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| Make friends quickly with your accuser, lest... |
Most Wormhaven gardening practices go against common garden myths, for good reason - constant study. In the past, the Grace Dow Library was my Harvard and Yale in gardening. Between the gardening books upstairs and the children's books downstairs, I had every title read. I bought the rest of the books I needed, from earthworm culture to Rodale organic gardening books.
In addition, my parents taught me the difference between the artificial growth of modern agriculture and the flavor-filled results of old practices. My father often railed against tasteless tomatoes and bland chicken.
Creation principles do not go away, even if people think they have better ideas. I still like the American Indian response to the effect of plowing. Expected to react in wonder, he said, "Soil upside down." I remember a pastor recalling with pride how he rototilled leaves into his garden in the fall. I said, "Earthworms will do that for you." He was oblivious to the obvious. Don't come between a gardener and his 10 hp rototiller.
Almost everyone dismisses fallen leaves - even some composting gardeners do. If nitrogen is the ideal, why bother with dry leaves, loaded with carbon, short on nitrogen? Dry leaves compost slowly, etc. Likewise, wood lacks nitrogen and will "absorb nitrogen," so wood mulch is bad, bad, bad.
First of all, the big swap underground is the plant giving up carbon for nitrogen. Who wants all the carbon (boo hiss)? Fungi do. They need carbon to grow. Fungi give up nitrogen to the plant roots because of their need for carbon. Fungi are purpose-driven.
Secondly, wood does absorb nitrogen in the first stage of rotting, but releases it again later. Organic matter is self-adjusting. Manure promotes bacteria, which digest it. Wood promotes fungi, which excel at attacking wood with chemical-bond splitting enzymes.
These principles were established at Creation, and they will not change. They are so complex that no one can briefly summarize what happens in that ocean of life in the soil.
Biblical Principles
We can discover Creation principles with science. The more we learn from the microscope and telescope, the more we grasp the infinite number of dependencies in the universe.
The most important truths are revealed in the Scriptures, yet they are ignored with more obstinacy than Creation principles.
Lutherans like to say that justification is the Chief Article of the Christian Religion, quoting Luther (remember him?). Justification is the master and the prince, judging all other articles - as Luther wrote. But - justification is also the topic most often ignored in discussions, because it is divisive. Indeed. Justification divides the sheep (JBFA) from the goats (UOJ).
Instead, the blogs and discussion groups like to talk about the symptoms of the One Great Error of the Synodical Conference and ELCA - forgiveness without faith. One might as well argue about blue handles on the rake as opposed to green handles.
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Likewise, all doctrinal discussions should be based upon the efficacy of the Word, but that phrase is seldom mentioned and often implicitly rejected. The morons and criminals who run the synods assume that their entertainment services will attract new members when their own statistics show how wrong they are. Meanwhile, Koine charges $3,000.00 just to show up. No one blushes.
The all-time universal favorite hymn is Amazing Grace, but few discuss the Means of Grace. Those who reject the efficacious Word in the Word and Sacraments are never mentioned, but they are not so irenic in return. Nothing enrages the Enthusiasts more than the Instruments of God's grace. Thus the UOJ Stormtroopers talk about Jesus while tearing down the bridge to Jesus - the Means.
I found some Facebook friends boo-hooing the recent effort to subpoena sermons that might offend a mayor. I responded to Matt Harrison (LCMS SP) and a WELS pastor - "Let me know when you two stand up to ELCA and Thrivent. I won't hold my breath."
