“CHRISTIAN” (MICAH 6:8)

THE LORD

THROUGH MICAH

GAVE US A STANDARD CONDUCT

WHICH IS

To act justly

to love mercy

to walk humbly

with your God.

A CODE OF CONDUCT

I HAVE OFTEN FAILED

BUT WHEN I DID

I SOUGHT FORGIVENESS

MAYBE NOT RIGHT AWAY

BUT THE MAGNET OF GOD’S PULL

WOULD PULL ME BACK INTO HIS ORBIT

FORGIVEN

I PURPOSED TO DO BETTER

BUT ALWAYS

THE STANDARD WAS THERE

AS A MEASURING STICK

A SHOW AND TELL

OF HOW MUCH I MISSED THE MARK

SO I SAY WHAT FOLLOWS

WITH NO SENSE OF PRIDE IN MYSELF

BUT THERE ARE SOME

WHO CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS

WHO ARE NOT WORTHY OF THE NAME

THERE ARE CHURCHES

THAT PICKET FUNERALS OF THE FALLEN

THEY ARE DEAD

BECAUSE OF SINS OF THE NATION

THERE ARE CHURCHES

THAT BURN KORANS

AS A SIGN OF GOD’S LOVE FOR ALL MEN

THERE ARE CHURCHES

THAT PREACH A PROSPERITY GOSPEL

BEING POOR

IS A SIGN OF GOD’S DISPLEASURE

WITH THE POVERELLO

POLITICIANS

THAT PRATE FAMILY VALUES

WHILE CHILDREN STARVE

POLITICIANS THAT BACK DICTATORS

WHILE PRATTLING PIOUS POMPOSITIES

THEN TURN A BLIND EYE

TO THE RAPE AND KILLING OF NUNS

BILLIONS FOR WAR

BUPKIS FOR PEACE

NOTHING FOR SCHOOLS

HEALTH CARE

NONE OF THESE

AND MANY MORE

MEET THE MINIMUM STANDARD

IF THEY ARE CHRISTIAN

THEN I’M A HERETIC

BECAUSE I DO NOT BELIEVE

THEIR TEACHING

BUT IT DOESN’T RELIEVE ME OF ANY BURDEN

BUT LIKE CHRIST

PICKING UP HIS CROSS AGAIN

AFTER A FALL

MEASURE MY SELF AGAINST THE STANDARD

CHANGE

AND BE SCRIPTURE

TO A ILLITERATE WORLD

FRANK A VOLLMER

MICAH 6:8

WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU?

TO ACT JUSTLY AND TO LOVE MERCY

AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD

I AM A BUSINESS MAN

WHO CAN MAKE EXTRA PROFIT

BY SELLING SHODDY GOODS

AT NORMAL PRICES

WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF ME

ACT JUSTLY

TO LOVE MERCY

TO WALK HUMBLY WITH ME

I AM A POLITICIAN

WHY LIKE ROBIN HOOD

TAKE FROM ONE CLASS

AND GIVE TO ANOTHER

UNLIKE ROBIN HOOD

I TAKE FROM THE POOR

AND GIVE TO THE RICH

WHERE DOES GOD COME INTO POLITICS

BUT GOD SAYS

ACT JUSTLY

LOVE MERCY

WALK HUMBLY WITH ME

I AM A HAPPILY MARRIED MAN

WHO IS TEMPTED

TO BE UNFAITHFUL

TO HIS SPOUSE

WHAT DOES GOD SAY

ACT JUSTLY

LOVE MERCY

WALK HUMBLY WITH ME

I AM TEMPTED

TO DO VIOLENCE

AT AN ABORTION CLINIC

WHAT AM I TO DO

ACT JUSTLY

LOVE MERCY

WALK HUMBLY WITH ME

I AM TEMPTED

TO DO VIOLENCE

TO GAYS

ETHNIC GROUPS

ANYONE DIFFERENT

WHAT AM I TO DO

ACT JUSTLY

LOVE MERCY

WALK HUMBLY WITH ME

I AM A PASTOR

WHO PREACHES GENERALITIES

RATHER THAN THE GOSPEL

WHAT AM I TO DO

ACT JUSTLY

LOVE MERCY

WALK HUMBLY WITH ME

IS IT JUST THE WIND BLOWING IN THE TREES

OR DO WE REALLY BELIEVE

THAT GOD REQUIRES OF US

TO ACT JUSTLY

TO LOVE MERCY

TO WALK HUMBLY WITH ME

FRANK A VOLLMER

THEOTOKOS (Luke 1:46-55)

SINCE PARENTHOOD BEGAN

MOTHER AND CHILD ARE INSEPARABLE

SINE QUA NON

MARY WAS GIVEN THE TITLE THEOTOKOS

WHICH MEANS GOD BEARER

HER MAGNIFICAT PREDICTS

THAT ALL GENERATIONS SHALL CALL ME BLESSED

WE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK

WOULD DO WELL TO PAY HEED

THE CHILD THAT MARY BORE IN HER WOMB

HAD TWO NATURES

HUMAN AND DIVINE

A FACT IF WE BELIEVE IN THE INCARNATION

MANY WOULD RELEGATE MARY TO OBSCURITY

EXCEPT FOR THE SINGING OF AVE MARIA

FEW KNOW THE MEANING OF THE WORDS

OR ITS RELEVANCE

BUT AS GOD AT THE BEGINNING SAID BEGIN

CREATION CAME INTO BEING

MARY SAID FIAT

AND GOD-MAN BECAME FLESH IN MARY’S WOMB

SHE IS THE MODEL FOR ALL OF US

TRUSTING IN GOD

AND HIS WORD

EVEN WHEN THE FUTURE LOOKS DARK

HOLD ONTO HIS WORD

WE LIKE MARY

ARE IN GREAT TRAVAIL

FOR GOD WILL BE BORN INTO THE WORLD

THROUGH US

GOD WAITS OUR FIAT

FRANK A VOLLMER

PIGTAIL (Luke 2:4)

WITH ONE EAR

AND THE OTHER ONE DOWN

A TAIL THAT CURLED

LIKE A PIG

HE WASN’T A PROMISING ARTICLE

NE MATTER WHAT THE DONKEY MERCHANT SAID

HE KEPT IT TO BUILD UP SALES ON THE OTHER MULES

AT WHICH HE WAS MOST ADEPT

SO WHEN THE CARPENTER CAME

NEEDING A RIDE

HE COULDN’T AFFORD THE BEST

NOR THE MEDIOCRE

BUT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL WAS PIGTAIL

NOW HE WASN’T A BAD MAN

BUT A BUSINESSMAN

A SALE WAS A SALE

RATHER A RENT WAS A RENT

HE ONLY NEEDED IT

TO GO TO BETHLEHEM FOR CENSUS

HIS WIFE WAS PREGNANT

THE ROMANS DIDN’T CARE

IF SHE MISCARRIED

ONE LEST JEW TO MAKE TROUBLE

WHEN THE TRIP WAS OVER

THE MULE MERCHANT

NOTICED A CHANGE IN PIGTAIL

PHYSICALLY HE WAS THE SAME

BUT HE CARRIED HIMSELF

WITH AN AIR OF WORTH

AND CONFIDENCE

THAT CHILDREN RESPONDED TO

HE BECAME THE VILLAGE TOY

MAKING MANY A CHILD

FEEL LIKE A KING

RIDING HIM

STRUTTING PROUDLY

BAYING LOUDLY

BUT HIS FAVORITE

WAS THE CARPENTER’S SON

WHO GAVE HIM THE NAME PIGTAIL

HE WORE IT WITH DIGNITY

AND LOVE

FRANK A VOLLMER

CHILDREN (Matthew 18:6) (Mark 9:42)

HERE

WHEN SOMETHING IS BAD FOR CHILDREN

WE SHIELD THEM

LEST THEIR YOUNG MINDS BE HURT

BUT IF A HUNGRY CHILD

IS SHOWN ON TV

WE LET IT RUN

SHOULD WE NOT CARE FOR THAT CHILD TOO

WHEN I WAS A CHILD

WE WERE SENT TO BED WITHOUT SUPPER

FOR ANY FORM OF DISOBEDIENCE

WHAT FORM OF DISOBEDIENCE

DID THIS HUNGRY CHILD DO

TO BE BORN POOR

TO BECOME POOR

TO BE RACIALLY DIFFERENT

TO SING PRAISES

TO A FOREIGN GOD

TO BE UNECONOMICALLY FRUITFUL

TO BE PAWNS IN A POWER GAME

WHATEVER THE REASON

WHAT CHILD

SHOULD BE DENIED

A WARM BED

A FULL BELLY

A LIFETIME OF PROMISE

AND OPPORTUNITY

IT IS WELL TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN

BUT ALL ARE OUR CHILDREN

WE WOULD DO WELL TO REMEMBER THAT

 

AS CHRIST SAID

IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THEM

TO BE THROWN INTO THE SEA

WITH A MILLSTONE

TIED AROUND THEIR NECK

THAN TO CAUSE ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES

TO STUMBLE

FRANK A VOLLMER



THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE (2 Samuel 11:1)

IN SPRING

WHEN KINGS GO OFF TO WAR

SO MANY THINGS IN LIFE

ARE CYCLIC

TIDE

SEASONS

PLANTING

HARVESTS

THE BIG ONE

FROM BIRTH TO DEATH

WHICH WE ALL MUST SHARE

AND GIVES MEANING TO ADVENT

THE YEARLY CYCLE

OF THE LIFE OF THE CORN KING

THE WHEAT KING

THE FISH KING

THE LIFE KING

THE CIRCUMFERENCE

OF THE WHEEL OF LIFE

IS VARIABLE

SOME

SO SMALL

AS TO BE A SPECK

OTHERS

HUGE

OLD

AND CREAKING

GRIND UNGRACEFULLY

TO A HALT

WE ARE GUILTY

OF WAITING MESSIAH

AS IF HE WERE A MAGICIAN

WHO WILL HEAL ALL OUR WOUNDS

NO EFFORT

ON OUR PART

BUT A WAVE OF A HAND

WHICH LEAVES US IN DARKNESS

LOOKING FOR LIGHT

BUT THE LIGHT IS IN US

WE WON’T LET IT SHINE

WE’D RATHER SIT IN DARKNESS

ASKING HIM TO COME

WHEN HE’S ALREADY HERE

FRANK A VOLLMER

SNOW (Matthew 27:46)

THE SMELL OF JEW WAS IN THE AIR

AND FLAKES LIKE SNOW CAME FALLING DOWN

CRISP PIECES OF FLESH

LIKE SNOW FELL DOWN

THE SLAVES KEPT FILLING THE OVENS

WITH AN UNENDING SUPPLY OF BODIES

NO EMOTION ALLOWED

IF THE NEXT ONE WAS KNOWN

PARENT

CHILD

FRIEND

SPOUSE

LIKE A LIFELESS MACHINE

THEY HAD TO KEEP ON WORKING

DEATH WAS A HARRASED GATHERER

AS SHOWER HEADS DID THEIR WORK

THE CHILDREN ASKED THEIR PARENT WHY

THE PARENT STRUGGLED TO REPLY

BUT FOUND NO WORDS ADEQUATE

TO EXPLAIN

WHY THE CHILD WOULD NEVER FIND SOMEONE

AND PLAN A FUTURE

BUT WITH CHRIST

IN WHOM THEY DO NOT BELIEVE

CRY OUT

WHY

FRANK A VOLLMER