Discouraged Takes the Courage out of Hope in the Creation Garden

 

 Caladiums come in various colors, so why camouflage them in green?

I have gardened long enough in this place to have a lot of discouraging projects pop up the next year to surprise and shame me. 

Surprise! They are coming up and will draw attention with so many flowers already in bloom.

For instance, I planted white caladiums in the fall and the red/greens came up early this spring. The colorful leaves are late to show up, but they keep growing the rest of the summer and into the fall. They will keep appearing and reminding of love's labor gained rather than lost.

I grew a bulb that is named after a cookie, but only one out of 25 grew up, and I gave that bunch two places to bloom. 

Squirlie! - Charli Sue is your nemesis. Remember that.

Lilies were supposed to encourage me with their stately size and enormous blooms. The next season some stalks showed up and did nothing. I said many harsh things to their pathetic leaves and weak roots. I complained to the yard helpers and they responded with quizzical looks. "You have enough flowers." That may be true, but I do not like purchases turned into compost. 

This year the lilies are tall with enormous flowers and laden with perfume only Avon could sell. I feared taking one into the chapel, sending me into a paroxym of sneezing, closed eyes, and regret.

Mountain mint attracts butterflies, bees, and those tiny flies that prey upon the damaging flies.

My grand "triumph:" I always wanted mountain mint, after I saw them draw in groups of tiny insects constantly in motion, in Washington DC. My helper accidentally buried two clumps under cardboard and mulch. We scratched around but never found them that year. "You buried my mountain mint!" He said, "They looked like weeds!" We laughed a lot about that.

You guessed correctly. Both mint clumps came up with great vigor after missing most of that summer. 

Being discouraged makes us give up, because we think, "What's the use!?" That is why congregations should emphasize Biblical doctrine, The Lutheran Hymnal, and the King James Version.

The Bad Bible Boosters: ELCA-WELS-ELS-LCMS-ELDONUTS - pursue randomness in the name of popularity. The modern Bible versions are like the All-Star football games, where each player wears his own helmet. They are equally meaningless, like the Bad Bibles (NIV, RSV, NRSV, ESV + plus the Otten Beck Bible) which are used to pump some funds into dying denominations and CN, focused on one thing - hating the KJV for its faithful Apostolic Text. 

Arguments for the Tischendorf-Westcott-Hort-Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament are laughably wrong, except for those who know what they are doing - undermining the divinity of Christ and faith in the Savior.

If these denominations, fading as fast as CN, unified with the KJV, they would not be dibble-dabbling with Babel.

Here is a simple formula that even a baker's son can follow:

1. Emphasize the Means of Grace. For Mequon grads - the visible Word of the Sacraments, the invisible Word of preaching and teaching.
2. Since the sermon is essential - speak from the text itself and write out an original sermon each time - never plagiarizing, never repeating.
3. Teach from the Reformation, not from the festering sores of various dogmatics books, the farther from the Luther's era, the worser they get.
4. Use dignified, traditional hymns instead of entertainment from balding Boomers who want to have their own little band.

If becoming discouraged, do some gardening on a regular schedule and observe Creation close up.

WELS-LCMS-ELS Dumped the Preaching Ministry for Gimmicks and Snacks

I remember WELS Missionary Richard Starr saying with a straight face that he studied the Bible and decided old methods for evangelism were not fast enough in Brazil. His idea was to give people video tapes to watch if they had any questions at their little post in Brazil. They could go in the next room and watch the tape.

A farmer from the area stood up and asked, "Tapes? They want to know about Christ and you give them tapes to watch?"

The important part--which Starr never mastered,--was learning the language. He was the head of the team spending Schwan's money - and yours - in Brazil, but he could not speak Portuguese. WELS quietly sent him home to Michigan..

Back to Luther
Luther's entire emphasis was upon the preaching office for teaching people about the grace of God.

As you doubtless recall from Luther's sermon after Easter, he also advocated individual evangelism.

The most important part about adult education in the Christian Church--the sermon--is hardly attempted today. How will people learn in detail the meaning of key passages of Scripture? They will not learn anything good from their little cell groups, which are based on literature from sects.

I was talking to a Baptist with a PhD about the Reformation candy I passed out. "For Halloween?" he asked. I said, "No, for Reformation on October 31st?"

"Reformation Day was the same as Halloween this year?"

"It is every year."

"It is?"

"Yes. I had the classes study the Reformation and answer questions for the candy."

I was more shocked by his response than football player with a 4.0 report card.

Are these the people you want teaching your members about the Bible, doctrine, the Reformation? Don't worry, they skip over the Reformation.

Preaching Is Hard Work, But Fulfilling and Unique
The only way to preach is to use a text and explain the meaning of it. Sometimes a theme can be picked to emphasize, but the best kind of preaching overall is expository.

Luther preached on themes from time to time, but the ones preserved in the Lenker series are mostly expository.

You do have a set, don't you? The old version was $40 for 8 handy volumes. The newer version includes the household postils, now a total of 7 larger volumes.

Those who despise and ignore Luther never study him and do not know how to start. They should. I told a Calvinist I read Luther all the time. He laughed. I said, "It would do you a world of good."

The UOJ Stormtroopers, with all their gimmicks,
are ready to declare victory.