Rhetoric

Cicero said rhetoric could be defined as a wise man speaking well. It can also be described as communicating the truth in an eloquent and persuasive manner.

KINDS OF DISCOURSE

Political – Future events

Judicial – Past Events

Ceremonial – Feel good, Emotional, Flattery

THREE MODES

Pathos – Emotion created in audience.

Ethos – Persona of the speaker.

Logos – Logic of the argument.

CANONS

Invention – The develop of an argument or assertion ( see A below)

Arrangement – The order of the argument. (see B below)

Style – Understanding the audience.

Memory – Having a recall of examples; a database of information.

Delivery – How the speech is delivered.

Poem

Mama’s encyclopedia

She sits in an overgrown measured garden of carved stone

She draws a small picture no-one sees but her

When she’s finished, she’ll sit us round the campfire of time, picture in hand

She’ll tell us a tale older than soil

To put us asleep

In the tall

Soft

Grass

Inspiration

A Psalm of Life

What the heart of the young man said to the psalmist

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,

Life is but an empty Dream! –

For the soul is dead that slumbers,

And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!

And the grave is not its goal;

Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

Is our destined end or way;

But to act, that each to-morrow

Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and time is fleeting,

And our hearts, though stout and brave,

Still, like muffled drums, are beating

Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,

In the bivouac of Life,

Be not like dumb, driven cattle!

Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!

Let the dead Past bury its dead!

Act,- act in the living Present!

Heart within, and God o’erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,

With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labor and to wait.

Political Reform and Revival

Although, the modern Church is in desperate need of reformation and revival, we must begin with the recognition that we have no control over whether or not God will grant it to us ( Mother Kirk, Wilson, Douglas. P. 79).

Naming the Animals

Salvation

The hebrew words that express the idea of salvation in the Old Testament have the general sense of deliverence from physical danger or Moral distress. In such passages the Septugint, uses the Greek words that mean to save from death or dangers, as well as to preserve or to heal (Reformation Study Bible, ESV. p. 1680).

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;but let them not turn back to folly. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land ( Pslam 85:8,9).

Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion,“Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” ( Is. 62:11).

Eclogue II

Eclogue II

Johann:
Hallo!
I am not mistaken, you are young Master Watts!

Watts:
I am.
Lord Johann?

Johann:
Indeed, how blessed am I to meet with you.
Two souls, who love to make melody; meet upon
the road; providence, providence.
You with angelic voice and I, the lord of piping.
All praise to the maker and keeper of faith!

How often have I heard your fame sung!
Let us leave this dusty road and turn into that tavern, back a bend in the road,
and praise the founder of our faith and fortunes.

Watts:
I, of course, defer to your grey head!
My mouth is dry and my legs, stout as they are, tighten to the road.
A peculiar and blessed honor, to buy so esteemed and holy a man,
a drink and sit gladdening hearts by a happy hearth!

Johann:
And such a blessing to my lineage that ale on your silver,
should comfort and cool me on so hot a day!

They crossed back with animated tongues to
‘Solomon’s Portico’, a home to wanderers and travelers.
Two famed men happy to enjoy famed brew.

Johann:
Solomon; meet Master Watts.
We’ve come to share in your hospitality and mix talents.

Solomon:
Such a scene!
Lord Johann, you are indeed welcome!
This is a tale for my table!
Sit here, by the window.
Mix Talents? Indeed!
I’ll order another keg tapped.

I have heard of young Master Watts.
I tried to see you play at Michael-mas at St. John’s Church and
again at St. Moses Cathedral, but there was no room for me
though I promised two kegs to any man who’d give up his seat.
Men cross the mountains to taste my brew, I flatter myself,
but none would budge!

Watts:
You are too kind!
At St. Calvinus feast, they served your summer ale, not a fortnight passed.
I think my voice was never so stout, nor my range so wide.
You are a prince!

Solomon:
Prince!
Me, lordly, with my beer making and hospitality?
Please, my wife has a tale or two for the both of you!

Lord Johann, are you two going to compete?
I hear, Melodious has offered high prices and honors to compete with you?

Johann:
Compete? I play for no vain-glory.
Melodious thinks he’s the very root, the first of all us poor players!
I have never desired to appease him.
I play to make the hearts of men glad.
Master Watts is of a like-mind, I have often heard.

Competition does not befit our gifts.
We are two experts whose skills will be
fulfilled in conference on the goodness of the “The Three. The One.”

Solomon:
I know the wise, when I hear them!
Bless you!
What can I fetch such esteemed men?

Watts:
A pitcher and two steaks, if the beef is fat!

Solomon:
If, indeed, young pup.
Rest, my guests.

Enjoy a cigar or fresh ground tobacco for your pipes.
If the two of you, Lord and Master of song should
converse of music here, the fame it will
bring my portico would pale my meager ale.

I once heard a very wealthy man speak of
giving up the family estate to bring the two of you to the music books
together in any music hall or barn.


The drink was brought and followed by fattened Calf and
carrots fresh picked and apples and whole vines of grapes.
Then Wedges of cheese and loafs of bread,
one would think twenty feasted!
The two gentlemen ate and laughed.

They beat upon the table as joy and thanksgiving abounded.
Arrangements were compared, tunes were written why
all the while the people came, hearing that two such famed
and Holy men sat together.
They came to see, and maybe hear, such a sight.
More were added to the party until the building bulged.
Up and down the Lane and into the highway in
both directions they thronged!

Solomon:
Lord Johann, Master Watts!
Come, we crush this ground.
There is a farmer’s field whose owner has sworn
he’ll name his first born Johann Watts if only
the two of you would come there and play and his son is seventeen!

I’ve ordered large casts rolled out there and I won’t charge a dime.

Johann:
We must play! Master Watts, clear your throat, we make melody!

Watts:
With all my heart!

It took some time for them to make their way out to the field.
The entire county, it seemed,
with cups in hand appeared from the road in every direction.

Lord Johann and Master Watts ascended a fastened cart at the end of the field.
They were hearty.
They warmed with “Bless the Man”.
They played and sang together.

They went through anthem after anthem of our commonwealth.
They called for the crowd to sing with them;
“Beneath the Blood Stained Lintel”, “Psalm 133”,
“O’ Twas a Joyful Sound to Hear”, “Old Rugged Cross” and “Amazing Grace”.
The parish players came, with drum and harp and were inspired…

The merriment was heard across the valley.
Joyous rapture proceeded while fires were lit to
carry on into the night and the
ground shook with the dancing and it was a joyful sound to hear…

As Melodious heard the tale told
He cursed them both for such a lowly act.
Wouldn’t everyone who saw them coming down the road, expect a free show?

He decided they must have been drunk and called them fools.
And he overlooked the green vein in his heart
that wondered what joy could accompany
playing to so low a crowd for free
in a field!?

The Church Militant

We are not fighting for property rights or free speech or the opportunity to carry a loaded .40 caliber pistol in our belt. We do not grovel, we do not plead for a seat at the table of ideas. We do not wish change to come to this land like so many hamburgers from the McDonald’s drive thru.

We acknowledge, like John the Baptizer, “Behold, the Lamb of God”. He is at the head of the table, and He is there ALREADY because IT IS HIS TABLE. The table is his. The Government is at odds with Christ as long as it does not recognize in fear while trembling, the Most High Throne of Christ.

When Christ is at the head of the government, it will do what it is intended to do; wield the sword of Justice and defend our homeland. Jerusalem above is free, and SHE is our mother, not the trinity of judicious, legislative and executive. This is an Idol and one that demands its tithe, our children and our fealty above any other Deity.

Our response must be the response of our forefathers; “No king but King Jesus”; no God but the wondrous and terrifying Three in One.

We, the bride of Jesus, must turn our hearts back toward the husband of our youth, the Lord of our lives. We must repent of our gender bending, our pietistic whore-mongering and our false worship.

We, the kings, prophets and priests of the High Seat of Christ, must take up the whole armor of God and arm ourselves with the wondrous two-edged sword of the Spirit and take to the work of dominion.

Civil liberties are a result of our Christian liberties, exercised in obedience to the ascended Lord, who sits at the right hand of God the Father who holds the wicked governments of this world in derision.

Repent. Restore. Reform.

Naming the animals

Unrighteousness - (lack of conformity whith what is right) - is the sin of unbelief, or the lack of that righteousness which flows from Faith.

( Romans, M. Luther. p. 49)

The role of Magistrates

Then therefore all kings are the vassals of the King of Kings, invested into their office by the sword, which is the cognisance of their royal authority, to the end that with the sword they maintain the law of God, defend the good, and punish the evil.

(Defence of Liberty against Tyrany, p. 6)