place to grow, rainwater from the barrel, and a bit of pruning.

All the digging was done on worked soil, previously planted, mulched, watered, and earthwormed. Needless to say, the soil was simple to dig with only a few greedy maple roots to chop. It is an ancient saying that "worked soil is easier for growing plants." In New Testament Greek, this word for work--noun,adjective, and verb--is the basis for the English word energy. That comprises the word group for efficacy, which appears throughout the New Testament.

There is the vast gulf between Biblical doctrine and that of Lutheran apostates (ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC sic). The Lutheran apostates place their trust in the efficacy of gimmicks, entertainment, fads, methods, and personality.

 The Word of God is quick (effective)...

Luther and the German Reformers placed their trust in the efficacy of the Word alone, always working with the divine power--dynamis, as in dynamite--of the Holy Spirit, never apart from the Spirit. Notice what the moderns have abandoned - the liturgy, creeds, hymns, and sermons - any expression of the Word. The baptismal font is hidden and Holy Communion is neglected. But, when The CORE was starting, Bishop Katie was shopping for a soda fountain.

Walmart is famous for beginning with fresh popcorn drawing people into the store--right here at Walton's Five and Dime--and Lutherans trying the same thing with snacks and cola at their so-called services. Walmart no longer offers popcorn at the front of the store, but Lutheran congregations brag about snacks at the front of theirs. They are selling the Gospel, using bait.

WELS' Victory of the Lamb has cleaned up their What To Expect a little bit, which reads like an ocean cruise brochure. The movie theater seats have been erased from the page! Ichabod effect?

• Enjoy Hospitality – Goodies, coffee and all kinds of yummy stuff. All completely free… just like grace!
• Dress Comfortably – Wear clothes. Whether they’re in style… that’s up to you!
• Casual Atmosphere – Reclining movie theater seats with cup holders. Need we say more?
• Serious Faith – We take God very seriously, but try not to take ourselves too seriously.

The concept of worked ground makes sense for the transfer of the term to the efficacy of the Word. When man applies his muscle-power to the soil, tree roots are broken up, sod is turned into compost, and valued plants are established with far more value that the normal guardians of the soil - weeds or grass. I have been digging the same ground for several years and even considered - horrors - a rototiller. But now, after the prep work done, putting in tomatoes or new roses is simple and easy, with a wealth of earthworms obviously enjoying themselves as they do the real work of gardening - mixing, tunneling, fertilizing, and aerating the soil.

In the past, congregations grew because the pastor visited people. preached, taught, and administered the Sacraments. Over time the leavening effect of the Gospel made its mark without drama, bunnies, snacks, or obsessions with numbers. Now congregations shrink from the Church Shrinkage Movement--invented by Fuller Seminary's sociologist and clown prince (McGavran and Wagner), Pasadena's Snake Oil Salesman in Chief - Robert Schuller.

After 20 years of Church Growth, Shepherd of Peace in Columbus has to borrow money to last another year. Schuller's cathedral is a Roman Catholic Cathedral. And Tim Glende wants everyone to forget the debacle he abandoned in Illinois - Star of Bethlehem, which ended up giving up two church buildings away - the first to the Eastern Orthodox, the second to the Babtists. If ministers abandon the Means of Grace, the Means of Grace will abandon them.

Lammerts won this award for his roses, not for his fashion sense.

No photo does justice to the delicate beauty of the
Queen Elizabeth rose, a good reason to grow them.

Chrysler Imperial Rose
Chrysler Imperial rose is the second famous rose from Walter Lammerts, PhD, a Creationist and leader among Creation scientists. One would expect that being so wrong about science - by modern standards - Lammerts would have been an utter failure in rose genetics. Instead, he developed two of the most famous roses - Chrysler Imperial and Queen Elizabeth.

Relatively few people are famous for their roses. Developing a winning combination of attributes is so rare that when I see certain developer names in the catalogs, I am immediately interested. Only a few names come up in the all time favorites lists - and Lammerts is one of those stars.

Sassy and I Watch the Robins Build a Nest
When I unwrap bare root roses, the twine is cut and left on the ground. During nesting season, bits of string, dead leaves, and twine all become part of nests. When one nest fell from a tree last summer, I noticed a piece of gold wrapper decorating the outside.

I found one piece of twine in an odd place in the yard, so I placed it on the crepe myrtle bush for easy access. Sassy and I were coming back from walking around the cul-de-sack when that same piece fell from the maple tree. We watched a robin dive for the ground, land, and pick it up again. A smaller piece of twine fell soon after and another dive retrieved it. Far up in the maple, the Mr. and Mrs. Robin were building the next. They are the same birds that run a few feet away when I am planting and watering roses. They are not frightened enough to fly up into the tree.

They do not mind hiding behind the roses, waiting for me to go away.

For those waiting for the spring we are already enjoying - save dryer lint, string, and twine for the birds to build their nests. I also break up twigs and throw them in the same place around the maple tree mulch. String and twine can be draped over bumps in the tree or branches in bushes, for easy spotting. Lint can be put in those little wire cages used for suet.

Corn is a high energy food for many birds.
They also enjoy the fruits that are going bad in our fridge.