Saturday, July 2, 2022

Hymn - Come Thou Bright and Morning Star



"Come, Thou Bright and Morning Star"
by Christian K. von Rosenroth, 1636-1689
Translated by Richard Massie, 1800-1887

Tune - Morgenglanz der Ewigkeit - linked here

1. Come, Thou Bright and Morning Star,
Light of light, without beginning!
Shine upon us from afar
That we may be kept from sinning.
Drive away by Thy clear light
Our dark night.

2. Let Thy grace, like morning dew
Falling soft on barren places,
Comfort, quicken, and renew
Our dry souls and dying graces;
Bless Thy flock from Thy rich store
Evermore.

3. May Thy fervent love destroy
Our cold works, in us awaking
Ardent zeal and holy joy
At the purple morn's first breaking.
Let us truly rise ere yet
Life has set.

4. Ah! thou Dayspring from on high,
Grant that at Thy next appearing
We who in the graves do lie
May arise, Thy summons hearing,
And rejoice in our new life,
Far from strife.

5. Light us to those heavenly spheres,
Sun of grace, in glory shrouded;
Lead us through this vale of tears
To the land where days unclouded,
Purest joy, and perfect peace
Never cease.

Hymn #539
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Psalm 88:13
Author: Christian K. von Rosenroth, 1684, cento
Translated by: Richard Massie, 1857
Titled: "Morgenglanz der Ewigkeit"
Tune: "Morgenglanz der Ewigkeit"
1st Published in: Geistreiches Gesangbuch
Town: Halle, 1704


Friday, July 1, 2022

Nurturing Rather Than Bullying and Selling

 Bee Balm is slow to get started, but once it is nurtured over time, the plant attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.
 


Our next likely rainstorm is a week away, which is what they told us a week ago. That means a lot of plants are in distress. The new coconut daisies arrived in time to start on rainwater, but now I have to use stored water where the chlorine has evaporated after a day or two.

The fun part of gardening is nurturing plants at the beginning, because they lack roots and need watering. Good results come if:

  1. I water regularly at the beginning;
  2. I make sure the plant is given extra soil;
  3. I add nutrients, such as earthworm compost.

Earthworm compost has double-value. It is a good amendment and soil creatures pull it down for food and thereby fertilize the plant gently.

I look at the synodical system of faux-Lutherans as engaging in bullying and selling. For some reason, the dullest pastors become district presidents and circuit pests. They do not have much upstairs, but they love to bully. The alternatives for the parish pastors are risking their short-temper and flattering them.

The lordly officials have not done any good for at least 50 years, so how do they spend their time? They immerse themselves in projects which keep them from the Means of Grace. 

To make things look good, they sell everyone on spending money in outrageous ways. So much comes from Thrivent, the Wisconsin foundation, and Schwan that they do not care what the plebians say. They are happy to squeeze Grandma for a irrevocable charitable trust, but the big corporate guys have money for them in the biggest buckets.

To avoid offending future pastors, the future clergy are not expected to learn much Greek, Hebrew, or Lutheran doctrine. Even then, few want to attend seminaries with little academic merit.

Etymology defines seminary as -

"plot where plants are raised from seeds for transplantation," from Latin seminarium "plant nursery, seed plot," figuratively, "breeding ground," a noun from seminarius "of or pertaining to seed," from semen (genitive seminis) "seed" (from PIE root *sē- "to sow").

The literal sense now is obsolete; the figurative meaning "place of origin and early development" is from 1590s. The meaning "school for training priests" is recorded from 1580s; the word was used generally in names of places of education (especially academies for young ladies) from 1580s to 1930s. Related: Seminarial.

And what happens to a neglected garden, class?

"It is soon choked with weeds, non-productive, or dried up from lack of water." 

 The tiny Clethra shrub is easily lost to critters, from lack of care and protection. Now one of nine is almost 10 feet tall, even though they started out the size of a pencil.


"What's the Use?" in Gardening


I built up optimism about three days of rain predicted, only to have that turned into 100 degree days likely. That reminds me of similar let-downs. When a new plant is pulled out and eaten by critters unknown, it is easy to say, "What's the use?" 

But, given enough time and a little bit of work, some of the missing plants re-appear. Perhaps some were eaten down to stems but not the roots. Or, they were camouflaged by similar weeds and other plants.

Faithful Lutherans should be discouraged and disgusted by the Calvinist marketing, ever-worsening Bible paraphrases, and atrocious - but over-priced hymnals sold at a dear price - their souls.

The Lutheran Library, started and continued by Alec Satin, is a treasure house of online books, many of them also in print at a low cost. If the ELCA bedmates (LCMS, WELS, ELS) would turn to Luther, Loy, Leupold, and Lenski, they would find out that they do not need to die slowly of their apostasy.

I have always given away sound Lutheran books, and the tradition (or hobby) continues. If there is a book - or group of books - you want to own and study, send me an email. 

Many of them are prints from The Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry, and some are also from The Lutheran Librarian's collection. Our congregation's VP also contributed boxes of very good and worthwhile books.

I simply send books for free. I cannot promise rapid response and there is usually just one copy of the book or set. 

greg.jackson.edlp@gmail.com


 A book blanket - this speaks volumes.

The Latest Newsletter from The Lutheran Librarian - Alec Satin

 

Thursday, June 30, 2022

God's Creation Includes Our Management

 







I was thinking about the marvel of our brain, how much it handles in practical, everyday ways. For example, we can think about food and that immediately causes various organs to generate the changes for enjoying that food. But that is nothing compared to the One who created and engineered that brain and its thousands of functions. 

We can use our brains to figure out ways to help others and enjoy the blessings of faith in Jesus Christ. We can pray for help from Jesus, as He promised and consider how many ways He has done that and far more. 


Writers have pointed out that our brain needs cleansing just as our body does. When we fall asleep for a decent amount of time - and with naps - our body carries out various duties and refreshes our thinking, akin to rebooting a computer. If we tell a young child to take a nap because he is grouchy and weepy, he will say, sobbing, "I am not!"

My advice for students taking certification tests is to load up on caffeine and bring along lots of hard candy. However, that is not wise for going through a normal day.

Today I skipped coffee in the morning - shock! - and started later with a huge apple, then vegetables including a can of chickpeas, tomato sauce in abundance, peas, chopped onions and green peppers, walnuts, flax seed (milled, not stirred), and one strip of bacon in little pieces. I guessed that one piece of bacon would kick up the flavor of the cordon bleu veggies. It was delicious, enjoyable, and satisfying. 

I dropped buttered toast and coffee for breakfast and started the veggie lunch early. I had apples and pears during the afternoon, chicken and biscuits for supper, coffee with Sassy and Ranger Bob.

When Sassy wanted out in the front yard during the day, I got out scissors and clippers to manage the grassy weeds. I also walked a lot in the yard, hauling aged water for the most delicate plants and sprinklers for the rest. 

Butterfly plants are the current trend in the garden. I bought various kinds of milkweed so we can host Monarch butterflies and other attractive insects. Bee Balm is growing close to the front porch where the butterfly plants are gradually taking over space. Ideally, Monarchs will lay eggs, which hatch and lead to the jade wrapping with golden nails.

When I sit in the garden or on the driveway, I get a closeup of the rivalries on the ground. Established plants are elbowing weeds aside but I still have some grass to trim away. Most people still need to learn that dandelions are healthy herbs that support such creatures as the hummingbird. Why mess with that? Dandelions also improve the soil. 

I have never been taken over by dandelions in the front yard because I have almost no grass - all flowers and ground cover like wild strawberries. Nothing promotes dandelion growth like grass. A whole industry was formed to poison dandelions to death - at what cost, Scotts Lawn and Garden? - and for what purpose? 

America is supposed to be pretty smart, but we spend most of our money on fattening foods with very little nutrition, then go to morbidly obese MDs who fill our prescriptions for blood pressure, diabetes, and heart problems. Agony can be alleviated, at least, if we stick with the massive nutrition loads of vegetables, greens, fruits, and nuts. 

Sadly, when we pounce on expensive bread, fat, sweet, and salty products, we lose our appetites for inexpensive foods that benefit our health 100 ways. 


Exciting New Statistics - For WELS - Evangelism (Marketing) A Big Success -
Only 3,000+ Net Losses!

Can anyone read this out loud without laughing?
Paul Iscariot Kelm will never erase his legacy - smart-aleck, warmed-over Calvinism.


The false-teacher-leaders of WELS always have several buddies to back up their nonsense and cry "Fowl!" because they cannot spell.


Where are the statistics for Pastor Mike's church and Pastor Tim's work? It is all about the numbers, for these CPAs - Church Polluting Accountants. Ski's numbers are once again - in the dumps.


This is the Ur-Document of WELS infatuation with Fuller Seminary's marketing stink-bomb. Read below to discover their 45 years of spectacular results.

WELS has gone downhill in every possible way. They are like drunks wobbling along in the dark, grabbing street lights to give the impression of sobriety.

Last year, WELS lost another 3,000+ net members, which means the country is growing in numbers while WELS-LCMS-ELCA-ELS are losing members in droves.

Whatever numbers are posted, the real losses are hidden, ignored, omitted, or buffed up to a beautiful shine.

Valleskey's lop-sided smile is so much like Mark Jeske's ambiguous pose.


 Pieper, who came from WELS, was a genius at blending Justification by Faith and Justification without Faith, Calvinism and Luther, light and dark. Guess who won...for the moment, at least? 


The strange part is - they heatedly denied their false god worship while stealing synod money to attend Fuller Seminary, Trinity Divinity, and Willow Creek Community Church.