Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

May the Gospel remain not only in our ears and on our tongues, but come into our hearts and break forth fresh into loving deeds!—Martin Luther, Homily on Gospel for Trinity XV, Church Postils

Patristic Quote of the Day

By loving we became friends: but He loved us as enemies, that we might be made friends. He first loved us, and gave us the gift of loving Him.—St. Augustine on 1 John 4

Not nearly

As vast as that huge table that Aunt Emma filled on the back porch each summer with the fruits of her garden labors, but it reminds me of her collection all the same. Of course, this is actually a tad from last year too. We didn't even do pickles this year, because we knew we still had so many left! 

Something about putting up food for the winter (even in the rather minimal manner we do) makes me smile. I know on a coming cold winter's day, under a steely sky, we'll open a can of that summer sunshine and it will taste better than anything we bought at a store in a can. 

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

For who can harm or injure a man who has this confidence, who knows that heaven and earth, and all the angels and the saints will cry to God when the smallest suffering befalls him?—Martin Luther on John 17

Patristic Quote of the Day

The law, if you use it aright, sends you to Christ. For since its aim is to justify man, and it fails to effect this, it remits us to Him who can do so.—St. John Chrysostom on 1 Timothy 2. 

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

And as nature's works do not precede or make nature, but nature must first be present and do the works out of and by virtue of herself; so also the works of faith do not make faith, but they follow and spring from faith. So there must be works, but they have no merit nor saving power, but all salvation and merit must first be present in faith.—Martin Luther, Homily on Gospel for Trinity XIV, Church Postils

Patristic Quote of the Day

Be not ungrateful for His so great grace, who, though He had one Only Son, would not that He should be alone a Son; but, that He might have brethren, adopted unto Him those who should with Him possess life eternal.—St. Augustine, Homily on John 4

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

True believers are no hypocrites. They crucify the flesh with its evil desires and lusts. Inasmuch as they have not altogether put off the sinful flesh they are inclined to sin. They do not fear or love God as they should. They are likely to be provoked to anger, to envy, to impatience, to carnal lust, and other emotions. But they will not do the things to which the flesh incites them. They crucify the flesh with its evil desires and lusts by fasting and exercise and, above all, by a walk in the Spirit.—Martin Luther, Homily on the Epistle for Trinity XIV, Church Postil

Patristic Quote of the Day

Then mark well, brethren, the two birth-stocks, Adam and Christ: two men are; but one of them, a man that is man; the other, a Man that is God. By the man that is man we are sinners; by the Man that is God we are justified. That birth has cast down unto death; this birth has raised up unto life: that birth brings with it sin; this birth sets free from sin.—St. Augustine, Homily on John 3

Patristic Quote of the Day

The righteousness which at present is ours is of faith.—St. Augustine, on 1 John 2.

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

God does not like doubt and dejection. He hates dreary doctrine, gloomy and melancholy thought. God likes cheerful hearts. He did not send His Son to fill us with sadness, but to gladden our hearts.—Martin Luther, Homily for Trinity XIV, Epistle, Church Postil

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

The Christian feels the unholy condition of his heart, and it makes him feel so low that he cannot trust in his good works. He therefore goes to Christ to find perfect righteousness. This keeps a Christian humble.—Martin Luther, Homily on Trinity XIV, Epistle

Patristic Quote of the Day

Consequently, if you have confessed yourself a sinner, the truth is in you: for the Truth itself is light. Your life has not yet shone in perfect brightness, because there are sins in you; but yet you have already begun to be enlightened, because there is in you the confession of sins.—St. Augustine, On First John

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

I remember how Doctor Staupitz used to say to me: "I have promised God a thousand times that I would become a better man, but I never kept my promise. From now on I am not going to make any more vows. Experience has taught me that I cannot keep them. Unless God is merciful to me for Christ's sake and grants unto me a blessed departure, I shall not be able to stand before Him." His was a God-pleasing despair. No true believer trusts in his own righteousness, but says with David, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified." (Ps. 143:2) Again, "If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" (Ps. 130:3.)—Luther, Homily on Trinity XIV, Epistle

Patristic Quote of the Day

Now the Lord Himself not only shows us what evil we should shun, and what good we should do, which is all that the letter of the law is able to effect; but He moreover helps us that we may shun evil and do good, which none can do without the Spirit of grace; and if this be wanting, the law comes in merely to make us guilty and to slay us.—St. Augustine, On Rebuke and Grace

Saturday explorations

Wild blueberries?

After we finished up our breakfast, prayers, and coffee, I noted that we didn't have much wind and it might be a good day for a bike ride. We headed up to Decamp Junction on the bike trail. We spied what we think might be some wild blueberries and also a pumpkin patch. Can't see pumpkins and not think of the fall and pumpkin pie heaped high with whipped cream and a steaming mug of java to go with...and some cooler weather! Maybe even a fire in the fireplace?

Dave called while we were riding. He needed some medicine. In the old days, that would mean heading to Edwardsville. But Hamel has a new store next to our grocery (DK's), a Dollar General. So when we got back home, we picked up the keys to get the mail and a few bucks and headed out again on our bikes to the store. I was amazed at the stuff they had there. We found so many of the medicines Dave wanted that Cindi had to call him back to see which KIND he wanted. Add to the Dollar General, the Love's Travel Plaza across the interstate (I've still not even been in there) and during the summer, Dean's Produce Market, and I think if you planned it right, the trip to town might be more of a monthly than a weekly occurrence. 

And Another...

...In order that men may not deceive themselves and think they have faith when they have not, they are to examine their works, whether they also love their neighbors and do good to them. If they do this, it is a sign that they have the true faith. If they do not do this, they only have the sound of faith....a Christian life must embrace and never separate these two, faith and love.—Luther, Homily for Trinity XIV

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

Observe how everything agrees perfectly that God's love gives its favor freely, does not take nor seek anything for it, and how faith also receives quite freely and pays nothing for it, and thus the rich and the poor meet together, as the Psalms say.—Luther, Homily on Trinity XIV (Ten Lepers), Church Postils

Old Lutheran Quote of the Day

If we make our sins look small, we make Christ look small. That would be the same thing as saying: He is capable of forgiving small sins, but not big ones.—C. F. W. Walther, Proper Distinction

Patristic Quote of the Day

He, moreover, who says that any man, after he has received remission of sins, has ever lived in this body, or still is living, so righteously as to have no sin at all, he contradicts the Apostle John, who declares that If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Observe, the expression is not we had, but  we have. —St. Augustine, On Man's Perfection in Righteousness, Chapter 21