 |
| If not by the faith of Jesus Christ and by faith in Jesus Christ, forgiveness and salvation will be mistakenly by the Law and works. |
I dug three new holes yesterday. Two were easy, one was very tough. Last fall, as I explained to Mrs. Ichabod, the neighbor's grandchildren abandoned their autumn leaf fortress in the front yard. Glee turned to ennui, and the circular wall of leaves remained, sure to leave a donut of dead grass by spring.
After checking with the children, who held the title to the fortress, I carted it to my garden in three trips with the garbage barrel. I figured that would be easier to move large amounts on sturdy wheels. I dumped each one in a large mound, which I was fixin' to carefully rake level, rather than having three Mount Maplemanjaros. Fixin' is easier than rakin' when carefully considered.
Each mound flattened as fall and winter broke down many of the leaves from above and even more from below, where soil creatures gather for a long, damp and cold feast. Without assigning duties, times, or methods, a collection engineered by God flattened all three piles. Underneath were fat, active earthworms and uncountable numbers of bacteria, mites, fungal strands, a battle where the predators become the food and soil is enriched.
When we arrived at Mequon, 32 years ago, several professors heard that I knew about composting. I was invited to view John Jeske's attempt. I said, "That is not compost. That is a little pile of garbage." I told him how to stack up layers of leaves, grass, and soil, with organics included, such as rabbit manure - but no kitchen scraps. Using chicken wire to form a cylinder, the layers will sink down as they are chewed up and decomposed into rich humus.
The Jeske Crime Family - to this day - is largely responsible for the WELS distrust of the power of the God's Word, relying instead on gimmicks. Mark and Avoid Jeske fashioned a entire factory based on gimmicks called Church and Change.
The leaf mountains show us that God's Creation can take unloved organic matter and turn it into the best roses, mint, and lilies.
Simply teaching faith from the Word of God has the same effect, because any number of the fruits of the Spirit will emerge, not according to our plans, but His. Do not scatter the Word of the Gospel carefully, timidly, advisedly - with an eye to future rewards. But broadcast with abandon, as children do when handed a bag of seed.
Once I planned a row of Snow on the Mountain - the actual flower - not the shade loving Bishop's Weed falsely named SOTM. I almost forgot about it, then took the packet of seeds and threw them behind the flowers along the garage in Midland. One day a visitor said, "What's that?"
I said, "True Snow on the Mountain, not Bishop's Weed, nor Bishop Gardener Weed." He was planted in Florida.
My answer confused people, who thought the only Snow on the Mountain was that spreading stuff, so easy to careful, on the north side of every home in the area, often shared as a great heirloom. You can even buy Bishop's Weed.
In the same way, a false gospel is taught everywhere and spread by ignorance, by lazy and greedy clergy and by laity who think their parish is a business they operate. Their Bishop's Weed gospel spreads on its own - what could be better! Laity and clergy can devote themselves to food, entertainment, parish gossip, and power struggles.
Behold, this is true Snow on the Mountain - below.
