I Got Me a Chrysler, It Blooms about 20, So Hurry Up and Bring Your Jukebox Money. Chrysler Imperial Rose from Walter Lammerts, Creation Scientist

I Got Me a Rose, It's as Big as a Whale.

Wikipedia

'Chrysler Imperial' is a strongly fragrant, dark red hybrid tea rose cultivar. This variety was bred and publicly debuted by Dr. Walter E. Lammerts of Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge, California, USA in 1952. Its stock parents 'Charlotte Armstrong' (cerise pink) and 'Mirandy' (dark oxblood red) are both 'All American Rose Selections'-roses (awarded in 1940 and 1945).

The elegantly tapered buds open into high-centered blossoms with a diameter of about 11 – 13 cm (5 inches) and can have up to 45-50 petals (which is a high number for a hybrid tea rose) with a rich, deep, velvety red color. The cultivar flushes in a chronological blooming pattern throughout its local season, starting in late spring until fall. The long-stemmed rose flowers are long lasting and showy and make excellent cut flowers.

The rose bush reaches 75 to 200 cm (30 to 72 inches) height, and a diameter of 60 to 120 cm (24 to 48 inches). The shrub has an upright form with very thorny canes and semi-glossy dark green foliage. It is not a cold hardy rose (USDA zone 6b through 9b) and needs good sun exposure. Without good air circulation it is susceptible to mildew and blackspot, particularly in cool climates.^[1][2]

Cultivar (PP01528), United States Patent No: PP 1,167.

Official association with Chrysler Corporation (producers of the Chrysler Imperial automobile)[edit]

In the 1954 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, 25,000 Chrysler Imperial roses in individual refreshment tubes of water covered the base of the float entered by the City of Detroit, Michigan, US and Chrysler Corporation. The theme of the float was Life of an American Workman, as Chrysler Corporation founder Walter P. Chrysler had titled his autobiography. The center of this float featured the figure of an American Workman striding out from the pages of a book to strike a heavy hammer upon an anvil from which floral "sparks" flowed, their trains leading in several directions to various Detroit signature products: an automobile, a truck, an airplane, a tank, and a boat.^[3]

Walter Lammerts, PhD, genetics

Walter Lammerts

Dr. Walter Edward Lammerts (Born::September 25, 1904-Died::June 4, 1996) has a doctorate in genetics, and is well known as a prominent breeder of roses. He reportedly produced 46 new varieties of roses between 1940 and 1981 including the famous Queen Elizabeth. Twenty-five percent of his roses were chosen by the All-American Rose Selection for the years top rose variations. As a result of his efforts the American Rose Society created an entirely new class of rose known as the Grandiflora.

It would not be inappropriate to state that Walter Lammerts is one of the fathers of the modern creation science movement. He was the first president of the Creation Research Society (the first creationist organization in the U.S.), which was founded by 10 scientists in 1964. Dr Lammerts was also the editor of the Creation Research Society Quarterly (CRSQ) from 1964 to 1968. Most notably, he was an active researcher for several decades in biological and geological sciences, and much of his work was published in the CRSQ.

Lammerts' Queen Elizabeth Rose
created a new category of roses - the grandiflora.

*** 

GJ - Lammerts was in contact with Pastor Herman Otten about Creation Science and the need to fund it. As Luther noted in his Genesis commentary, there have been many theories about Creation, and this continues to divide those who reject evolution, which is worthy of rejection.

Red Wiggler's Frequently Asked Questions

Where did you grow up?
Uncle Jim's Worm Farm. I was still young when I was mailed to the Jackson Rose Farm, where I have been working ever since.

How would you describe yourself?
I am all muscle, just one long tube of muscle, devoted to tunneling through soil. Bristles on each segment of muscle allows us to pull through the earth.

What do you do for the soil.
My cousins and I contribute in many ways. We are part of the soil food web. We tunnel through the soil and deposit our casts - we are always eating.

That sounds rather me-centered, or worm-centered. How is that good?
The effect of what we must do is good for all the creatures.

A grand statement - explain.
To live and reproduce, we have to tunnel through soil. These are our talking points:

• Tunneling loosens the soil, so roots can grow more easily.
• Our movement also allows more air to reach the soil and lighten it. 
• Our digging means rain and tap-water can penetrate the lower levels better instead of running off.
• We are good for clay because we mix organic matter with it and loosen it.
• We are good for sandy soil, because we add organic matter to it, to hold more water.
• We concentrate the nutrition plants need in our casts, which are effective but gentle on plants.
• Our casts make the soil hold together better.
• We also excrete nitrogen products through our custom kidneys.
• We multiply rapidly and spread our eggs throughout the soil.
• We like sweet soil, but we also sweeten it more by adding Caltrate (TM) to the soil with our calcium carbonate glands. Most plants like sweet soil.

It is said by Lowenfels that you "graze on bacteria." Can you justify this behavior?

We survive that way. The bacterial we consume work on all that organic matter we swallow and pass through our digestive system. The bacteria break down the materials, releasing the nutrition for everyone to use. When it comes to eating bacteria, blame the protozoa for that, but they let bacteria thrive and also keep them in check by eating them. It's a complicated relationship.

Indeed. You sound like a harmless and yet beneficial creature. Do you have any enemies?

We have many, due to our astonishing fertility and muscular build:

1. Robins hunt us all the time, and yet people cheer for the robins.
2. Moles consume us as they tunnel through the soil, but they like grubs too.
3. Beetles and lizards eat earthworms.
4. Centipedes hunt us.
5. Ants bury our departed. So they say. They dine on us, to be frank.
6. And fisherman dote on us, then dangle us in the water for fish to grab.

So how do you fit into the soil food web you mentioned?
We are the obvious sign of soil fertility. You cannot see the bacteria and protozoa, which are very important. Fungi are also microscopic. Fungi do the heavy lifting in breaking down organic matter like wood and bark. Compared to all the microbes, we are giant freight trains, moving bacteria and other microscopic life around. We are individually small, but we add up to monstrous size and weight per garden, always working and fertilizing. You dig a hole and call it heroic. We turn over all the soil - routinely.

What are your turn-ons?
We like organic matter on top of the soil. That gives us darkness for working it into the soil - we react against sunlight. We also like the moisture held in the soil, so mulch does both for us. We also like fallen leaves, plant material, and grass clippings.

What are your turn-off?
We hate all poisons. They kill us and they slaughter our food sources. Rototillers are sick, babaric imitations of what we do. They osterize the soil and kill us.

What is the latest book you have read?
The Wormhaven Gardening Book. There is a sequel coming out later - Creation Gardening.

Promised to a Young Mother - Luther's Sermon on "A Little While" for Jubilate Sunday. John 16:16-23

Luther's First Sermon for Jubilate -  the Third Sunday after Easter; John 16:16-23


KJV John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. 17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. 19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

A Sermon by Martin Luther; taken from his Church Postil.

[The following sermon is taken from volume III:73-85 of The Sermons of Martin Luther, published by Baker Book House (Grand Rapids, MI). It was originally published in 1907 in English by Lutherans in All Lands Press (Minneapolis, MN), as The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther, vol. 12. The pagination from the Baker edition has been maintained for referencing. This e-text was scanned and edited by Richard P. Bucher, it is in the public domain and it may be copied and distributed without restriction.]


I. What Moved Christ to Deliver This Sermon of Comfort

1. Here in this Gospel we see how the Lord comforts and imparts courage to his children whom he is about to leave behind him, when they would come in fear and distress on account of his death or of their backsliding. We also notice what induced the evangelist John to use so many words that he indeed repeats one expression four times, which according to our thinking he might have expressed in fewer words. There is first of all presented to us here the nature of the true Christian in the example of the dear apostles. In the second place, how the suffering and the resurrection of Christ are to become effective in us.

2. We also see that Christ announces to his disciples, how sorrowful they should be because he would leave them, but they are still so simpleminded and ignorant, and also so sorrowful on account of his recent conversation at the Last Supper, that they did not understand at all what he said unto them; yea, the nature of that which Christ presents to them is too great and incomprehensible for them. And it was also necessary that they should first become sorrowful before they could rejoice, even as Christ himself was an example to us that without the cross we could not enter into glory. Hence he says in Luke 24, 26 to the two, with whom he journeyed to Emmaus: "Behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?" If therefore the dear disciples were to have joy, they must first of all pass through great sorrow. But this joy came to them through the Lord Jesus; for it is decreed in the Gospel, that without Christ there is no joy; and on the other hand, where Christ is, there is no sorrow, as is plainly stated in the text. Hence when Christ was taken from them, they were in great sorrow.

3. And these words here in this Gospel Christ the Lord spake unto his disciples after the Last Supper, before he was apprehended. Let us look at them:

"A little while and ye behold me no more, and again a little while and ye shall see me, for I go to the Father."

II. THE SERMON OF COMFORT ITSELF.

A. Contents Of This Sermon.

4. "A little while," he says, "and ye behold me no more," for I shall be taken prisoner and they shall deliver me to death. But it will not last long, and during this short time ye shall be sorrowful, but only remain steadfast in me and follow me. It will soon have an end. Three days I will be in the grave; then the world will rejoice as though it had gained a victory, but ye shall be sorrowful and shall weep and lament. "And again a little while, and ye shall see me; and, Because I go to the Father." That is, on the third day I will rise again; then ye shall rejoice and your joy no man shall take from you, and this will not be a joy of only three days, like the joy of the world, but an eternal joy. Thus the Evangelist John most beautifully expresses the death and resurrection of Christ in these words, when Christ says, "A little while, and ye behold me not; and again a little while, and ye shall see me; and, Because I go to the Father."

5. An example is here given us, which we should diligently lay hold of and take to heart; if it went with us as it did in the time of the apostles, that we should be in suffering, anxiety and distress, we should also remember to be strong and to rejoice because Christ will arise again. We know that this has come to pass; but the disciples did not know how he should be raised, or what he meant by the resurrection, hence they were so sorrowful and so sad. They heard indeed that they should see him, but they did not understand what it was or how it should come to pass. Therefore they said among themselves, "What is this that he saith to us, A little while? We know not what he saith." To such an extent had sadness and sorrow overcome them, that they quite despaired, and knew not what these words meant and how they would see him again.

6. Therefore we must also feel within us this "a little while" as the dear disciples felt it, for this is written for our example and instruction, so that we may thereby be comforted and be made better. And we should use this as a familiar adage among ourselves; yea, we should feel and experience it, so that we might at all times say, God is at times near and at times he has vanished out of sight. At times I remember how the Word seems neither to move me nor to apply to me. It passes by; I give no heed to it. But to this "a little while" we must give heed and pay attention, so that we may remain strong and steadfast. We will experience the same as the disciples. We cannot do otherwise than is written here; even as the disciples were not able to do otherwise.

7. The first "a little while" in that he says, "A little while, and ye shall behold me no more," they could soon afterwards understand, when they saw that he was taken prisoner and put to death, but the second "a little while" in that he says: "And again a little while, and ye shall see me," that they could not understand, and we also cannot understand it. Yea and when he says: "Because I go to the Father," that they understand still less. Thus it also goes with us: although we know and hear that trials, misfortune and sorrow endure but a little while, yet we see that it constantly appears different than we believe. Then we despair and waver, and cannot be reconciled to it. We hear and we know very well that it shall not last very long, but how that result shall be accomplished we can never understand, as the disciples here cannot understand it.

8. But since they are unable to understand it why does Christ relate it to them or why is it written? In order that we should not despair but hold fast to the Word, assured that it is indeed thus and not otherwise, even though it seems to be different. And although we do at times depart from the Word, we should not therefore remain altogether away from it, but return again, for he makes good his Word. Even though man cannot believe it, God will nevertheless help him to believe it, and this he does without man's reason or free will and without man adding anything thereto. Yea, the Evangelist tells us that the disciples could not understand the words the Lord spake to them; how much less could they understand his works which followed afterwards. So very little does the free will and understanding of man know of the things pertaining to the salvation of the soul. These temporal things the free will can perceive and know, such as the cock crowing, which he can hear and his reason can also understand it; but when it is a question of understanding the work and Word of God, then human reason must give it up; it cannot make head or tail of it, although it pretends to understand a great deal about it. The glory thereof is too bright, the longer he beholds it the blinder he becomes.

9. This is presented very plainly to our minds in the disciples who, though they had been so long with the Lord, yet they did not understand what he said to them. Well, neither will we be able to learn nor to understand this until we experience it; as when we say, Such and such a thing happened to me; this I felt and thus it went with me, then I was in anxiety; but it did not last long. Then I was encompassed by this temptation and by that adversity, but God delivered me soon out of them etc.

10. We should take to heart and firmly hold fast to these words and keep them in mind when in sorrow and distress, that it will not last long, then we would also have more constant joy, for as Christ and his elect had their "a little while," so you and I and everyone will have his "a little while." Pilate and Herod will not crucify you, but in the same manner as the devil used them, so he will also use your persecutors. Therefore when your trials come, you must not immediately think how you are to be delivered out of them. God will help you in due time. Only wait. It is only for a little while, he will not delay long.

11. But you must not lay the cross and sorrow upon yourself as some have indeed done, who chose for themselves death and imprisonment, and said, Christ willingly entered into death; he willingly permitted himself to be apprehended and delivered. I will also do the same. No, you dare not do this. Your cross and suffering will not long delay coming. These good people did not understand it. The dear disciples also said in Mt 26, 35 that they would remain with Christ and die with him. Peter said in John 13, 37 he would not deny Christ, or would give his life for him; but how was it in the end? Christ went into the garden, trembled and quaked, was apprehended, put to death; Peter however forsook him. Where was now this great confidence, this boldness and courage of Peter? He thought Christ would die with joyful courage, and he would also follow him, but alas he was badly mistaken.

12. Here you easily see that the sorrow and sufferings, in which we expected to remain permanently, were of our own choosing, but when the hour finally comes, of which you never thought before, you will hardly be able to stand, unless you become a new man. The old Adam despairs, he does not abide, he cannot abide, for it goes against his nature, against his purpose and against his designs. Hence you must have your own time, then you must suffer a little. For Christ withdraws himself from you and permits you to remain in the power of sin, of death and of hell. There the heart cannot accomplish very much to calm the conscience, do whatever it will, for Christ departs and dies. Then you will have the refrain, "A little while, and ye shall not behold me." Where will you go? There is no comfort. There is no help. You are in the midst of sin; in the midst of death; in the midst of hell. If Christ would not come now independent of any merit of your own, then you would be compelled to remain in this tribulation and terror eternally, for thus it would have happened also to the disciples, if Christ had not risen from the dead and become alive. Therefore it was necessary for him again to arise from the dead.

13. Now this everyone must experience and suffer, either now or upon his deathbed when he dies, but how much better it is to experience it now, for when at some future time we shall be cast into the fire for the sake of the Gospel and be counted as heretics, then we shall see of what profit this is; for if the heart is not strong at such a time, what shall become of us, for there our eyes shall see the torture and the terror of death. Whither shall we go? Therefore if Christ is not present, and if he should then withdraw his hand we are already lost; but if he is with us to help, the flesh may indeed die, but all is well with the soul, for Christ has taken it to himself. There it is safe, no one shall pluck it out of his hand. Jn 10, 28.

14. But this we cannot accomplish with words, an experience is here needed for that. Well it is for him who experience this now, then surely it will not be hard for him to die. It is very perilous indeed if we must learn this upon our deathbed, namely, how to wrestle with and conquer death. Therefore it was indeed a great favor and mercy of God, which he showed to the holy martyrs and apostles in whom he had first conquered death, then afterwards they were prepared without fear to suffer everything that could be laid upon them.

B. This Sermon Of Comfort Explained.

15. All this is presented to us in our Gospel, but since the disciples could not understand what he meant in that he said "A little while" and he noticed that they were desirous to ask him, he continues and explains it to them in these simple words and says,

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy."

16. This is spoken to all Christians, for every Christian must have temptations, trials, anxieties, adversities, sorrows, come what may. Therefore he mentions here no sorrow nor trial, he simply says they shall weep, lament, and be sorrowful, for the Christian has many persecutions. Some are suffering loss of goods; others there are whose character is suffering ignominy and scorn; some are drowned, others are burned; some are beheaded; one perishes in this manner, and another in that; it is therefore the lot of the Christian constantly to suffer misfortune, persecution, trials and adversity. This is the rod or fox tail with which they are punished. They dare not look for anything better as long as they are here. This is the court color by which the Christian is recognized, and if anyone wants to be a Christian, he dare not be ashamed of his court color or livery.

17. Why does God do this and permit his own to be persecuted and hounded? In order to suppress and subdue the free will, so that it may not seek an expedient in their works; but rather become a fool in God's works and learn thereby to trust and depend upon God alone.

I8. Therefore when this now comes to pass, we shall not be able to accommodate ourselves to it, and shall not understand it, unless Christ himself awakens us and makes us cheerful, so that his resurrection becomes effective in us, and all our works fall to pieces and be as nothing. Therefore the text here concludes powerfully, that man is absolutely nothing in his own strength. Here everything is condemned and thrust down that has been and may still be preached about good works; for this is the conclusion; where Christ is not, there is nothing. Ask St. Peter how he was disposed when Christ was not with him. What good works did he do? He denied Christ. He renounced him with an oath. Like good works we do, when we have not Christ with us.

19. Thus all serves to the end that we should accustom ourselves to build alone upon Christ, and to depend upon no other work, upon no other creature, whether in heaven or upon earth. In this name alone are we preserved and blessed, and in none other. Acts 4, 12 and 10, 43. But on this account we must suffer much. The worst of all is, that we must not only suffer shame, persecution and death; but that the world rejoices because of our great loss and misfortunes. This is indeed very hard and bitter. Surely it shall thus come to pass, for the world will rejoice when it goes ill with us; but this comfort we have that their joy shall not last long, and our sorrow shall be turned into eternal joy. Of this the Lord gives us a beautiful parable of the woman in travail, when he says:

"A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come, but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world."

C. This Sermon Of Comfort Is Illustrated By A Parable.

20. With this parable be also shows that our own works are nothing, for here we see that if all women came to the help of this woman in travail, they would accomplish nothing. Here free will is at its end and is unable to accomplish anything, or to give any advice. It is not in the power of the woman to be delivered of the child, but she feels that it is wholly in the hand and power of God. When he helps and works, then something is accomplished, but where he does not help, all is lost, even if the whole world were present. In this God shows to the woman her power, her ability and her strength. Before this, she could dance and leap; she rejoiced and was happy, but now she sees how God must do all. Hereby we perceive that God is our Father, who also must deliver us from the womb and bring us forth to life.

21. Christ says here to his disciples, So it will also go with you. The woman is here in such a state of mind that she is fearful of great danger, and yet she knows that the whole work lies in the hands of God; in him she trusts; upon him it is she depends; he also helps her and accomplishes the work, which the whole world could not do, and she thinks of nothing but the time that shall follow, when she shall again rejoice; and her heart feels and says, A dangerous hour is at hand, but afterwards it will be well. Courage and' the heart press through all obstacles. Thus it will also be with you, when you are in sorrow and adversity, and when you become new creatures. Only quietly wait and permit God to work. He will accomplish everything without your assistance.

22. This parable of the woman is a strong and stubborn argument against free will, that it is entirely powerless and without strength in the things pertaining to the salvation of our souls. The Gospel shows very plainly that divine strength and grace are needed. Man's free will is entirely too weak and insignificant to accomplish anything here. But we have established our own orders and regulations instead of the Gospel and through these we want to free ourselves from sin, from death, from hell, and from all misfortune and finally be saved thereby. A great mistake.

23. Here you see in this example, that if a man is to be born the mother must become first as though she were dead; that is, she must be in a condition as though she were already dead, she thinks it is now all over with her. Thus it shall be also with us. If we want to become godly, we must be as dead, and despair of all our works, yea, never think that we shall be able to accomplish anything. Here no monastic life, no priest-craft and no works will be able to help; but wait thou patiently and permit God to do with you according to his will. He shall accomplish it; permit him to work, We shall accomplish nothing ourselves, but at times we shall feel death and hell. This the ungodly shall also feel, but they do not believe that God is present in it and wants to help them. Just as the woman here accomplishes nothing, she only feels pain, distress and misery; but she cannot help herself out of this state.

24. But when delivered of the child she remembers no more her sorrow and pain, but is as though she had become alive again. She could not before even think that her sorrow and pain should have an end so soon. Thus it is also with us in the trials of sin, of death, and of hell; then we are as though we were dead; yea, we are in the midst of death, and Christ has forsaken us. He has gone a little while from us. Then we are in great pain and cannot help ourselves; but when Christ returns, and makes himself known to us, our hearts are full of joy, even though the whole world be to the contrary.

25. This no one can realize unless he has once been encompassed by death. He who has once been delivered from death must then rejoice; not that such a person cannot again fall and be sorrowful at times, but since this joy is at hand he worries about nothing. He also fears nothing, no matter by what dangers he may be surrounded. This joy can indeed be interrupted, for when I fall again into sin, then I fear even a driven leaf. Lev 26, 36. Why? Because Christ has departed a little while from me and has forsaken me; but I will not despair, for this joy will return again. I must not then continue and cling to the pope, nor endeavor to help myself by works; but I must quietly wait until Christ comes again. He remains but a little while without. When he then looks again upon the heart and appears and shines into it, the joy returns. Then shall I be able to meet every misfortune and terror.

26. All this is said and written that we may be conscious of our weakness and inability, and that as far as our works are concerned all is nothing, all is utterly lost. But this joy is almighty and eternal when we are dead; but now in this life it is mixed. Now I fall and then I rise again, and it cannot be eternal, because flesh and blood are still with me. Therefore Christ says to his disciples:

"And ye now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."

27. All this David has described in a psalm in a most masterly and beautiful manner, when he says in Psalm 30, 1-8: "I will extol thee, 0 Jehovah, for thou hast raised me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. 0 Jehovah, my God: I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me. 0 Jehovah, thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol, thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise unto Jehovah, 0 ye saints of his, and give thanks to his holy memorial name for his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime; weeping may tarry for the night, but joy cometh in the morning. As for me, I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved. Thou, Jehovah, of thy favor hadst made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face; I was troubled. I cried to Thee, 0 Jehovah; and unto Jehovah I made supplication." Where is now the man who just said: "I shall never be moved?" Well, he replies, when thou, Jehovah, of thy favor didst make my mountains to stand strong, then I spoke thus. "But when thou didst hide thy face, I was troubled," I fell. If Christ were continually with us, I really believe we would never be afraid; but since he occasionally departs from us we must therefore at times be afraid.

28. In this Psalm is beautifully portrayed to us how to recognize and experience a good conscience, for here David considers the whole world as a drop, and is not the least afraid of it, even though it should storm and rage against him, for he has the Lord with him. He has made his mountain to stand strong, but when he fell and the Lord hid his face from him, then he was afraid. Then were heart, courage, and mountain gone. Then was he afraid of a driven leaf, who before was not afraid of the whole world, as he also says in another psalm unto the Lord: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Ps 23,4. Likewise in Ps 3,6 he says: "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people that have set themselves against me round about." Passages like these can be multiplied in the Psalms, all of which show how an upright good conscience stands, namely; when God is with it, it is courageous and brave, but when God has departed, it is fearful and terrified.

29. Here we rightly understand now what the words of Christ signify, "I go to the Father." Before this no one understood them, not even the disciples. But this is the road: I must die, he saith, and ye must also die. Peter vowed boastfully; for according to the old Adam he wanted to die with the Lord, and we all think we want to die with Christ, as all the other disciples said that they would enter into death with Christ. Mt 26,35. But all this must perish in us. You must come to the moment of trial, when Christ does not stand by you and does not die with you, when you cannot help yourself, just like the woman in travail. When this takes place, then you come to the Father. That is, you are filled with his power, and be makes a new man of you, who thereafter is not afraid, whose character is already here a heavenly character, as St. Paul calls it in Phil 3, 20; and this has its beginning here, by faith. Then you become courageous and brave, and can say as the prophet in the Psalm, "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people," and "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil." Why all this? Because you have come to the Father. Who can now overthrow God's omnipotence? No one. Aye, then no one can do anything to you or cause you any harm.


30. This no one will understand until it has come to pass. Have you been encompassed by death and been delivered from it, then you will say, I was in death, and if the Lord had not delivered me, I would have remained in death's grasp forever. The entire thirtieth Psalm refers to this, which you will do well to examine thoroughly and consider faithfully.


31. Here you have now the fruit and the example of the death and the resurrection of Christ, and how free will is nothing, and everything reason concludes regarding these things, which pertain to our salvation. May God give grace that we may lay hold of it and regulate our lives accordingly, Amen.

Watering Newly Planted Bare Root Roses

Some people like to fish, but that requires equipment, bait, and a good place to drop a line, plus time away.

I was put in charge of selling my father's Ford Falcon station wagon, truly a triple loser, and one salesman said, "That would be a good car for fishing." I thought, "Yes, a veiled put-down in the form of a compliment."

I took Sassy out to water the newly planted roses. She sat in the front and guarded the yard against all intruders. Her nature is to watch and listen, so I pay attention when she goes on alert. That reminds me of the Louis Lamour novels where the hero faced away from the fire, to save his night vision, and relied on the horses to pick up alien sounds.

Sassy's radar extends one block, easily. She notices people outside, or unusual noises, or her favorite kitty pussy-footing across the lawn. She blocks out all birds, distant rabbits and squirrels.

Mrs. Ichabod asked, "You watered the roses? It rained hard yesterday." Yes, it did, I explained, but the canes like to be watered after lots of sun and steady winds. My shallow bird-baths dry up in steady winds, so that means the new roses are equally susceptible to drying.

Another advantage of additional watering is settling the soil around the bare roots. On planting day, the soil may be crumbly and go into the right place. On the other hand, I have seen pockets of air form when I needed a bit more soil around the plant. Mushroom compost and cow compost are handy for piling concentrated humus material on top for the soil creatures to work into the clay soil. That tends to wash into the voids.

The rose experts often say, "If you cannot plant a bare root rose right away, heel in the plant." That means digging a hole fast and tossing in the bush, throwing some soil on top. In other words, a quick planting is not fatal. If the roses are plentiful and the workers are few, the digging is not going to be as fastidious and fussy as we might imagine during our wintry dreams.

That reminds me of the old (bad) advice to dig enormous holes and displace gigantic amounts of soil. The real work is done by the roots growing and the soil creatures feeding those roots. To paraphrase the statement about political government, "The best soil management is the least soil management." As Shewell-Cooper wrote in his famous book, the organic materials place on top of the soil will be drawn down below until they are no longer needed. At that point the compost becomes mulch or the mulch stops being pulled down. Earthworms and all the other fantastic soil creatures do the work. The best we can do is favor God's Creation by cooperating with the divine plan.

W. E. Shewell-Cooper was a famous British gardener.
As Eric Hoffer wrote, "If you can shake one idea out of a book..."
His idea is leaving organics on top,
not stirring them into the soil like a porridge on a stove.

Sassy was ready to walk when we were done. When she has me in a good pattern - for her - she expects a ride in the limo after her walk - or a walk after her ride in the limo. Her motto: "Always be closing. Always expect the best results."

California Dreamin' Rose.

We never know if the roses are going to be as astonishing as they are in the catalogs. California Dreamin' looked like one I had to have, so I planted that last year. The real test is how established they become, and that takes time for all of them.

(Plant Patent #21388) The original Princess de Monaco rose introduced in 1984 still remains a favorite of many rosarians, epitomizing the beauty, elegance and radiance of its namesake. This new Meilland introduction captures all the great qualities of the original 'Princess', but is enhanced with strong citrus fragrance, even better flower form and more tolerance to common rose diseases. Why the name 'California Dreamin'? Simply because the exceptional rose climates of California and the dry West enhances every one of its fine qualities making it truly a 'dream' rose. Flower Size: 4-6". Fragrance: Strong citrus. Hybridizer: Meilland, 2009.

If a rose performs the first year, the next few years will probably far better. Here are my basic treatments for weaker rose bushes:

• Pour rain water on them whenever possible.
• Go back and give them extra water when watering, especially by washing off the canes.
• Add plenty of mulch around the plant, so grass or other plants are not competing for water and food.
• Snip off dead wood, crossing canes, and tips of canes. Pruning adds energy to growth.

• Remove spent flowers at once to push energy into new flowers.
• Cut back on buds to get fewer, better blooms.

Paradise Rose cost me $5 each.

Additional Comments on Luther's Sermons

A Pastor Writes about Luther's Sermons, After Requ...

Apr 7, 2016, 

As a new post, that one led for the last seven days, so I copied it for the second half of this post. Some comments rolled in about it, so I will add a few more thoughts.

I have no idea how most pastors prepare and give their sermons, but I have some opinions about the topic.

Walther is quoted as saying, "The closer to Luther, the better the theologian," probably the most scathing self-indictment ever penned by an American Lutheran idol. Walther perfectly fit the model described by Luther in his Galatians commentary, quoted above - hindering the Gospel by "building and correcting" rather than actively persecuting and destroying. Walther had to be the whole show, the corpse at every funeral and the bride at every wedding, as they said about Teddy Roosevelt - the seminary president, the synod president, the editor in chief of everything. He had to produce his own dogmatics text so the shepherds-to-be would be guided by The Great Walther, BA.

Nevertheless, the saying is true - "The closer to Luther, the better the theologian." The worst way to learn Luther is through Luther studies, an impressive industry by itself. Exactly when did Luther discover the Gospel? and so forth. People can declaim endlessly "about Luther" without ever agreeing with him.

I recall Jay Webber as a new graduate of Concordia Ft. Wayne engaging on a diatribe of what was wrong with Luther. I asked, "Have you read Luther?" His answer was - "No." And nothing is different decades later in his botch of a paper at the Emmaus Conference. Proving they never read Luther either, the audience did not deprive him of food, bait him with dogs, and pelt him with manure. Nor would they know where that reference came from. (Hint - Luther's Large but Unread Catechism.)

One draws closer to Luther by reading his sermons: it is as simple as that. Luther thought correctly that the sermon was the whole matter in Christianity. The Christian Church was built upon the sermon, not programs, and thrived on doctrinal teaching and preaching. I favor the Lenker set because I have owned it forever, quoted from it, read and reread the sermons. I have not learned all of it yet and do not expect to live long enough to appreciate all of its wealth. I have volumes in the car for when I need something to read and usually read all or part of the sermon designated for the next Sunday.

Here is the Lenker set combined with the House Sermons.

Preach Without Any Notes?
Someone asked this. I came to this conclusion by teaching thousands of adults, listening to hundreds of presentations, and trying different approaches. My adult students, undergraduate and graduate, have agreed about these basic principles.

• If we have something to read in front of us, we will read it. The moment we read, we start to lose eye contact with our audience and they stop listening.
• Speaking to an audience must be interactive, so the speaker anticipates what the audience is thinking and responds to that, like a tennis player preparing for the return.. Read sermons are more like golf, where the topic is struck until the game is over. Tennis requires another person. Golf does not.
• Speaking without notes comes about through preparation. The sermon text is all we need as a reminder, an outline. If we know that text well, preaching about it is relatively easy.
• I threw my classes into a panic by telling them not to use any notes at all, including speaker's notes on the Power Point. I also forbade them the luxury of reading the PP slide to their suffering audience. 
• In two rare cases I had the same group of students for two classes in a row. They all proved that with preparation, they could speak without any notes - if they prepared with a lot of research. (Some read from Internet essays, with their "notes" showing the URL of the material they plagiarized. They earned zeros and screeched mightily about the injustice of it all.)

Here I must confess to the origin of my method - CFW Walther. He advocated writing out the sermon in advance - which is essential for mental preparation, then setting the manuscript aside for the sermon.

I believe we owe our congregations a copy of the sermon, posted on the Net. When John Parlow did this, WELS pastors noticed "his" sermons were almost verbatim from various Babtist sources. Soon the sermons were no longer posted on the congregation's websty. Parlow writes - "The Word works, so dream big," but has he even tried the Word of God? He needs to study under gay activist Andy Stanley to learn how to do his job.

American Lutherdom has declined so rapidly because the leaders have been improving upon Luther while remaining ignorant of Luther's teaching. They are in love with Fuller Seminary methods or Roman Catholic high church entertainment. In fact, they love every denomination except their own.

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2016/04/a-pastor-writes-about-luthers-sermons.html

Lutheran Pastor:
I want to tell you that you were the one who turned me on to the Lenker 8 volume set of Luther's Sermons. I ordered them used on Amazon years ago after reading Ichabod for some time. I try to read a Luther sermon for my own sermon preparation each week. I never finish any of his sermons though because they are so good that I find myself drifting into all sorts of thoughts, repentance for my own sins, and most of all, renewed confidence in God's mercy in Christ.

Luther's sermons should be required reading for all "Lutheran" clergy. I have often said that ever since I graduated seminary I've spend my time unlearning that teaching and learning how to be Lutheran instead. The fact that Luther's sermons are not required reading, or even suggested, shows a lot about how far Lutheranism in America has come. So thanks for pointing me to Luther's sermons.

PS - You can even mention that the anonymous comment came from a Concordia Seminary - St. Louis grad, whose first reading assignment in seminary was Rick Warren's "Purpose-Driven Life." (which is 100% true).

The Robin Family Is Irritated with Me. I Interrupt Their Dinners All the Time

The Robin, by Norma Boeckler

I really irritated the Robin family on Saturday. I am quite sure Mr. and Mrs. Robin work the rose garden together. Males are sparring for territory at this time, so robins cooperating must be nesting together.

I was constantly moving around in the front yard, hating to disturb them. They scurried away each time, not afraid but cautious in getting out of the way.

They know an earthworm supermarket when they see one. The rosebed has remained untouched for several years, heavily mulched, and watered when necessary. I scattered three shipments of red wigglers over the rose gardens to make sure the plants had the best soil available: tunneled, mixed, manured, and aerated.

When I added logs as a rustic fence, the robins gained a good place to look for their meals without touching the ground. Earthworms respond to noise or vibration, so a perch is valuable for birds pouncing on prey. Birds also use logs as safe places to preen their feathers.

The tenacity of the robins is impressive. Once I caught one with a beak full of leaves for the nest. He was not giving up that prize as he dodged my apparent path.

The funniest was the robin who hid behind a rose bush when I came outside to inspect the flowers. He peeked at my from behind the bush, looking like a child playing hide and seek.

I will be setting up flat pans to gather water for drinking and bathing in the front yard. The mainstay is the pan holding the air conditioner's condensate. Flat clay pans for under flower pots are good for placing under soaker hoses to capture water and remain fairly clean.

The best bird food is NO POISONS. Every poison knocks down all the creatures, often making it especially safe for the pests to return. A toxin-free yard allows all the creatures to reach their maximum density and feed each other.

Now Being Proof-Read - Catholic Lutheran Protestant: A Doctrinal Comparison of Three Christian Confessions

After Catholic Lutheran Protestant is done, Liberalism, Its Cause and Cure will be edited and switched over to Amazon-Create Space-Kindle.

Entering Production - THY STRONG WORD: The Efficacy of the Word in the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions

This book was first published and shunned in 2000. However, the laity took hold of it and saw the doctrine of the Word as consistent with the Scriptures and the Book of Concord. Although Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant has sold far more copies, Thy Strong Word has disrupted the facile lying of the UOJ Stormtroopers who would rather hide in the tall grass than come out and fight.

If I can find the 2000 edition with Hebrew and Greek, I will post that as a PDF only.

At the request of many, I had the book edited to exclude Hebrew and Greek in 2011. That has been available as a hardcover on Lulu.

Now I have had the 2011 version proof-read for typos, and the book will be prepared for Amazon-Create Space-Kindle editions. Kindle is very useful for

1. Searching, 
2. Copying and pasting 
3. With the citation automatically given with the quotation.

Norma Boeckler is working on some graphics for the interior - and the tentative covers are above and below. This will be a paperback (no options at Create Space) and a larger font is planned.

The next book conversion is Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant.

In Sure and Certain Hope of a Long-Lasting Rainstorm, I Planted the Roses

Saturday brought the delivery of bare root roses from Edmunds'. The weather map looked ominous or optimistic, depending on one's point of view. I expected some rain on Saturday, maybe a big storm and definite rain on Sunday. The system developed but little rain fell until Monday morning. Some rain is still dripping off the eaves, where I have four barrels and one little trash can stationed. More is on the way.

The effect of rain and snow is unquestioned. God's Word does not speak of water having these results, but rain and snow. As one farmer said, "Water keeps my crops alive. Rain makes them grow and produce."

Like the rain and snow, God's Word

1. Never returns void.
2. Always accomplishes God's purpose, and 
3. Always prospers His will.

A rainstorm has a powerful and unique influence on all life because it also brings down dissolved nitrogen compounds that are the basis for all life, the building block of proteins. Nitrogen in the air is useless for plants, but the vast supplies in the atmosphere are rendered useful by lightning. The lightning and thunder people often fear is the basis for their lawns and gardens greening up. I am sure statistics exist for how many tons of fertilizer fall from the sky during a rainstorm. One only has to look at a straw colored lawn turn green in August to realize its value.

In the soil, this fertilizer-rain wakes up all the microbes and miniature creatures. Although gardeners give due credit to the earthworms hatching and wiggling to life in the rain, the larger creatures really depend on the microbes. Bacteria travel on water and suspend life in drought. Protozoa and earthworms need bacterial and moisture, so everything is jumping and jiving at once.

All life depends on this water, and the increase of all living things (biomass) holds that water and the nutritious elements in the soil at the root zone. Last fall we made a pyramid of maple leaves under the crepe myrtle bush. Whenever more raking involved those leaves, which interlock and stay in place, the pile was supplemented. Now the leaves are all gone from under the bush, some doubtless blown away, but most of them turned into soil food by springtails, mites, and earthworms.

The root hairs of the roses - and all plants - barter for nutrition from the fungi, which grow fast in the rain. The plants offer the carbon the fungi cannot make for themselves. The fungi provide water and nutrition for the plants in exchange for the carbon credits, as demanded by the plants. All soil life engages in this Vanity Fair of swapping one thing for another, sometimes by barter, often by ingestion.

The bare root roses move from dormancy, truly asleep, to growing on its own, red-green leaves popping out of the stems and soon buds beginning to form. Then they are no longer wobbly in the soil but rooted and grounded.

I enjoy digging in the roses. More people should engage in gardening and see how God's Creation is designed, engineered to take care of itself (in a manner of speaking). All the creatures of the soil work together without a local supervisor and yet they thrive because of divine management, which we take for granted. The ancients begged their idols to give them fertility, because crops meant life or death for them. We trust smelly bags of NPK and forget the origin and the supervisor of this vast wealth in Creation.

When the LCMS Swallows the WELS Hairball - Unexpected Results Will Follow

The Shepherds of Israel are well fed.

Ezekiel 34 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;

8 As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;

9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;

10 Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

11 For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the LordGod.

16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.

18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?

19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

20 Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.

21 Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;

22 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

24 And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.

25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

30 Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God.

31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.

Through Jeske and Kelm, ministerial conferences with ELCA female leaders
have been established - without a murmur from Harrison or Schroeder.

The LCMS, WELS, and Little Sect on the Prairie have made a series of moves designed to facilitate the re-establishment of the Synodical Conference. Working with ELCA is no issue since that has been going on for decades.

One outcome will be the closing of schools, which would have happened anyway. But official cooperation will make those closings easier to accomplish. The synod leaders will simply say, "We cannot keep supporting so many. The money is not there." There are surplus colleges, seminaries, and parochial schools. 

When this fact is officially denied, we will consider that confirmed as fact.

WELS may find that numbers of clergy will leave their sect for some fresh air and better living conditions in the LCMS. That will dumb down WELS even more, if that is even possible. 

Inter-Synod businesses have been established for some time. Cornerstone - the money-raising business is WELS-LCMS. Cornerstone violates the ethical statement of the professional fund-raisers, by working for a commission. 

Cornerstone Stewardship Ministry was founded by and run by LCMS and WELS Church Growthers. Their tribute to WELS' Ron Roth is simply hilarious.

Ron Roth - In Honorarium

We give thanks to Ron Roth and his many years of service to the church at large and more specifically to our special ministry. Ron gained entrance to heaven on January 3, 2011, where he met Jesus face to face. Now, he sings praises of thanks to Jesus all the time! Cornerstone wishes to acknowledge Ron’s contributions to our many and varied stewardship material. His writings on grace-based stewardship continue to live on after his death and benefit God’s people in many ways. We are so grateful for Ron’s friendship, time and special partnership with our team. To God be the glory!

Time of Grace overlaps with Cornerstone money-raising and includes WELS-ELCA-ELS-LCMS. Through Time of Grace and Thrivent, Jeske is at the helm of WELS, ELS, and LCMS.