Thursday, February 18, 2010

Signs


SIGNS







THE PHARISEES CAME

TO JESUS

TO TELL HIM

THAT HEROD THE RULER

WANTED TO KILL HIM



THEY DID THIS FOR TWO REASONS.

FIRST JESUS WAS PREACHING IN GALILEE

WHERE HEROD WAS RULER

AND HE WAS ATTRACTING CROWDS

WITH HIS TEACHINGS

AND HIS TEACHINGS

WERE THREATENING

THE PRIVILEGED POSITION

OF THE PHARISEES

SO THEY WOULD LIKE HIM

TO GO ELSEWHERE

TO GO ANYWHERE AND PREACH

BUT LEAVE THEM ALONE.



SECOND THEY HOPED

THAT JESUS WOULD GO TO JERUSALEM

AND GET CAUGHT UP

IN THE POLITICAL INTRIGUE

THAT WAS RAMPANT IN THE CITY

AND AS A RESULT

THE ROMANS WOULD KILL HIM.



THE HEROD

THE PHARISEES WERE TALKING ABOUT

WAS THE SAME HEROD

THAT HAD PUT

JOHN THE BAPTIST TO DEATH



SO THE THREAT OF DEATH WAS VERY REAL.



BUT JESUS ANSWERS

TELL THAT FOX

THAT I WILL CAST OUT DEMONS

AND WILL HEAL PEOPLE

TODAY,

TOMORROW

AND ON THE THIRD DAY



WHICH IS THE HEBREW WAY

OF SAYING

I WILL STAY HERE

UNTIL I ACCOMPLISH MY PURPOSE.


IT IS ALMOST AN ECHO

OF LUTHER

SAYING HERE I STAND

I CANNOT BE ELSEWHERE.



WHAT JESUS

IS SAYING TO HEROD

AND TO ALL THE HERODS

OF THE WORLD

HERE I STAND

TO BRING SALVATION

YOU CANNOT CHASE ME AWAY.

HERE I STAND

LIKE A SIGN.

POINTING THE WAY



LET ME TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT SIGNS



A WOMAN DRIVES HER CAR

ALONG THE HIGHWAY

SHE SEES THE MANY SIGNS

THAT EDGE OUR ROADS,

SCHOOL AHEAD

GO SLOW,

THE NEXT CITY - WEST OSSIPEE

THE MILEAGE, 12 MILES

LITTLE CAESAR'S PIZZA-PIZZA



SHE SEES WASH

HANGING ON THE LINE,

SHE SEES OTHER CARS IN FRONT

OR IN THE CAR MIRROR



OCCASIONALLY

WHEN THE LIGHT IS RIGHT

SHE SEES

HER OWN FACE

REFLECTED IN THE WINDSHIELD



SHE IS DRIVING BY A CLIFF,

SET BACK FROM THE ROAD.

IT IS A STEEP CLIFF.

SO STEEP

THAT WHEN SHE SEES THE SIGN,

SHE WONDERS

HOW ANYONE COULD CLIMB

THE CLIFF'S FACE

AND PUT IT THERE.



THE SIGN SAYS

JESUS SAVES

WRITTEN IN LARGE CLUMSY LETTERS

WITH WHITE PAINT,

THAT TRICKLES DOWN

FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE LETTERS

AS IF THE LETTERS

WERE FALLING APART

OR MELTING

OR MAYBE CRYING



THE SIGN SAYS

JESUS SAVES

THAT'S ALL



ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER SIGNS

OF THE HIGHWAY,

LIKE RIGHT TURN ONLY,

TOLL BOOTH AHEAD,

THE SPEED LIMIT

AND DESTINATIONS,

ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER SIGNS

WAS THIS SIGN JESUS SAVES



AND THE WOMAN

LIKE MOST OF US

FELT AWKWARD WITH THE SIGN,

FELT AN INTERNAL SQUIRM

AT THE MESSAGE

EVEN THOUGH

LIKE MOST OF US

SHE KNEW IT TO BE TRUE,

SHE FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE SIGN

AND ITS' PUBLIC MESSAGE

LIKE SAYING GRACE IN PUBLIC



GOD ONLY KNOWS

WHAT KIND OF PERSON

MUST HAVE CLIMBED UP THERE,

WITH A BUCKET

AND A BRUSH

TO SPLASH THE MESSAGE ON THE CLIFF:

MAYBE MAN

MAYBE WOMAN,

MAYBE YOUNG OR OLD,

DRUNK OR SOBER,

IN DAYLIGHT OR IN THE DARK



GOD ONLY KNOWS

WHAT DROVE THE PAINTER

TO PAINT THIS SIGN;

SIN OR REDEMPTION,

JOY OR REMORSE,

POSSIBLY A DARE,

POSSIBLY A PRAYER


WHAT EVER THE REASON,

IN OUR STRANGE TIMES,

AMONG PEOPLE LIKE US

AMONG PEOPLE JUST LIKE US,

AMONG US,

THE EFFECT

0F THE MESSAGE ON THE HILLSIDE

THAT "JESUS SAVES"

MAKES US SQUIRM.

AND I THINK

WE SQUIRM

BECAUSE WE ARE EMBARRASSED

AND WE ARE EMBARRASSED

FOR MANY REASONS



EMBARRASSED

PERHAPS

BECAUSE THE WORDS

REMIND US OF OLD TIME RELIGION,

OF SHOUT AND HOLLER,

OF PULPIT POUNDING,

OF GOD'S GONNA GET YOU,

.

WE SQUIRM

BECAUSE THERE IS SOMETHING

IN THE NAME JESUS ITSELF

THAT EMBARRASSES US

WHEN IT STANDS NAKED

AND ALONE



JUST JESUS

BY ITSELF

WITHOUT A TITLE

LIKE A FRIEND'S NAME.

IT MAKES US UNCOMFORTABLE.



WE WOULD ACCEPT

CHRIST SAVES

THAT'S HIS JOB.

BUT JESUS SAVES

AS IN JESUS SAVES FRANK

OR BARBARA OR ALICE

OR JOE OR FRED OR WADE

OR WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS,

IS LIKE A LOVER

CARVING HIS AND HIS LOVED ONE'S NAME

ON A TREE

IT HAS AN AIR ABOUT IT

LIKE A LOVE SONG.


MAYBE JESUS SAVES

WRITTEN ON THE CLIFF

IS EMBARRASSING

BECAUSE RELIGION

IN SOME WAYS

HAS BECOME EMBARRASSING



MAYBE OUR WINCING

IS A WAY

TO HIDE OUR EYES

TO STOP UP OUR EARS,

BECAUSE WE SOMEHOW KNOW

THAT IF THE MESSAGE GOT THROUGH,

IT WOULD SAY DIRECTLY,

CLEARLY,

UNMISTAKABLY

FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE

THAT WE,

YOU AND I,

NEED TO BE SAVED



RICH MAN, POOR MAN,

YOUNG WOMAN, OLD WOMAN,

EDUCATED,

UNLETTERED,

RELIGIOUS, UNRELIGIOUS,



ALL OF US,

YOU AND I,

ALL OF US,

NEED TO BE SAVED.



AND THAT

IS OFFENSIVE. TO US

FOR WHAT IT SAYS

IS

YOU HAVE NO PEACE

WITHIN YOUR SKIN-

YOU ARE NOT HAPPY,

YOU ARE NOT WHOLE



OUR HUMANITY

REACTS AGAINST THE THOUGHT,

OUR SELF SUFFICIENT HUMANITY

WHICH CONTINUALLY

WANTS THE APPLE

MORE THAN IT WANTS THE GARDEN,

REACTS

AGAINST THE THOUGHT



WHAT FOOL

WOULD CLIMB THAT CLIFF

TO WRITE A MESSAGE

THAT OFFENDS ME.

WHAT FOOL DARES

TO GIVE ME SUCH ADVICE

WHAT FOOL DARES

TO QUESTION

MY SELF-SUFFICIENCY



IF YOU HAD SAID

GOD SAVES,

I COULD ARGUE WITH GOD.

BUT YOU SAID

JESUS

AS IF TO SAY

FRIEND

AND I SEE THAT FRIEND

FOR WHAT THE WORLD

HAS MADE HIM,

A FOOL

DESPISED AND REJECTED,

A LAUGHING STOCK AMONG THE NATIONS,

WITH HIS RIDICULOUS SLOGAN

LOVE ONE ANOTHER



AND I AM

EMBARRASSED BY HIM

AND THE SIGN ON THE CLIFF



THE BAD THIEF,

THE ONE ON THE LEFT

SAID IN A TAUNT

IF YOU ARE THE CHRIST

SAVE YOURSELF

AND SAVE US

HOW LIKE HIM WE ARE,

WHEN OUR LIFE'S ACTIONS

HANG US ON THE LEFT CROSS,

WE CRY

SAVE YOURSELF

AND SAVE US



OH, WE ARE NOT SORRY FOR YOUR PAIN.

BECAUSE WE DO NOT ALWAYS NEED YOU,

ONLY WHEN ALL THE APPLES,

WE HAVE EATEN FROM THE TREE

MAKE US SICK

THEN WE NEED YOU


SAVE US, SAVE US

ME MORE THAN YOU

SAVE US.



BUT THE GOOD THIEF,

THE ONE ON THE RIGHT,

REBUKED THE BAD THIEF

FOR HIS ARROGANCE,

THEN SPOKE

WITH ALMOST THE SAME ARROGANCE,

JESUS, REMEMBER ME

WHEN YOU COME IN TO YOUR KINGDOM



TWO ARROGANT PETITIONS

BUT FROM DIFFERENT HEARTS,

ONE SPOKEN IN ANGER,

ONE SPOKEN IN TRUST

AND HOPE

AND TO THE TRUSTING,

HOPEFUL HEART

HE SAID

TRULY,

TODAY

YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE



I WONDER

WHAT THE GUARDS THOUGHT

WHEN THEY HEARD THIS CONVERSATION



DID IT INTERRUPT THEIR DICE GAME,

WERE THEY PERHAPS EMBARRASSED

BY THE GOODNESS

OF THE MAN THEY WERE KILLING



OR DID THEY THINK

THAT THE PAIN

OF THEIR TORTURE

HAD ROBBED HIS MIND OF REASON



HOW COULD THAT ONE

SAVE ANYONE,

NAILED TO THE TREE

WITH GOOD STOUT NAILS

WITH THE SIGN ABOVE HIS HEAD

WHICH MOCKED HIM AS KING



THEY'D BEEN WITH HIM,

WHEN THEY'D WHIPPED

AND CROWNED HIM,

AND THEY HAD HEARD

NEITHER CURSE NOR WHIMPER.

NO KING HE,

A LAMB MAYBE,

QUIET IN HIS SLAUGHTER,

BUT NO KING



HOW RIDICULOUS A DEATH,

DYING ON A HILLSIDE

LIKE A NAME

PAINTED ON A CLIFF-



HOW RIDICULOUS A DEATH,

DYING ON A HILLSIDE

LIKE A NAME

CARVED ON A TREE BY LOVERS,

AND IN THIS NAME

THE NAME OF JESUS

WE ARE EMBARRASSED.

WHY?



PERHAPS IT IS BECAUSE

WE THINK

THAT WE ARE UNLOVABLE

WE DO NOT DOUBT

THAT GOD CAN SAVE US,

BUT WE DO DOUBT

THAT SOMEONE COULD LOVE US

SO MUCH

AS TO DIE FOR US-

TO DIE FOR US

NOT FOOLISHLY,

BUT FULLY KNOWING

OUR UNWORTHINESS

AND STILL WANTING TO SAVE US



I SUSPECT

THAT THE REAL REASON

WHY THE NAME

JESUS'

MAY EMBARRASS US

WHEN IT STANDS NAKED BY ITSELF,

IS THAT IT PUTS US

ON A FIRST NAME BASIS

IT REMINDS US

OF OUR OWN NEED FOR SALVATION,

OUR OWN NAKEDNESS,

OUR OWN NAMES


FOR JESUS HAS COME

TO SAVE D-GUY,

SAVE JJ AND PAULA,

SAVE THERESA,

SAVE MARY,

SAVE KAREN AND PETER,

SAVE MARCIA,

SAVE ALL OF US-



NOT FOR OUR JOBS,

NOT FOR OUR TITLES,

NOT FOR OUR TITHING,

NOT BECAUSE WE ARE RETIRED

OR WORKING,

MARRIED,

SINGLE OR DIVORCED.

NOT FOR ANY REASON

EXCEPT HE LOVES US

HE MADE US.

WE ARE THE WORK OF HIS HANDS

AND GOD DOESN'T MAKE JUNK.



HE LOVES US.

END OF SENTENCE

HE LOVES

US



THE MESSAGE ON THE CLIFFSIDE

CALLS US BY NAME,

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬CALLS ALL OF US, BY NAME

IT SAYS

UNCOVER YOUR EYES,

OPEN YOUR EARS,





I BRING TRUTH AND HOPE

FOR ALL THE NEEDING-TO-BE FILLED

PLACES IN YOUR LIVES.

BE LIKE THE GOOD THIEF

AND KNOW THE PAIN OF SURRENDER,

THE PAIN OF KNOWING

THE HELPLESSNESS

OF TRYING TO HELP YOURSELF

CALL ON ME,

CALL ON ME,

LIKE THE GOOD THIEF

CALL ON ME

SAYING

JESUS, REMEMBER ME,

WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM


REMEMBER ME,

REMEMBER ME,

REMEMBER ME.

EVEN THOUGH I DON'T ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU'



JESUS SAYS "I WILL".

AND WHETHER IT SEEMS PREPOSTEROUS

IN OUR JUDGMENT

OR EMBARRASSING,

THE SAME GOD

THAT SAVED THIEVES

HANGING JUSTLY ON THE CROSS,

ALSO SAVES CLOWNS LIKE YOU

AND ME,

NOT FOR ANY OTHER REASON,

THAN THAT HE LOVES US.







SO WHEN

THE PHARISEES SAY TO HIM

LEAVE NOW

BEFORE THEY KILL YOU

HE REPLIES

I WILL STAY FAITHFUL

TO MY TASK

TODAY

TOMORROW

AND THE DAY AFTER

WHICH MEANS

ALWAYS



FURTHER

JESUS SAYS

COME TO MY SHOP

WHERE THERE IS A SIGN

THAT SAYS

JESUS

CARPENTER

MAKER OF EASY YOKES

WE MAKE YOUR BURDEN LIGHT.

COME IN

NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY

LET ME PROVE IT.


AND AS WE ENTER

WE CATCH OUR IMAGE

IN THE WINDOW

OF HIS SHOP

AND WE ALSO SEE

THE REFLECTION OF THE CLIFF

WITH THE SIGN

JESUS SAVES

AND WE KNOW THE MESSAGE

IS PERSONAL AND FOR US.



AMEN





FRANK A VOLLMER

Thursday, February 11, 2010

IN GOD WE TRUST?

I RECEIVED A REQUEST
TO SIGN A PETITION

TO KEEP GOD

ON OUR MONEY

AND

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

A NOBLE THOUGHT

A NO BRAINER

OR SO I THOUGHT



BUT I WONDERED

IN MULTIPLE AMERICA

WHICH GOD IS MEANT

HINDHU

NATIVE AMERICAN

MUSLIM

CHRISTIAN

JEW

BUDDHISTS

WHO ARE REACHING FOR SOMETHING

THAT HAS NO NAME



I DON’T THINK GOD

MINDS

SHARING THE STAGE

WITH HIM/

HER SELF



I THINK BEHIND THE BLUSTER

IS THE THOUGHT

IT SHOULD BE THE CHRISTIAN GOD



DOES PUTTING HIS NAME ON MONEY

DENOTE A BETTER BEHAVIOR



WILL THERE BE LESS RACE HATRED



WILL THE POOR

SICK

ELDERLY

BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY



WILL THE YOUNG

HAVE A LIFE WITHOUT WAR



WILL DENOMINATION WARFARE CEASE



WILL CHILDREN BE SAFE IN SCHOOLS



WILL MARRIAGE

AT FIFTY PERCENT DIVORCE RATE

BE RETURNED TO SACRAMENTAL STATUS



BEFORE I GO ON

I CONSIDER MYSELF A CHRISTIAN

THAT JESUS CAME TO SAVE THE WORLD

NOT JUST A FEW

HE CAME TO SAVE THE WORLD



THE MECHANICS OF HOW

ARE IN GOD’S HANDS

WHOSE MERCY IS GREATER

THAN OUR ABILITY TO COMPREHEND IT



IF THIS PUTS ME OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM

LIGHT THE FIRE

BUT A GOD WHO WOULD CONDEMN

SOMEONE

WHO TRIES TO LIVE WELL

BY HIS FAITH STANDARDS

IS A GOD

I COULD NOT SERVE



EVEN LESS

PUT HIS NAME ON MY MONEY





FRANK A. VOLLMER



Saturday, February 6, 2010

REFLECTIONS ON SOLOMON’S TEMPLE







WHEN I WAS A LAD

A COUPLE OF CENTURIES AGO

I WENT TO SUNDAY SCHOOL

UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE

OF MUM AND GRANNY



THEY’D BROOK NO REPORTS OF MISCONDUCT

IN THE LORD’S HOUSE



I REMEMBER THE TEACHER

TALKING ABOUT SOLOMON’S TEMPLE



DESCRIBING IT IN GLOWING TERMS



IN MY MIND

MY YOUNG BOY’S MIND



I THINK I STILL HAVE IT



IN MY MIND

IT BECAME A BUILDING

GAZILLION FEET TALL

WITH SIDES TO MATCH



COVERED WITH GOLD

AND SMELLING OF CEDAR

LIKE MUM’S CLOSET



WHEN I BECAME OLDER

I LEARNED

IT WAS NOT AN UNIQUE BUILDING



IT WAS BUILT LIKE A CANAANITES TEMPLE



WHICH MAKES SENSE

THE BRITISH BUILT

ENGLISH STYLE CHURCHES

IN INDIA

DURING THE OCCUPATION



SINCE AT THAT TIME THE ISRAELITES

WERE NOT ARTISANS

EXCEPT IN WAR

THEY HIRED

A FOREIGN NATION TO BUILD



THEY HIRED KING HIRAM OF TYRE

(A CANAANITE)

WHO HAD THE SKILLS

AND HIS TRUSTY MEN



AND HE INCLUDED PHOENICIAN SYMBOLS

LIKE THE MAZZEBAH

TWO PHALLIC SYMBOL COLUMNS

OUT FRONT

CALLED

BOAZ AND JACHIN



AND THE ORNAMENTATION

OF PALM TREES

AND CHERUBIM

EVEN THE GUARDING LIONS OVER THE ARK









IN THE SANCTUARY

THE MIDDLE ROOM OF THE TEMPLE

STOOD A TABLE OF SHOWBREADS



TWELVE IN ALL

WITH A INCENSE BURNER

AMONG THEM



FOR THE LORD HAD REQUIRED

THAT THE BREAD

BE THERE



A BETTER NAME FOR SHOWBREADS

IS BREAD OF PRESENCE



SINCE IN TEMPLE WORSHIP

IT ALWAYS SHOULD BE THERE

BEFORE THE PRESENCE THE LORD

IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES



AFTER SEVEN DAYS

THE BREAD WAS REPLACED

IT WAS NOW THE PRIEST’S FOOD

IT MUST BE EATEN IN A HOLY PLACE



IT COULD BE EATEN BY OTHERS

AS DAVID AND HIS MEN DID

BUT IT WAS THE PRIESTS TO SHARE



AS WITH THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE TEMPLE

SHOWBREADS WERE COMMON TO THE AREA

REMNANTS OF A HOLY MEAL



IN OTHER CULTURES

FEEDING OF A GOD

WAS AN ORDINARY THING







ALSO IN THE SANCTUARY

WAS THE MENORAH

A SEVEN BRANCHED CANDELABRA

REPUTED TO LOOK LIKE THE PLANT SALVIA

WITH ITS MULTI- BRANCHES



THE ROOT OF THE WORD MENORAH

IS THE SAME AS MINARET

WHICH ORIGINALLY

WAS A LIGHTHOUSE

TO A DARKEN CITY

A KIND OF STREET LAMP



IT WAS NEEDED IN THE SANCTUARY

BECAUSE IT ONLY HAD A CLERESTORY

FOR OTHER LIGHT

WHICH WOULD BE USELESS AT NIGHT



IT WAS KEPT LIT CONTINUOUSLY

A SORT OF ETERNAL FLAME





BEYOND THE SANCTUARY

WAS THE HOLY OF HOLIES



THE REASON THE TEMPLE WAS BUILT



TO HOUSE G-D’S HOLY NAME



YAHWEH



OTHER CANAANITE TEMPLES

WOULD HAVE A STATUE

OF THEIR GOD



THERE WERE NO EFFIGIES

JUST THE ARK

AND THE GUARDING WINGED LIONS

AND THERE WAS NO LIGHT



THE HOLY OF HOLIES

HOUSED G-D’S GLORY

HIS SHEKINAH

HIS DWELLING AMONG US



IN FRONT OF THE HOLY OF HOLIES

WAS A VEIL

A CURTAIN IF YOU WILL

THAT BLOCKED THE HOLY OF HOLIES

FROM VIEW



ONLY THE HIGH PRIEST

ONCE A YEAR

COULD GO THERE





BUT WHAT HAVE I LEARNED

FROM MY SHOWOFF RESEARCH



THAT WHEN I WAS A CHILD

I WAS TAUGHT AS A CHILD

BUT AS I GREW

MY FAITH DID NOT

IT WAS STUCK AT SUNDAY SCHOOL LEVEL



THAT POMPEY

HAVING CONQUERED JERUSALEM

ENTERED

UNBIDDEN

THE HOLY OF HOLIES

AND FOUND AN EMPTY ROOM

NO ARK

NO GUARDING LIONS

NOTHING

EMPTY

BUT HE MUST HAVE FOUND SOMETHING

SENSED SOMETHING

BECAUSE THE NEXT DAY

HE ORDERED THE TEMPLE CLEANSED

AND SERVICES RESTARTED

BUT GRADUALLY

AS I MATURED

THE MIRACLE

AND IMPLICATION

OF THE INCARNATION

GREW IN ME



LIKE FILMING A SUNRISE

WITH A FAULTY CAMERA

THAT WOULD STICK

OR GO OUT OF FOCUS



FINALLY

THE TEMPLE VEIL RENT

THE SHEKINAH

WAS LOOSE



I SAW GOD’S FACE

HE SMILED

AND SAID GROW





FRANK A VOLLMER