THE POTTER LOOKED AT THE WORK OF HIS HANDS
AND LOVED HIS CREATION
I SHALL CALL YOU
BELOVED OF MY HEART
SPOUSE …PARENT... FRIEND
YOU SHALL HOLD ALL THAT IS PRECIOUS TO ME
AND WHEN AS TIME WILL
THE VESSEL BREAKS
I SHALL CLAIM THE CONTENTS
AS MY OWN
EVEN THAT
WHICH YOU GAVE AWAY
AS SPOUSE …PARENT... FRIEND
INVESTING THE TALENTS I FILLED YOU WITH
AND YOU USED
HONORING MY NAME
FRANK A VOLLMER
A VOICE (Isaiah 40:1-11)
THE DRY SOUNDS OF THE DESERT
THE CEASELESS BLOWING OF SAND
THE VOICE
OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS
MAKE STRAIGHT THE PATH
LEVEL MOUNTAINS
AND FILL UP GAPS
THAT THE KING OF GLORY MAY COME IN
TO ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM ANEW
HIS WAY WILL BE ROUGH ENOUGH
MAKE LEVEL HIS PATH
HIS WAY IS FRAUGHT WITH DANGER
SECURE HIS PATH
HIS ENEMIES MACHINE WILL CRUSH HIM
THROW YOURSELF BENEATH THE WHEELS
DO NOT LET THE APPEARANCE
OF THE MESSENGER
DETER YOU
THIS WILD MAN
WHO EATS LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY
WHO WEARS CAMEL HAIR FOR A CLOAK
WHO WON’T LET US BE COMFORTABLE
DO NOT FIND FAULT WITH THE MESSENGER
HIS MESSAGE IS TRUE
TOO OFTEN WE FIND FAULT WITH THE MESSENGER
AND DO NOT FOLLOW
LIKE
KING
BERRIGAN
BONHOEFFER
IT’S TIME TO ADMIT
WE HAVE BEEN COMFORTABLE
NOT ROAD BUILDERS
BARRICADE BUILDERS
NOT ROAD BUILDERS
WALL BUILDERS
THAT IMPRISON
THOSE WHO BUILD THEM
AND WHEN THEY FALL
THE JACKAL HOWLS AT THE MOON
AND THERE IS NO ANSWER
FRANK A VOLLMER
FIRST SERMON (
LET ME TELL YOU A STORY.
MOST OF IT IS TRUE.
THE REST IS A PARABLE.
JESUS TOLD PARABLES.
THEY WERE
AND ARE
STORIES TO TEACH A LESSON.
JESUS
FILLED WITH THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT
WAS PREACHING IN GALILEE
.
GOING FROM VILLAGE TO VILLAGE.
AND THE PEOPLE FELT HOPE
AND JOY
IN HIS MESSAGE
BUT THE RULERS OF THE SYNAGOGUE
AND THE WEALTHY AND IMPORTANT
FELT THREATENED
HE WAS NOW IN NAZARETH
AND HE AND HIS MOTHER
WERE WALKING TO THE SYNAGOGUE.
AT THE DOOR THEY PARTED.
MARY WENT TO SIT WITH THE WOMEN
BECAUSE THE SYNAGOGUE WAS SEGREGATED.
AT THE CENTER OF THE SYNAGOGUE SAT
ALL THE IMPORTANT MEN OF THE VILLAGE.
AROUND THEM SAT
THE OTHER MEN OF THE VILLAGE.
THE WOMEN WERE IGNORED
THEY WERE NOT IMPORTANT.
IN FACT THE JEWISH LEADERS SAID
THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER
FOR THE BIBLE TO BE BURNED
RATHER THAN BE TAUGHT TO A WOMAN.
THIS WAS THE WORLD JESUS LIVED IN
AND HE DID NOT LIKE IT
.
HE ALSO DID NOT LIKE THE PRAYER
THAT JEWISH MEN SAID DAILY
.
THEY SAID
BLESSED BE GOD
THAT HE HAS NOT MADE ME
A GENTILE
.
BLESSED BE GOD
THAT HE HAS NOT MADE ME
A WOMAN
.
BLESSED BE GOD
THAT HE HAS NOT MADE ME
A SLAVE.
THIS ALSO BOTHERED JESUS.
IT WAS NOT THE WORLD
THAT HE
OR HIS FATHER WANTED.
LATER PAUL
IN GALATIANS
WOULD ANSWER THAT PRAYER
WITH A NEW ONE
THAT REFLECTED
WHAT JESUS THOUGHT
WHEN HE WROTE
AS MANY OF YOU
AS WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
HAVE CLOTHED YOURSELVES
WITH CHRIST.
THEREFORE
THERE IS NO LONGER
JEW OR GREEK
,
THERE IS NO LONGER
SLAVE OR FREE,
THERE IS NO LONGER
MALE AND FEMALE;
FOR ALL OF YOU
ARE ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.
BUT THAT PRAYER WAS WRITTEN
AFTER JESUS HAD LIVED AND DIED
.
BUT TODAY IN OUR STORY
JESUS IS BEGINNING HIS JOURNEY
.
AS HE LOOKS AT THE ASSEMBLY
HE IS SADDENED
THAT THEY HAVE WANDERED
SO FAR FROM HIS FATHER'S DREAM
.
HE OPENS THE SCRIPTURES
AND READING FROM ISAIAH
HE DECLARES IN A STRONG VOICE
THE NEW/OLD VISION OF THE FATHER
FOR HIS PEOPLE.
TODAY HE SAYS
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME.
HE HAS APPOINTED ME
HE HAS APPOINTED ME
TO BRING GOOD NEWS
TO THE POOR.
HE HAS APPOINTED ME
TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO CAPTIVES
HE HAS APPOINTED ME
TO TELL THE BLIND
THAT THEY SHALL SEE.
TO TELL THE DOWNTRODDEN
THEIR BURDEN IS LIFTED
AND TO TELL
ALL PEOPLE
THAT THE TIME FOR GOD'S BLESSINGS
IS NOW.
JESUS CLOSES THE BOOK.
LOOKS AT ALL THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE,
LOOKS AT ALL THE NOT SO IMPORTANT PEOPLE
LOOKS AT HIS MOTHER
AND ALL THE OTHER WOMEN
WHO DID NOT COUNT
AND SAYS
TODAY
THIS SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED
IN YOUR HEARING
MEANING THAT THE TIME FOR CHANGE
WAS NOW
AND FOR THAT REASON
JESUS WAS PREACHING.
AND CALLING US TO MISSION
FRANK A VOLLMER
FEAR NOT (
IT WAS THE EVENING
A COOL BREEZE WAS BLOWING
WELCOME RELIEF FROM THE SUN
THE BIRDS
HAD SETTLED
FOR THE EVENING
PERCHING ON TREE AND HOUSE
SHE WAS FINISHING HER PRAYERS
WITH
MAY MESSIAH COME
WHEN SHE HEARD A SOUND
AS IF
A LATE ARRIVING BIRD HAD COME
SHE SAW AN ANGEL
SHE HEARD A VOICE
SAYING
GOD’S CONSTANT GREETING
BE NOT AFRAID
THE CHOICE WAS HERS
THE CHOICE IS OURS
TO LET GOD SWELL WITHIN US
WHEN WE SAY SON OF MAN
WE MEAN JUST LIKE HIS FATHER
WHEN WE SAY SON OF GOD
WE MEAN JUST LIKE HIS FATHER
GOD WAITED
LIKE AN ANXIOUS SUITOR
FOR A YES
GOD WAITS
LIKE AN ANXIOUS SUITOR
FOR US TO SAY YES
AND BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
FRANK A VOLLMER
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