Thursday, December 29, 2011

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS



SUPPOSE I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAY
THAT THE BIBLE IS THE UNERRING WORD OF GOD

FOR SOME OF YOU
CREATION TOOK SEVEN DAYS

THAT GOD SPOKE THE KING JAMES VERSION

THAT THE NAME OF THE BIBLE BOOKS
ARE THE NAMES OF THE AUTHORS

THAT ANY ANOMALIES ARE THE FAULT OF THE READER
NOT THE BOOK

WE
IN THIS MOST CHRISTIAN COUNTRY
DECLARE THIS BOOK TO BE SACRED
AND THE BASIS OF OUR BELIEF

WE WANT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
POSTED IN OUR PUBLIC PLACES

PRAYER IN SCHOOL
AS LONG AS IT’S THE CHRISTIAN GOD

BUT WHY SHOULD THE CHRISTIAN VIEW HAVE PRIORITY
IS IT BETTER

WHERE IS THE PROOF IN THE PUDDING

AVARICE IN THE MARKET PLACE
UNJUSTIFIED WAR
ONE LAW FOR THE RICH
ONE FOR THE POOR
HATRED FOR THE STRANGER
IN OUR MIDST
THE LIST GOES ON

ALL OF THEM CLEARLY CONDEMNED IN THE BOOK

WE ARE A NATION OF HYPOCRITES

WE ARE LIKE THE GOD JANUS
ONE FACE FOR THE PUBLIC
ONE FOR OUR REAL SELVES

NOT LOOKING BACK TO SEE WHERE WE ERRED
THEN LOOKING FORWARD TO NOT REPEAT THE ERRORS

WE SHOULD
TO PARAPHRASE THE VERNACULAR
PUT OUR BELIEFS INTO OUR ACTIONS

IF THE BIBLE IS GOD’S UNERRING WORD
WE SHOULD DO MORE THAN LISTEN
OR PARROT KEY PHRASES
WE SHOULD OBSERVE THE WORD
AND LIVE IT

FRANK A VOLLMER

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

COME LORD JESUS



 
“Jim, Christianity has nothing to do with racism.”
That's what my church elder told me when I was a 15-year-old boy. Can you believe that? “That's political, and our faith is personal,” he said.
That's the night I left my church.
Jim Wallis
President and CEO, Sojourners
(a magazine dedicated to faith in action for social justice)


Come Lord Jesus

I hope when all the sentimentality of Christmas is over
That Jesus receives in his stocking
Real food not pap
That men need each other to survive
That the social gospel
Is the gospel
Not an addendum

As we gather in warm churches
Many are cold
As we receive the lord
Many are hungry
As we showoff our Christmas finery
Many are naked
As we celebrate family
Many are lonely
As we think of a child forced to flee to Egypt
Many will not accept the stranger in our midst

We have been taught a narrow image of religion
So that many wonder what happened to the message of Christ

The straw in the manger is prickly
So should be our conscience

Come lord Jesus
Really come
Not as we imagine
But really come

Frank A Vollmer


Sunday, December 18, 2011

GETTING RELIGION

MY DOG IS GETTING RELIGION
HE ATE THE BABY JESUS OUT OF THE MANGER
THE SHEPHERDS WERE TENDING THEIR SHEEP
THE WISE MEN WERE LOOKING FOR A STAR
MARY AND JOSEPH FELL OVER IN AWE
AND JESUS WENT DOWN THE DOG’S GULLET

I LOOKED FOE CHANGES
IN MY POOCH’S BEHAVIOR
SAW NONE
HE STILL SHED
SLOBBERED HIS WATER
NEEDED TO BE WALKED
WHERE HE SALUTED EVERY TREE AS USUAL

BUT THEN HE DIDN’T HAVE TO LEARN
HOW TO BE TRUSTWORTHY
AND FAITHFUL

A FOLK LEGEND
SAYS
THAT A DOG’S LIFE IS SHORT
BECAUSE EVERYONE LIVES LONG ENOUGH
TO BECOME LOYAL   AND TRUSTWORTHY
IF THEY TRY

DOGS LEARN FASTER

IN FACT
A COMMON NAME FOR DOGS
USED TO BE
FIDO
LATIN FOR I TRUST

GOD HAS BEEN CALLED
THE HOUND FROM HEAVEN
HE WILL PURSUE YOU
TIRELESSLY

TO LAY AT YOUR FEET
THE BABY JESUS
THAT HE MAY BECOME
YOURS

FRANK A VOLLMER


Saturday, December 17, 2011

CODE IN THE NODE

I HAVE A CODE IN THE NODE
MY NODE LOOKS LIKE A NIGHT OF DRINKING
I’M THE EAST COAST DISTRIBUTOR
OF MALAISE AND MAL DE TETE

I’M ON DRUGS THAT WOULD KILL A HORSE
THAT’S BECAUSE I’VE GOT A COLT
THAT’S THE MANE REASON I’M SICK

THIS STALLION IS ILLY
THAT’S KIND OF SILLY
MY NOSE IS WINNING THE RACE
IT’S RUNNING AT WHIM
OVER MY CHIN
IT’S PUDDLING ALL OVER THE FLOOR

I’D REALLY BE THANKY
FOR THE LOAN OF A HANKY
MINE ARE ALL USED UP
WOULD YOU BELIEVE
I’M USING MY SLEEVE
BUT I’M WEARING A SLEEVELESS SHIRT

NOW LET ME PRATTLE
ABOUT MY CHEST RATTLE
THE COUGHING THE COUGHING THE COUGH
I SOUND JUST THE SAME
AS AN OLD FASHIONED TRAIN
CHUGGING AND CHUGGING AND CHUG

LET’S ALL LIGHT A CANDLE
DO THE CHICKEN BONE DANCE
ANYTHING TO MAKE ME FEEL WELL

I PROBABLY SHOULD YELL OUT
 UNCLEAN UNCLEAN

I FEEL LIKE A LEPER
AND LOOK LIKE ONE TWO

I HAVE A CODE IN THE NODE

FRANK A VOLLMER


Friday, December 9, 2011

HISTORY/STORY (BIRTH NARRATIVES)






DID IT REALLY HAPPEN

DID MAGI COME BRINGING GIFTS

DID SHEPHERDS LEAVE THEIR FLOCK

DID SOLDIERS SLAY CHILDREN FOR A KING

DID THEY HAVE TO FLEE TO EGYPT



SOME SAY YES

THE BIBLE IS HISTORY



SOME SAY NO

THE BIBLE IS STORY



BUT WHATEVER WAY IT HAPPENED

YES OR NO

OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN



A CHILD WAS BORN

MIRACLE ENOUGH IN ITSELF



BY LEAP OF FAITH

THAT CHILD IS GOD



THERE IS NO NEED FOR STORY



BUT DO WE LIVE

AS ONE

WHOM CHRIST WALKED AMONG

TAUGHT

DIED

ROSE

LEFT IN BODY

BUT HIS SPIRIT REMAINS



OR ARE WE STILL

AT SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS

BEING SERVED SWEETNESS

WHEN WE NEED MEAT



HAS THE WONDER OF THE INCARNATION

CHANGED US



THAT EVERY MAN HAS DIGNITY

BECAUSE CHRIST DID NOT THINK

IT BELOW HIS DIGNITY

TO BE COME ONE



SO AT THIS TIME OF YEAR

THERE IS A CHILD THAT NEEDS NOURISHING



AND HIS FOOD

IS LOVE AND SERVICE



FRANK A VOLLMER