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

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



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

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



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





CHRISTMAS TRIO BY FRANK A VOLLMER

WHERE IS MESSIAH

IN POLAND

IN WARSAW

IN THE JEWISH CEMETERY

IN ONE OF THE TOMBS

A WOMAN GAVE BIRTH

HER ONLY ATTENDANT

THE CARETAKER

WHO WAS HIDING TOO

HE SAID

PERHAPS THIS ONE IS THE MESSIAH

BORN SO LOWLY

DESPISED

AND SPIT UPON

PERHAPS HE IS THE MESSIAH

THE CHRISTIAN MESSIAH

HAS BROUGHT US NO PEACE

BUT HE WATCHED HIS DREAM FADE

AS THE CHILD

SUCKED ON HIS MOTHER’S TEARS

HER BREASTS WERE DRY

THE CHILD

SUCKED ON HIS MOTHER’S TEARS

AND DIED

EVENTUALLY

THEY WERE FOUND

AND WENT UP IN SMOKE

THE NEARBY VILLAGERS

SMELLED THE SMOKE

AND KNEW WHAT IT WAS

THEIR HOMES STANK OF IT

THEY CALLED IT

       JEWISH PERFUME

IN A WORLD

STILL PLAGUED

BY WAR

HUNGER

AND HATRED

CAN WE NOT SAY

WHERE IS MESSIAH

FRANK A VOLLMER

SNOW

FIFTEEN THOUSAND CHILDREN

WERE INCARCERATED

IN TEREZIN CONCENTRATION CAMP

ONLY ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO

 OF THOSE CHILDREN

 WERE KNOWN TO HAVE SURVIVED

LIKE SNOW THEY FELL

GRAY SNOWFLAKES

BLANKING ALL AS SNOW WILL

THEY WERE BITS OF SKIN

INCINERATED SKIN

THAT THE CHIMNEYS

BELCHED FORTH

LIKE A SNOW MACHINE

ON A SKI SLOPE

BUT SNOW NEVER SMELT

LIKE BURNT FLESH

SNOW WAS WHITE

LIKE THE FAUX SNOW

AROUND THE CRÈCHE

WHERE THE CHRIST CHILD LAY

BEING SERENADED

WITH STILLE NACHT

THE CHRIST CHILD

THE KING OF THE JEWS

WHILE HS SUBJECTS

WENT UP IN SMOKE

SILENT NIGHT

SILENT NIGHT

WHILE HIS SUBJECTS

SCREAMED LOUDLY

WHEN THE SHOWER TURNED DEADLY

CAN WE BLAME THOSE

WHO CREATED THIS SHOAH

CERTAINLY

BUT TO BE FAIR

WE SHOULD ALSO BLAME THE CHURCH

THAT PREACHED CHRIST KILLERS

FOR TWO THOUSAND YEARS

RELIGION

WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO HELP MAN

LIVE IN RELATION

TO HIS BROTHERS

SO OFTEN

SHOWS HATE

IN FACT

THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SQUABBLE

WAS WHEN CAIN KILLED ABEL

THE JEWS WERE CONSIDERED

A NON-PEOPLE

CURSED BY GOD

THEY WERE A HANDY SCAPEGOAT

WHEN THINGS WENT BAD

FROM INDIVIDUALS UP TO THE STATE

THEY WERE SCAPEGOATS

WHEN THINGS WENT WRONG

THEY WERE THE LEAST

IN CONTRADICTION TO CHRIST TEACHING

THEY WERE NOT TREATED KINDLY

BUT AS CHRIST’S BODY

THEY WERE

BEATEN

STARVED

KILLED

BURNT

WHILE PIOUSITIES

POURED OUT

FROM PULPITS

THIS IS MY BODY

FLOATING IN THE AIR LIKE SNOW

THIS IS MY BLOOD

BEATEN FROM MY BODY

AND THE EARTH CRIES OUT

WHO IS MY BROTHER

RACHAEL'S CHILDREN

IS THERE EVER A GOOD TIME

FOR GOD TO BE BORN

IS THERE EVER A TIME

 THAT WILL NOT CAUSE PAIN

HE OFTEN THOUGHT THESE THOUGHTS

SITTING WITH THE WOMEN

WHOSE CHILDREN

 HEROD HAD SLAIN

A THING HE DID OFTEN

ON HIS BIRTHDAY

OH NOW THEY WERE CONSOLED

YEARS AND A LIFE LATER

DON'T COME THE TEMPTER HAD SAID

OILY VOICED AS USUAL

PRAISING EVIL NOT AS BAD BUT GOOD

OR EXPEDIENT

DON'T COME NOW

BUT THE EARTH WAS GROANING IN LABOR

AS THE EARTH

IS ALWAYS GROANING IN LABOR

THERE IS ALWAYS NEED

FOR GOD TO BE BORN

SO THE WOMEN WERE CONTENT

TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE

BUT EACH ONE FELT

A HOLLOWNESS OF YEARS

THAT HE COULD

BUT COULD NOT FILL

NOR CALL BACK

THE WAIL OF RACHEL

THE WAIL OF RACHEL

FOR HER CHILDREN

GOATS AND LAMBS (CHRIST THE KING)

THE GOATS WERE BROUGHT INTO THE BARN

AFTER THEIR DAY IN THE FIELD

THEY COULDN’T STAND THE COLD

BUT THE SHEEP REMAINED OUTSIDE

WARM IN THEIR COAT

MILKING THE GOAT WAS WOMEN’S WORK

A DEBAUCHED WOMEN WAS CALLED A GOAT

THE GOATS WERE BLACK

THE SHEEP WOOL WHITE

THE GOATS WERE PROMISCUOUS

THEY SHARED THEIR MATES

THE SHEEP DID NOT

OUT OF ALL THIS FOLKLORE

JESUS SPUN A TALE

USING IMAGES THE PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD

HE STARTS BY SAYING

THE KING COMES IN GLORY

SO CRITICAL IN THE EAST

THE DEMAND FOR RESPECT

SO HE COMES IN GLORY

AND SITS ON THE GLORY THRONE

COMMANDING RESPECT

AS BEFITS A KING

AND TELLS A COMMON STORY

OF SEPARATING SHEEP FROM GOATS

SEPARATING THE GOOD

FROM THE INDIFFERENT

THEY WERE NOT COMPLETELY BAD

THE GOATS

THEY WERE INDIFFERENT

AND SAID TO THE SHEEP

WHO WERE CARING

AND HUDDLED TOGETHER FOR WARMTH

COME INTO THE KINGDOM

I HAVE PREPARED FOR YOU

AND I’LL SHALL BE YOUR SHEPHERD

FRANK A VOLLMER