Luther on the Five Requirements for Prayer - Rogate Sunday

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Luther's Sermon for ROGATE  - FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

SECOND SERMON.


KJV John 16:23 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. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. 25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. 26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. 28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. 29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. 30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.




A SERMON ON PRAYER.

1. First we note that in order for a prayer to be really right and to be heard five things are required. The first is, that we have from God his promise or his permission to speak to him, and that we remember the same before we pray and remind God of it, thereby encouraging ourselves to pray in a calm and confident frame of mind. Had God not told us to pray, and pledged himself to hear us, none of his creatures could ever, with all their prayers, obtain so much as a grain of corn. From this, then, there follows that no one receives anything from God by virtue of his own merit or that of his prayer. His answer comes by virtue of the divine goodness alone, which precedes every prayer and desire, which moves us, through his gracious promise and call, to pray and to desire, in order that we may learn how much he cares for us, and how he is more ready to give than we are to receive. He would have us seek to become bold, to pray in a calm and confident spirit, since he offers all, and even more, than we are able to ask.

2. In the second place, it is necessary that we never doubt the pledge and promise of the true and faithful God. For even to this end did God pledge himself to hear, yea, commanded us to pray, in order that we may always have a sure and firm faith that we will be heard; as Jesus says in Matthew 21:22: “All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Christ says in Luke 11:9-13: “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. And of which of you that is a father shall his son ask a loaf, and he give him a stone? or a fish, and he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” With this and like promises and commands we must consolingly exercise ourselves and pray in true confidence.

3. In the third place, if one prays doubting that God will hear him, and only offers his prayers as a venture, whether it be granted or not granted, he is guilty of two wicked deeds. The first is, that he, himself, makes his prayer unavailing and he labors in vain. For Jesus says: “Whoever will ask of God, let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.” James 1:6-7. He means that the heart of such a man does not continue stable, therefore God can give it nothing; but faith keeps the heart calm and stable and makes it receptive for the divine gifts.

4. The other wicked deed is, that he regards his most true and faithful God as a liar and an unstable and doubtful being; as one who can not or will not keep his promise; and thus through his doubt he robs God of his honor and of his name of truth and faithfulness. In this, such a grievous sin is committed that by this sin a Christian becomes a heathen, denying and losing his own God, and thus he remains in his sin, and must be condemned forever, without comfort. Moreover, if he receives that for which he prays, it will be given, not for his salvation, but for his punishment in time and eternity and it is not for the sake of the prayers, but because of his wrath that God rewards the good words which were spoken in sin, unbelief and divine dishonor.

5. In the fourth place, some say: Yes, I would gladly trust that my prayer would be heard, if I were only worthy and prayed aright. My answer is: If you do not pray until you know and experience that you are fit, then you will never need to pray. As I have said before, our prayers must not be founded nor rest upon ourselves or their own merits, but upon the unshakable truth of the divine promise. Where they are founded upon anything else, they are false, and deceive us, even though the heart break in the midst of its great devotions and we weep drops of blood. The very reason we do pray is because of our unworthiness; and just through the fact that we believe we are unworthy and confidently venture upon God’s faithfulness to his Word do we become worthy to pray and to be heard. Be you as unworthy as you may, only look to it, and with all earnestness accept it as true, that a thousandfold more depends upon this, that you know God’s truth and not change his faithful promise into a lie by your doubting. Your worthiness does not help you, but your unworthiness is no barrier. Disbelief condemns you, and trust makes you worthy and sustains you.

6. Therefore, be on your guard all through life that you may never think yourself worthy or fit to pray or to receive; unless it be that you discover yourself to be a freebold character risking all upon the faithful and sure promises of your gracious God, who thus wishes to reveal to you his mercy and goodness. Just as he, out of pure grace, has promised you, being so unworthy, an unmerited and unasked hearing, so will he also hear you, an unworthy beggar, out of pure grace, to the praise of his truth and promise. This he does in order that you may thank, not your worthiness, but his truth, by which he fulfils his promise, and that you thank his mercy that gave the promise, that the saying in Psalm 25:8-10 may stand: “Good and upright is Jehovah: Therefore will he instruct sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in justice; and the meek will he teach his way.

All the paths of Jehovah are loving kindness and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” Loving-kindness or mercy in the promise; faithfulness and truth in the fulfilling or hearing of the promises.

And in another Psalm he says: “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Psalm 85:10. That is, they come together in every work and gift we receive from God through prayer.

7. In the fifth place, one should so act in this confidence of prayer as not to limit God and specify the day or place, nor designate the way or measure of the prayer’s fulfillment; but leave all to his own will, wisdom and almighty power. Then confidently and cheerfully await the answer, not even wishing to know how and where, how soon, how long, and through whom. His divine wisdom will find far better ways and measures, time and place, than we can devise, even should we perform miracles. So, in the Old Testament, the children of Israel all trusted in God to deliver them while yet there was no possible way before their eyes, nor even in their thoughts; then the Red Sea parted and offered them a way through the waters, and suddenly drowned all their enemies. Exodus 14.

8. Thus Judith, the holy woman, did when she heard that the citizens of Bethulia wished to deliver the city to their enemies within five days if God, in the meantime, did not help. She reproved them and said, Now who are ye, that have tempted God? They are not designs by which one acquires grace; but they awaken more disgrace. Do you wish to set a time for God to show you mercy, and specify a day according to your own pleasure?

Judith 8:10-12. Then the Lord helped her in a wonderful manner, in that she cut off the head of the great Holofernes and dispersed the enemies.

9. In like manner, St. Paul says that God’s ability is thus proved, in that he does exceeding abundantly above and better than we ask or think. Ephesians 3:20. Therefore, we should know that we are too finite to be able to name, picture or designate the time, place, way, measure and other circumstances for that which we ask of God. Let us leave that entirely to him, and immovably and steadfastly believe that he will hear us.

Even the Proponents of New Hymnals Can Use This Blog

Norma Boeckler's Christian Art Books

Ever wonder if there are Luther hymns in the hymnal which are never sung? Luther is tagged on the left on The Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog. Every one of his hymns can be linked from that list.

Who translated the most hymns? Second most? (Hint LCMS guy)

Did Selnecker, an editor of the Book of Concord write many hymns?

 Norma Boeckler's Christian Art Books

Luther's Hymn - In the Midst of Earthly Strife. From The Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog

 Norma Boeckler's Christian Art Books

Tune -  Mitten wir im Leben sind - linked here




"In Midst of Earthly Life"
by Martin Luther, 1483-1546

1. In the midst of earthly life
Snares of death surround us;
Who shall help us in the strife
Lest the Foe confound us?
Thou only, Lord, Thou only.
We mourn that we have greatly erred,
That our sins Thy wrath have stirred.
Holy and righteous God!
Holy and mighty God!
Holy and all-merciful Savior!
Eternal Lord God!
Save us lest we perish
In the bitter pangs of death.
Have mercy, O Lord!

2. In the midst of death's dark vale
Powers of hell o'ertake us.
Who will help when they assail,
Who secure will make us?
Thou only, Lord, Thou only.
Thy heart is moved with tenderness,
Pities us in our distress.
Holy and righteous God!
Holy and mighty God!
Holy and all-merciful Savior!
Eternal Lord God!
Save us lest we perish
In the bitter pangs of death.
Have mercy, O Lord!

3. In the midst of utter woe
All our sins oppress us,
Where shall we for refuge go,
Where for grace to bless us?
To Thee, Lord Jesus, only.
Thy precious blood was shed to win
Full atonement for our sin.
Holy and righteous God!
Holy and mighty God!
Holy and all-merciful Savior!
Eternal Lord God!
Save us lest we perish
In the bitter pangs of death.
Have mercy, O Lord!

Hymn 590
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: 1 Samuel 20: 3
Author: Martin Luther
Translated by: composite
Titled: "Mitten wir im Leben sind"
Tune: "Mitten wir im Leben sind"
Based on "Media vita" c. 1200

Luther's Hymn - #458 - Our Father Thou in Heaven Above. From The Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog

 Norma Boeckler's Christian Art

Tune - Vater unser - linked here

"Our Father, Thou in Heaven Above"
by Martin Luther, 1483-1546

1. Our Father, Thou in heaven above,
Who biddest us to dwell in love,
As brethren of one family,
To cry in every need to Thee,
Teach us no thoughtless word to say,
But from our inmost heart to pray.

2. Thy name be hallowed. Help us, Lord,
In purity to keep Thy Word,
That to the glory of thy name
We walk before Thee free from blame.
Let no false doctrine us pervert;
All poor, deluded souls convert.

3. Thy kingdom come. Thine let it be
In time and in eternity.
Let Thy good Spirit e'er be nigh
Our hearts with graces to supply.
Break Satan's power, defeat his rage;
Preserve Thy Church from age to age.

4. Thy gracious will on earth be done
As 'tis in heaven before Thy throne;
Obedience in our weal and woe
And patience in all grief bestow.
Curb flesh and blood and every ill
That sets itself against Thy will.

5. Give us this day our daily bread
And let us all be clothed and fed.
From war and strife be our Defense,
From famine and from pestilence,
That we may live in godly peace,
Free from all care and avarice.

6. Forgive our sins, Lord, we implore,
Remove from us their burden sore,
As we their trespasses forgive
Who by offenses us do grieve.
Thus let us dwell in charity
And serve our brother willingly.

7. Into temptation lead us not.
When evil foes against us plot
And vex our souls on every hand,
Oh, give us strength that we may stand
Firm in the faith, a well-armed host,
Through comfort of the Holy Ghost!

8. From evil, Lord, deliver us;
The times and days are perilous.
Redeem us from eternal death,
And when we yield our dying breath,
Console us, grant us calm release,
And take our souls to Thee in peace.

9. Amen, that is, So shall it be.
Confirm our faith and hope in Thee
That we may doubt not, but believe
What here we ask we shall receive.
Thus in Thy name and at Thy word
We say: Amen. Oh, hear us, Lord! Amen.

Hymn 458
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Matt. 6:9 ff.
Author: Martin Luther
Translated by: composite
Titled: "Vater unser im Himmelreich"
Tune: "Vater unser"
1st Published in: Geistliche Lieder
Town: Leipzig, 1539

Rain, Roses, and Borage

If you need a hobby while under house arrest, buy ears of corn and place them on a squirrel feeder like this little chair. You will be filling it every day. Empty cobs will appear to remind you to buy more.

Our thunderstorms seem to race across Springdale. Thursday night was full of warnings but one inch of rain fell. Sassy and I went walking and saw Pat and John Friday morning. She had been looking for them on every morning walk. They said, "Give us some love, Sassy." She came in closer to kiss them.

The Friday storm was robust, with three more inches falling. Saturday may add more rain.

 The rose garden was once carpeted with shredded cyprus mulch, but rain and soil creatures have converted it to soil.

I will check the new Joe Pye and Red Daisies on our walk. Another Daisy will form a mound of flowers, so it is called Whoopsa Daisy, the cheer we use on Sassy for jumping up on the bed. We clap and yell when she does it. "Yay! Hooray, she did it!" She answers with joyous barks.

She expects her morning walks around 7 am and begins whimpering around 3 PM for the afternoon walk. She was ahead of everyone. Harvard Medical wrote that two walks a day are the best medicine.

New plants are in areas where everyone can see them, so I check up on them during walks and note the progress of roses. Last year the wild roses were blooming first. This year Easy Does It bloomed first, and wild roses began afterwards. The wild roses will bloom only once.

 Europeana Rose

Hybrid tea roses are enjoyed by many because they have longer stems and bloom repeatedly. The Knock Out roses are shrubs, more weather resistant, but not self-pruning as advertised. They  love a 30% pruning and rebloom quickly.

Sassy likes to dig a bed in the garden. Recently she raked out a wild rose, which was in her way. No problem - I was going to pull it out.

Borage - Bee Bread

I have a large packet of Buckwheat seeds left, but the early rains have made me fearful of using them among the roses. They actually engulfed the roses twice in the same summer, thanks to rain that helped prodigious growth.

 Borage flowers are tiny and drop seed easily.
Sometimes it will grow again the next spring on its own.

Instead, I will scatter Borage seeds everywhere. A pound is slightly more than 4 ounces, so I bought a pound. Borage blooms, forms seed, and blooms again. Bees love to work them over, and the borage presence encourages even more friendly pollinators. The flowers are edible and used in salads.

 Bee Balm reminds us that unkempt hair is still attractive to some.

Hummingbirds delight the front porch sitters. The smallest of birds is also the bravest and most sociable.

Hydrating the Plants and Blackberries as Weeds

A few plants arrived by mail Wednesday, so I put them in the wheelbarrow with several inches of rainwater to hydrate them overnight. Thursday began with thunderstorms promised. We are in the Procrastination Weather Zone, which means anything predicted will arrive later. Now, at 5:45 am on Friday, the thunder boomed.

Therefore, after the Thursday morning walk with Sassy, I left her outside with me for planting some Daisies and Stella D'Oro (Star of Gold, a daylily and also a cookie).

This bakery was Italian but kosher, so they had quite a following in NYC.

"Aren't Daisies the horticultural equivalent of Dandelions?" No, because these are Red Daisies, chosen for some variety. Therefore, I planted them where people would ask, "What are these?"

The Daisies were added to the Rose Garden, and the Stellas went to the space between the new Joe Pye Weed in the backyard garden, now known as Blackberry Acres. Sassy began looking at the door, so I asked her about going inside. Her broken-hearted bark said, "Yes, I am bored."

I enjoy digging into the garden soil to make way for new plants. Sitting gives me another look at the established plants. I saw the Easy Does It roses needing some additional pruning and the big, tall weeds appearing in one more place. Rose clippers serve both tasks easily.

The front yard is truly another Eden. Astute readers will recall that the thorns came later. When I am sitting on the soil, Robins hop nearby for food, knowing I will stir up the equivalent of rare steak. Rabbits casually hop within a few feet. Squirrels stay away but appear soon after. Above the birds sing Matins and on the cul-de-sac the neighbors go to work. Several women stopped to roll down the window and say thanks for the roses. I told them, "You deserve them!"

The fun part of planting is seeing the most important work done soon after - the long, slow rainstorm. By divine decree and intricate engineering, rain brings down tons of nitrogen with pure water to wash the plants, feed the roots, and enable all the soil creatures. Nitrogen is the foundation for protein, and God provides incredible amounts to feed, hydrate, and wash His Creation.

One time my parents let us all play outside in a big rainstorm, perhaps hoping to reduce the food and clothing budget. I still remember how much fun it was to feel the shock of cold water pouring down while splashing around in enormous puddles.

Birds and squirrels harvest them for free. Best go to the berry section of the supermarket for more than one at a time.

Blackberries as Weeds

Long ago I bought Triple Crown Blackberries, little realizing their zest for spreading. Two canes bent over and planted starts in potted plants left near them. Without help, they established themselves independently where they were not invited, not welcome. Besides that, the mature plants spread through the roots.

I tried to remove them on side of the house where the gate is. Only plantain weeds grew there. I got rid of plantain by replacing them. Those Triple Crowns (friendly canes, no seeds, huge berries) marched around the corner and spread throughout the back garden. I could tell from the blooms that a few last year filled the garden for this year. They blossom and fruit the second year, so that entire garden area owes grew during last year's all-summer drenching rains.

Foot traffic seems to keep Blackberries down, and so does mowing. I do not worry about harvest the berries, because the birds and squirrels get them all.

 I gave my Blueberries to our dentist's mother, who loved them in her new garden. I saw the canes wave and a saucy squirrel walk away with the prizes. I switched him to Blackberries.

From the Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog - Be Still My Soul - Lyrics and Three YouTube Videos

Norma A. Boeckler's Art Books

Tune - Finlandia - linked here

Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog - Public Domain Hymns

"Be Still, My Soul"
by Catharina von Schlegel, 1697-?
Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897

1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Hymn #651
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Psalm 46:10
Author: Catharine Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel, 1752, cento
Translated by: Jane Borthwick, 1855
Titled: "Stille, mein Wille"
Composer: Jean Sibelius, b. 1865, arr.
Tune: "Finlandia"

Obnoxious Weed Day - Some Are Born Bad

 Borage grows easily and attracts beneficial insects - aka Bee Bread.

One weed - now a tribe - has formed a colony in the butterfly garden. The yellow flowers produce seed, but the plant spreads through its roots.

As every gardener knows, if the good plants are doing well, the obnoxious weeds are spreading faster than the latest fib from synod headquarters.

The blessing of weeds is their immediate take-over of bare soil, their robust growth a sign of healthy soil, and their roots feeding the soil population.

Was it foolishness that drove my ancestors to break up the prairie grass soil of Illinois and Iowa, fast-tracking the modern polished steel plow? Not at all. The soil was so rich that a man jumping down from a wagon would feel the ground shimmy like a giant pudding under his feet.

The wealth of the Great Plains soil came from centuries of prairie grass, with roots 30 feet deep, the herds of bison consuming and processing the nitrogen rich plants. God created an area of rich farmland, absent trees, that was only rivaled by the Ukraine. Grass, soil creatures, and herds of buffalo provided a future food source for millions and farm implement jobs for thousands. In fact, John Deere's efforts along the Mississippi promoted even more factories and brought Swedish immigrants to work them.

Seeing the rainy days ahead, I decided to wipe out this weed in a series of lightning strikes - not with Round Up, but with my lopping shears. I walked about the three garden spaces and chopped them off at ground level. Soon the plants were on the ground donating the nitrogen they used before to invigorate the soil again.

Living roots feed the soil, so I know that - by divine decree - those roots will make the soil even richer as they struggle to rebuild the colony of weeds. They will return, but so will I.

Comfrey is the Borage's cousin - with similar flowers - but serves as a bully plant for filling in spaces the weeds want to grab.

One permanent solution is to grow bully plants. I coined that term for desirable plants we want to grow then regret their size and vigor.

The Beauty Berry bushes that I once watered in the dry season - they have grown in girth - like church officials. The single Comfrey - that cousin to the Borage flowers - has grown with age, mostly at the waistline.

 The Beauty Berries are photogenic - and birds love them in late fall. The plants become impressive bushes in time.

Greek Lesson - Finishing John 1 - Last Lesson for Now

Note - class - I did not know that the brewing virus crisis would change my teaching load dramatically. I need to stop the Greek class for now. I am finishing two online classes and starting three.

This will be the last class for now. You know I love teaching Greek. It will continue to some extent in the weekly sermons.

GJ

REVIEW

42 και ηγαγεν αυτον προς τον ιησουν, εμβλεψας δε αυτω ο ιησους ειπεν, "συ ει σιμων ο υιος ιωνα; συ κληθηση κηφας," ο ερμηνευεται πετρος

43 τη επαυριον, ηθελησεν ο ιησους εξελθειν εις την γαλιλαιαν και ευρισκει φιλιππον και λεγει αυτω "ακολουθει μοι"

44 ην δε ο φιλιππος απο βηθσαιδα εκ της πολεως ανδρεου και πετρου

45 ευρισκει φιλιππος τον ναθαναηλ και λεγει αυτω [ον εγραψεν μωσης εν τω νομω - και οι προφηται] ευρηκαμεν ιησουν τον υιον του ιωσηφ τον απο ναζαρετ

Note - Luther observed the divinity of Jesus is mined from the gold ore of the Books of Moses. Let that sink in.

46 και ειπεν αυτω ναθαναηλ "εκ ναζαρετ δυναται τι αγαθον ειναι?" λεγει αυτω φιλιππος "ερχου και ιδε."

NEW

47 ειδεν ο ιησους τον ναθαναηλ ερχομενον προς αυτον και λεγει περι αυτου, "ιδε αληθως ισραηλιτης εν ω δολος ουκ εστιν"

48 λεγει αυτω ναθαναηλ, "ποθεν με γινωσκεις?" απεκριθη ο ιησους και ειπεν αυτω, "προ του σε φιλιππον φωνησαι οντα υπο την συκην, ειδον σε"

49 απεκριθη ναθαναηλ και λεγει αυτω, "ραββι συ ει ο υιος του θεου συ ει ο βασιλευς του ισραηλ"

50 απεκριθη ιησους και ειπεν αυτω "οτι ειπον σοι ειδον σε υποκατω της συκης, πιστευεις? μειζω τουτων οψει"

51 και λεγει αυτω "αμην αμην λεγω υμιν - απ αρτι οψεσθε τον ουρανον ανεωγοτα και τους αγγελους του θεου αναβαινοντας και καταβαινοντας επι τον υιον του ανθρωπου"

Lenski's point - Son of Man has no political connotations.

Creation Gardening - Weeds, Guardians of the Soil

 Do not laugh - this is a classic.

I enjoy most weeds. They come and go with the season, and few are truly obnoxious. There is no reason to become herbicidal just because the garden does not look like a magazine cover. Here are some kind and gentle observations about common weeds.

Weeds break up soil and supply nutrients through their root system. They also protect the soil surface from wind erosion.

Poke Weed is a salad eaten in the South, provided the leaves are boiled twice. The berries may be a bit toxic - they are rumored to be good for people. I found them insipid, not tempting enough to make me healthy or sick.

 The Poke berries grow fast wherever the plant appears, even in sidewalk cracks.

Besides the obvious insects, Poke provides shelter for many more kinds. The branches are good for perching and preening birds.

Poke Weed

They claim Poke can grow 30 feet tall, but its strength comes from growing anywhere, airborne by its consumption and planting by birds. I have seen it growing and flowering in sidewalk cracks, but flourishing beyond belief in the front and back gardens.

Poke berries are loved by 60 species of birds, so a tree branch or trunk is a natural starting point for their takeover. I cut them off at soil level in the rose garden, so they become mulch. In the backyard garden areas they are free to grow.

 The roots for beverage, the flowers for wine, the leaves for salad, the seed fluffs for hummingbird nests - and some try to kill them?

Dandelions

These vilified and herbicided herbs - yes herbs - have not been pulled or sprayed in the rose garden. They do not spread as feared by so many. Their taproots are good for the soil and their blooms serve the hummingbirds for nesting material. They are good for salad greens and dandelion wine, without being garnished by 2-4tx-75DDT toxins. I do not harvest them for food or wine, but I enjoy their cheerful flowers and good manners.

Wild Strawberry - 

The Friendly Blanket of Green with Tiny Rubies

I found our yard supporting wild strawberries, blooming and fruiting in the deepest shade of the house. I had the same reaction as the Swedes landing in New York - "If this is New York City, what must Lindsborg, Kansas be like?" I transplanted wild strawberries before realizing that the birds were better at it than I. Add stumps, Creation Gardeners, and the birds will plant their favorites.

I now have masses of them in the back gardens, where I throw seeds for the birds and, and in the rose garden, where they get plenty of rain, watering, and sun. Their growth is dense on top and the roots shallow, like their larger relatives, which I am not allowed or tempted to eat.

The Green Wall

And the Rustic Fence

The distant back yard was largely unusable. Ranger Bob and Mrs. Ichabod conspired to place the tool shed in the middle, halfway back. "Aha," I thought, "We can put a rustic fence up from the dying tree we cut down.

All I did was stretch the logs across the middle of the backyard, with the tool shed in the middle. Ranger Bob had backyard landscaping ideas - and so did I. The birds loved the various levels and quirky branches of the logs. Besides that, logs on the soil foster decaying wood soil life - sowbugs, pillbugs, earthworms, beetles, toads to feed and toads as food.

Later, Bob looked out the backdoor and said, "Your plants are perfect." I said, "Bob, the birds planted the green fence for me."
Today, in mid-May, the green wall they planted is 10 feet tall, graced by the two elderberry bushes I planted on each side of the tool shed.

The far backyard area is a delightful (to wildlife) tangle of weeds, orphaned Butterfly Bushes, berry plants, etc.

Patience with Joy - Matthias Loy - Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry

“One thing more our text mentions as needful, that we be “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.“

“They are wonderful words. We have such great riches in Christ and are waiting for the full enjoyment of our everlasting inheritance in heaven. And now we are to have sufferings and afflictions, and are to learn the lesson of patience, and even to pass through our tribulations with joyfulness.

“You see we are not quite ready yet for the heavenly glory. We still need the fiery trials of earth to burn away the dross that tarnishes our life. Of course the flesh does not like the purifying fires, and we are apt to complain of the hardships endured; and the enemy strives hard to induce us to look upon them as evidence that God is not dealing kindly with us.

“Watch and pray, that you may not be overcome by such temptations. God is guiding you securely, and the treasure of grace which you possess must be effectual in you to move you to patience and make you strong to endure these trials with joyfulness, while you look at the things in store for you after the time of your trials is past and you enter upon your eternal inheritance.

From: Loy, Matthias. Sermons on the Epistles For the Sundays and Chief Festivals of the Church Year. Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern. 1900. LutheranLibrary.org

Those Clever Gardening Catalogs - Fall Bulbs Entice as Spring Blooms Fade

Nothing sets up fall ordering like the fading of the spring, hardy bulbs.

The rain began dripping down yesterday as I went out to empty some rainwater storage. Do not laugh (followed by even more laughter). I put rainwater on the new Joe Pyes because so little rain was coming down. I also did an audit. One was missing entirely - not crushed, not chewed, just gone. Rabbits? Birds? Sassy? The garden police are divided, which means, I do not know. That is a price we pay when planting.

Norma Boeckler said the deer got her Little Joe Pye plants, and Alicia said the deer eat everything outside, especially the deer-proof ones.

The gardening crew told me the flowers and bulbs I shared were growing. They looked for some of the oriental lilies they planted in our yard, and were pleased to see the stalks up and leafed out. We compare notes on roses, lilies, whatever is shared.

I told them, "This year - estate planting!" I figure daffodils are the best candidates for a large bag of them planted all over the front yard. For those with front yards in grass, daffodils can be planted in the lawn, bloom and fade before the first lawn-mowing.

Daffodils do not taste good to critters but they are great in the yard and in the vases.

 Grape Hyacinths come in varieties of blue, white, and mixed colors.

Tiny bulbs like grape hyacinths (neither grapey nor hyacinthy) are very inexpensive in small or estate orders. They can be placed in groups or planted near the daffodils as markers. They seem to last for many years, unlike some other tulips.

Roses and Roots

Easy Does It bloomed before the wild roses, and now the wild roses are competing with dark red and bright red blooms. I was eager to dig up all the wild roses, but they have blended into a wall of Mountain Mint and Spirea bushes, both having grown beyond belief or foresight.

Crepe Myrtles grow rather slowly.

So much has happened quickly that I have to catch up with pruning the non-glamorous plants. Myrtles still have seed pods on them. Removing the pods will help the plants bloom this year.  I counted one row of them dead, but they began to grow from the ground up again. Another row, along the Gardener fence, has three colors of inter-twined Crepes planted together, so I should get some interesting displays in time.

One farmer group convinced me that deep roots really matter, even when the original plants are removed later. The roots account for 75% of the nutrition added to the soil, so deep roots break up the clay soil and add organic matter without kudos or expense. One way to use - and not be bullied - by a deep rooting plant/weed is to cut it at the base to end its meddling or at least to slow down its above ground growth.

Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog - New Features

 Norma Boeckler's Christian Art Books

The first step was getting all the public domain hymn details posted, one per page.

I added information so people could easily find all the hymns and hymn translations of:

1. Luther
2. Melanchthon
3. Selnecker
4. Gerhardt
5. Kingo
6. Loy
7. Winkworth
8. Neale

I am improving the data gradually, so that feature (called labels) is more inclusive, diverse, and transparent. I realize you have not heard those terms for several hours.

Norma Boeckler is adding her beautiful new graphics to the hymn blog, so I am also adding the tune, a YouTube version, and extra information where it is possible. I dislike abbreviated Scripture citations, so that will wipe out Ps., Gen., and Is. from the original copy and paste. 

Last night Christina and I were singing the hymns as I picked up YouTube versions and alternate tunes.

I am trying to avoid elevator-music versions of hymns. 

Later I will add German YouTube versions and some non-TLH hymns in the public domain.

Heaven Is My Home

  Norma Boeckler's Christian Art Books

Tune - Heaven Is My Home - linked here

"I'm But a Stranger Here"
by T. R. Taylor, 1807-1835

1. I'm but a stranger here,
Heav'n is my home;
Earth is a desert dread,
Heav'n is my home.
Danger and sorrow stand
Round me on every hand;
Heav'n is my fatherland,
Heav'n is my home.

2. What though the tempest rage,
Heav'n is my home;
Short is my pilgrimage,
Heav'n is my home;
And time's wild wintry blast
Soon shall be overpast;
I shall reach home at last,
Heav'n is my home.

3. There at my Savior's side
Heav'n is my home;
I shall be glorified,
Heav'n is my home;
There are the good and blest,
Those I love most and best;
And there I, too, shall rest,
Heav'n is my home.

4. Therefore I murmur not,
Heav'n is my home;
Whate'er my earthly lot,
Heav'n is my home;
And I shall surely stand
There at my Lord's right hand.
Heav'n is my fatherland,
Heav'n is my home.

Hymn #660
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Hebrews 4:9
Author: Thomas R. Taylor, 1836, alt.
Composer: Arthur S. Sullivan, 1872
Tune: "Heaven Is My Home"

Sir Arthur Sullivan

His hymns and songs include "Onward, Christian Soldiers."

Matthias Loy on Being a Singing Church - Plus One of His Great Hymns

 Norma A. Boeckler

Tune - Herr Jesu Christ, dich - linked here

From Matthias Loy. Sermons on the Epistles:

Ours has always been a singing Church. In the days of the Reformation, as historians tell us, our people not only preached the great truth of salvation from the housetops, but sang the precious Gospel of grace and truth into the hearts of the people in the fields and in the workshops, their hearts being full to overflowing and finding their natural vent in the songs of Zion. 

She is the singing Church still, and her hymns are to this day the admiration of all who are able to appreciate the beauty and the power of sacred song. Let us avail ourselves of the treasures which are ours, and speak to ourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody in our hearts unto the Lord, thus fixing our attention upon the things which make for our peace and enrich the soul, and confessing our dear Saviour before the people and making His praise glorious in the land. 

You perceive, my brethren, that we do not realize the idea of our text when we never sing the songs of Zion at home, and in our churches leave them to the choir, who may or who may not make melody in their hearts unto the Lord, and who may be interested in the service only as a musical performance designed to delight the audience, as in a concert hall or opera house. That is a desecration of the Church against which Christian people should set their faces. Our singing is to be part of our worship; if we would walk wisely we must engage in it in the same way as in the prayers offered at the altar in Jesus' name. 

If any of us cannot sing, so as to sound the praises of God, we can at least make melody in our hearts to the Lord, and thus comply with the aspiration of the psalmist. "Let the people praise Thee, O Lord, let all the people praise Thee." Psalm 67:3. In this respect too it behooves us to walk circumspectly, lest we become indifferent to the worship of the Lord and embrace the delusion that this can be done by proxy. Be wise, and let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. This will then find joyful expression in the songs of Zion for edification in your homes and in your church.

From The Lutheran Librarian and The Lutheran Library

"The Gospel Shows the Father's Grace"

by Matthias Loy, 1828-1915

1. The Gospel shows the Father's grace,
Who sent His Son to save our race,
Proclaims how Jesus lived and died
That man might thus be justified.

2. It sets the Lamb before our eyes,
Who made the atoning sacrifice,
And call the souls with guilt opprest
To come and find eternal rest.

3. It brings the Savior's righteousness
Our souls to robe in royal dress;
From all our guilt it brings release
And gives the troubled conscience peace.

4. It is the power of God to save
From sin and Satan and the grave;
It works the faith, which firmly clings
To all the treasures which it brings.

5. It bears to all the tidings glad
And bids their hearts no more be sad;
The heavy-laden souls it cheers
And banishes their guilty fears.

6. May we in faith its tidings learn
Nor thanklessly its blessings spurn;
May we in faith its truth confess
And praise the Lord our Righteousness!


Notes:
Hymn #297 from The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: John 3: 16
Author: Matthias Loy, 1863
Tune: Herr Jesu Christ, dich
1st Published in: "Cantionale Germanicum"
Town: Dresden, 1628

 Lutheran Library Link

 Lutheran Library Link

I remember the big white house on Steiner Street, and my little sister Dagmar, and my big brother Nels, and Papa. But most of all, I remember Mama

Gladys Parker, co-ed, 1931 - she left home to attend Normal and become a teacher. Prints of this photo were saved in the original folder from the photographer.

“I remember the big white house on Steiner Street, and my little sister Dagmar, and my big brother Nels, and Papa. But most of all, I remember Mama.”
Fiftiesweb.com

We watched TV a lot, and I remember watching this series. We have watched the movie several times, recognizing Barbara Bel Geddes as the author/narrator and future Miss Ellie on Dallas.

The series and movie were very much in harmony with Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, where the Augustana Synod had so many congregations, a college and seminary, and earlier its headquarters. We even tried to imitate the Swedish accent of those who came over from the old country.

My mother dreamed of bettering herself by becoming a teacher. She was proud of her farm heritage and physical strength. She did not use a glove playing the outfield. "Hardball," she mentioined. Many times she spoke of her introduction to teaching in a one-room country school. She had to handle all ages and keep everyone engaged and behaved. Mom often regretted the consolidation of schools, because she thought highly of the country schools and the old-fashioned curriculum.

Mom continued her education and finished a college degree at Augustana, part-time, over 10 years. She went on to earn an M.A. at the University of Illinois, where her father studied agriculture.

I remember going with her to my interview for attending kindergarten at Garfield School, a few blocks away, where she taught, once baby brother was in school. She had a long vacation from us when he was born, and I remember coming down the stairs to see her with the baby, when I was two years old.

Our house was ideally located across from Wharton Field House, still one of the largest venues in the Midwest. Whitey's Ice Cream was two blocks away, next to Dairy Creme. The Hasty Tasty restaurant was the same distance, along with hardware stores and the forbidden candy store we loved to visit. I often saw Guy Johnson on the way to school, and lots of other Boomers lived nearby.

We had great teachers at Garfield, the largest grade school in Moline. Only one teacher was a psychopath, and I did not have her, except for spelling. She went nuts on me during a spelling bee, yelling, "You don't know whether you are coming and going. Sit DOWN!" My classmates enjoyed repeating her smack down verbatim, and Mom loved hearing me imitate Miss D's distinctive rants.

I remember one student coming up to me and saying, "Greg, your mother is a school teacher and your father makes donuts. You are so lucky!" I am happy to say that Mom was loved by all her students, from the most able to the ones who needed rescuing. I was around Garfield early and late and witnessed some disciplinary episodes. More frequently, I heard the Garfield teachers speak lovingly of "their children." They wanted the best for their children and went all out to prepare the classroom and organize their materials to benefit them.

 Garfield Grade School

 Garfield Arms 

At one MHS reunion, a Garfielder told me about a student who spit at another student. My mother had that boy spit into her handkerchief repeatedly. Next she rubbed it all over his face. He never spit again. After I heard the story, that same person sat down at our table. He said, "Greg, you should write a book about your mother. She was a remarkable teacher."

Mom wanted to teach at a university, but she needed a doctorate to earn tenure. She taught at Coolidge Junior High (RIP) and was offered classes for those who needed help in academic discipline. She told the principal, "Only if I can hit them." He came unglued, "No! we cannot hit students." She said, "Forget it." He found out that it was OK if each set of parents signed a statement allowing corporal punishment. They were happy to do that.

Mom really enjoyed serving as the boot camp DI, shaping students who were having trouble for one reason or another. One needed an operation and she told the parents. That was performed and he began doing well. She used her knuckles to rap students on the head, sometimes enhanced with a big ring. She may have used the trapezoid muscle pinch. A little bit pain went a long way, and the so-called problem students adored her class.

To be clear, Mom only used a little physical pain, which showed she meant what she said. At one reunion, a Garfield student from her class asked about that huge rock ring she used on him. Christina was wearing it. He said, "Hit me with it. Old times." He became an engineer because Mom's sixth grade class built a working model of the Panama Canal. Many years later he visited the Panama Canal and was excited to see it worked exactly the way their model did. "That's why I became an engineer, Greg. Your mother's class."

I was surrounded by teachers as I grew up - going to PTA, waiting in the school library at times, teachers' meetings at our home, and lots of teacher talk. I was hesitant about teaching community college students straight out of high school, but I learned how much fun a classroom could be. That led me into online teaching and many opportunities teach all types of classes.

My boss at Glendale Community College said, "Our teachers are being steam-rolled by the students. The are letting the students intimidate them." He paused and said, "But that is not a problem with you." I thought to myself, "I learned from the best." Every so often I tossed a soft white board eraser toward an errant student and gave him my basilisk stare. My nephew said, "Uncle Greg. We can't do that in New York."

Mom was very happy to live with us in New Ulm and make the move to Phoenix. That is where I began by taking computer classes and moved into teaching at two universities. She was so pleased to hear that I made the move that was just out of her reach. But it was growing up among teachers and being surrounded by books that made that possible.