LCMS Leaders - Years Ago, Retired DP Benke Invited Himself To Pray at an All-Religions Festival at Yankee Stadium - But He Did Not Pray in the Name of Christ

Benke, on the far left, is the perfect description of an ecumenist. He loves every religion but his own. John Nunes has an interesting history, more ELCA than LCMS.

Walther - The Facts Do Not Match the Myths

 

 

CFW Walther – The Facts Do Not Match the Myths

1.      Walther identified with Pietism and its groups, through his brother Otto, as soon as he entered the university. This group, which had its own cell poorly disguised as a Bible study group, joined with Stephan as a unit.

2.      The Pietism was so extreme that pastors urged men and women to divorce so they could travel to America with the Stephanites.

3.      The Stephan circle saw themselves as elite and special in the Kingdom, but they overlooked Stephan’s associations with young women and other questionable actions. The evidence was too abundant, including the court trial that removed him, to believe anyone in the circle was shocked.

4.      Walther kidnapped his niece and nephew, evading the police warrant, hiding the children, letting his future mother-in-law go to prison for a time. He left quickly in a ship to avoid the police.

5.      Stephan already had syphilis in Dresden. His rashes and increasing megalomania were symptoms. Some of his children were born with syphilitic side-effects.

6.      Stephan became increasingly irrational on the voyage and demanded in New Orleans that he become the bishop. Walther signed the paper, though many in the LCMS try to deny it.

7.      St. Louis people were quite suspicious of the bishop with women and girls around him, but a wife and children abandoned in Dresden. According to Walther, this was her fault!

8.      Perryville was a poor choice for their New Jerusalem, and Stephan continued to issue irrational orders, which were followed.

9.      The sudden discovery of adultery is a poor cover-up for the riot organized by Walther.

10.  As a pastor without a call, Walther brought to Perryville only those St. Louis members who wanted to get rid of Stephan. He previously stole the land given to Stephan by the Society. He never spoke to Stephan about the adultery but arrived with an angry mob instead.

11.  The mob actions against Stephan betray the horrors of the syphilis attack among the young women: threatening murder, stripping the bishop of his clothes to look for money, forcing himself across the river at gunpoint, stealing all the money, taking the books and personal possessions, including a priceless chalice – a personal gift.

12.  The trial judge was the real estate agent!

13.  Stephan was refused food when he begged for it later.

14.  The Society kept everything and fought Stephan in court over what they stole, giving back only a pittance. Walther kept the chalice to use at his church in St. Louis. It has never been returned.

15.  Stephan’s son came back to serve as a pastor, but Walther mocked him as a student and belittled him as a pastor. He even talked young Stephan out of the 80 acres owned by his father’s estate.

16.  LCMS history continues to skip over this series of felonies and anti-Christian behavior (as Walther wished) in order to make young Walther the “founder” of the synod, the president of the seminary, and the chief author and editor.

Clethras In - Daffodils Arrive

1. I was counting on the Cletha shrubs to arrive before daffodil digging began. The very light box (Clethra) came first. We had a light rain that provided extra rainwater in the barrels. 
2.  I opened the package and began soaking the shrubs about two hours early, 5 am. Plants sent correctly are so protected, they have boxes around them and tape keeping everything from jostling. 
3. I picked spots in the front where the Cletha would be seen and appreciated. My shovel must have root radar, because each choice location included a tough maple root. I snipped them. 
4. The shrubs were easy to plant, so I used the removed soil and added Peat Humus on top for activating soil creatures. 
5. The top layer is Cyprus mulch, because that marks new or renewed plants. And it holds moisture while slowing decaying into the soil.
6. I use the plastic collar to protect new plants from critters. I added rainwater to each plant.
7. The soil is quite dry, so I will keep adding rainwater.

I added more Clethras because of the power of fragrance. They bring butterflies and pollinators. Clethra's cinnamon and sweet aroma is also pleasing to humans.